Isaiah 50:4-11 Sermon Notes
THE SERVANT’S PATTERN
Isaiah 50:4-11
(March 20, 2005 Sermon Notes)
In Isaiah 42, Yahweh presents His Servant as the one who will bring justice to the world. But Israel, the Servant, is blind and deaf. And so Yahweh promises another Servant who will be a true Israel and who will restore Israel and bring salvation to the world.
But how would that happen? Through the Servant’s faithfulness in suffering and his vindication by God. That will bring comfort to the weary (50:4) and light to those who walk in darkness (50:10), but it will also mean torment for those who don’t listen to the Servant’s voice (50:11).
THE SERVANT’S FAITHFULNESS (50:4-6)
In 50:1-3, Yahweh complains that no one listens to Him. Now there is one who does. The Master gave His Servant a disciple’s tongue to comfort the weary. That disciples’ tongue depends on a disciple’s ear. Every morning, Yahweh opened His Servant’s ear to hear Him and obey.
Israel’s ear was plugged (Isa. 48:8), but Yahweh opened the Servant’s ear. Unlike Israel, the Servant didn’t rebel or shrink back. Instead, he even voluntarily gave himself to people who would oppress him and shame him.
Jesus willingly entered shame and suffering. He was faithful even to death. And His pattern is our pattern. If we are united to Jesus, we should expect to share in His sufferings (e.g., Rom. 8:17; Phil. 3:10). We can’t do that on our own, but God opens our ears so that we hear His voice and He gives us Jesus’ Spirit, the Spirit of a faithful Servant, so that we obey Him.
THE SERVANT’S CONFIDENCE (50:7-9)
The Servant didn’t hide his face from shame because he knew that “Master Yahweh” would help him and therefore he would not ultimately be put to shame and so he set his face like flint to do what God sent him to do.
His confidence is found in the nearness of his Justifier. People will condemn him, but the Judge is on his side and He will vindicate him in the end. That vindication will include the overthrow of the Servant’s opponents, who will become like old moth-eaten clothes, slowly but surely deteriorating.
When men condemned Jesus, God vindicated Him by raising Him from the dead. And we can know that God will vindicate us, too. God is the justifier and no one else’s charges against us will stand (Rom. 8:31-39).
THE LORD’S SUMMONS (50:10-11)
If you fear Yahweh and obey His Servant’s voice, you may still be walking in the darkness. If you are, follow the Servant’s pattern of faith. Trust in Yahweh’s name and rely on Him to vindicate you.
Those who don’t trust Him walk in their own light and gird themselves for war with their own flaming arrows. But that fire will destroy them. Our Master Yahweh will make them “lie down in torment.” But to us He will say what He says to Jesus: “Well done, good and faithful Servant.”