Chapter 42

42:1  Behold my servant, whom I uphold; mine elect, in whom my soul delighteth; I have put my spirit upon him: he shall bring forth judgment to the Gentiles.

servant

There is a twofold account of the Coming Servant:

(1) he is represented as weak, despised, rejected, slain:

(2) and also as a mighty conqueror, taking vengeance on the nations and restoring Israel (e.g. Isaiah 40:10 ; 63:1-4 ). The former class of passages relate to the first advent, and are fulfilled; the latter to the second advent, and are unfulfilled.

42:6  I the LORD have called thee in righteousness, and will hold thine hand, and will keep thee, and give thee for a covenant of the people, for a light of the Gentiles;

for a light of the Gentiles

The prophets connect the Gentiles with Christ in a threefold way"

(1) as the Light He brings salvation to the Gentiles Luke 2:32 ; Acts 13:47 Acts 13:48

(2) as the "Root of Jesse" He is to reign over the Gentiles in His kingdom. Isaiah 11:10 ; Romans 15:12 . He saves the Gentiles, which is the distinctive feature of this present age. ; Romans 11:17-24 ; Ephesians 2:11 Ephesians 2:12 He reigns over the Gentiles in the kingdom-age, to follow this. See "Kingdom (O.T.)," ; Genesis 1:26-28 ; Zechariah 12:8 .

(3) Believing Gentiles in the present age, together with believing Jews, constitute "the church which is His body." (See Scofield "Ephesians 3:6")

42:9  Behold, the former things are come to pass, and new things do I declare: before they spring forth I tell you of them.

former things

i.e. Isaiah's prediction of Sennacherib's invasion and its results, Isa. 10 and 37. See also, Isaiah 41:21-23 ; 43:8-1244:7 ; Isaiah 48:3 Isaiah 48:5 Isaiah 48:16 . This appeal of the prophet to the fulfilment of his former predictions strongly confirms the unity of the book.