Isaiah and suffering songs in Bible

.....servant" and the Servant theme is in a series of poetic verses contained in the Book of Isaiah known collectively and alliteratively as the "suffering servant songs." They are dubbed the "suffering servant songs" because the motif of suffering suddenly seems to reach a new level of importance in the consciousness of the Jewish people, especially through subsequent series of exile experiences. The analogy of the Servant is one that is highly complex and explored in depth through the "suffering servant songs," which eloquently and lyrically define the special relationship between God and His people.

Throughout what are not necessarily chronological but thematic verses, the theme of the Servant is explored in depth, suggesting a fundamental shift in religious consciousness regarding the relationship between God and humanity. Whereas the Christian worldview would later ascribe the Servant identity to Jesus, the Jewish worldview views the Servant as being the Jewish people (Brueggeman & Linafelt, 2012). One of the primary unifying themes of the suffering servant songs is the theme of human agency in the world: "God's work in the world is to be enacted by human agency," (Brueggeman & Linafelt, 2012, p. 41). The covenant is thus redefined and renewed in a Servant-Master metaphor. Moreover, the summoning of the people of Israel to shed self-pity (as well as "self-preoccupation," especially during periods of exile) suggests that the servant-master relationship is not one of exploitation (Brueggeman & Linafelt, 2012, p. 42).

Brueggeman & Linafelt (2012) also link the servant metaphor to the covenant between God and the Jewish people, and also link the servant theme to the poetic phrase "light to the nations," the latter of which especially energized Christian communities later, suggesting a "sweeping mandate for a worldwide mission," (p. 44). In the last cluster of the suffering servant songs (52:13-53:12), the role of the servant becomes even more complex, going beyond the binary of "light" and "covenant," and becoming increasingly linked to other core concepts like having mission or mandate, being a witness, which of course becomes a major Christian theme, and playing a role in subsequent exoduses and through the suffering caused by those exoduses, the Servant is integral to Jewish identity as well as Christian in 49:1-7 and 50:4-9.

Increasingly, the spiritual importance of suffering becomes critical. Brueggeman & Linafelt (2012) also point out that the servant takes on an increasingly messianic role because of the clear mandate given to the servant by God. In 42:1-7, the Servant is defined as being a "servant for justice" and the servant is protected and given a mandate (Brueggeman & Linafelt, 2012, p. 43). In 49:1-6, the Servant is the Servant of the Lord, far more messianic in tone, as the servant actually has a voice in the verse even before God speaks, showing that God is directly authorizing what seems to be a single person to carry out the messianic duties. Here, the servant is singular and empowered, far more individualistic than the collective servitude of Israel. In 50:4-9, the servant is obedient and trustworthy and "attentive" to God, and in return God will help the servant in times of despair and need, precisely when being persecuted (Brueggeman & Linafelt, 2012, p. 122). Finally, the latter cluster, 52:13-53:12, is considered distinct from the other servant songs (Brueggeman & Linafelt, 2012). It develops theme of "humiliation and exaltation," and is portrayed as a "disfigured person" but one who is also "mesmerizing" (p. 142). Therefore, the servant has inherently dichotomous features. Taken together, the servant songs do suggest the gradual shift towards Messianism. There is a unified picture of the Servant, although each Song is distinct. If there were to be a climactic song, then it would be 52:13-53:12, because of its striking imagery that does seem to foreshadow the coming of Christ.

In preaching on the Suffering Servant Songs, we move past "feeling sorry" for ourselves by using the Servant as a poignant frame of reference. The Servant never indulges at all in self-pity and in fact becomes the model for dignity, of trusting that God helps the Servant through suffering, and that suffering is a joyous duty in the service to God. A redemptive Christian attitude is one that frames suffering as integral to the human experience, and to the human relationship with God.

References

Brueggeman, W., Linafelt, T., (2012). An Introduction to the Old Testament: The Canon and Christian Imagination. Lousiville: Westminster John Knox Press.