Servant Faith In The Servant Song

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Introduction
Isaiah’s Messianic prophecies are more precise than any other writer’s in the Old Testament. He does not only give accurate details of the person and work of Jesus Christ, he also lived and wrote these prophecies hundreds of years before Jesus Christ was born. The central theme of the book is Salvation is of the Lord. In this paper, the identities of the corporate and individual Servants and also their mission as portrayed by Isaiah will be discussed. In the book of Isaiah, the concept of the servant is more complex than one would expect. In certain passages in Isaiah, the Servant appears to be more of a collective character rather than an individual, whereas in other passages, the nation of Israel is identified as the servant. Biblical scholars over the years have studied extensively and produced several theories to identify the Servant in the book of Isaiah. Is the Servant an individual or corporate? A proper understanding of the Servant and the mission provides a clearer insight concerning the plan of God in restoring His children.
Overview Of The Servant Songs
The concept of servant hood in the book of Isaiah is found in the four servant songs (Isaiah 40-55). These songs shed light on the identity, role, and mission of the ultimate Servant of the Lord. The first servant song (42:1-9), introduces one who was tasked with bringing justice and righteousness to the earth. The second servant song (49:1-6) takes a different twist as the servant addresses the people outside Israel. God was not just interested in the salvation of Israel but also wanted the surrounding nations to turn to Him and be saved too. In the third servant song (50:4-10), the emotional and physical suffering of the Servant is revealed. The sufferi...

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...ventually lead to the coming of the Messiah. The failure of the Nation of Israel as the Corporate Servant shows that the sin problem of this world could not be solved with human agencies alone. God had to raise another person who would not fail. The apostle Paul states, “For if the many died by the trespass of the one man, how much more did God’s grace and the gift that came by the grace of the one man, Jesus Christ, overflow to the many” (Romans 5:15). Jesus Christ became that Servant of God who would carry out the entire mission without failure and exalt the fallen human race. The entire weight of sins of the world rested on his shoulders, and like a sheep to the slaughter, he did not open his mouth. The ultimate price for our redemption is in the life, work, death and resurrection of Jesus Christ. He was and will ever remain the true Servant of God.

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