The Servant: responding to violence

An innocent person under attack

Isaiah 50:4-9 introduces one who usually is identified as the Servant of the LORD, even though this person is not so named in this text (cf., however, v. 10). His ear is ever open to God's voice; he is not "rebellious" but is obedient to the divine teaching (vv. 4-5). As one who is taught by God, this Servant gives encouragement to the "weary" (v. 4), who are, no doubt, those Jews devastated in Israel's defeat at the hands of the Babylonian army and by their exile in a foreign land (cf. Isa 40:28-31).

The Servant has dedicated himself to God and to the service of his people, yet when he appears in public he is confronted with hostility. Our text calls forth a number of images: people stalking him with insults, showing their contempt by spitting at him and yanking at his beard (v. 6). His attackers watch for his reactions. Will he show fear, beg for mercy, attempt to escape or defend himself? They had to be disappointed and surprised, for in him there is no sign of weakness, no sense of fear, and no attempt to fight violence with violence. Standing alone and with his face set firmly, "like flint" (v. 7), he willingly accepts the angry abuse (v. 6; cf. Isa 53:7).

His refusal to respond in kind to those attacking him, however, is not born of weakness. It arises out of inner strength that comes from his reliance on God (vv. 7-9), who, he believes, will honor his innocence and stand by his side (vv. 8-9). The Servant suffers, he knows, not because of wrong that he has done but because he has taken a stand for God. He is an innocent victim! This does not mean that the Servant was sinless but rather that he was not guilty of anything that would justify the violence that now threatens him (v. 9). His trust in God remains strong; he is confident that whatever happens, God will vindicate him (v. 8) and destroy his enemies (v. 9)

Many suggestions have been made regarding the identity of the Servant. He is variously viewed as a suffering prophet, king, messiah, or Israel, in whole or in part. All of these attempts to establish the identity of the Servant are legitimate and find support in the biblical texts. Frequently, however, we focus so intently on the identity of this person that we turn a blind eye to other passages in the Old Testament that employ similar images to describe the suffering of other innocent people, namely in the books of Job, Jeremiah, and the Psalms. Later in our brief study, we will comment especially on the significance of passages from the Psalms for our understanding of the servant figure in Isaiah 50.

The servant's enemies

Who are these people attacking the Servant? Possibly they are Babylonians who are persecuting the Jewish exiles in their midst. The Jews, a defeated people forced to live in Babylonian territory, were most certainly subjected to discrimination and persecution (see Ps 137:3 and Isa 51:23; 47:1-7). The context in Isa 50:4-9, however, makes it more likely that the enemies assaulting the Servant consist of Jews who are rebelling against the teaching that the Servant embodies. We know that in periods preceding the exile there was similar resistance to the "word of the LORD" proclaimed by the prophets (e.g., Jer 3:1-5) with whom the Servant stands in close relationship. Rebellion against prophetic teaching did not cease when Israelites were led off as captives to Babylon. Among the exiles there was sharp division (Ezek 20:38). The exilic prophetic community was engaged in an age-old battle, namely, opposing those who surrendered to the temptation of assimilation to a foreign culture and religion--to be like the nations (Ezek 20:30-32).

Perhaps it was this same danger that challenged the exilic prophet whom we call Second Isaiah. His strong emphasis on the ancient traditions and his call to trust in the God of Israel no doubt met stiff resistance from those who found Babylonian religion attractive. The prophet ridicules Babylonian religion, but this attack is certainly not aimed at the Babylonians. It has in mind those Jews who were willing to exchange the worship of the God of the Exodus for the worship of Babylonian idols who cannot see, hear, or move about by themselves (44:9-20; 46:1-7). These Jews embraced Babylonian religion because they believed, wrongly, that the Babylonian gods defeated the God of Israel when Nebuchadnezzar's army overran the cities of Judah, including the Temple city, Jerusalem. In their "conversion" to the religion of the victor, they doubtless became cynical of their earlier beliefs and stood in opposition to those who proclaimed them. It seems likely then that Isa 50:8 refers to strong opposition that the Servant is facing from Jews who had cast aside their historic faith. The Servant presses the question: "Who will contend with me? Let us stand together. Who are my adversaries? Let them confront me." Such an outburst is more suitable as a reply to inner Jewish opposition than to that of the Babylonians. This conclusion conforms to the reality that opposition to prophetic persons arises mainly from their own people.