The Blind Servant Exposed (Isaiah 42:18–28)
Over the next several prophecies and poems, Isaiah highlights YHWH’s redemptive work for His people. Just as He had saved them from Egypt, He is planning a new exodus. He will affect a national rescue from exile (42:18-43:21), but He will also bring about a spiritual redemption ultimately (43:22-44:3-23). He begins by zeroing in on Israel’s sin that necessitates both discipline and rescue.
The blind servant here is not the Servant from verses 1-9. Even though there the coming Messiah is called “Israel,” it is not the nation, but God intervening in history. Here, though, the “blind servant” is also called Jacob and Israel (v24). It is the nation. They are blind and deaf to the truth of God. This is ironic, because they are selected by God to counter the blindness and deafness of fallen humanity!
God had given His revelation to Israel. They alone had the eyes and ears to see and hear God’s truth. And yet, they did not see nor hear. In a world of deaf and blind, they chose to close their eyes and stop up their ears. This is the great failure of Isarael!
In the Old Covenant, the mission of God’s people was to attract the world to God through their special relationship. Instead, they enjoyed it as a deserved reward, not a mission to be witnesses and testimonies.!
Today, after the cross, we too have a mission to be witnesses and testimonies to God’s good news. Horrifically, but predictably, all too often the people of God again see their blessing as a deserved reward. How different is the Christian church from the children of Israel?
The blind servant here is not the Servant from verses 1-9. Even though there the coming Messiah is called “Israel,” it is not the nation, but God intervening in history. Here, though, the “blind servant” is also called Jacob and Israel (v24). It is the nation. They are blind and deaf to the truth of God. This is ironic, because they are selected by God to counter the blindness and deafness of fallen humanity!
God had given His revelation to Israel. They alone had the eyes and ears to see and hear God’s truth. And yet, they did not see nor hear. In a world of deaf and blind, they chose to close their eyes and stop up their ears. This is the great failure of Isarael!
In the Old Covenant, the mission of God’s people was to attract the world to God through their special relationship. Instead, they enjoyed it as a deserved reward, not a mission to be witnesses and testimonies.!
Today, after the cross, we too have a mission to be witnesses and testimonies to God’s good news. Horrifically, but predictably, all too often the people of God again see their blessing as a deserved reward. How different is the Christian church from the children of Israel?
Comments
Post a Comment