Reading Meditation: Savior
Derived from a meditation from a Scripture reading on the Lord's Day
Consider the following passage from the book of Isaiah:
1 But now thus saith the Lord that created thee, O Jacob, and he that formed thee, O Israel, Fear not: for I have redeemed thee, I have called thee by thy name; thou art mine.
2 When thou passest through the waters, I will be with thee; and through the rivers, they shall not overflow thee: when thou walkest through the fire, thou shalt not be burned; neither shall the flame kindle upon thee.
3 For I am the Lord thy God, the Holy One of Israel, thy Saviour: I gave Egypt for thy ransom, Ethiopia and Seba for thee.
4 Since thou wast precious in my sight, thou hast been honourable, and I have loved thee: therefore will I give men for thee, and people for thy life.
5 Fear not: for I am with thee: I will bring thy seed from the east, and gather thee from the west;
6 I will say to the north, Give up; and to the south, Keep not back: bring my sons from far, and my daughters from the ends of the earth;
7 Even every one that is called by my name: for I have created him for my glory, I have formed him; yea, I have made him.
8 Bring forth the blind people that have eyes, and the deaf that have ears.
9 Let all the nations be gathered together, and let the people be assembled: who among them can declare this, and shew us former things? let them bring forth their witnesses, that they may be justified: or let them hear, and say, It is truth.
10 Ye are my witnesses, saith the Lord, and my servant whom I have chosen: that ye may know and believe me, and understand that I am he: before me there was no God formed, neither shall there be after me.
11 I, even I, am the Lord; and beside me there is no saviour.
12 I have declared, and have saved, and I have shewed, when there was no strange god among you: therefore ye are my witnesses, saith the Lord, that I am God.
13 Yea, before the day was I am he; and there is none that can deliver out of my hand: I will work, and who shall let it?
Isaiah 43:1-13 (KJV)
The context in this passage is the Servant of the Lord, who is introduced in Isaiah 42, will save Israel (Jacob). This Servant of the Lord will bring justice and righteousness to the earth, including the gentiles (those not ethnically Israel):
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.
2 He shall not cry, nor lift up, nor cause his voice to be heard in the street.
3 A bruised reed shall he not break, and the smoking flax shall he not quench: he shall bring forth judgment unto truth.
4 He shall not fail nor be discouraged, till he have set judgment in the earth: and the isles shall wait for his law.
Isaiah 42:1-4 (KJV)
In the Gospel of Matthew, Matthew 12:16-21, we are told this is indeed talking about Jesus of Nazareth. So this Servant of the Lord, the promised Messiah, is none other than Jesus of Nazareth. That same passage elaborates:
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;
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.
Isaiah 42:6-7 (KJV)
The people of Israel were to be a light to the nations (gentiles), and were to bring the knowledge of the Lord to them as a nation of priests, holy for the Lord (Exodus 19:6). This is also repeated in Isaiah 49:6, 52:10 and 60:3. Of course, as we read the Biblical narrative, Israel fails at this purpose because of their breaking of the covenant with God. Israel is exiled from the land with the Temple of God destroyed in a fiery judgment. Yet the Servant of the Lord will picks up that mantle of Israel and fulfills this role. So we see this purpose of Israel fulfilled in Jesus Christ (see Luke 2:32, John 8:12, Acts 13:47, 26:23). As the mystery is revealed in the coming of Christ, those in Christ’s (under His covenant headship) are a royal priesthood, fulfilling the purpose of the nation of Israel (1 Peter 2:9, Revelation 1:6).
The Messiah, Jesus Christ takes the identity of Israel, even taking their sins on Himself, to save them. And by the grace of God, Messiah Jesus also saves the nations:
1 Listen, O isles, unto me; and hearken, ye people, from far; The Lord hath called me from the womb; from the bowels of my mother hath he made mention of my name.
2 And he hath made my mouth like a sharp sword; in the shadow of his hand hath he hid me, and made me a polished shaft; in his quiver hath he hid me;
3 And said unto me, Thou art my servant, O Israel, in whom I will be glorified.
4 Then I said, I have laboured in vain, I have spent my strength for nought, and in vain: yet surely my judgment is with the Lord, and my work with my God.
5 And now, saith the Lord that formed me from the womb to be his servant, to bring Jacob again to him, Though Israel be not gathered, yet shall I be glorious in the eyes of the Lord, and my God shall be my strength.
6 And he said, It is a light thing that thou shouldest be my servant to raise up the tribes of Jacob, and to restore the preserved of Israel: I will also give thee for a light to the Gentiles, that thou mayest be my salvation unto the end of the earth.
