Faithful on Fridays Blog

Part Five

Some call chapters 40-66 Book Two, meaning, there’s a definite change in tone to God’s message to His people through this prophet. It’s not about the judgment of nations any longer but about the their rescue. God is sending the Messiah, Israel’s Savior, and they needed to be ready. Sound familiar? God is again sending His Son, a second time, and we also need to be ready.

Within a short time the northern ten tribes of Israel will be heading into exile with the southern two tribes following about 150 years later, but they should not lose heart because God says there’s an end to their iniquity and their warfare will be finished. Mark’s gospel begins by quoting Isaiah 40:3-5 connecting John the Baptist and Jesus’ first coming to this prophecy and their mission: repentance and forgiveness. However, in verse 10 we also find part of this quote in Rev. 22:12 promising that at Jesus’ second coming His reward, the Bride, will be with Him. Isaiah had a way of weaving both ‘comings’ of Christ into his prophecy throughout this second section.

Connecting chapter 41 God promises to renew the strength of His people (begun in 40:29-31) by sending the One who is the LORD, the First and the Last (41:4). We find this, again, quoted in Revelation 1:17 and 22:13; Jesus is His name. As we all know the Jewish people have continuously suffered, but in the midst of suffering they’re promised a Redeemer, the Holy One of Israel who’ll have the final victory. Their job is to reject other gods and remain set apart as they wait for Him.

Israel is called God’s servant (41:8) and yet as we move into chapter 42 God promises another ‘Servant’ whom He delights in, full of the Spirit, bringing justice to the nations of the earth. He accomplishes that by becoming our scapegoat on the cross, defeating death by rising again, and showing that He’s the Mighty Man, like a Man of War (42:13), who’s passionate for His Bride: The Church.

Justice is righting some wrongs and Jesus’ mission of justice was to take our sin and exchange it for His righteousness thereby righting the wrong of the devil in the Garden of Eden and promising a new garden in Rev. 22. Jesus showed what justice looks like (vs. 6-7) when He became a covenant for the people, light for the nations (Luke 2:32), opened blind eyes, and delivered people from the darkness of spiritual prison. 

These three chapters beautifully lend themselves to our devotional time as we speak them back to God singing this ‘new song’ of praise. Yes, Israel was deaf and blind, they both went into captivity, but God’s promises remain true. The Apostle Paul recognized that spiritual veil (2 Cor. 3:12-16) giving the only way for lifting it: repentance. When anyone, Jew or Gentile, turns to the Lord in repentance he’s promised forgiveness and eternal life.