1. Celebrating the Servant-Savior
The Gospel of Isaiah
Jason S. DeRouchie, PhD
Professor of Old Testament and Biblical Theology
Bethlehem College & Seminary
Bethlehem Baptist Church, 2017

2. The Background of Isaiah 51:1–8
It Is Not Primarily Addressing Isaiah’s Contemporaries:
Isa 42:19–20. Who is blind but my servant, or deaf as my messenger whom I send? … 20 He sees many things, but does not observe them; his ears are open, but he does not hear.
Isa 29:11. And the vision of all this has become to you like the words of a book that is sealed. When men give it to one who can read, saying, “Read this,” he says, “I cannot, for it is sealed.”

3. It is Addressing Primarily the Future Redeemed Community:
Isa 29:18. In that day the deaf shall hear the words of a book, and out of their gloom and darkness the eyes of the blind shall see.
Isa 30:8–9.  And now, go, write it before them on a tablet and inscribe it in a book, that it may be for the time to come as a witness forever. 9 For they are a rebellious people, lying children, children unwilling to hear the instruction of the LORD.

4. Pursing Righteousness in the Right Way
Rom 9:30–32. What shall we say, then? That Gentiles who did not pursue righteousness have attained it, that is, a righteousness that is by faith; 31 but that Israel who pursued a law that would lead to righteousness did not succeed in reaching that law. 32 Why? Because they did not pursue it by faith, but as if it were based on works.

5. The Structure of Isaiah 51:1–8
The Context:
Isa 50:10. “Who among you fears the LORD and obeys [= listens to] the voice of his servant? Let him who walks in darkness and has no light trust in the name of the LORD and rely on his God.” (Cf. 50:4)
The Three Calls and Three Charges:
“Listen to me” (51:1a) > “Look to the Rock … Look to Abraham” (51:1b–3)
“Pay attention to me” (51:4–5) > “Lift up your eyes” (51:6)
“Listen to me” (51:7a) > “Fear not the reproach of men” (51:7b–8)

6. The Structure of Isaiah 51:1–8
The Context:
Isa 50:10. “Who among you fears the LORD and obeys [= listens to] the voice of his servant? Let him who walks in darkness and has no light trust in the name of the LORD and rely on his God.” (Cf. 50:4)
The Three Calls and Three Charges:
“Listen to me” (51:1a), pursuers of righteousness [by faith]
“Pay attention to me” (51:4–5), God’s true people
“Listen to me” (51:7a), those knowing righteousness

7. The Structure of Isaiah 51:1–8
The Context:
Isa 50:10. “Who among you fears the LORD and obeys [= listens to] the voice of his servant? Let him who walks in darkness and has no light trust in the name of the LORD and rely on his God.” (Cf. 50:4)
The Three Calls and Three Charges:
“Listen to me” (51:1a), pursuers of righteousness [by faith]
“Pay attention to me” (51:4–5), God’s true people [by faith]
“Listen to me” (51:7a), those knowing righteousness

8. The Structure of Isaiah 51:1–8
The Context:
Isa 50:10. “Who among you fears the LORD and obeys [= listens to] the voice of his servant? Let him who walks in darkness and has no light trust in the name of the LORD and rely on his God.” (Cf. 50:4)
The Three Calls and Three Charges:
“Listen to me” (51:1a), pursuers of righteousness [by faith]
“Pay attention to me” (51:4–5), God’s true people [by faith]
“Listen to me” (51:7a), those knowing righteousness [by faith]

9. The Structure of Isaiah 51:1–8
The Context:
Isa 50:10. “Who among you fears the LORD and obeys [= listens to] the voice of his servant? Let him who walks in darkness and has no light trust in the name of the LORD and rely on his God.” (Cf. 50:4)
The Three Calls and Three Charges:
“Listen to me” (51:1a) > “Look to the Rock … Look to Abraham” (51:1b–3)
“Pay attention to me” (51:4–5) > “Lift up your eyes” (51:6)
“Listen to me” (51:7a) > “Fear not the reproach of men” (51:7b–8)

10. The Structure of Isaiah 51:1–8
The Context:
Isa 50:10. “Who among you fears the LORD and obeys [= listens to] the voice of his servant? Let him who walks in darkness and has no light trust in the name of the LORD and rely on his God.” (Cf. 50:4)
The Three Calls and Three Charges:
“Listen to me” (51:1a) > “Look to the Rock … Look to Abraham” (51:1b–3)
“Pay attention to me” (51:4–5) > “Lift up your eyes” (51:6)
“Listen to me” (51:7a) > “Fear not the reproach of men” (51:7b–8)

