Something that has intrigued me in chapter 42 of Isaiah, which is a particular chapter of prophecy on the Messiah, is the contrast of the things our Lord is to do.
“Behold, My Servant, whom I uphold; My chosen one in whom My soul delights. I have put My Spirit upon Him; He will bring forth justice to the nations. He will not cry out or raise His voice, nor make His voice heard in the streets.” Isaiah 42:1–2.
We see the contrast to that in verse 13. The Lord will go forth like a warrior, He will arouse His zeal like a man of war. He will utter a shout, yes, He will raise a war cry. He will prevail against His enemies.
The atheist says the Bible is full of contradictions, and it certainly is. Who can understand the almost contradictory elements in our Lord? In this chapter “He is not going to cry out or raise His voice, He is not going to make His voice heard in the street.” Yet today, we are more concerned about this vigorous, belligerent way of judgment where the word says: The Lord will go forth like a warrior, He will arouse His zeal like a man of war. He will utter a shout, yes, He will raise a war cry. He will prevail against His enemies.
This sounds like a barbaric savage. This is a picture of the Lord that is hardly reconcilable to the one that does not cry or lift up His voice in the streets. What is the answer?
It is difficult for us to understand the aspects in our Lord that are as different as a lamb from a lion. He is the Lamb of God that takes away the sin of the world; gentleness is upon Him. Yet at the same time, He is the Lion of the tribe of Judah. In the book of Revelation the cry came: “Behold, the Lion of the tribe of Judah, He was worthy.” And John says: “I turned and I looked and I beheld this Lamb as though He had been slain.” The contradictory element has to be there. You have to see Him. Jesus said to His disciples: “You call me Lord and Master, and you say well, for such I am.” And He was. But He laid aside His garments and girded himself with a towel and He washed His disciples’ feet: Lord and Master, and yet as the lowliest slave.
There is something we have to understand in this. When we speak of Christ in this element, we also speak of ourselves. We speak of being kings and priests of God and yet, we know that the greatest revelation we can have is to be a bond servant of the Lord Jesus Christ. These contradictory elements have to be within us. We have been chosen to be kings and priests and to rule and reign with Him for a thousand years, and yet in this generation we wash one another’s feet. We minister to one another as bond servants of the Lord Jesus Christ. This contrast has to be there. This is what the Lord intends for us to see in Him. When we see this in Him, then we can believe for it in ourselves.
There are none who seek preeminence in the Kingdom of God. He that would be the greatest must become the servant of all. He must minister to all. “He shall not cry nor raise His voice, nor make His voice heard in the streets.” Yet, “He will utter a shout. Yes, He will raise a war cry. He will prevail against His enemies.” We need to see that the Lord has both sides to Him.
One of the difficulties in people’s thinking is that they are continually picturing just one phase of Christ, which makes it almost a dishonest picture of the Lord. This is not correct doctrine or teaching. For instance, Roman Catholics put a crucifix on the wall and you see Jesus suffering. Now it is good that we understand His sufferings, but it is not good that we should pray to Jesus as though He were still hanging upon a cross. That should not be the image in our mind. What should be the image of our mind? Not anything after the flesh, for it says in the Scriptures: “Though we have known Him after the flesh, yet we know him so no longer” (II Corinthians 5:16). We are to know Him in all of His glory, as the risen, exalted Christ: not as the Saviour hanging upon the cross, but as the One who dwells in the glory and majesty that no man can approach. This is the way we should see the Lord. Contradictory? Yes, in a sense.
How can we see Him as the Son of Man, and yet see Him as the glorified Son of God? It is hard for us, but how can we see ourselves in our lowliest state, as nothing but earthen vessels, and yet glorify God as He is bringing forth the divine nature in us, assuring us that we are truly the sons of God? That too is contradictory.
This One is going to roar like a warrior in the streets—a bruised reed He will not break, and a dimly burning wick He will not extinguish. Isaiah 42:3. How many times I’ve rejoiced in that. What does the reed mean? In biblical times reeds were cut and slit with a sharp knife and used for writing pens. Many of the old papyrus fragments were written with these reeds. Scripture says: “A bruised reed He’ll not break.” When scribes were copying the Word of God, if the reed looked like it was defective, or when they came to the name of Jehovah (one of the compound names of the Lord), they would break the reed and throw it aside and start with a new pen, for that alone could write the name of the Lord. But, the Lord does not break a bruised reed. When He comes to write the name of the Lord or to make it manifest, He could even use a bruised reed to do it. He could use you or I to proclaim the Word of the Lord.
“A bruised reed He will not break,” and also, “a dimly burning wick He will not extinguish.” When it seems as if that wick is smoking and not burning properly, will He just snuff it out? No, not the Lord. He does not extinguish your fire when it is burning dimly and there is not much light or much that glorifies the Lord coming forth. He will not extinguish it because you are not blazing forth in glory. Carefully, He will nurture you and fan the flame until it comes forth as a brilliant light once more to show the Lord.
I could not preach of the judgments of the King of kings and the Lord of lords that are coming, if I did not also believe in His infinite grace, and if I had not known that He had written His name many times upon the hearts of men. I know I am but a bruised reed, unworthy of this grace. I know how many times the flame seemed ready to be extinguished, but He never put it out. He always blessed me and brought the flame forth again. A righteous man falleth seven times and the Lord upholdeth him with His hand. This is the mercy and the gentleness of the Lord.
O Lord, what will you do for us? What will you be to us? “I am the Lord, I have called you in righteousness, I will also hold you by the hand and watch over you, and I will appoint you as a covenant to the people, as a light to the nations, to open blind eyes, to bring prisoners from the dungeon, and those who dwell in darkness from the prison. I am the Lord, that is My name; I will not give My glory to another, nor My praise to graven images. Behold, the former things have come to pass, now I declare new things; before they spring forth I proclaim them to you.” Sing to the Lord a new song, sing His praise from the end of the earth! You who go down to the sea, and all that is in it. You islands and those who dwell on them. Isaiah 42:6–10.
The Lord is going to help us and if you are a bruised reed, He is not going to break you. If you are a smoking wick, He is not going to extinguish you. If you need help from the Lord to bring the flame up again in your heart, He will give it to you. He will do it for you. We have a wonderful Lord.
There is a lot of discipline in this walk, but you just don’t act like a task sergeant to God’s people. You exhort and preach to them, kick ’em in the pants—you do everything possible to stir them up because they need it and want it, but still you look at them and you melt. You exhort them so they can get into the best God has for them, but you also must be patient to try to help them when they fall short.
How many bruised reeds are there? How many smoking wicks are there? Is that what you are? God loves you and He will help you.