Isaiah 49:1-6 (KJV)
Of course, Matthew, the Gospel writer, by inspiration of the Holy Spirit, confirms this when He quoted Hosea speaking of Jesus Christ:
15 And was there until the death of Herod: that it might be fulfilled which was spoken of the Lord by the prophet, saying, Out of Egypt have I called my son.
Matthew 2:15 (KJV)
…
1 When Israel was a child, then I loved him, and called my son out of Egypt.
Hosea 11:1 (KJV)
Rabbinical interpretation (interpretation from the Judaism that was created after the second Temple was destroyed to respond to Christianity) will insist these Messianic passages in Isaiah only speak of Israel as a nation, especially Isaiah 53, speaking of the suffering of Israel. This, despite the fact that the context clearly identifies the Servant of the Lord with the Messiah. The Servant of the Lord is the King of Israel who takes on their identity, redeems them of their sins, and even redeems the gentiles, and rules over them, bringing righteousness and justice to the whole world through His reign.
Going back to Isaiah 43 we see that Israel, the nation, is God’s Chosen Servant. In the first verse we read that God tells His Chosen Servant Israel that He formed Him. This of course is paralleled by the Messiah in Isaiah 49. But his idea is found in the previous and next chapter, God tells Jacob to not be afraid because He has been called and redeemed Him. This talking about one Servant of the Lord and the nation as the same can be understood, as previously mentioned, that the nation is saved by the Lord through His Messiah who takes on their burdens on Himself. This Messiah who takes on the name of Israel, even their sins and suffering, and fulfills the promises of God. This is despite the fact that the people broke the everlasting covenant and are judged (in the future of Isaiah, see Isaiah 24, and mentioned in Isaiah 43:14).
So the Lord gives the nations to His Servant, Israel, and the Lord will gather His descendants from the far lands:
4 Since thou wast precious in my sight, thou hast been honourable, and I have loved thee: therefore will I give men for thee, and people for thy life.
5 Fear not: for I am with thee: I will bring thy seed from the east, and gather thee from the west;
6 I will say to the north, Give up; and to the south, Keep not back: bring my sons from far, and my daughters from the ends of the earth;
Isaiah 43:4-6 (KJV)
Then the Lord clarifies who are Israel’s descendants. These are those who call on the name of the Lord and who the Lord made for Himself and for His glory:
7 Even every one that is called by my name: for I have created him for my glory, I have formed him; yea, I have made him.
8 Bring forth the blind people that have eyes, and the deaf that have ears.
9 Let all the nations be gathered together, and let the people be assembled: who among them can declare this, and shew us former things? let them bring forth their witnesses, that they may be justified: or let them hear, and say, It is truth.
Isaiah 43:7-6 (KJV)
Notice that the Lord tells Israel He loves Him and He is precious to Him. And then Isaiah tells the people to bring the blind and the deaf, and that the nations come to the Lord. Then the Lord declares there is no salvation outside of Him, no other god besides Him! This is all very Messianic.
Looking at the context again, Isaiah 40 talks about John the Baptist heralding the coming of Christ (as confirmed by the Gospels). In Isaiah 41 we are introduced to the Servant of the Lord, God’s Chosen, the Seed of Abraham, He is called Israel. Paul the Apostle confirms that the Seed of Abraham is Christ and in Him are all the promises fulfilled (Galatians 3:16).
In all these chapters, Isaiah 41-43, we are told of the miracles of giving sight to the blind and hearing to the deaf. And we know this was physically true. But the people of Israel needed a Savior, Christ became the Savior, as we see in Isaiah 53, which is still referring to the Servant of the Lord. And so the nations. We were all blind and deaf and did not see or hear God. Yet Israel and those who were outside in the nations, who partake in Christ, they belong to Him so they partake in this salvation, they are healed of their deafness and blindness.
Isaiah looked forward to the Savior sent by God. But now we look back at what He has done to save us, those in Christ, and like Peter the Apostle said in His epistle to Jewish and Gentile Christians:
9 But ye are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, an holy nation, a peculiar people; that ye should shew forth the praises of him who hath called you out of darkness into his marvellous light;
10 Which in time past were not a people, but are now the people of God: which had not obtained mercy, but now have obtained mercy.
1 Peter 2:9-10 (KJV)
If you, dear reader, have not called upon the Lord, you need to, for Jesus Christ has Ascended and is seated at the right hand of God. Jesus Christ is Lord and King, He will judge the living and the dead and His reign will never end. You too may obtain mercy and saved from eternal perdition and be part of the people of God.