Meet God's Champion
THE SERVANT OF THE LORD
To a people tempted to believe God had been beaten, a champion is revealed: The Servant of the Lord. One who would come out of Israel in order to fulfill everything that Israel was meant to be. The people as a whole had been called to be God's servant (Is 40:8-10, 42:18-19, 44:1-4, 21, 45:4). Chosen to live in the goodness of his presence, keep his law without compromise, and shine forth his beauty to all the world. But they'd failed in their task and the nations had come to Zion not out of devotion to their God but for the destruction and discipline of his compromised people. Into this failure, there is one from Israel given "to bring Jacob back..and that Israel might be gathered to him" (49:5). Though he is not esteemed in the eyes of men (49:4, 7), he is honored in the sight of God because he trusts unreservedly in him (49:5). This one will be raised up, exalted, and shine forth "as a light to the nations" extending God's saving reign "to the end of the earth" (49:6).