Isaiah
Messianic prophecies, and the remnant of Israel
The contrast between the Lord and the idols,
and between Israel and the Gentiles
Chapter 42 (b)
Sing unto the Lord a new song (42:10-17)
This chapter of Isaiah presents some striking contrasts. There are, for example, the promise of opening the eyes of the blind man (verse 7); on the other hand, there is the blindness of the servant of the Lord (Israel), by having your eyes closed to everything that is not consistent with his will (verse 19). This contrast requires special consideration.
The entire paragraph (v. 10 to 17) have aspects of the Millennium, and contains some of the "new things" mentioned in verse 9. The first of these is the "new song" mentioned in verse 10, the song of praise of the Nations that were long in spiritual darkness and lips that before had sung songs of vanity and villainy, and the laments celebrating their pagan gods.
The mention of "Islands" in verses 10 and 12 suggests the ends of the Earth. In verse 11, Kedar, a stronghold of Arabia, represents the Arabs in General (compare with Psalm 120:5). This was the second son of Ishmael (Genesis 25:13). In this verse we find Saddle (meaning rock) which is the same as the Greek word "Petra". It belonged first to Edom, then to Moab, but then was occupied by Prince Arabic Aretas. The desert is the desert of Arabia.
The next day, "He shall go forth like a mighty man; He shall stir up His zeal like a man of war. He shall cry out, yes, shout aloud; He shall prevail against His enemies". The Lord will bring down the control of Islam, along with the domain of the beast about the ten kingdoms (Joel 3:19, Isaiah 63:1, Jeremiah 25:15-30, Revelation 19:11-21).
In verse 14, the Lord himself speaks again, as in the previous part of the chapter. Confirming now the effect of your victorious cry, He says "I have held My peace a long time", indicating His longsuffering, which is so important in these days in which the Gospel of his grace is allowed to go ahead to all the Nations, despite the antagonism of his enemies and the apostasy predicted in 2 Thessalonians 2:3.
In verse 15 is an example of the devastation on the Earth resulting from the wrath of the Lord.
There is another contrast in verse 16: because of their SIN, many of its people are deprived of sight. There is, however, a promise of the grace of God for them, and an appeal to them to open their eyes. They are ignorant of paths that they do not know, and walk in darkness in lurid ways that lead to fear and hopelessness. Open your eyes, you will walk through paths that you did not know, and light to see the paths now flattened. It is a promise of the Lord, and he will not forsake them. But you can't help them if you go deaf and blind. Its people are called to hear and look to you to meet your voice and see your paths.
The trust carved images, and declare that they are your gods, will be away, covered in shame.
R David Jones
Isa 42:10 Sing to the LORD a new song, And His praise from the ends of the earth, You who go down to the sea, and all that is in it, You coastlands and you inhabitants of them!
Isa 42:11 Let the wilderness and its cities lift up their voice, The villages that Kedar inhabits. Let the inhabitants of Sela sing, Let them shout from the top of the mountains.
Isa 42:12 Let them give glory to the LORD, And declare His praise in the coastlands.
Isa 42:13 The LORD shall go forth like a mighty man; He shall stir up His zeal like a man of war. He shall cry out, yes, shout aloud; He shall prevail against His enemies.
Isa 42:14 "I have held My peace a long time, I have been still and restrained Myself. Now I will cry like a woman in labor, I will pant and gasp at once.
Isa 42:15 I will lay waste the mountains and hills, And dry up all their vegetation; I will make the rivers coastlands, And I will dry up the pools.
Isa 42:16 I will bring the blind by a way they did not know; I will lead them in paths they have not known. I will make darkness light before them, And crooked places straight. These things I will do for them, And not forsake them.
Isa 42:17 They shall be turned back, They shall be greatly ashamed, Who trust in carved images, Who say to the molded images, 'You are our gods.'
Isaiah chapter 42, verses 10 to 17