Isaiah 42:10-17 – A Song of Praise
This passage starts out ‘Sing to the Lord a new song’, just like in Psalm 96. Isaiah is looking forward to the day of Christ’s coming. All the promises, all the anticipation is brought to fulfillment in Christ. All the peoples should praise Him, and all the peoples would praise Him. You are living fulfillment of this! In this new song the gospel is going to the sea and to the coastlands. It’s going all over the world. What is Kedar? These are Arabs. These are peoples descended from Ishmael. Here is a particular promise of the Arabs praising Jehovah in Christ. Here is a great promise that all peoples shall yet praise.
What’s the cause of this joyful praise? In verses 13 through 15 we see God’s powerful works. Here we see God, powerful to smite the wicked, powerful to judge those who rebel against him, mighty, at the same time, to save and deliver His people. The joyful praise that Isaiah is moved to, the joyful praise that the nations shall give, is joy in God’s triumph over His enemies. He brings about this destruction, this triumph, both by conquest and conversion. Conversion leads to the end of rebellion and the triumph of King Jesus. But sometimes God allows people, individuals and societies, to continue in their rebellion, and then God has His ways of bringing them down and humiliating them. God goes to war against His enemies. We see this here in these verses. We read here in these verses that to some extent God was patient before the coming of His Servant. But no more. The wicked who seemed to prosper, the wicked who seemed unconquerable, invincible, are turned upside down, smashed and crushed.
God is also gracious to His people. We see this in verses 16-17. To sinners and Gentiles, Jesus provides light and the sight to see it. He does this to those trapped in darkness. He provides a way of salvation in and through His broken body and shed blood. They could not get to God. But now He has made the way. He is the way. Idolaters will receive shame and be overturned, as we see in verse 17. But the godly will have light and the way.
Questions
- Who is called to praise God?
- Why are they praising God?
Prayer Points
- Pray for the preaching and hearing of God’s Word tomorrow.
- Use prayer points from your congregation.
- Pray for family matters.