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Wednesday Bible Study notes on Isaiah 42:1-9

                                                                  Isaiah 42:1-9

The purpose of the Book of Isaiah is to

Comfort God’s people with the good news of Zion’s atonement

July 12, 2017

Isaiah 42:1-9

Title: Justly Elected - The Holy Spirit saves you through His means of grace promised from eternity.

 

42“Behold! My Servant whom I uphold, My Elect One in whom My soul delights!  I have put My Spirit upon Him; He will bring forth justice to the Gentiles.  What does the Small Catechism say about Christ’s doctrine of election?  Q191 Are you sure that you have eternal life?  A191: Even as I now believe in Christ my Savior, I also know that I have been chosen to eternal life out of pure grace in Christ without any merit of my own and that no one can pluck me out of His hand (eternal election of grace or predestination).  For more detail, see the Formula of Concord article XI in either the epitome or solid declaration.  Here is my short answer:  God promised the atonement (Christ’s death and resurrection) and also promised justification (delivery of the atonement to sinners) through the means of grace (Word and Sacrament) so that you may have eternal life in Christ.  Therefore, you are saved (from eternal death) by grace.  You receive this grace through faith.  Which faith?  The one Jesus gives.  Which Jesus?  The one who comes to through the means.  Which means?  The means of Grace which is God’s Word and Sacrament.  Now, repeat.  Therefore, you are saved (from eternal death) by grace.  You receive this grace through faith.  Which faith?  The one Jesus gives.  Which Jesus?  The one who comes to through the means.  Which means?  The means of Grace which is God’s Word and Sacrament.  And, repeat.  This is not double election / double predestination which teaches that God saves some and damns the rest.  This is also not to be confused with the doctrine of God’s foreknowledge.  

 

2He will not cry out, nor raise His voice, Nor cause His voice to be heard in the street.  See the Matthew 12:14-21

 

4 He will not fail nor be discouraged, Till He has established justice in the earth; And the coastlands shall wait for His law.”

 

5 Thus says God the Lord, Who created the heavens and stretched them out, Who spread forth the earth and that which comes from it, Who gives breath to the people on it, And spirit to those who walk on it:  See Genesis 1; Job 38; John 1;

 

6 “I, the Lord, have called You in righteousness, And will hold Your hand; I will keep You and give You as a covenant to the people, As a light to the Gentiles, How is Jesus, the Son of God and the Son of Man, righteous?  Son of God?  Because He is God.  Son of Man?  Because He does the Father’s will.  How are you righteous?  Jesus calls you righteous through means and it is so.

7 To open blind eyes, To bring out prisoners from the prison, Those who sit in darkness from the prison house.

 

8 I am the Lord, that is My name; And My glory I will not give to another, Nor My praise to carved images.

 

What does the Small Catechism have to say regarding Isaiah 42:8?

20.  What does God forbid in the First Commandment?  God forbids us to have other gods (idolatry).

69.  Why does God call Himself a jealous God?  Because God is holy,...He will punish those who hate Him.

 

What does the Large Catechism have to say about having a god?

[1] That is, you are to regard me alone as your God. What does this mean, and how is it to be understood? What does “to have a god” mean, or what is God?  [2] Answer: A “god” is the term for that to which we are to look for all good and in which we are to find refuge in all need. Therefore, to have a god is nothing else than to trust and believe in that one with your whole heart. As I have often said, it is the trust and faith of the heart alone that make both God and an idol. [3] If your faith and trust are right, then your God is the true one. Conversely, where your trust is false and wrong, there you do not have the true God. For these two belong together, faith and God. Anything on which your heart relies and depends, I say, that is really your God.

 

9 Behold, the former (beginning) things have come to pass, And new things I declare; Before they spring forth I tell you of them.”  What are the new things?  See verse 7.  

 

Also, LSB 548:3  Text by Thomas Hansen Kingo 1643-1703  Thanks to Thee, O Christ, Victorious  For the joy Thine advent gave me, For Thy holy, precious Word; For Thy Baptism, which doth save me, For the blest Communion board; For Thy death, the bitter scorn, For Thy resurrection morn, Lord, I thank Thee and Extol Thee, And in heav’n I shall behold Thee.

 

Thomas Hansen Kingo was a Danish bishop, poet and hymn-writer born at Slangerup, near Copenhagen. His work marked the high point of Danish baroque poetry. He belonged to a rather poor family partly of Scottish origin and was educated a clergyman.