BY THE REV. D. MACFARLANE, DINGWALL.
“Behold my servant, whom I uphold; mine elect, in whom my soul delighteth; I have put my Spirit upon him: he shall bring forth judgment to the Gentiles. He shall not cry, nor lift up, nor cause his voice to be heard in the street. A bruised reed shall he not break, and the smoking flax shall he not quench: he shall bring forth judgment unto truth. He shall not fail nor be discouraged, till he have set judgment in the earth: and the isles shall wait for his law.”—ISAIAH xlii. 1-4.
IN the preceding chapter God shows the vanity of idols, and the folly and sinfulness of those who trust in them. “Behold, they are all vanity: their works are nothing: their molten images are wind and confusion” (Isaiah xli. 29). In the forty-second chapter He calls the attention of poor deluded sinners to Christ the only but all-sufficient Saviour of sinners—able to save to the uttermost those coming to God by Him. That it is of the Messiah the words of our text speak is evident from Matt. xii. 17-21. In endeavouring to speak from this precious portion of God’s Word, as the Holy Spirit may enable, I shall direct your attention to four particulars, viz.:—
I.—The Servant spoken of in the text;
II.—His work;
III.—The effect of His work; and
IV.—The call to behold Him.
I.—The Servant—the Son of God, and the Second person of the glorious Trinity. It is of this person God the Father says, “My Servant.” The name servant is suggestive of the following things:—
(1) That the master is greater than his servant, so Christ says, “My Father is greater than I” (John xiv. 28). This does not mean that Christ is a mere man, as those who deny His godhead hold, for He is the same in essence or nature with the Father, and equal with Him in power and glory (John i. 1, Heb. i. 3), so that He said, “He that hath seen me hath seen the Father” (John xiv. 9). The inferiority spoken of has respect to the state of humiliation to which Christ came to do the work the Father gave Him to do, and to that only. In that state He vailed His glory, but at His ascension to heaven the vail was removed, and He was glorified with the glory which He had with the Father before the world was (John xvii. 5).
(2) Engagement.—No one can be a servant among men without being engaged by a master. God the Father engaged His Son Jesus Christ from all eternity and entered into an everlasting covenant with Him, to the terms of which both parties agreed.
(3) Work.—When a master engages a servant he has work for him to do. The Father gave work to Christ to do, which no mere creature—man or angel—could do. Of this work Christ speaks: “I have finished the work which thou gavest me to do” (John xvii. 4).
(4) Term of service.—A servant among men is engaged for a certain period of time—for six months, a year, or a longer period, and when the term day comes the servant is under no obligation to serve longer, nor has the master any further claim on his service. In the case of Christ the term day shall never come. He is the Father’s Servant for ever. This is true also of men, who are His ministering servants in the Church. The time of their death is not the term day. When they cease their work on earth they begin their work in heaven. They are only transferred from one department of service to a more glorious one, and they shall perform it perfectly, which they could not do on earth, because they were not perfect themselves.
(5) Reward.—Every master who engages a servant promises him wages or reward for his work, “The servant is worthy of his hire.” What was the reward the Father promised to His Servant, Jesus Christ? He promised (1) to exalt Him at His own right hand in heaven, and to give Him a name which is above every name. Because Christ humbled Himself God hath highly exalted Him (Phil. ii. 9). (2) To give Him to see of the travail of His soul in the conversion, sanctification, and glorification of a great multitude of sinners, which no man can number (Isaiah liii. 11). With this reward He shall be fully satisfied.
