v.1-4 The nature of the servant is described.

v.1

Here is – this is the Lord displaying His servant – put on display to be observed and understood, being brought to the forefront (of our attention). Am I willing to have the spotlight put on me here?

v.2

My – the displayed person belongs to the Lord, he works for Him, so beware anyone who threatens him! An employer looks after his workers! The Lord is my shepherd? No, here He is my employer! How do I feel about that?

v.1

Servant – one who does the bidding of another. Note that the Lord does not call him His Son, but servant. Why? Because son indicates relationship, this is about a job to be done ! This servant is being sent to achieve something, there is a goal in God's mind to be achieved. God is my loving Father but He also trains me to be a servant (Mt 20:26 ) so that I will ACHIEVE things. (Son – friend – servant: who I am, what He shares with me, what I do).

v.1

Whom I uphold – God is his strength and support. God will keep him upright, on his feet, going for his goal. God is going to support this servant in all his endeavours. If I am doing the Lord's bidding He will be there for me, to support me. e.g. Moses Exo 3:12

v.1

My chosen one –This servant is God's choice, the way God decided to do things. I too have been called by God Eph 1:4 For he chose us in him before the creation of the world to be holy and blameless in his sight

v.1

In whom I delight – God is delighted by His Son. The Lord delights in his children, he therefore delights in me, He is FOR me (Rom 8:31 )

v.1

I will put – a statement of intent – the Spirit will come upon flesh and create the God-child, Jesus. Mary will conceive supernaturally. This ‘person' is perfect man and perfect God. Yet at his baptism, the Spirit will be seen to come down upon him as a visual outward expression of God's equipping for a purpose. Throughout the O.T. the Spirit came upon a person to achieve a supernatural goal. The Lord has put His Spirit within me when I was born again. Now will He put His Spirit UPON me to anoint and empower me for service, to get the job done!

v.1

My Spirit - - he is empowered from on high. The work to be achieved by this human body will only be because it is equipped by the very presence of God. Do I see that anything worthwhile that I achieve is done because it is the work of the Spirit through me. Zech 4:6

v.1

He will bring justice – that is his role – justice means that the demands of the Law against lawbreakers, is fully satisfied. This I cannot do, only Jesus. All I can do is witness to it. I CAN express His righteousness, goodness, fairness etc. to the world, the fruits of His work of justice for me.

v.1

To the nations – this is not a parochial little thing, but a thing for the world. This is what the whole of humanity needs. At my level, this means that this word is for ANYBODY, nobody is outside it.

RECAP ?Us?

1.

We are first God's servants – our call is to do God's will

2.

If we do that He will give us His strength

3.

We are to know we are because He has called us into being – as with Creation, then with us

4.

God delights in me. I am His child, born of Him and He delights in me.

5.

He has placed His Spirit in us and He also comes down upon us. We are empowered by God Himself to achieve things on His heart.

6.

Justice is righteousness and goodness and fairness and we are to bring these into the world (more on righteousness definition later)

2 He will not shout or cry out, or raise his voice in the streets.

v.2

He will not shout – shouting is an expression of attempted power, trying to get your own way. Will I reject the temptation to get me way or achieve God's will by force, even if it is just the force of my personality or the force of my words and argument.

v.2

Or cry out – crying out is trying to gain attention. Jesus neither seeks to get his own way or draw attention to himself. He seeks to do the Father's bidding and directs all glory to the Father. See John the Baptist as an example Jn 1:21-23, 3:30 He must become greater; I must become less.

Will I reject the temptation to draw attention to myself to get a sense of self-worth, will I only seek to show others Jesus?

v.2

Or raise his voice – again we raise our voice when we feel we need to impose ourselves on others. Jesus never imposes himself on us. Will I ensure that I do not impose myself on others, but gently minister God's love only to those who want it?

v.2

In the streets – this is the place of disorder. A person who does this is a rabble rouser, an insurgent. Jesus did not come to overthrow the Roman army by might or by power. Will I ensure that I will not be a trouble maker, even to achieve righteousness in the world around me?

RECAP ?Us?

1.

We are not to try to get our own way.

2.

We are not to draw attention to ourselves

3.

We are not seek to impose ourselves on others

4.

We are not seek to overthrow secular authorities by human methods.

Instead:

5.

We are to seek to do God's will

6.

We are to seek to draw attention to God

7.

We are to love and bless others.

8.

We are simply to bring goodness to others.

3 A bruised reed he will not break, and a smouldering wick he will not snuff out. In faithfulness he will bring forth justice;

v.3

A bruised reed – a bruised reed was weak and vulnerable and if you leant on it, it would bend and snap.

v.3

He will not break – Jesus will be gentle with the weak, fragile and vulnerable, and will not write them off – those that are worn and weak and weary. Will I never take advantage of the weak to bring them down, but instead be there to strengthen them? Will I bring strength to the weary?

v.3

A smouldering wick – a wick should be burning brightly, but a smouldering wick is one running out of oil.

v.3

He will not snuff out – Jesus will not condemn this one running out of resources.

