Servant of the LORD / Light of the World

The Word for today:
Isaiah 43:14--44:23

Mark this: Isaiah 49:5-6

The careful Bible student will find himself wondering, as he reads through this section of Isaiah, just who "the Servant of the LORD" is.

Sometimes the Bible seems to be talking about the nation Israel. But at other times, there seems to be a solitary individual that we have in view.

Is the servant Israel, or is it Jesus?

The answer is "both."

Israel, the nation, is "the servant" in Isaiah 41:8-16; 43:1-10; 44:1-8, 21; 45:4 48:20.

The Messiah (Hebrew)--called the Christ (Greek) in the New Testament--is the individual Servant we see in Isaiah 42:1-12, chapter 49 in full; 50:4-6; 52:13-15; 53:1-12. These are striking pictures of Jesus!

Christ/Messiah--the individual Servant--must restore the servant nation. This is seen clearly in Isaiah 49:5-6:
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--he 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."

In the New Testament, we will see that those who believe in Jesus are referred to, collectively, in the same way that Jesus is referred to individually. Jesus is the Light of the world--see Isaiah 49:6 (above) and John 8:12. Then go over to Matthew 5:14, where Jesus tells his followers that they are the light of the world.

Those whom Jesus saves become more and more like Him (1). They serve like the Servant, and they shine like the Light.

(1) Romans 8:29; Philippians 3:21; 1 Corinthians 15:49; Colossians 3:10; 1 John 3:2