Let us now observe how the Father speaks of His Servant. (1) He calls Him “Mine elect.” Every master has the right to choose his servant. God the Father elected His eternally-begotten Son as His Servant. There are some who deny the doctrine of election, although it is clearly revealed in the Word of God. Christ was elected, and all of the human race that the Father gave Him in the everlasting covenant were elected, not separate from Him, but “in Him” before the foundation of the world. (2) He speaks of Him as He in whom His soul delights, “In whom my soul delighteth.” He delights in Him with complacency, not only as He is the Son of His love, but also as His Servant. (3) He promises to uphold Him in the performance of His arduous work. As to His human nature He needed to be supported. Could not His divine person support His human nature? Yes, but it was the Father’s part to supply His Servant with all needed support in doing the work He had given Him to do. If Christ needed to be supported, how much more we, who are frail creatures, need to be strengthened and upheld by the power of God in our weak endeavours to do His work! Well, He promised to do that, and He is faithful to fulfil His word of promise, “I will uphold thee by the right hand of my righteousness.” (4) He says, “I have put my Spirit upon him.” The Holy Spirit was given to Christ to qualify Him for the great work the Father gave Him to do. It was by the Spirit He cast devils out of men; it was by the Spirit He performed all parts of His undertaking as the Father’s Servant till He cried triumphantly on the cross, “It is finished.” The Spirit was given to Him, not according to measure, but above measure, in order that His people might receive the Spirit out of His fulness.
II.—His work. Although Christ as Mediator had to make atonement as Priest, it is His work as Prophet and King that is spoken of in our text.
(1) His work as Prophet, “He shall bring forth judgment to the Gentiles.” That is, He shall reveal the Gospel to the Gentiles. Till Christ came to the world in human nature, and died in that nature, the Gospel was confined to the Jewish nation, while all the other nations of the world were left in spiritual darkness. There was a middle wall of partition separating Jews and Gentiles. By His death Christ broke down that middle wall, and opened a way for the Gospel to the Gentiles, of which are we. Of this work of mercy there was a visible sign given from heaven by the rending of the vail separating between the Holy and the Most Holy in the temple at the death of Him who is now the Lamb of God taking away the sin of the world. The ceremonial law, which has no place now in the Christian Church, was the middle wall of partition. Christ removed it once for all, and woe be to any that will restore it to the Church of Christ! As the Gospel was now to be preached to the poor Gentiles, Christ said to His Gospel messengers, “Go ye into all the world and preach the Gospel to every creature.”
(2) His work as King, “He shall set judgment in the earth.” That is, He shall establish the Gospel so firmly in the earth, in this world, that it cannot be removed by any creative power, not even by the gates of hell, but shall remain in the world, steadfastly, till the end of time. Many attempts have been made in the past to overthrow the Gospel, to remove it out of the world, to make room for idolatry, superstition, and other forms of error, but in spite of all these efforts of enemies the Gospel is still in the world, and we are sure that all attempts that may be made against it in the future shall prove equally unsuccessful. In this connection we may say that the intention of the instigators of the terrible War that is now going on in Europe was to overthrow the Gospel of Christ, and to set up idolatry in its place. But they shall find out before the end of the conflict that Christ shall gain the victory over them; for “He must reign till all His enemies are made His footstool.”
We shall now notice the manner in which Christ shall carry on His work. He shall do so:
(1) Without clamour or noise.—”He shall not cry, not lift up, nor cause His voice to be heard in the street.” He sought not His own glory, but the glory of the Father that sent Him.
