ISAIAH LESSON 48


     We will begin this lesson in Isaiah 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."

     We see, in this, the prophecy of the coming Messiah. When we see
the word "behold", it is saying, come closer and take a better look.
We know that Jesus was a true servant, even though He was the very Son
of God, by the fact that He obeyed the will of the Father. He said
nevertheless not my will, but thy will be done. Israel had not obeyed
God, but Jesus was willing to do exactly as the Father wished. Jesus
had even said that, He and the Father were One. Jesus and the Father
were in total agreement. The Holy Spirit of God hovered over Mary, and
she conceived of the Spirit of God. Jesus took on the flesh of man,
but He was in fact, Emmanuel, God with us. The law, until the time of
Jesus, was given just to the physical house of Israel. Jesus brought
the opportunity to follow God to whosoever will. All believers in
Christ have the laws of God written upon their hearts.

     Isaiah 42:2 "He shall not cry, nor lift up, nor cause his voice
to be heard in the street."

     Jesus did not go out and seek people to minister to, they came to
Him. He ministered in a quiet, gentle way. He did not force His
message on anyone. He made salvation available to all who would become
His followers, but it was of their own free will they decided to
follow Him. He came to give His body on the cross, so that all who
would, could be saved. The name "Jesus", means Saviour.

     Isaiah 42:3 "A bruised reed shall he not break, and the smoking
flax shall he not quench: he shall bring forth judgment unto truth."

     Most of His followers did not understand why He did not fight and
take the rule away from the Romans. Jesus did not come as reigning
Ruler, when He came as the babe in the manger. He came as Saviour.
When He comes back, He will be King of kings and Lord of lords and
rule on the earth for 1000 years. Revelation 20:4 "And I saw thrones,
and they sat upon them, and judgment was given unto them: and [I saw]
the souls of them that were beheaded for the witness of Jesus, and for
the word of God, and which had not worshipped the beast, neither his
image, neither had received [his] mark upon their foreheads, or in
their hands; and they lived and reigned with Christ a thousand years."

     Jesus dealt tenderly with all the people, when He ministered to
them. I believe the "smoking flax" represents those who believe in
Messiah will not be overcome, but taken into the fold. Jesus, Himself,
said He was the Truth. He alone shall judge the world. His judgement
is just.

     Isaiah 42:4 "He shall not fail nor be discouraged, till he have
set judgment in the earth: and the isles shall wait for his law."

     There is no weakness in the Lord Jesus Christ. Even though He is
tender and kind, it is not because He is weak, but because He is
strong. Jesus established Christianity, the only way to heaven, and
true happiness. This is not a religion of a handful of people, but of
all people who would dare to believe in Him. Jesus is the righteous
Judge of all the world. He will separate the people into two classes,
those who believe, and those who do not believe. He is the standard
that all will be judged by. Redemption is for every race of people on
the earth.

     Isaiah 42:5  "Thus saith God the LORD, he that created the
heavens, and stretched them out; he that spread forth the earth, and
that which cometh out of it; he that giveth breath unto the people
upon it, and spirit to them that walk therein:"

     The Word of God created the earth and all that is in it, as we
have already learned in these lessons. He not only created man from
the dust of the earth, but He breathed the breath of life into Him,
and he became a living soul. Those that walk in the newness of life
with Christ are filled with the Spirit of God. Jesus sent the Spirit
to dwell in man to comfort and teach him all things. The eternal being
within each of us is spirit. We are housed in flesh and have a will,
but our everlasting life is spirit. We read about this spiritual being
in I Corinthians 15:44 "It is sown a natural body; it is raised a
spiritual body. There is a natural body, and there is a spiritual
body."  The part of us which will not die is that spiritual body. Acts
17:28 "For in him we live, and move, and have our being; as certain
also of your own poets have said, For we are also his offspring."

     Isaiah 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;"

     The "covenant", spoken of here, is the covenant of grace. The law
was given to the physical house of Isreal, but grace was given to all
who will believe in the Lord Jesus Christ. Ephesians 2:5 "Even when we
were dead in sins, hath quickened us together with Christ, (by grace
ye are saved;)" Ephesians 2:6 "And hath raised [us] up together, and
made [us] sit together in heavenly [places] in Christ Jesus:"
Ephesians 2:7 "That in the ages to come he might shew the exceeding
riches of his grace in [his] kindness toward us through Christ Jesus."
Ephesians 2:8 "For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not
of yourselves: [it is] the gift of God:"  Jesus is the Light of the
world. When He gives us the Light, He gives us Himself. Luke 2:32 "A
light to lighten the Gentiles, and the glory of thy people Israel."
Acts 13:47 "For so hath the Lord commanded us, [saying], I have set
thee to be a light of the Gentiles, that thou shouldest be for
salvation unto the ends of the earth."

     Isaiah 42:7 "To open the blind eyes, to bring out the prisoners
from the prison, [and] them that sit in darkness out of the prison
house."

