Message

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YOU ARE MY SERVANT

Isaiah 49:1-7

Key Verse: 49:3 “He said to me, “You are my servant, Israel, in whom I will display my splendor.”

  Isaiah 49:1-7 is known as the second of the four servant songs. (Isa 42:1-9, 50:4-11, 52:13-53:12). Here the word ‘servant’ is not the same as ‘slave’, but rather ‘confidential representative’ or ‘trusted envoy’, who is prayerfully chosen for God’s special purpose. Through today’s passage we learn what kind of attitude we should have as servants of God and what our mission is. I pray that God may renew God’s calling in us and restore our love relationship with our Lord Jesus Christ as his servant. Amen.

First, we were called before we are born. (1) When the Prophet Isaiah wrote this song, the destiny of Judah was like a smoldering wick as they confronted the threat of the allied armies of King Aram and the Northern Israel. Out of fear, the king of Judah sent an SOS to the king of Assyria who had intended to invade Jerusalem anyway. The people of God should have depended on God in the time of crisis and sought his help. Rather they sought the power of the foreign armies and displeased God who would bring them His divine judgment.

  Many people despair and lose heart as they confront difficult situations. In such spiritual and political turmoil, it was not easy for Isaiah to keep his identity as the servant of God and accomplish his mission faithfully.  But, how did he overcome himself and the situation? Look at verse 1. “Listen to me, you islands; hear this, you distant nations: Before I was born the Lord called me; from my birth he has made mention of my name.” Isaiah proclaimed the message of God not only to the people of Israel, but also to the people of islands and the people of the distant countries. He was not withheld or daunted by obstacles, but became more than a conqueror who expanded God’s kingdom to the Gentiles. The prophet Isaiah reminds us of Dr. Jim Rabchuk who went to the Latin America Conference in Bolivia as a short-term missionary by overcoming prevalent vacation spirits in Macomb Illinois.  Dr. Jim could do so because he had an absolute faith in God’s call and a clear identity as God’s servant.

  The Prophet Isaiah strongly believed that he was called to be God’s servant even before he was born. He was more than sure that God had mentioned his name while he was still in his mother’s womb. We need such an absolute faith in God’s call. Some may think that they became Christians by accident. Others may think that they were called as Bible teachers or missionaries by chance. Not at all! There is no by accident or by chance in God. All things are designed, purposed, accomplished by God and fulfilled in Him. We are wonderfully and prayerfully made by God and sent to this world through our parents. Our life is wonderfully planed and precisely purposed. God will fulfill his will through us and in us. Remember that we were called by God to be his servants before we were born.  So our life belongs to him, and we participate in His great world salvation work. Indeed God’s calling is blessing.

Second, a sharpened sword and a polished arrow (2) God calls his servants for his good purpose. In order to fulfill his purpose, God disciplines them. Jesus also called the Twelve from among ordinary people and disciplined them to become great men of faith and teachers of the world. How did God discipline Isaiah to be his servant? Look at verse 2. “He made my mouth like a sharpened sword, in the shadow of his hand he hid me; he made me into a polished arrow and concealed me in his quiver.”  In this verse Isaiah did not mean that God made his mouth like that of a fish.  He meant that God disciplined him to become an excellent Bible teacher who penetrates peoples’ heart with the powerful word of God. Before he was called by God, the Prophet Isaiah was a man of unclean lips, who spoke of unbelief and despair. (Isa 6:5) But, God sent his angel to clean his lips and forgave all his sins. Then, God showed Isaiah his vision and glory for world salvation. (6:12,13)  After that, God made Isaiah into an excellent Bible teacher and messenger of God’s word who proclaimed God’s divine and impending judgment and salvation for his people Israel throughout his lifetime.

  I believe that all of us desire to become excellent Bible teachers and messengers. In order to become excellent Bible teachers and shepherds we need continuous spiritual discipline, just as a warrior sharpens his sword every day. We cannot use dull and rusty swords in our spiritual battle. We need sharpened swords which cut our enemy Satan with a blow. As a warrior grinds his sword every day, we need to memorize the word of God every day through daily bread. We need to repent of our sins every day so that the Holy Spirit may work in our pure hearts. That is why we write repentant testimonies every week based on the word of God.