11. The Structure of Isaiah 51:1–8
The Context:
Isa 50:10. “Who among you fears the LORD and obeys [= listens to] the voice of his servant? Let him who walks in darkness and has no light trust in the name of the LORD and rely on his God.” (Cf. 50:4)
The Three Calls and Three Charges:
“Listen to me” (51:1a) > “Look to the Rock … Look to Abraham” (51:1b–3)
“Pay attention to me” (51:4–5) > “Lift up your eyes” (51:6)
“Listen to me” (51:7a) > “Fear not the reproach of men” (51:7b–8)

12. The Structure of Isaiah 51:1–8
A Charge to Consider How God Can Make Much from Little (51:1–3)
The Call (51:1a)
The Content (51:1b–3)
A Charge to Look through Global Punishment to Eternal Salvation (51:4–6)
The Call (51:4–5)
The Content (51:6)
A Charge to Not Fear Man’s Reproach (51:7–8)
The Call (51:7a)
The Content (51:7b–8)

13. A Charge to Look through Global Punishment to Eternal Salvation (51:4–6)
A Call for God’s True People to Pay Attention (51:4–5)
The Call to Pay Attention (51:4ab)
“My people … my nation”: A true Israel within Israel, who pursue righteousness by faith (cf. 50:10)
Ps 73:1. Truly God is good to Israel, to those who are pure in heart.
Isa 45:25. In the LORD all the offspring of Israel shall be justified and shall glory. [“Israel” = the Servant person, who has offspring, 49:3; 53:10].
Rom 2:28–29. For no one is a Jew who is merely one outwardly, nor is circumcision outward and physical. 29 But a Jew is one inwardly, and circumcision is a matter of the heart, by the Spirit, not by the letter.

14. The Reason Why They Should Pay Attention (51:4c–5)
God (through his royal Servant) is the only hope for true order and justice in the world (v. 4c).
Isa 2:3–4. And many peoples shall come, and say: “Come, let us go up to the mountain of the LORD, to the house of the God of Jacob, that he may teach us his ways and that we may walk in his paths.” For out of Zion shall go forth the law, and the word of the LORD from Jerusalem. 4 He shall judge between the nations, and shall decide disputes for many peoples; and they shall beat their swords into plowshares, and their spears into pruning hooks; nation shall not lift up sword against nation, neither shall they learn war anymore.

15. The Reason Why They Should Pay Attention (51:4c–5)
God (through his royal Servant) is the only hope for true order and justice in the world (v. 4c).
Isa 2:3–4.
Isa 42:1–4. Behold my servant, whom I uphold, my chosen, in whom my soul delights; I have put my Spirit upon him; he will bring forth justice to the nations. 2 He will not cry aloud or lift up his voice, or make it heard in the street; 3 a bruised reed he will not break, and a faintly burning wick he will not quench; he will faithfully bring forth justice. 4 He will not grow faint or be discouraged till he has established justice in the earth; and the coastlands wait for his law.

16. God’s righteous, saving arm is near (v. 5).
Isa 46:13. I bring near my righteousness; it is not far off, and my salvation will not delay; I will put salvation in Zion, for Israel my glory.
Isa 53:1, 11.

17. The Content: A Charge to Look through Global Punishment to Eternal Salvation (51:6)
The coming punishment (v. 6a):
Isa 50:2–3. Behold, by my rebuke I dry up the sea, I make the rivers a desert; their fish stink for lack of water and die of thirst. 3 I clothe the heavens with blackness and make sackcloth their covering.
Isa 24:1, 4–6. Behold, the LORD will empty the earth and make it desolate, and he will twist its surface and scatter its inhabitants…. 4 The earth mourns and withers; the world languishes and withers; the highest people of the earth languish. 5 The earth lies defiled under its inhabitants; for they have transgressed the laws, violated the statutes, broken the everlasting covenant. 6 Therefore a curse devours the earth, and its inhabitants suffer for their guilt; therefore the inhabitants of the earth are scorched, and few men are left.

18. The hope of lasting salvation and righteousness (v. 6b):
Isa 12:2. Behold, God is my salvation; I will trust, and will not be afraid; for the LORD GOD is my strength and my song, and he has become my salvation.
Isa 25:8–9. He will swallow up death forever; and the Lord GOD will wipe away tears from all faces, and the reproach of his people he will take away from all the earth, for the LORD has spoken. 9 It will be said on that day, “Behold, this is our God; we have waited for him, that he might save us. This is the LORD; we have waited for him; let us be glad and rejoice in his salvation.”
Isa 54:10. For the mountains may depart and the hills be removed, but my steadfast love shall not depart from you, and my covenant of peace shall not be removed,” says the LORD, who has compassion on you.
Isa 65:17. For behold, I create new heavens and a new earth, and the former things shall not be remembered or come into mind.