Reading for June 18th

Read Isaiah 43.1-13. In 42.1-25: The mission of the servant. In verses 1-4: The introduction of the servant follows the pattern of a royal emissary being introduced at court. The authority of the sender is conferred on the deputy who I sent. In verses 5-9: The servant of God is to bring a light to the nations (v. 6). This is the coming of salvation and the ending of Israel's spiritual blindness (v. 7), but is the promise only for the scattered survivors of Israel who dwell among the nations, or is it also for those nations themselves? Verse 49.6 answers this question; It is for everyone, although 45.22 comes very close to anticipating this message. The inescapable force of the argument that the Lord God of Israel is the creator and Lord of all nations leads to this larger hope for the nations of the world. In verses 10-13:The revelation of the new task assigned to Israel, God's servant, call forth a response of praise in the most distant places. Comments or Questions..