A Light to the Nations

Isaiah 49:1-6 Listen to me, O coastlands, pay attention, you peoples from far away! The Lord called me before I was born, while I was in my mother’s womb he named me. He made my mouth like a sharp sword, in the shadow of his hand he hid me;he made me a polished arrow, in his quiver he hid me away. And he said to me, ‘You are my servant, Israel, in whom I will be glorified.’ But I said, ‘I have laboured in vain, I have spent my strength for nothing and vanity; yet surely my cause is with the Lord, and my reward with my God.’ And now the Lord says, who formed me in the womb to be his servant,to bring Jacob back to him, and that Israel might be gathered to him,for I am honoured in the sight of the Lord, and my God has become my strength. He says,‘It is too light a thing that you should be my servant to raise up the tribes of Jacob and to restore the survivors of Israel;I will give you as a light to the nations, that my salvation may reach to the end of the earth.’

The voice of the servant now speaks aloud, crying out to the coastlands to hear his voice. This particular song focuses on two parts: the first focuses on the servant’s calling (49:1, 2) and the second focuses on the servant’s formation (49:3-4, 5, 6).[1] Westermann develops three stages of the servants call: First (v1b-3) the election, call, and equipment of the servant; Second (v4) his despondency; Third (5-6) his new task.[2]

The servant declares to the nations, ‘God said to me, “I will make you a light to the nations.”’ ‘God called to me to be his servant that he might perform a work on behalf of his chosen people through me. I, however, became despondent, and regarded the work as in vain. But then—in spite of this—God extended the scope of my commission to include the Gentiles, in order that his salvation might reach to the ends of the earth.’[3]

The speaker is addressing the far away coastlands, those being other nations, and we know the speaker is the servant from Isaiah 42. The words addressing the foreign nations are built around three sentences: Listen to me, you coastlands (v1); and now the Lord says (to me) (v5); I will give you as a light to the nations (v6). Therefore, exposition of the song has to remember that everything it says has reference to the nations.[4] The servant speaks to all nations; he has a word from God and wishes to speak it to them. The second part of verse one indicates that the Lord called the servant from birth. The words, “while I was in my mother’s womb he named me” (v1) shows us that before the servant’s birth, while still being nourished by his mother, God had named him. God had chosen him from the beginning to be God’s servant to all nations.

But who is this servant. In lesson one I mentioned that we should not allow that question to control us; however, in verse 3 and 5 add a dilemma. Isaiah 49:3 reads, “And he said to me, ‘You are my servant, Israel’.” Clearly verse 3 is stating that the servant is Israel herself; but verse 5 claims that servant is going to bring back Jacob to God. So, how can the servant be Israel and have a mission to Israel? There is discussion in scholastic circles that try and answer this question. Some believe that Israel was the servant until she failed and then a prophet became the servant. Others claim that is God speaking in verse 1-3 and then in verse four the prophet begins to speak.[5] However, Barry Webb makes a statement that I would have to concur with greatly, “It seems that at this stage we have to be content with knowing what kind of person the servant is.”[6] What is important, beyond knowing who the servant is; is what the servant embodies.

The servant embodies God’s justice. He is a figure that embodies all that the nation of Israel should look like and was called to be and therefore one who is truly worthy of the name—“God’s perfect Servant. As such he is far greater than Jeremiah, or any other Old Testament prophet for that matter. He is the prophet par excellence.”[7] If that does not satisfy us then we shall have to wait. What matters more than the identity of the servant is that the servant is to be a light to all nations. Whether it is because Israel failed to assume the role of the servant[8] or God truly provides salvation for the nations, does not matter. Either way, God has extended God’s servant to shine for all nations.

The second servant song’s purpose is to extend God’s salvation to the ends of the earth; God has given this servant to others as a beacon to guide them. In the conclusion of the second servant song, the servant receives two assignments. The first is to, “raise up the tribes of Jacob” (v6a) and the second is to be a bearer of light to the nations (v6b). One may read this as the servant teaching missions to the house of Jacob and then they go forth to teach others[9]. Still, isn’t there more to it than that?

From birth, the servant was called to bring justice to the nations. He was called to be a beacon of light that would lead all to the one true God. Is that not our call today? If it is, how do we shine before the nations? Israel’s light didn’t come from their power, it came from God. The servant’s ability to endure, to speak with truth all came from God. It is through the weak that God’s light shines to all not the powerful. The light is shown through those who endure more than they should and at the end of the day be able to pick themselves up. To stand before life’s arrows and refuse to back down; through our suffering and our ability to hang on, will give life to those hanging by their fingertips at the edge of the cliff.

Father, please give us the strength to hang on. Give us the strength to shine. Give us the strength to raise ourselves up from being beaten. Give us the courage to stand. Amen.


[1] Friesen, Ivan pg 67
[2] Westermann, Claus pg 207
[3] Westermann, Claus pg 207
[4] Westermann, Claus pg 207
[5] Linafelt, Tod. Speech and Silence in the Servant Passages pg 204
[6] Webb, Barry. The Message of Isaiah pg 193
[7] Webb, Barry pg 194
[8] Linafelt, Tod pg 205
[9] Friesen, Ivan pg 68