This passage is the second of the Servant songs in Isaiah. It describes the status and role of the suffering servant of the Lord - Israel/messiah. It falls within what is often called Second (Deutero) Isaiah, chapter 40-55. In this passage, the Lord, through Isaiah, speaks to the church today: we are reminded of our place in God's sight, our task in the world and our share in eternity.

The passage opens with the Servant speaking to the Nations. He was set apart for service and empowered by the creator of the universe. He serves as the mouthpiece of God. Like a sharpened sward, a polished arrow, he is to proclaim God's truth. God said of him that he is the one who will display his splendor to the nations, the glory of the Lord to all mankind. At the present moment he is suffering, he is oppressed, "I have spent my strength in vain and for nothing." Yet, now the Lord has this to say of the one who is to gather in lost Israel. Not only will the Servant seek out the lost of Israel and gather them as a people for the Lord, but the Gentiles will also be gathered in. God's salvation involves the rescuing of mankind for fellowship with himself, and this salvation will extend to the ends of the earth. Not only this, but the Lord the redeemer says to his Servant, the despised and rejected one, that the Nations will soon bow before him. The Servant will rule with powerful authority.

Isaiah's description of the Servant of the Lord finds its fulfilment in Jesus, and because we are one with Jesus, there is a sense where we, the church, must serve as the Servant to our broken world. We perform the Servant role when we proclaim the mystery of God's gracious kindness in Christ, a truth that sets us free. When it comes to ministering the truth, believers have tended to opt for two different approaches. Some want to do and be the truth, while others want to say the truth. Obviously, both go hand in hand.

The word of salvation, proclaimed for all to hear, is essential for making known the character of God and his generous offer of eternal friendship. A very perceptive person may understand truth from their environment (the created order, the life-style of Christians......), but the scriptures tell us that the state of humanity is such that it is only a rare person who can see truth around them. Truth must be proclaimed in Spirit-empowered words.

None-the-less, we should also do the truth, live the example of salvation. The new life of a child of God can influence lost humanity. So, we should strive to live as members of the kingdom of God while living in this hostile land. We are to live the truth, not so that we can say the truth, but because we are of the truth. Such is God's will for us - to be transformed into his image, to be made holy. And it is not just our church-life that should be transformed, but our family, work, social, political and recreational life. When we live the truth we are " a light for the Gentiles."

So, how do we live such a life? We are often overwhelmed by our environment, so If we can get in a bit of witnessing and refuse to rip-off the boss, then we usually feel that we have made it. Yet, Christian principles should affect all areas of our life. This may put us at odds with the world we live in, but then that is the price we have to pay for following Jesus.

In our home lives, at the office, factory or school, in our social group or our political party, we must try to apply scriptural truth to the problems and issues we face. The following three principles are worth considering:

i] Love. God is a relational God and he has created us to develop and experience caring relationships. So, is what we are doing going to develop caring and loving relationships, or is it going to erode them?

ii] Grace. God is a merciful and kind God; he is gracious, he forgives, he is accepting. Is what we are doing gracious, in the sense of merciful, or are we being judgmental, are we showing partiality, are we holding a grudge?

iii] Truth. God is a revelational God, a speaking God; he has not only created reality, but he conveys the truth of it. So then, is what we are doing, proposing etc. of truth? Is it theologically true, ie. Biblically true? Is it accurate rather than deceptive? Is there integrity in it?

We should place our actions under the spotlight of these principles, not just our actions on Sunday, but the decisions of the boardroom, the behavior of our family, etc.

We will find, as we live the enlightened life of the Servant of the Lord, that our environment will not always respond with warmth. We may well face opposition and we will find that few accept the truths we proclaim. Faced with this reality, we need only look to the day when all the powers of this age will fall before our Lord and see the folly of their ways.

1. Who is the Servant of the Lord?

2. The Servant is to "display" God's "splendor". This to "you islands" and "distant nations". What is this revelation and who is to display it today?

3. In what sense has the Servant "spent" his "strength"? Apply this to Jesus and to the church today.

4. How does the Servant "restore the tribes of Jacob" and "make you a light for the Gentiles"? Again, relate this to Jesus and the church today.