Isaiah 42:5-12
Thus says God, the Lord,
who created the heavens and stretched them out,
who spread out the earth and what comes from it,
who gives breath to the people upon it
and spirit to those who walk in it:
6 I am the Lord, I have called you in righteousness,
I have taken you by the hand and kept you;
I have given you as a covenant to the people,[a]
a light to the nations,
7 to open the eyes that are blind,
to bring out the prisoners from the dungeon,
from the prison those who sit in darkness.
8 I am the Lord, that is my name;
my glory I give to no other,
nor my praise to idols.
9 See, the former things have come to pass,
and new things I now declare;
before they spring forth,
I tell you of them.
who created the heavens and stretched them out,
who spread out the earth and what comes from it,
who gives breath to the people upon it
and spirit to those who walk in it:
6 I am the Lord, I have called you in righteousness,
I have taken you by the hand and kept you;
I have given you as a covenant to the people,[a]
a light to the nations,
7 to open the eyes that are blind,
to bring out the prisoners from the dungeon,
from the prison those who sit in darkness.
8 I am the Lord, that is my name;
my glory I give to no other,
nor my praise to idols.
9 See, the former things have come to pass,
and new things I now declare;
before they spring forth,
I tell you of them.
10 Sing to the Lord a new song,
his praise from the end of the earth!
Let the sea roar[b] and all that fills it,
the coastlands and their inhabitants.
11 Let the desert and its towns lift up their voice,
the villages that Kedar inhabits;
let the inhabitants of Sela sing for joy,
let them shout from the tops of the mountains.
12 Let them give glory to the Lord,
and declare his praise in the coastlands.
his praise from the end of the earth!
Let the sea roar[b] and all that fills it,
the coastlands and their inhabitants.
11 Let the desert and its towns lift up their voice,
the villages that Kedar inhabits;
let the inhabitants of Sela sing for joy,
let them shout from the tops of the mountains.
12 Let them give glory to the Lord,
and declare his praise in the coastlands.
Reflection:
This passage is one
of four servant songs in the book of Isaiah. We’re familiar with these songs
because more often than not, Christians use these Hebrew Bible passages to
point to the coming of the Messiah in Jesus. When we read this passage, it
seems to highlight the keys of Jesus’ ministry: a call to righteousness, care
for the sick and imprisoned, and being a light to the nations. Scholars argue
whether an alternative interpretation might be the nation of Israel as a whole
fulfilling this role as a servant. The servant is God’s servant- acting in the
world as God’s agent for change, hope, and transformation. How can we recognize
that this is not just Jesus’ calling, but ours as well? How can we learn to
sing a new song?
Reflection Questions:
Morning: How has/ is God calling
you to righteousness?
Noon: What new song do you need
to sing?
Evening: How can you better
fulfill your role as a servant of God?
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