(2) Tenderly.—”A bruised reed shall He not break, and the smoking flax shall He not quench.” Those sinners who are bruised under conviction of sin, pressed down by the wheels of a broken law, which denounces a curse on its transgressors are, we think, represented by the bruised reed. A reed is weak at the best, but when bruised, it is weak indeed. In like manner, man is a weak creature, but when bruised in the manner described, he feels very weak, and needs great tenderness in dealing with his case lest he should by the temptations of Satan be driven to despair. The Father commands Christ, His Servant, to those who are thus like a bruised reed. How shall Christ deal with them? If He were to deal with them according to their desert, He would break them with a rod of iron. But He will not deal with them in that way—for He Himself was bruised for their iniquities—but He will, according to His mission to the world, seeking and saving lost sinners, deal tenderly with them. He will, not only not break them, as they deserve, but will, as the good Physician, bind them up, and make them strong by speaking peace to their troubled souls through His atoning blood. “By His stripes they are healed,” and made strong as the cedars of Lebanon. “The smoking flax” may represent those who have attained to a more advanced state of experience in seeking the Lord than those bruised under a sense of sin and a lost condition. The smoke issues from a candle that burns dimly. There is some light, and there is darkness, but the darkness predominates. The awakened sinner reading or hearing the Word of the Gospel begins to hope that he may be saved. But the light that begins to dawn on his soul is surrounded with many doubts and fears and misgivings, so that he is afraid that his hope may be extinguished. How is the Father’s Servant to deal with such a case? He will not quench the smoking flax. Very little discouragement would quench it, but Christ, who has the tongue of the learned to know how to speak a word in season to him that is weary, will not quench it. On the contrary, He will blow gently on the smoking flax by His Spirit through the preaching of the Word of the Gospel, so that that which was ready to die begins to blaze, and to shine more and more unto the perfect day. As for God, His work is perfect. He that hath begun the good work in His people will make it perfect.
In the candle that burns dimly there is fire, and there is smoke. In the believer there is life, and there is the manifestation of life. If you see smoke issuing from the chimney of a house you will conclude that there are living persons dwelling in that house. On the other hand, there are other houses and you do not see smoke ascending from them all the year round. If you ask the reason you shall be told that there are no living men dwelling in these houses. In the past men dwelt in them, but these men died, and their houses are now the abodes of cattle. The smoke of prayer and family worship issues from the dwellings of the righteous (Psalms cxviii. 15), but the unrighteous forget God, and neglect to worship Him in their homes. This is very common in the present age.
(3) Courageously, and with determination.—”He shall not fail nor be discouraged.” It is in setting up, and establishing His kingdom in the world the Father speaks thus of His Son. Many tried to discourage Him, and to frustrate the accomplishment of His undertaking. “The kings of the earth set themselves, and the rulers took counsel together, against the Lord, and against his anointed” (Psalm ii. 2). But He that sits in the heavens shall laugh, the Lord shall have them in derision; He set His King over Sion. Notwithstanding all opposition of enemies Christ shall not fail nor be discouraged till He have set judgment—the Gospel—in the earth. He came to the world to set up His kingdom under a new dispensation, which shall continue without the least change till the heavens and the earth shall pass away. This is the last dispensation, and the most perfect on this side of heaven. Those who think they can improve upon it are fools, and are guilty of daring presumption in thinking that they can excel Him whose wisdom is infinite, and in whom all the treasures of knowledge and wisdom dwell.
III.—The effect and fruit of His work:—
(1) “The Gentiles shall wait for His law.” They wait—attend—on the means of grace, the preaching of the Gospel. This has been verified in the days of the apostles to a large extent, and in subsequent ages since; and it shall be the case more abundantly before the end of the world, especially during the millennium, when the knowledge of the Lord shall fill the whole world as the waters cover the face of the sea.
(2) “They shall put their trust in His name.” When the gospel is blessed to sinners they shall believe in Christ, receive Him by faith, and rest on Him alone for salvation. It is to be observed that sinners cannot put their trust in Christ without first hearing of Him, and knowing Him. There are many teachers in the visible Church at present who teach that the heathen may be saved without the Word of the Gospel. These men are either ignorant of the Bible, or they do not believe the Word of God. For the Apostle Paul settled that question long ago. He said, “How shall they believe in him of whom they have not heard? and how shall they hear without a preacher? and how shall they preach except they be sent?” (Rom. x. 14-15); and then in verse 17 he says, “Faith cometh by hearing, and hearing by the word of God.” The Psalmist says, “And they that know thy name shall put their trust in thee” (Psalm ix. 10). Our text follows the same order. The Gentiles wait for God’s law or word, and then when the word is blessed to them by the effectual work of the Holy Spirit they shall put their trust in the name of Christ.
