Isaiah's Servant Songs

Isaiah's servant songs of 42:1-4; 49:1-6; 50:4-9 and 52:13-53:12 have a writing style unlike all other chapters in the book. The literary mode is more to a song like Song of Songs and Lamentations than writing in the rest of the book. Another very distinctive characteristic of these songs is the person

Isaiah refers to as the servant.

Call of the Servant

42:1 starts with a call of the servant, "Here is my servant whom I uphold, my chosen one whom I delight." This first song introduces the Servant and his Divine nature.

Commission of the Servant

The message of the second song 49:1-6 is the expanded commission of salvation from the rejected Servant to the gentiles. The ultimately and final commission of the Servant is to restore Israel to the land and to YHWH.

Commitment of the Servant

The third song of 50:4-9 amplifies the sufferings and patient endurance of the committed Servant. "...I have not been rebellious; I have not drawn back..." in verse 5 sets the tone of the Servant's commitment to this song. This prepares for the magnum opus of the forth song in which the committed Servant is being exalted.

Consummation of the Servant

Isaiah reviews in his last song that the Servant will accomplish in the sacrificial death and his subsequently exaltation. The last few verses in the song describe that the Servant will see his offspring and prolong his day, and the will of the Lord will prosper in his hand - 53:10.

There has been controversy over who the servant is and may never find a unanimous agreement. This is due to the lack of direct reference of the Servant in the Bible. But if we study the Bible with a prayerful heart, we will certainly see that the Servant whom Isaiah speaks of is none other than Jesus the Messiah (cf. Acts 8:26-39).

The four songs speak in every single detail about the Servant and it is quite impossible for any one to deny that the Servant has nothing to do with the ministry of the savior Christ especially in chapter 53. This chapter describes clearly the suffering of the Messiah. And it will even be clearer when read in conjunction to Psalm 22 and Zechariah 9-13 about the suffering of the Messiah.

Matter of fact, there are so many teaching of Jesus in referring to Isaiah's servant songs. For few examples:-

- direct quotation in Luke from Isa. 53:12

- references in Mark 9:12 from Isa. 53:3;

- references in Mark 10:45 and 14:24 from Isa. 53:10-12

- references in Matthew 3:15 from Isa. 53:11

- references in Luke 11:22 from Isa. 53:12

The Apostles also use Isaiah's servant songs extensively

- Peter uses the verb Servant (pais) in both his sermons (Acts 3:13, 26) and prayers (Acts 4:27, 30). His epistles 1 Peter 2:21-25; 3-18

- Paul reflects Isa. 53 in Rome 4:25; 5:19, 8:3; 1 Corinthians 15:3 and Philippians 2:6-11

- When John wrote about John the Baptizer in John 1:29 and other part of John in 1:23-24 and 12:38, he certainly has the picture of Isaiah's Servant song in mind.

- Matthew 8:16-17 too refers to Isa. 53:4 and Matthew 12:18-21 to the first song Isa. 42:1-4.

- Mark portraits Jesus as the Servant in the entire Gospel of Mark may have the influence of the Servant songs.

There is also a voluminous Christian literature that has based on the Servant songs with reference to Jesus through the centuries. This and others have made the Servant songs and especially the forth song (Isa. 52:13-53:12) the most important text of the Old Testament without any exaggeration.

If we say the Old Testament is jewelry, Isaiah is certainly the best ring among them. And if Isaiah is that ring, the Servant songs are definitely the diamond on the ring. For the songs sing about the suffering and crucified of the Servant for all of us.

As a Christian, we should treasure this priceless jewel and sing to praise this Servant of Lord in Isaiah.