Before They Spring into Being

In Christian circles, we hear all the time that God is faithful. That's a great thing to say, but when you're feeling low, does that really help? You need concrete examples. In the first third of Isaiah 42, God speaks about His "servant," His son. The last verse of this section is a reminder that yes, He is faithful.

"'Here is my servant, whom I uphold, my chosen one in whom I delight; I will put my Spirit on him and he will bring justice to the nations. He will not shout or cry out, or raise his voice in the streets. A bruised reed he will not break, and a smoldering wick he will not snuff out. In faithfulness he will bring forth justice; he will not falter or be discouraged till he establishes justice on earth. In his law the islands will put their hope'" (Is. 42:1-4).

"'See, the former things have taken place, and new things I declare; before they spring into being I announce them to you'" (Is. 42:9).

In John 1:32-33, John the Baptist testifies that he saw the Spirit of God come down from heaven and remain on Jesus. Matthew 3:13-17 also records the Spirit of God descending upon Jesus. But God foretold this way back in Isaiah. This was around 800 or 700 B.C. In verse 9 of Isaiah 42, God reminds us of why we should trust in His word. Many of the things He has spoken have already come to pass. Therefore, we have the assurance that Jesus will bring justice. We don't know when, but we know He will do it.