Everything here implied he comes to the weary and worn and empty person and accepts them. Will I come to those whose resources are running low and come alongside them to carry their load (11:29) and be Jesus to them? Will I be a bringer of fresh resources, and imparter of His love and His Spirit?

v.3

In faithfulness – a faithful person is one who remains true to their calling. Will I remain true to what God is calling me to be, even in the face of weariness or opposition, will I remain true to His character, true to Him?

v.3

He will bring forth justice – 2 nd mention – justice is achieved when the outworking of the Law is applied to the lawbreaker, and they receive their just deserts – when the penalty of the law breaking has paid – when order is brought to the world and crimes dealt with in a proper way. Only Jesus could do this, but I can bring the god news of this to others, I can encourage them to live accordingly. Will I?

RECAP ?Us?

1.

We are to be gentle and accepting of the worn and weary and battered, of those who are run down and whose resources have run low.

2.

We are to remain true to our calling.

3.

We are to bring peace and order and reconciliation, restoring men and women to God through Jesus' death.

4 he will not falter or be discouraged till he establishes justice on earth. In his law the islands will put their hope."

v.4

He will not falter – to falter means to hesitate – nothing is going to put him off his task. Will I not let anything distract me from being the person God wants me to be, doing what He's called me to do?

v.4

Or be discouraged – he will not let himself be discouraged – put off – because God's will is all important – more important than his feelings. Will I seek to keep close to Him to receive daily resources, will I seek to purposefully not let myself be discouraged, will I adopt a positive view, a faith view f all things?

v.4

til he establishes – something has got to be achieved, set in place, that will remain. He has a long term goal. Will I get up in the morning with a faith anticipation that in this day he will do what He wants to do through me? Will I seek to put myself in the place where he can use me to achieve His long term goals?

v.4

Justice – 3 rd mention. Again there is a sense of a court case, bringing about the right outworking of the Law – lawbreaking has to be punished - and when the lawbreaker is punished, there is no more to be said. This is about legally restoring sinful men and women to a holy God. Again, I cannot make men right with God, only Jesus can, but will I let Him use me to draw others into that place of knowing His forgiveness, knowing reconciliation, knowing restoration?

v.4

On earth – this is not just a declaration in heaven, but something outworked here on earth. Jesus has done these things here on earth, in the material realm in a human body with all its limitations, using a human court and a human executioner. Will I hold this truth before me that God wants to work in the earthly circumstances before me now, this day, in this place?

v.4

In his law – law here means his decreed way of working. This which is being spoken about is his decreed way of achieving his goal. Will I hold to His decreed ways of living, His decreed ways of working?

v.4

the islands – islands are isolated pockets of humanity – the extreme outer limits – this will be something that applies to all humanity – even to those we might consider extreme. Will I see no one as to extreme for God's love?

v.4

Will put their hope – hope is a future anticipation. This ‘love' or way of bringing salvation, restoration and reconciliation, will be the one ground for giving people hope that tomorrow will be all right – that I will not be condemned, punished or exiled from God (hell) but will instead receive something truly wonderful and glorious. Can I be a bringer of hope to those around me?

RECAP ?Us?

1.

We are not to hesitate or hold back from seeing God's will to be done. it is to be the most important thing in our thinking. God's will is perfect, it is blessing and goodness, it is the thing he wants more than anything else, in fact anything God wants IS His will.

2.

Do we put our wants first, or God's? His wants are perfect, bringing His blessing to us and to others – lasting blessing. His wants are good. Our wants are self-centred, fluctuating, variable, according to circumstance or feeling, transitory and of no lasting affect.

3.

Will we purpose to overcome discouragement that detracts or hinders from doing his will? How do we do that? Meet with God - read, pray, worship – and with others who will speak encouragement.

4.

Will we work to establish something, bring it into being so that it lasts? That something? Justice – people's sins forgiven through the blood of Jesus.

5.

Will we do it here on earth, in the place where we are – the place of dirt, grime, failure, weakness, the place of human life, my life?

6.

Will I hold to His Law, His decreed way for salvation to come to me – and to others – will I see and try no other way, no possibility, no substitute?

7.

Will no one be too extreme for me? In fact will I go to the extremes - to the unclean, the impure, the unholy, the rough and unkempt?

8.

Will I bring hope to those in the extremes – can I communicate truth to them in such a way that they will see and understand – and hope?

Extremes? People we're not comfortable with – Disabled, drug takers, people of other cultures, gangsters, alcoholics, dropouts – who won't come to our services !