How much do we have to memorize the word of God? How much do we have to study the Bible? I will tell you of a good example. During the Latin America Bible Conference in Mexico, while shepherd Dimas of Guatemala UBF was delivering the evening message on the third day, suddenly the electric power was gone. The meeting hall was in deep darkness. However, shepherd Demas did not stop delivering his message because he had memorized his whole message. No electricity could stop the work of God before the well-disciplined and prepared servant of God’s word.

  As servants of God’s word we must believe the power of God’s word itself because the word of God is like a sharpened sword. The Apostle Paul compared the word of God to a sword in Ephesians 6:17, which says, “Take the helmet of salvation and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God.” Hebrews 4:12 says, “For the word of God is living and active. Sharper than any double-edged sword, it penetrates even to dividing soul and spirit, joints and marrow; it judges the thoughts and attitudes of the heart.” Paul said that the word of God is the sword of the Spirit. It means the word of God becomes powerful when the Holy Spirit works. So the servant of God’s word should depend on the Holy Spirit every single moment. Peter, Jesus’ top disciple, used to be a fearful man. Out of fear he disowned Jesus three times in front of a country girl. However, when the Holy Spirit came upon him, he was fearless. Filled with the Spirit, he delivered the message of God before 3,000 people. His message became a sharpened sword to cut the hearts of 3,000 people to repent of their sins and believe in Jesus. (Ac 2:37) May God make all of us excellent Bible teachers and messengers who penetrate the hearts of sinners by the power of the Holy Spirit. Amen.

Third, you are my servant who displays my splendor (3). Look at verse 3. “He said to me, “You are my servant, Israel, in whom I will display my splendor.” When we read this verse carefully, we find the ambiguous words, “my servant”.  God called his people Israel ‘my servant’ through his servant Isaiah. God chose the Israelites as his servant to fulfill world salvation. In the New Testament, St. Matthew saw Jesus as his chosen servant who would fulfill the prophecies of Isaiah (Is 42:1,2, 61:1,2). Matthew 12:17-21says, “This was to fulfill what was spoken through the prophet Isaiah: “Here is my servant whom I have chosen, the one I love, in whom I delight; I will put my Spirit on him, and he will proclaim justice to the nations. He will not quarrel or cry out; no one will hear his voice in the streets. A bruised reed he will not break, and a smoldering wick he will not snuff out, till he leads justice to victory. In his name the nations will put their hope.”

  Jesus is the Son of God. But he denied himself and came to this world as a servant. While living on this earth, Jesus served all kinds of sinners by healing the sick, preaching the good news, and teaching the disciples. Finally, he humbled himself and became obedient to death-even death on a cross. (Php 2:8) Through his obedience, Jesus revealed God’s glory.

  Look at verse 3 again. God called Israel his servant in whom he will display his splendor. At that time, Israel was a sinful nation and a hopeless people. Still, God said that he would display his splendor through them. What an amazing grace and incredible hope of God on his people! Regardless of their unfaithfulness, God would fulfill his purpose and display his glory with his faithfulness. It is God, not us, who will display his splendor in our life despite our weaknesses and sinfulness. God’s faithfulness will accomplish his good work which he has begun in us (Php 1:6).

  From a human point of view, Isidro and Edith, a Mexican missionary family who went to El Salvador by faith, look like nobody.  How could a single family change a nation? However, God chose them as his servants for El Salvador. God will display his splendor through them. They cannot do anything, but God can do everything. We don’t have to despair or cry out because of our human limitations. As long as we trust in God and have a clear identity as God’s servants, God will display his splendor in us and through us. Raising 12 disciples in Wash U. looks impossible. However, when we believe and trust in Him, God will do this for his purpose.  Amen.

