Several of the prophecies in Second Isaiah appeal back to the eternal promises of God to Abraham and Sarah in Genesis. What is the spiritual power of these unilateral commitments of God? How is the author here using the patriarchs and matriarchs to support their authority?
What questions do you have about the identity and mission of the Servant of the Lord in Isaiah 42? What do you make of this figure’s lifestyle? What are your suspicions and concerns about the Servant? What does the author hope for what the Servant might do?
Applying the Text:
What do you make of Second Isaiah’s court-room language in this division of the book? Should Christians speak and debate about God in the public square after the fashion of this sort of language? Are the arguments of Second Isaiah appealing in our modern context?
This section of Second Isaiah contains some biting satire and taunts aimed against idolatry. Should modern people view this as objectionable, or is it an appropriate spirituality? Is satire a sign of “irreverence,” or can we somehow envision it as a mark of reverence (defined as awe before the transcendent otherness of God)?
Isaiah 41 repeats “do not fear” several times throughout the chapter. How can this message help form our understanding of God? How does the message speak to the original recipients of the message as well as to us?