"Behold my servant, whom I uphold; mine elect, in whom my soul delighteth; I have put my spirit upon him: he shall bring forth judgment to the Gentiles." Isaiah 42:1
No one directs God, or gives Him counsel, or teaches Him.
To God, all the nations are nothing. Isaiah 40:17 states that all the nations before Him are counted less than nothing, and vanity.
Wow.
No president of the United States has power God hasn't given him. No organization (even the United Nations) can take God out of the governing of the world.
But did you know in the era between 930-586 BC, that Israel showed to all the world that God would with draw His hand when a nation chose something or someone over Him?
King Solomon ruled before the nation split into two kingdoms (the Northern Kingdom and Judah). Though he was the wisest of men, he did something very foolish. He married women from other nations, who worshiped other gods, for political reasons. Solomon allowed these wives to worship their gods, and as a result, he began to worship them as well. A direct act or disobedience to the law God gave the nation of Israel:
"For thou shalt worship no other god:...And thou take of their daughters unto thy sons, and their daughters go a whoring after their gods, and make thy sons go a whoring after their gods." Exodus 34:14-16
Most of the kings to follow Solomon, both in the Northern Kingdom and in Judah, did just that--worshipped other gods.
When the people went away from God, God did not go with them, and they lost God's protection and provision.
By the time Isaiah wrote this chapter, the Northern Kingdom had gone into exile and Judah's fate had been determined. Isaiah warned of their coming exile to Babylon.
But that's not the end of the story. That's not the plan God had for them. Isaiah, led by the Holy Spirit, wrote of hope for Israel and for all of world. Yes, judgment was coming--and is coming--but they were not to despair. God would send a Savior. And such a Savior! A man of compassion, of victory and of great power.
"A bruised reed shall he not break, and the smoking flax shall he not quench: he shall bring forth judgment unto truth. He shall not fail nor be discouraged, till he have set judgment in the earth: and the isles shall wait for his law." Isaiah 42:3-4
That Chosen Servant is our Lord Jesus Christ.
Today, our nation is a mess...the world is a mess. We have wandered far from God and have done despicable things by creating laws in direct rebellion against God. Yet our God still has compassion.
God will not move from His position of righteousness. He is unchanging and what is good and right come from Him. He's shown us in the Bible what is good and right and what we should do. And He will hold us accountable.
But praise God, in His great compassion for us, He has provided a way of escape. He has paid for our redemption. He took the judgment we deserved and put it on His Son (the Chosen Servant) at the cross.
"But he was wounded for our transgressions, he was bruised for our iniquities: the chastisement of our peace was upon him; and with his stripes we are healed." Isaiah 53:5
There is still hope. Will we pray? Will we turn to Him with all our hearts? Will we determine to not allow our nations to reject God, His righteousness, and all that is good? Will we tell others about God, His righteousness, our sin, and His redeeming love?
"For I know the thoughts that I think toward you, saith the LORD, thoughts of peace, and not of evil, to give you an expected end." Jeremiah 29:11
