“The woman conceived and bore a son; and when she saw that he was beautiful, she hid him for three months. But when she could hide him no longer, she got him a wicker ark and mortared it over with mortar and pitch. Then she put the child into it and set it among the reeds by the bank of the Nile” (Exod 2:2-3). We must constantly remind ourselves that, in the end, no weapon formed against God’s people can ever prosper. This is not only a promise (Isa 54:17), it’s also a fact in Israel’s history. Notice that Moses’ mother mortared the wicker ark (i.e., basket) with mortar to keep Israel’s future redeemer afloat upon the waters of death. Where, pray tell, did she get this mortar from? It was a free gift from the evil tyrant who was enslaving and murdering God’s people. “The Egyptians compelled the sons of Israel to labor rigorously; and they made their lives bitter with hard labor in MORTAR and bricks and at all kinds of labor in the field, all their labors which they rigorously imposed on them” (Exod 1:13-14). And when Pharaoh’s daughter discovers this little Hebrew baby floating upon the Nile, she rescues and provides for all his needs. Ironically, Pharaoh not only provided the mortar, but unwittingly paid for the redeemer’s diapers as well (Exod 2:5-10). Because history always tips the scale in favor of God’s people, we can be confident that all the weapons which have been formed against us cannot prosper. But more than that. We can also be assured that God will use the weapons forged against us to defeat Israel’s enemies and to redeem his people in the end! After all, wasn’t it Haman who built his own gallows which led to the salvation of the Jewish people and Rome that built the cross which resulted in the salvation of the entire world? “In righteousness you will be established; You will be far from oppression, for you will not fear; and from terror, for it will not come near you. If anyone fiercely assails you it will not be from Me. Whoever assails you will fall because of you. Behold, I Myself have created the smith who blows the fire of coals and brings out a weapon for its work; and I have created the destroyer to ruin. No weapon that is formed against you will prosper; and every tongue that accuses you in judgment you will condemn. This is the heritage of the servants of the LORD, and their vindication is from Me, declares the LORD” (Isa 54:14-17).
The Servant of the LORD as the Arm of the LORD
What’s the connection between “the arm of the LORD” and “the servant of the LORD”? In the story of the exodus, they represent respectively God’s divine power and His human vessel. The arm of the LORD symbolizes the LORD’s strength and might in His bringing His people from slavery to freedom, while Moses as the LORD’s instrument was called His servant.
The difference between the two is clear. The first is divine, and the second is human. Against this backdrop, it is surprising to discover that in Isaiah chapters 40 to 53, the motifs of the arm of the LORD and the servant of the LORD are used in a way that both demonstrates their distinctiveness but also brings them to a point of correlation which is as significant as it is unexpected.
In those chapters the use of both the motif of arm of the LORD and servant of the LORD is noteworthy. Each of them is charged with its own individual import, and they represent, as in the story of the exodus, the power of the LORD on the one hand and his human instrument on the other. We will look briefly at each, starting with the servant of the LORD.
