The “Servant Songs”

• Isaiah 42:1-9 – See Matthew 12:15-21.

  • Matthew 12:20 – The imagery shows that Jesus would not give up on sinners.

• Isaiah 49:1-13 – See Acts 13:46-49.

• Isaiah 50:4-11

• Isaiah 52:13-53:12

  • Isaiah 52:13-15 – appearance marred
    • Matthew 26:27; 27:26-30
  • Isaiah 53:1-2 – no majesty
    • John 4:25-26; Mark 6:1-3
  • Isaiah 53:3-4 – despised
    • John 1:11-12; 3:19-20
  • Isaiah 53:4-12 – guilt offering
    • I Peter 2:21-25
  • Isaiah 53:9 – with a rich man
    • Matthew 27:57-60
  • Acts 3:13, 26; 4:27, 30

Apologetic value

• 740-700 BC – Isaiah prophesies: Isaiah 1:1

• AD 980 – Masoretic Text: Oldest Old Testament copies until discovery of the Dead Sea Scrolls

• AD 1947 – Dead Sea Scrolls discovered (dated 100s BC)

  • Includes entire book of Isaiah, written about 100 BC - before Christ!

• Was there more than one Isaiah? No. No evidence was found in the Dead Sea Scrolls.

• The story of Barry Leventhal, a Jew who came to faith in Jesus after being confronted with the prophecies in Isaiah.

• Acts 8:34-35

Discipline

• Raising kids (including those “rod” passages)

  • Proverbs 3:12

  • Proverbs 13:24

  • Proverbs 15:5

  • Proverbs 19:18

  • Proverbs 22:6, 16

  • Proverbs 23:13-14

  • Proverbs 29:15, 17

  • The word “rod” is not necessarily referring to a club or staff. As usual, context determines the meaning. Consider Psalms 23:4. Think of a switch or similar item used to give corporal punishment to children along with reproof for the ultimate purpose of guiding him/her in the right path.

  • Consider also Colossians 3:21; Ephesians 6:4; Hebrews 12:4-11. Discipline within the family should be done with love, not to blow off steam.

    • Hebrews 12:10 – Discipline is done as is seen best by the parents, not the children.

• Self-discipline, self-control

  • Proverbs 6:6-11

  • Proverbs 16:32

  • Proverbs 17:27

  • Proverbs 21:17, 23

  • Proverbs 25:28

  • Proverbs 29:11

  • Proverbs 30:32-33

  • Secular research shows that self-control is more likely than talent to lead to success. More self-control leads to higher income jobs and less addiction.

  • Proverbs 20:7 – Self-control is one of the best things you can pass on to your children.

• Allowing others to discipline and correct you

  • Proverbs 10:17

  • Proverbs 12:1

  • Proverbs 13:1, 18

  • Proverbs 15:10, 12, 31-32

  • Proverbs 17:10

  • Proverbs 19:25

  • Proverbs 21:11

  • Proverbs 29:1

  • Listen to discipline and wisdom!

  • Psalms 119:99-100

Joy

• Romans 14:13-19 – Absence of joy can be a tool of the devil. If you don’t fill your life with joy, the devil will help you fill it with something else.

• Romans 15:8-13

• II Corinthians 7:13 – Joy is contagious!

• Galatians 5:16-26 – Joy is one of the fruits of the spirit. It is a great motivator.

• Philippians 1:1-5 – We must pray with joy!

• Philippians 1:21-26 – Paul had “joy in the faith.” We should have joy in our salvation and in the spiritual companionship we have with our brethren.

• Philippians 2:1-11 – Today we can “complete” Paul’s joy by being of the same mind in obeying God.

• Colossians 1:9-14 – Joy can be a power in that it encourages us to act with zeal in serving God.

• Hebrews 12:1-2 – Jesus’ joy was salvation for His creation.

Don’t ever forget to thank God for the great blessing of your hands.

Bad uses of hands in the Bible

• Mark 14:16; Matthew 26:67 – crucifying Jesus

• Acts 23:2; Luke 21:12 – persecution of Christians

• II Timothy 3:12; I Peter 4:16 – Christians will suffer persecution.

Good uses of hands

• James 4:8; Acts 15:9 – The only way to get clean hands is by faith.

• Galatians 5:6; I Corinthians 10:31

• I Timothy 2:8 – This is not talking about posture during prayer – it is talking about being pure before God.

• Acts 20:34

• Ephesians 4:28

• Leviticus 7:30

• Acts 8:18

• Mark 10:16 – Jesus blessed people with His hands. He gave us an example of how to use our hands – in service to God.

• Philippians 2:4-5 – We should use our hands to provide for the needs of others.

• I Corinthians 6:19-20

Romans 6:13; I Corinthians 10:31

Let us use our hands and whole body to serve God.

Isaiah 29:13

Here are some things we typically do …

• We do what we were going to do anyway.

  • Jeremiah 42:1-6, 19-22; 43:1-4 – The people would not believe Jeremiah!

  • Matthew 12:36

• We talk about how good the preaching is … but we still don’t obey.

  • Ezekiel 33:30-33

  • James 1:22, 26-27

  • James 2:19-20, 24, 26

• We sincerely intend to change … but something gets in the way.

  • Acts 2:41

So how do we get going?

• Fear

  • Hebrews 10:26-31

• Love

  • Luke 7:37-48

  • Love should be what motivates us!

  • Joel 2:12-13