Fourth, our reward is with my God. (4) What was the response of Isaiah toward God’s word?  Did he say, “Amen. Yes, Lord!”  No. Look at verse 4a. “But I said, “I have labored to no purpose; I have spent my strength in vain and for nothing…”  Isaiah complained to God about his fruitlessness. In fact, as 48:4 describes, the Israelites were very stubborn and rebellious.  They would not listen to Isaiah. Isaiah despaired and tired of bearing such a stubborn and rebellious people. His ministry seemed to fail. He thought that he had labored for no purpose and had spent his strength in vain and for nothing.  We also often despair when people reject us during reaching out on campus. Besides, when we cannot see any spiritual progress from our Bible students, or when they leave us without saying goodbye, we feel that we labored to no purpose and spent our strength in vain and for nothing. In a word, Isaiah suffered from the sense of failure and the sense of loss.

  How did the Prophet Isaiah repent and overcome this problem? Let us read verse 4b. “Yet what is due me in the Lord’s hand, and my reward is with my God.” The prophet Isaiah repented of his unbelief and complaint right away. It was because he trusted in God who will judge his work fairly and justly. Isaiah did not mind how people would respond to his message. He was not also swayed by the numbers of the remnants. He lived and served in the eyes of the Lord. He did his best as God’s servant and entrusted the judgment to God’s hand.

As workers get paid from the company, God’s servants get rewards from God. Isaiah expected reward from God. So he said, “My reward is with my God.” In fact, God’s real reward for Isaiah is God himself.  In the early pioneering ministry in Mexico, missionary Abraham Hwang lived as a street vendor in order to support UBF ministry and his family. He had to sleep on dusty ground in a small tent in the dangerous area of Mexico City. During his off-day, he went to UNAM campus and taught the Bible to the students by one to one. Now God has blessed Mexico UBF ministry abundantly by pioneering 8 other chapters in the city and by sending two missionary families to other countries.  He prays for 220 SWS attendants and 350 one to ones each week. God also blessed his business to be successful and made him rich. In missionary Hwang’s case, our reward is with our God. However, God’s rewards are not only such visible and tangible things from this world. Our real rewards are in heaven.  Our rewards are eternal life in the kingdom of heaven and the crown of life which we will receive from our Lord Jesus when we finish this life of pilgrimage. Amen.

Fifth, I will make you a light for the Gentiles.(5-7)  God’s hope and vision of the salvation for his people Israel is never-ending. In verse 5 Isaiah says, “And now the Lord says-he who formed me in the womb to be his servant to bring Jacob back to him and gather Israel to himself, for I am honored in the eyes of the Lord and my God has been my strength…” God’s hope and vision was not confined only to his people, but even to the Gentiles. In verse 6 the Lord says, “It is too small a thing for you to be my servant to restore the tribes of Jacob and bring back those of Israel I have kept. I will also make you a light for the Gentiles, that you may bring my salvation to the ends of the earth.” God wanted to make his people Israel a light for the Gentiles. God wanted to make Israel a kingdom of priests and a holy nation for the whole world.

  Despite Israel’s rebellion and disobedience, God’s hope and vision was fulfilled through Jesus Christ. God sent his Son Jesus as the true light. John said in John 1:9, “The true light that gives light to every man was coming into the world.”  Zechariah, the father of John the Baptist also said that the rising sun came to us from heaven to shine those living in darkness and in the shadow of death. (Lk 1:78,79) Jesus himself said, “I am the light of the world. Whoever follows me will never walk in darkness, but will have the light of life.” (Jn 8:12) Before the gospel of Jesus Christ reached to the land of Mexico, the native Mexicans performed worship ceremonies with human sacrifice. But, since the light of Jesus began to shine them, human sacrifice stopped. Now Mexican UBF missionaries have become the light for other Latin American people.  Amen. In modern terms, the Gentiles are not non-Jews, but unbelievers. May God make each of us a light for the Gentiles this semester. Amen.

  In conclusion, our God is the Redeemer and Holy One of Israel (7). He is the One who brings salvation and judgment to his people.  We are his servants who display God’s splendor. We were called before we were born. May God make each of us an excellent Bible teacher and heart-moving messenger like a sharpened sword and a polished arrow. Amen.

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• YOU ARE MY SERVANT-message (Isa 49a).doc-final.doc

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