     We must look at some New Testament Scriptures, spoken by Jesus to
understand this. Luke 4:17 "And there was delivered unto him the book
of the prophet Esaias. And when he had opened the book, he found the
place where it was written," Luke 4:18 "The Spirit of the Lord [is]
upon me, because he hath anointed me to preach the gospel to the poor;
he hath sent me to heal the brokenhearted, to preach deliverance to
the captives, and recovering of sight to the blind, to set at liberty
them that are bruised," Luke 4:19 "To preach the acceptable year of
the Lord." Luke 4:20 "And he closed the book, and he gave [it] again
to the minister, and sat down. And the eyes of all them that were in
the synagogue were fastened on him."  Luke 4:21 "And he began to say
unto them, This day is this scripture fulfilled in your ears."  This
leaves no doubt at all that this is speaking of Jesus Himself. This
blindness that Jesus did away with was both spiritual and physical. He
even went into hell and preached and brought the captives out with
Him. Nothing in this universe can stand against the Word of God, who
is Jesus.

     Isaiah 42:8 "I [am] the LORD: that [is] my name: and my glory
will I not give to another, neither my praise to graven images."

     God had told Moses that He was the "I Am", the One who
continually exists. LORD, in the verse above, is taken from the word
Jehovah. Jesus, in the furthest extension, means Jehovah Saviour. I
believe the word LORD, here, is saying that all the fulness of the
Godhead was caught up in the One we know as Jesus. Lord, on the other
hand, I believe, is specifically speaking of Jesus. LORD is like One
in I John 5:7 "For there are three that bear record in heaven, the
Father, the Word, and the Holy Ghost: and these three are one."  Verse
8 above, is speaking of the eternity of the Godhead, the separation of
God from all false gods. A graven image is the creation of man's
hands. The One True God is not a creation at all, He is the Creator of
all. The name LORD, Jehovah, or in fact the name Jesus, is a name
above all names. Philippians 2:10 "That at the name of Jesus every
knee should bow, of [things] in heaven, and [things] in earth, and
[things] under the earth;"  Jesus, not only was the Word of God, who
took on the form of flesh and dwelt among us, but represented the
Father and the Holy Spirit, as well. Colossians 2:9 "For in him
dwelleth all the fulness of the Godhead bodily."

     Isaiah 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."

     We see that the things God has had His prophets to prophesy have
come true. God does what He promises. Now, He is proclaiming something
brand new. Salvation through faith and the grace of God is the new
thing. Israel will not only be delivered from their captivity in
Babylon, but will soon see the redeemer of all mankind. The promise of
the Messiah will be fulfilled very soon, in their midst.

     Isaiah 42:10 "Sing unto the LORD a new song, [and] his praise
from the end of the earth, ye that go down to the sea, and all that is
therein; the isles, and the inhabitants thereof."

     Because this song is sung from the end of the earth, we know this
blessing is for all mankind. When we sing to the Lord, it is a type of
praise. Isaiah is encouraging them to begin to sing praises now,
because they know that God keeps His promises.

     Isaiah 42:11 "Let the wilderness and the cities thereof lift up
[their voice], the villages [that] Kedar doth inhabit: let the
inhabitants of the rock sing, let them shout from the top of the
mountains."

     This is saying, that those in the villages, and those in the
desert, should shout praises to their God for their deliverance to
come. This takes an act of faith to praise, before it happens. They
believe it will happen, because God said it would.

     Isaiah 42:12 "Let them give glory unto the LORD, and declare his
praise in the islands."

     We see that the glory goes to the Lord, not to some man. The
islands, here, perhaps is speaking of far away places who have no
personal need for the Jews to be delivered. This makes me believe that
this is far reaching. The deliverance prophesied is also the
deliverance of all mankind from the bondage of sin, through belief in
Jesus Christ.

     Isaiah 42:13 "The LORD shall go forth as a mighty man, he shall
stir up jealousy like a man of war: he shall cry, yea, roar; he shall
prevail against his enemies."

     The battle to be fought is to be won by the LORD. In the sense of
the physical house of Israel, He will defeat Babylon and set His
people free. In the sense of the spiritual house of Israel, Jesus
defeats Satan on the cross. Jesus defeats Satan and sin on the cross.
He defeated death, when He rose from the grave.

     Isaiah 42:14 "I have long time holden my peace; I have been
still, [and] refrained myself: [now] will I cry like a travailing
woman; I will destroy and devour at once."

     "Crying like a travailing woman", shows the nearness of the birth
of Israel again. It seems to these people, who have been in captivity,
that it has been a long time. God says through Isaiah, it is coming
soon.

     Isaiah 42:15 "I will make waste mountains and hills, and dry up
all their herbs; and I will make the rivers islands, and I will dry up
the pools."

     We see some of the methods He will use to release them, here. We
know that God controls the elements. If He wants a flood, He just
tells the elements to rain. All of the elements are completely
controlled by God.

     Isaiah 42:16 "And I will bring the blind by a way [that] they
knew not; I will lead them in paths [that] they have not known: I will
make darkness light before them, and crooked things straight. These
things will I do unto them, and not forsake them."

