Isaiah 42
Verse 1 servant There is a twofold account of the Coming Servant: (1) he is represented as weak, despised, rejected, slain: (2) and also as a mighty conqueror, taking vengeance on the nations and restoring Israel (e.g. Isaiah 40:10; 63:1-4). The former class of passages relate to the first advent, and are fulfilled; the latter to the second advent, and are unfulfilled. Verse 6 for a light of the Gentiles The prophets connect the Gentiles with Christ in a threefold way" (1) as the Light He brings salvation to the Gentiles Luke 2:32; Acts 13:47,48 (2) as the "Root of Jesse" He is to reign over the Gentiles in His kingdom. Isaiah 11:10; Romans 15:12. He saves the Gentiles, which is the distinctive feature of this present age. ; Romans 11:17-24; Ephesians 2:11,12 He reigns over the Gentiles in the kingdom-age, to follow this. See "Kingdom (O.T.)," ; Genesis 1:26-28; Zechariah 12:8. (3) Believing Gentiles in the present age, together with believing Jews, constitute "the church which is His body." (See Scofield "Ephesians 3:6") Verse 9 former things i.e. Isaiah's prediction of Sennacherib's invasion and its results, Isa. 10 and 37. See also, Isaiah 41:21-23; 43:8-1244:7; 48:3,5,16. This appeal of the prophet to the fulfilment of his former predictions strongly confirms the unity of the book.