IV.—The call to behold Christ—the Father’s Servant.
The word behold is used in scripture to call attention to something great and wonderful. That the Son of God, who is the brightness of the Father’s glory, and the express image of His person, should assume human nature, and humble Himself, and become obedient unto death for hell-deserving sinners is the greatest wonder conceivable. It was such a wonder that no eye of creatures—men or angels—saw it, nor ear of creatures heard it, nor did it enter their thoughts till it was revealed to them by God. When it was revealed angels desired to enquire into the mystery of it, and men, whose eyes God opened, began to gaze at the most gracious revelation, and the sight affected their hearts to such a degree that they could not contain themselves, but gave vent to their feelings in the language of the Psalmist: “Oh, that men would praise the Lord for his goodness, and for his wonderful works to the children of men.” The word means to look. It was in this sense John the Baptist used it when he said, “Behold the Lamb of God, which taketh away the sin of the world.” It means also to believe. So Christ says, “Look unto me and be ye saved, all the ends of the earth: for I am God, and there is none else.” When the jailer at Philippi asked, “What must I do to be saved?” Paul answered, “Believe in the Lord Jesus Christ, and thou shalt be saved.” When God says, “Behold my servant,” He addresses, among others, those who looked for salvation to idols—gods made of wood, silver, and gold (Isaiah xli. 5-7). He says in effect, “Turn away your eyes from looking to these false gods that cannot save. Behold my Servant; look to him and you—even you—shall be saved.”
Let us now enquire where and how Christ can be seen. We shall answer this twofold question negatively and positively. First, negatively. Some think that Christ may be seen in a picture of Him made by man. But there is not such a thing in the world as a picture of Christ made by man. He challenges all men to draw His likeness. “To whom then will ye liken God; or what likeness will ye compare unto him?” (Isaiah xl. 18). Then He goes on in the following verses to speak of how idolaters presume to make His likeness by making graven images, embellished with silver and gold; and he that is too poor to make such images chooseth a tree that will not rot, and makes an image of God of that material. These idolaters were heathen, without the Word of God, but there are many in the land of the Bible who call themselves Christians that make supposed images of Christ, who is God. These people are worse idolaters, and less excusable, than the poor heathen, who knew nothing better. Christ cannot be seen in these pictures. The only true picture of Christ is that drawn by the pen of inspiration in the Scriptures of the Old and New Testaments. This leads us, secondly, to answer the question positively. Christ may be seen in the Scriptures of the Old and New Testaments—the revelation He gave of Himself. When the Jews denied that He was the Messiah He referred them to the Scriptures of the Old Testament, which testified of Him. In the New Testament Scriptures we have a clearer revelation of Him. The history of His incarnation, life and death, and resurrection is set forth in these Scriptures with such clearness and evidence as not to admit of a shadow of doubt.
Having answered the question as to where Christ can be seen, let us proceed to answer the second question as to how He may be seen. He is not now to be seen by the bodily eye, as He was seen in the days of His humiliation on earth. He is now hid out of sight. He is within the vail in heaven, and the heavens must contain Him there till He shall be revealed from heaven at the end of the world, to judge the quick and the dead; and then every eye shall see Him. This is what we learn from God’s Word, the only and sure source of information. But although Christ is not now to be seen by the eye of the body, yet He may be seen by the eye of the soul—the eye of faith. It was the want of that spiritual eye that was the origin of making pictures of Christ. Man, by nature being spiritually blind, cannot transact with a God he cannot see with the eye of the body. Hence the need of the eye of faith. Those who see Christ by the eye of faith were by nature as blind as others. But God opened their eyes, enlightened their minds in the knowledge of Christ, and they beheld His glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father, full of grace and truth. They beheld His glory, not in a picture, but in the Word of the Gospel. It was by the eye of faith the Old Testament saints saw Him, except when He appeared to some of them in the form of man, before He actually assumed human nature; and since He went to heaven after finishing the work of redemption, till He come again, it is by the eye of faith believers under the New Testament shall see Him. “We walk by faith, not by sight.”
