The Servant Who Restores
Isaiah 42:1-7
The Lord’s Chosen Servant
1
“Look at my servant, whom I strengthen.
He is my chosen one, who pleases me.
I have put my Spirit upon him.
He will bring justice to the nations.
2
He will not shout
or raise his voice in public.
3
He will not crush the weakest reed
or put out a flickering candle.
He will bring justice to all who have been wronged.
4
He will not falter or lose heart
until justice prevails throughout the earth.
Even distant lands beyond the sea will wait for his instruction.”
5
God, the Lord, created the heavens and stretched them out.
He created the earth and everything in it.
He gives breath to everyone,
life to everyone who walks the earth.
And it is he who says,
6
“I, the Lord, have called you to demonstrate my righteousness.
I will take you by the hand and guard you,
and I will give you to my people, Israel,
as a symbol of my covenant with them.
And you will be a light to guide the nations.
7
You will open the eyes of the blind.
You will free the captives from prison, releasing those who sit in dark dungeons.
Chiastic Structure - Isaiah 42:1–7
A. Servant chosen, Spirit upon him (v.1)
B. He will not shout, nor break the weak (vv.2–3)
C. Justice prevails to the nations (v.4a)
C’. Islands wait for his instruction (v.4b)
B’. Covenant sign: light for the nations, healing the blind (vv.6–7)
A’. The Creator Himself establishes and sustains him (v.5)
Devarim (Deuteronomy) Chapter 30
1 When all these things come upon you—the blessing and the curse that I have set before you—I promise you that you will consider them in your heart, as you reside amidst all the nations to which God, your God, has banished you,
2 and you will be inspired to return to God, your God, with all your heart and with all your soul, and you will once again heed His voice in accordance with all that I am commanding you today—you and your children.
3 Then God, your God, will bring back your exiles and have mercy upon you. He will once again gather you from among all the nations to which God, your God, had dispersed you.
4 Even if some of your exiles are in countries at the end of the heavens, God, your God, will gather you from there, and He will take you back from there.
5 God, your God, will bring you to the land that your forefathers took possession of, and you too will take possession of it. He will be better to you than He was to your forefathers, and He will also make you more numerous than your forefathers were.
6 God, your God, will figuratively circumcise your heart, as well as the heart of your offspring, enabling you to love God, your God, with all your heart and with all your soul, for the sake of your very life.
Chiastic Structure - Deuteronomy 30:1–6 (Condensed)
A. Blessing and curse experienced in exile (vv.1–2)
B. God gathers from the ends of the heavens (vv.3–4)
C. Restoration in the land, better than the ancestors (v.5)
B’. God circumcises the heart for love and obedience (v.6a)
A’. Life preserved through covenant love (v.6b)
PARDES Layers
Peshat (Surface): The Servant of the Lord will act gently, bringing justice and healing. Israel in exile will be restored and renewed.
Remez (Hint): The Servant is a signpost to the Messiah, who embodies covenant loyalty and brings light beyond Israel.
Drash (Interpretive): True strength is seen in humility; God’s covenant people are called not to domination, but to carry light, mercy, and justice wherever scattered.
Sod (Mystical): The circumcision of the heart is an inner transformation—God carving away illusions, ego, and hardness, making space for His Spirit to dwell fully. The Servant is the cosmic light, hidden yet sustaining all nations.
Word Studies
עֶבֶד (eved) – Servant Not a slave by force, but one bound in covenant loyalty. The Servant models faithful obedience, redefining greatness as service.
מִשְׁפָּט (mishpat) – Justice More than courtroom rulings—mishpat means ordering society according to God’s covenantal order, where the vulnerable are protected.
עָרְלַת לֵבָב (orlat levav) – Foreskin of the heart (Deut. 30:6) A metaphor for spiritual callousness. Circumcision of the heart means removing hardness so love flows freely.
אוֹר גּוֹיִם (or goyim) – Light of the nations A beacon not just for Israel, but for all peoples. Justice and mercy are contagious when Spirit-filled.
