“Behold my servant, whom I uphold, my chosen, in whom my soul delights; I have put my Spirit upon him; he will bring forth justice to the nations.” Isaiah 42:1
September 6, 2023
“Look at this!” You who worship the creation, who worship worthless idols. Look at this, My Servant. We are drafting on what was said yesterday in the morning minute. The worship of idols is no minor offense to God. It is a spiritual felony. Idolatry is endemic to the human race. No nation or any people grouping is exempt. As John Calvin famously said, “the heart of man is an idol factory.” Do you want to know what is the great human conspiracy? It is choosing idols rather than God. The prophet Isaiah doesn’t pull his punches. Idolatry is stupid (Isa. 41:6-7). An idol may be anything to which I give my time and energy, anything that I allow to take the place of a personal relationship with God. Do you want to know what is the worst sin in the world? It is the displacement of God. This brings us to the question, “Who is the Servant?” God is determined to defend His honor. He calls the nations into His courtroom. The Lord says, “Here is my Servant.” Whether we realize it or not, this critical issue cuts across so much of even modern evangelicalism, namely, the epidemic of man-centeredness. The mission of God’s Servant, Jesus Christ, was to bring the right verdict – justice – into the courtroom. Jesus Christ came to turn sinners from idols to serve the living God. God was saying this over seven hundred years before Jesus was born. He declared it on the cross, ratified it in the resurrection, and will make it the grand finale of human history at the Second Coming. This is when true justice will be established on this earth (Isa. 42:4). Do you want to get on the right side of history? Fall down before the Lord Jesus Christ, turn from your unbelief and rest the full weight of your need for God’s forgiveness on Christ and rejoice in God’s Servant, forever. If the Servant is your Savior, praise Him.
H
“Before my faith’s enlightened eyes, Make all Thy gracious goodness pass, Thy goodness is the sight I prize: O might I see Thy smiling face: Thy nature in my soul proclaim, Reveal Thy love, Thy glorious name.”
Charles Wesley