In conclusion, the call to behold Christ is to all in the land of the Gospel, who are still in the land of the living. After men pass from time to eternity the call does not follow them. There is no salvation after death for those who refused to comply with the call during their life-time. In the present European War many hundreds and thousands of our fellow-creatures are being cut down to enter eternity whether they closed with the Gospel call or not. But there is hope for those who are still spared, if they listen to God, who says, “Behold my Servant.” We have reason to believe that many of our soldiers on sea and land are seeking preparation for death, reading the Bible and crying to God for mercy; and it is a good sign that friends supply them with copies of God’s Word, wherein they may see the way of salvation by Jesus Christ, the way, the truth, and the life, and no sinner can come to God, to peace, and to heaven but by Him alone. We hear that the priests of Rome put a cross before the eyes of dying soldiers, thinking that that will save them. But we lift up before the eyes of sinners Jesus Christ in the preaching of Gospel, as God the Father does in our text, when He says, “Behold,” not a cross, but “my Servant.” I mention our soldiers in these closing remarks because I feel for them, and pray for them, and seek their salvation. They are defending our country and our lives. They are fighting against ungodly and barbarous enemies, who, like the unjust judge, fear not God, nor regard man. They need, therefore, the sympathy and prayers of God’s people, that He may be their shield to protect them, their strength to fight His battles, and to make them victorious over their enemies on sea and land to the praise of His glorious name.
As I have referred to the War, I wish to say, further, that, terrible as the War is, the Father’s Servant is by means of it bringing forth judgment to the Gentiles, and preparing a way for the coming of His kingdom throughout the whole world. Some idolaters are, since the War began, throwing away their idols, and, like others of old, “turning from idols to serve the living God.” It was the sword that opened the way for the Gospel to Italy in 1870. Dr. Robertson of Venice tells us that “Italy is now putting on biblical Christianity.” The Christianity they had for centuries in the past was a Christianity without the Word of God, which was no Christianity at all, but paganism under the name of Christianity. He tells, also, that between twenty and twenty-five millions of the people are thirsting to hear the Word of God read and preached. “This the doing of the Lord, and wondrous in our eyes.” If this War is the Armageddon predicted in the book of Revelation, as probably it is, we may say with certainty, on the authority of God’s Word, that, however long it may last, it shall ultimately put an end to idolatry, not only in Europe, but also throughout the whole world, and introduce the glorious period of the millennium foretold in the Scriptures.
Though Britain shall suffer in the conflict inasmuch as a great deal of idolatry exists in the Empire, yet it shall ultimately gain the victory over Germany, Austria, and Turkey, and all other enemies. In this connection we may quote what the late Rev. Lachlan Mackenzie, Lochcarron, said, with prophetic force, in the year 1805, in the course of a sermon on Nelson’s victory off Trafalgar: “Britain,” he said, “will pray, and the temple of Dagon will fall. Britain is certainly destined by God to do some great and astonishing thing upon the theatre of the world. What it will be, we cannot take upon us to foretell. As mistress of the sea, she is destined to break the heads of the dragons in the waters, and the head of Leviathan in pieces. Leviathan is the monster of the deep, a power in enmity to the people of God, and breathing vengeance to Britain in particular. But God will put His hook in his nose, and Britain will bring the monster dead to shore, Amen, Alleluia!” Then near the end of the sermon he said, “I said, and I abide by what I have said, that Britain will strike some great stroke upon the theatre of Europe. Is it because we have our Nelsons, our Duncans, our Abercrombies, our Smiths, and our Calders, etc.? This was not the language of David. Himself was a hero, and he had many heroes in his army; and does he trust in them? No, but he encouraged himself in the Lord his God.”
The Lord add His blessing, and to His name be the praise. Amen.