     We sing a little chorus that says "Open my eyes Lord, I want to
see Jesus". This is what the Scripture above is saying. Their
spiritual blindness will be done away with. They will see the Light of
God and follow it. In darkness, you cannot see where you are going. In
the Light, we see clearly. This is speaking of the Light of the world
{Jesus Christ} who brings His Light to the world.

     Isaiah 42:17  "They shall be turned back, they shall be greatly
ashamed, that trust in graven images, that say to the molten images,
Ye [are] our gods."

     When the Light of Jesus shines forth, they see these graven
images more clearly, and know that they are nothings.

     Isaiah 42:18 "Hear, ye deaf; and look, ye blind, that ye may
see."

     The other part of the little chorus is "open my ears Lord and
help me to listen". Some of us have ears on the side of our head that
are just ornaments. We do not hear and understand with them. Jesus
told the so-called religious people that they had eyes to see and did
not see, and ears to hear and they did not hear. The only way we can
truly see, or hear, is in the spirit of man. God must open our sight
and our hearing.

     Isaiah 42:19 "Who [is] blind, but my servant? or deaf, as my
messenger [that] I sent? who [is] blind as [he that is] perfect, and
blind as the LORD'S servant?"  Isaiah 42:20 "Seeing many things, but
thou observest not; opening the ears, but he heareth not."

     God is telling them, to serve a graven image is blindness and
deafness. The physical house of Israel {servant} was blind and deaf at
this time. God sent Jesus to open the eyes of the people, and to heal
their deaf ears. We must not just see and hear words, but understand.

     Isaiah 42:21 "The LORD is well pleased for his righteousness'
sake; he will magnify the law, and make [it] honourable."

     We will discover that Jesus did not come to do away with the law,
but to fulfill it. The law was good. It was the sinful nature of
mankind that caused the error.

     Isaiah 42:22 "But this [is] a people robbed and spoiled; [they
are] all of them snared in holes, and they are hid in prison houses:
they are for a prey, and none delivereth; for a spoil, and none saith,
Restore."

     When God took His hedge from around Israel, they were destroyed
by the evil ones around them. God tells them, here, that He knows of
their condition, because He allowed it to happen.

     Isaiah 42:23 "Who among you will give ear to this? [who] will
hearken and hear for the time to come?"

     This is a challenge to them to hear and understand why this
happened to them. It is as a loving parent saying, "Have you learned
your lesson yet?".  God is saying, "Will you listen now?".

     Isaiah 42:24 "Who gave Jacob for a spoil, and Israel to the
robbers? did not the LORD, he against whom we have sinned? for they
would not walk in his ways, neither were they obedient unto his law."

     It was God who gave them over to their enemies to teach them a
lesson. It was their choice through their own free will to follow God,
or not. They chose to sin. God allowed their enemies to take them to
teach them how badly they needed Him.

     Isaiah 42:25 "Therefore he hath poured upon him the fury of his
anger, and the strength of battle: and it hath set him on fire round
about, yet he knew not; and it burned him, yet he laid [it] not to
heart."

     The sadness of this verse is, they did not realize why this
happened to them. Because they chose false gods and they chose to be
unfaithful to God, He poured out His fury on them. He wanted them to
repent, but they did not.





























                          Isaiah 48 Questions


1.  Who is verse 1 prophesying about?
2.  What is the word "behold" saying?
3.  How could the Son of God be thought of as a servant?
4.  What does "Emmanuel" mean?
5.  Where do all the followers of Jesus carry the laws of God?
6.  How did Jesus minister?
7.  Did He seek people out to minister to?
8.  What does the name "Jesus" mean?
9.  What about Jesus' ministry did most of His followers not
    understand?
10. What will Jesus be called when He comes to reign on the earth?
11. Quote Revelation chapter 20 verse 4.
12. What does the author believe "the smoking flax" to represent?
13. Describe the judgement of Jesus in one word.
14. What does the tenderness and kindness show us about Jesus?
15. Jesus will seperate the world into what 2 classes?
16. Who created all things?
17. Who are filled with the Spirit of God?
18. Quote 1 Corinthians chapter 15 verse 44.
19. Quote Acts chapter 17 verse 28.
20. What is the "covenant" spoken of in verse 6?
21. Quote Ephesians chapter 2 verse 8.
22. Who is the Light?
23. What does verse 7 say, He will do?
24. Where do we find the Scripture in the New Testament where Jesus
    taught from Isaiah?
25. Name some of the things these Scriptures said He would do?
26. What is the new thing God is proclaiming?
27. Who is to sing the new song?
28. What is singing a type of?
29. Who does the glory go to?
30. Who wins the battle?
31. When did Jesus defeat death?
32. What does the "crying like a travailing woman" show?
33. Who controls all the elements on the earth?
34. Open my eyes Lord, I want to see _________.
35. Jesus came not to do away with the law, but to _________ it.
36. Who gave Jacob for a spoil?
37. Why did God pour out His fury on them?