Глава 42

“Behold My servant, I strengthen Him with signs and wonders” (Isa. 42:1). In a mysterious sense, this refers to Christ, Who is called “servant” because He came from the Father to do His will and redeem people, and took on the form of a servant, taking on our flesh, “humbled Himself, becoming obedient even to the point of death, even the death of the cross” (Phil. 2:8 “My chosen one, my soul is accepted” (Is. 42:1). This is equivalent to what was said: “Behold, My beloved... My soul is well pleased” (Matthew 12:18). will proclaim” (Is. 42:1), that is, he will take revenge on the demons who persecuted them for the pagans. “He will not cry, he will weaken, and his voice will be heard outside” (Is. 42:2). This is the same as what was said: “learn from Me, for I am meek and lowly in heart” (Matthew 11:29). “A broken reed he will not wipe out, and a flickering lamp he will not quench” (Is. 42:3). This refers to the people of Judah, who are a broken reed, but Christ did not exclude this people from His economy and did not break the fortress and the rod of his kingdom until he himself crushed it with his insolence before God, and placed himself outside of God’s economy. the law is called a lamp, because when the Sun of righteousness shone, the law became the same as the blind man in the full day. However, God did not quench, that is, he did not destroy the law, but renewed and perfected it spiritually. This place can be interpreted in another way: “it will not quench”, that is, Christ in His infancy, although Herod, who killed the infants, wanted this, “he will not quench”, although the Jews raised stones to throw at Him. Although the king, the high priests and all the people are trying to kill Christ, He will not die, “until He brings judgment on the earth, and the islands will trust in His law” (Is. 42:4), that is, He will not be quenched or darkened until the nations accept His New Gospel. As a testimony to this, it is said about the Son: “I... will hold Thy hand and strengthen Thee: and I have given Thee for a covenant among the people, for the light of the nations, by opening the eyes of the blind, to bring out those who are bound, and from the prison house, and those who sit in darkness” (Is. 42:6-7), that is, the Gentiles who were blind to the truth. “Sing a new song to the Lord,” that is, the pagans must sing a new song to God. For if the Jews, delivered from seventy years of captivity, sang a new song to God, then how much more should the pagans sing a new song after their deliverance from slavery that lasted thousands of years? "Glorify His name from the ends of the earth." And this is also new, that from all the ends of the earth there will be praise to God for the salvation that the Lord has brought to the whole earth. “They who go down into the sea and what fills it.” Those who sailed the seas and those who brought sacrifices to the sea will praise God, because they will now know the true God and glorify Him as the Lord of the sea. “The islands and those who dwell on them” (Is. 42:10), that is, all the islands will praise the Lord with all the multitude of people living on them. “And Kidar will be in the pastures,” because, having learned the fear of God, the pagans, who were like the uninhabited desert and had a darkened mind, will enjoy peace. “And those who dwell on the rocks will praise,” that is, streams of divine words will flow from the pagans. “From the edge of the mountains they will cry out” (Is. 42:11). Even those who have retreated from God and sacrificed on the rocks, now they will praise God, offering Him a sacrifice of confession. Thus, “the whole earth is full of the glory of the Lord” (Is. 6:3); at the coming of Christ, churches were erected both on the high mountains and on the rocks, and abodes of those singing praise were erected, instead of those who previously sacrificed there to their idols. “They will give glory to God” (Is. 42:12), that is, everyone together will give glory to the Lord Jesus Christ. “Silent... from eternity I have endured as if I was giving birth.” Although God punishes sinners in truth, goodness, like a compassionate mother, out of love restrains the punishing hand. “I will bring astonishment and awe together to all who lead my people into captivity” (Isaiah 42:14). “I will devastate the mountains and hills” (Is. 42:15), that is, kingdoms and hordes. “And I will cause the blind to walk in a way that they have not seen, and I will make them to walk in paths that they do not know” (Isaiah 42:16). This is what is said about the future deliverance of the Israelites from captivity. This was completely fulfilled among the pagans, who were mistaken and blind to the knowledge of the truth, but were called by Christ through the holy apostles. And the apostles led them on paths unknown to them, on paths that neither their fathers nor they themselves had walked, that is, on new paths of keeping the Gospel commandments. “When you are blind, you will hear, and when you are blind, you will see. And who is blind, are My servants?” This is said about the Israelites. “And deaf, like My messenger, sent by Me?” that is, the messenger whom I sent to Babylon, because I did not listen to Me. "Who... is blind, who owns it?" And this is said about the kings of Israel who were led into captivity (Is. 42:18–19). “You have seen many times, but you do not keep: the ears are open, and you do not hear” (Is. 42:20). This is said so that they cannot object: “How will those who are called deaf hear?”, according to what was said: “You will hear by hearing and will not understand” (Is. 6:9). “Who is it in you that will inspire this?” Who will understand, seeing the punishment that befalls those who break the law? “And he will hear in the time to come” (Is. 42:23), that is, with the generosity shown after wrath. “The Lord God desires, for the sake of His righteousness, to magnify and glorify the law” (Is. 42:21). If you turn to Me, I will accept you, and I will punish those who break the law. “Every young man is foolish,” that is, your soldiers have deceived your hope. “And they hid in their houses as if bound” (Is. 42:22), that is, they hid from their enemies. “Who will give Jacob reproach?” So both the young men and the strong ones all disappeared. “And Israel to those who took him captive” (Is. 42:24), that is, who handed over the Israelites as a prey to their enemies? “And... the flames rose up... fire, and they were not thought of” (Is. 42:25), therefore, like leaves, they will fall and go into captivity and shameful slavery. You might be interested in: