SUNDAY, MAY 2

Scripture: Isaiah 42:1-3

Whenever doing a topical study it is good to remember that none of the New Testament preachers had a New Testament to preach from.  So whenever a passage is quoted it is important to go back to the original source they were using when they were ministering.  When studying Matthew 12 we look to Isaiah 42:1 as the source: “’Behold! My Servant whom I uphold, My Elect One in whom My soul delights!  I have put My Spirit upon Him;  He will bring forth justice to the Gentiles.’”  Now we see a bit of a difference between Matthew 12’s account, “He will declare justice to the Gentiles…” versus Isaiah’s “He will bring forth justice to the Gentiles…” Is there a difference between declaring and bringing forth?  There is a big difference!  One can be released by speaking while the other includes doing.  So when Isaiah says “He will bring forth justice to the Gentiles…” the Hebrew word is mish-pawt.  Mish-pawt is the prophetic pronouncement of a shaw-fat/judge.  When we look at Genesis 18:19 we discover God’s whole purpose for man culminated in the Hebrew word mish-pawt.  Verse 19 says, “For I have known him, in order that he may command his children and his household after him, that they keep the way of the LORD, to do righteousness and justice (mish-pawt), that the LORD may bring to Abraham what He has spoken to him.”  Now this puzzle of different verses begins to come together to form a picture.   God expects every believer to do justice.  How did Abraham do justice when he was faced with Sodom and Gomorrah?  That is a reasonable question based on what we face in our nation.