Isaiah 50:4-9a

Ancient lens

What's the historical context?

The Servant of the Lord

This is the third of Isaiah’s four “Servant Songs,” which display the posture of the true and perfect Servant of the Lord. There are, of course, different perspectives on who the servant is—the prophet himself, the Messiah, or some vague other servant—but it does not take a lot of homiletical or theological gymnastics to reconcile them while still affirming that they point forward to Jesus himself. 

One can still ponder how one’s own efforts to be faithful amidst difficulty reflect the true and more complete efforts of a would-be perfect servant, and any pondering of proper service to the Lord would obviously be Spirit-led. …