Isaiah and the Servant Songs

Brandon McBride

Isaiah and the Servant Songs

        In the book of Isaiah, mainly in the last third, there are a series of songs that Isaiah writes known as the servant songs. It is unsure if these songs are prophecies about people such as Cyrus, Joseph Smith, or Jesus Christ, however Jesus Christ is the only that fulfills all five servant songs. Some of them could have a dualistic nature, if so then they are a type for Christ. The servant songs bear powerful testimony of the mortal ministry of the Messiah.

        The first servant song is found in the forty second chapter of Isaiah in the first seven verses. In the first verse it starts with “Behold my servant” means that the will of the Father and the will of the Son were in complete harmony. “Mine elect” or another word for elect is chosen. Jesus Christ was foreordained to be our Savior and Redeemer. Meaning before the world ever was, in the pre-mortal council we chose Jesus to be the one to pay the price for all of the world’s sins. “Whom my soul delighteth” the times when God, the Father speaks is when He introduces His Son. In instances such as the baptism of Jesus, the transfiguration on the mount, and when they appear to Joseph Smith, God says something along the lines of, “this is my Beloved Son, whom I am well pleased.” The Savior did all that was asked of Him, and completed His mission, to do the will of the Father. A common theme in the servant songs is that His ministry would be a quiet ministry, unlike the Millennial ministry. In this chapter it is noted by, “He will not cry…nor cause his voice is not heard from the streets.” After Jesus would perform miracles often times He would tell them to tell nobody. He was born in poverty, in an obscure place, and came and went without much notice. “Judgment to the Gentiles” the Hebrew word used for judgment used here can also mean reward. The Gospel will be given to the Gentiles, and He will be a light to them. It talks how this servant will “never be discouraged or fail.” In Jesus’s mortal ministry it might seem like He was discouraged in the Garden of Gethsemane, pleading for another way to accomplish His task. In the book of Luke, it mentions that an angel was sent to strengthen him in the heat of taking our sins upon him, amidst these pleas He was never discouraged enough to quit. He knew what was at stake and what had to be done for the work and glory of God and all His children. Perhaps the greatest words during the time Christ was performing the Atonement is, “it is finished.” In this servant song it mentions that He will, “open the eyes of the blind.”  Whether this means to open the eyes that are spiritually blind or literally blind, Jesus did both. “To bring out prisoners from prison.” In the first book of Peter chapters three and four mentions how Christ went to the prison of the spirits that were disobedient or never had a chance to hear about the Gospel to deliver them by bringing them good tidings of great joy. He also brings out those who are imprisoned by their own sins. For example, in the beginning of the eighth chapter of John, Jesus frees the lady that was brought into adultery. How grateful am I to know who I can turn to be freed of my sinful burdens when I make mistakes in my life.

        It’s another seven chapters later until we get the second servant song found in the forty ninth chapter of Isaiah. Some principles or aspects of the life of the Messiah that are found in the previous servant song are also overlapped a little in this one. “From the womb” this reminds me of the first chapter in Jeremiah which says, “from the womb I have formed thee.” Each of us are put in circumstances for reasons only God knows, but he knows what we are capable of doing. This is another place in the scriptures that shows that Jesus was foreordained to be the Messiah. Isaiah mentions that the servant, “spent his strength for naught and is in vain.” This comes from the fact the Jesus didn’t fulfill the expectations of the people. On palm Sunday, known for the day of Christ’s triumphant entry into Jerusalem. Jesus rode in on a colt of an ass, often a ritual that kings will do signifying that there is no more need to battle, for it is won. As Jesus rode in, the people were waving palm leaves, shouting, “Hosanna, hosanna!” Which means save us now! They were expecting the Millennial Messiah, bypassing the prophecies about the mortal Messiah, to wipe out the oppressing Gentile Roman empire and usher in the Millennium and they being the chosen covenant people. It mentions in Mark that Jesus just went to the temple and going back to Bethany. Their expectations being completely unmet, this being the reason they were praising Him as their king on Sunday, yet shouting, “Crucify Him!” on Friday. They thought that His works were for naught and in vain, yet Christ was doing the works of His Father.

        The fiftieth chapter of Isaiah has the third servant song. It is a little bit shorter than the first two. It mentions that this servant will be learned. In the meridian of time in the Judea country side, about only five percent of people were literate, yet in Luke chapter four it says that at the age of twelve Jesus could astonish the doctors by interpreting scripture and asking questions they never thought of. This servant song also mention that He is, “set like flint.” In other words, it was set in stone, He would be determined to carry out all that the Father would ask of Him.

        The fourth servant song is the shortest of them all, but it sure is sweet. It says, “His visage marred more than any other man…thereby he will sprinkle many nations.” The word visage means appearance, so his appearance was marred more than any man. During his trial he was beaten, whipped, a crown of thorn forced on His head, and I couldn’t imagine how his body would have looked on the cross, however He was marred the most in Gethsemane when He took upon himself the sins of the world bleeding from every pore. By doing all this He will sprinkle many nations. In the JST, the word sprinkle is substituted by the word gather. To gather many nations or to make them at one. The Hebrew word for sprinkle means connotes to blood sacrifices, to sprinkle the blood of the animal. Christ being the lamb of God, making the ultimate and infinite sacrifice for all mankind, thus making us justified.