The Suffering Servant: Is. 50:4-9a

"4 The Lord God has given me
the tongue of a teacher,
that I may know how to sustain
the weary with a word.
Morning by morning he wakens—
wakens my ear
to listen as those who are taught.
5 The Lord God has opened my ear,
and I was not rebellious,
I did not turn backwards.
6 I gave my back to those who struck me,
and my cheeks to those who pulled out the beard;
I did not hide my face
from insult and spitting.
7 The Lord God helps me;
therefore I have not been disgraced;
therefore I have set my face like flint,
and I know that I shall not be put to shame;
8 he who vindicates me is near.
Who will contend with me?
Let us stand up together.
Who are my adversaries?
Let them confront me.
9 It is the Lord God who helps me;
who will declare me guilty?"

Introduction

The great 19th century French author Victor Hugo made a list of what he considered to be the 14 masterpieces of Western literature. He then narrowed it down to six. On his list of six was Isaiah, especially what we would now know as Deutero-Isaiah (others on his "short" list were Aeschylus, Homer, Job, Shakespeare and Dante). As you read the irrepressible and searching language of Is. 50 you are reminded that you are in a linguistic and theological world that is as far superior to most literary expressions as the heavens are high above the earth.

This passage in particular is arresting because it is the third (of four) "Servant Songs" in Isaiah. Almost all know of 52:13-53:12 and some know of 42:1-7, but this servant song is, unjustifiably, relatively unknown. It builds upon and develops ch. 42 and 49 in that the Servant of God, for the first time, suffers in ch. 50. In words that will be picked up by GWF Handel, he "gave his back to those who struck me, and my cheeks to those who pulled out the beard" (50:6). Then, of course, we have the "symphony of suffering" in Is. 53. So, our servant song is vitally important in the development of a theology of an individual's suffering for the sake of the nation and the world. To connect this passage to Is. 43 from last week, we can say that suffering of the servant is one of the "new things" that God will do (cf. Is. 43:19). Most preachers like to emphasize a kind of fuzzy feel-good notion of God's "new thing" as something that justifies progressive politics or religion. But perhaps the really "new thing" that God does is to bring the notion of suffering to the heart of the theological and soteriological endeavor in this passage and the next servant song.

An individual servant seems to be in view here. Israel, in ch. 49, is characterized as a disobedient people, but the servant here is blameless, obedient and faithful. So, there is a difference in the characterization of the nation and the servant. Who this servant might have been historically is anyone's guess. Through the eyes of faith, the Christian Church has always recognized Christ in this portrayal. In the words below, I divide this passage (50:4-9a) into three points: (1) the Servant's Teaching (vv. 4-5); (2) The Servant's Sufferings (v. 6); (3) The Servant's Determination and Justification (vv. 7-9a).

I. The Servant As Teacher/Learner (vv. 4-6)

Four times in this passage (4,5,7,9) the Lord is known as the "Lord God," an address unique in Isaiah. Others have rendered this as "Sovereign Lord," and it catches attention because of the double title of God (adonai yahweh). Perhaps we should see this as a way of emphasizing the dependence of the servant on God.

Our first point is the way that the servant characterizes himself. The crucial word in v. 4 (lemudim) has been translated "of a teacher" or "of those who learn" or "of the learned." I love the fact that it isn't clear whether the word means that God has given the servant the tongue of a teacher or learner because, in my judgment, the best teachers are the most eager learners. If you seek to be a teacher, one who imparts true things to people, one who is ambitious to partake of wisdom human and divine, you need to "listen" to creation; listen to the Creator; listen to the world around you. In order to have a tongue that teachers, we first have to have an ear that hears. The servant of God is one who learns and proclaims a message from God.

In contrast to other prophetic figures, who may have received the Word of God while in the temple praying (Isaiah), or when watching the flock (Amos), or in dreams or visions (Ezekiel), the prophet here emphasizes the daily inspiration that came to him. The word "morning" appears twice" and "awakens" also appears twice in this verse. It is as if all the prophet needs is an attentive ear to hear what God will say to him. Give us, O God, that kind of eager and attentive ear.

II. The Servant's Suffering (v. 6)

But the servant isn't just going to comfort others or quietly speak his message, as in ch. 42. Though the message will go out here, it is suffering that is emphasized. Just as the mouth speaks what the ear hears, so various bodily parts which suffer are stressed here. They strike his back and his front (pull out hairs from beard); they hurt him physically (strike him) and psychologically (they insult him). The suffering won't be nearly as bad as that suffered in ch. 53, but it is significant nevertheless.

In ch. 49, the preceding servant song, the servant also preaches but he only gets discouraged ("But I said, 'I have labored in vain, I have spent my strength for nothing and vanity'"--49:4). Here, however, we have suffering. What is it about proclaiming the Word of God that leads to this reception? What is the relationship between the servant's prophetic proclamation 2500 years ago and our preaching today? We need to preach and "build the church" so that it will have a solid financial base to support the ministry. Building a church isn't an easy thing to do these days, as anyone knows who has been in ministry. But isn't the call of the prophet, the servant of God, seemingly antithetical to that of the modern preacher? There he listened to the Word of God but had a completely different reception. I wonder sometimes how we listen to the Scriptures and then how we justify our rather anemic attempts to preach its message each Sunday...

III. The Servant's Justification/Determination (vv. 7-9a)

Despite the chilly reception from his contemporaries, the servant isn't discouraged. In the language of Paul he might be "knocked down" but not "knocked out." He will not be put to shame. What this means, as commentator John Oswalt (The Book of Isaiah Chapters 40-66) says, is:

"This is the particular Hebrew use of 'shame' in the sense of being shown to have taken a foolish course of action. Yes, the Servant may have been set up for public ridicule, but in the end it will be amply proved that his decision to trust God, be obedient to him, and leave the outcome in his hands was the right decision. He will not be shamed by that choice" (p. 326).

The difference between being treated shamefully and feeling shame is important. Instead of being shamed, the prophet will be vindicated. Verses 8-9 then use a lot of ancient legal terminology to explore the notion of his innocence. Indeed these verses are reminiscent of the legal language in Job, where he says, among other things: "I have indeed prepared my case; I know I shall be vindicated" (Job 13:18). God, in the end, is his helper and will vindicate him.

Conclusion

Between this week and Easter we are privileged to be brought again to the mystery of divine suffering. Suffering is not particularly appreciated or reflected upon in our culture these days. The media is much more interested in the exploits of the rich and famous. Those of us from the Christian tradition know, however, that suffering is at the heart of it, and the servant whose story we hear today is the one who leads us on the way to it. Can we hear that today?

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