Isaiah 42:16, commentary and pictures

God himself brings those who are spiritually blind by a way they have never known and leads them in unfamiliar paths, turning their darkness into light before them and straightening what is crooked, and he does this for them without forsaking them. The blind are honest-hearted people who do not know the right way and cannot see ahead, whose obstacles and difficulties he removes until their path is made clear. This is fulfilled in Christ as the promised Servant who opens blind eyes and frees prisoners from darkness, who has gone before those he leads so all who submit to his guidance are led surely. Therefore those who walk faithfully are to trust his wisdom rather than finite human wisdom, believing he gives light and guidance even when the way is clouded, mysterious and dark. He likewise leads honest hearts in heathen lands toward truth and hope, and leads the ministers and workers he appoints into unfamiliar service to carry the lamp of life into the dark places of the earth.

Words and Setting

God himself takes the spiritually blind by the hand to bring them by a way they did not know and to lead them in paths they have not known, making darkness light before them and crooked things straight, doing this for them and never forsaking them. This leading belongs to chosen servants appointed to an unfamiliar work, who may begin as ignorant of his will as Nebuchadnezzar was yet are made ministers of his purpose. The promise is that what is dark is made clear, difficulties are made straight, obstacles are removed, and those led are not abandoned.

The blind are honest-hearted people who lack knowledge of the right way and cannot see the way ahead. For them the path is made clear, light is brought into darkness, and what is difficult and crooked is straightened. Even when the way is clouded, mysterious, dark, and not fully understood until immortality, those who walk faithfully can trust divine guidance because God is light.

In its setting the promise belongs to the prophecies of God's Servant who opens blind eyes, brings prisoners out of darkness, and is given as a light to the Gentiles. That Servant's work is fulfilled in Christ's ministry of guiding, delivering, and bringing light and help to those in need. Through Christ as the promised Servant the guidance is sure.

The setting also includes the Lord going forth as a mighty man to prevail against his enemies, judging idolatry and putting idol-worshipers to shame. Those who trust in graven and molten images shall be turned back greatly ashamed, while the deaf and blind are called to hear and see. The Lord will magnify the law and make it honorable for righteousness' sake, and his servants are blind and deaf to evil, not using eyes to see evil nor ears to hear evil nor following the counsel of the wicked.

The chapter belongs to Isaiah's wider revelation of God's purpose for his people, a chapter of his promises and assurance. It explains his covenant with those he seeks to save, the terms of salvation, and the education of greatest value. It is to be studied in connection with Isaiah 40 and 2 Peter for the deeply spiritual nature of the work to be carried forward.

Christ the Servant

The Servant is Christ, who does not cry out nor lift up his voice in the street, who does not break the bruised reed nor quench the smoking flax, who opens blind eyes and brings prisoners out from darkness. Christ is endowed with wisdom and understanding, and he has gone before those he leads, so that he can lead everyone who submits to his guidance. Through him as the promised Servant and light to the Gentiles the guidance of God is sure, bringing people out of darkness along a way they do not know.

In covenant he joins the majesty of an omnipotent King with the gentleness and tenderness of a caretaking shepherd to bring the blind by an unknown way and make darkness light before them without forsaking them. His work advances not with outward observation but by the gentleness of his word and the operation of his Spirit in the soul. The titles My servant, Israel, and servant of the Lord mean anyone the Lord selects and appoints to do a certain work, making them ministers of his will. Such a one may begin as ignorant of his will as Nebuchadnezzar was, yet be made a minister of his purpose, and God pledges his glory for the success of his Messiah and kingdom.

God will carry out his appointed work exactly as he ordained it to move and will not leave his people to shame, providing men and means for it. The set time to favor Zion is near. His servants are blind and deaf to evil, not using eyes to see evil nor ears to hear evil nor following the counsel of the wicked. They see many things but do not observe in the sense of meddling, opening the ears but not hearing for evil, and God will work for those of his people who will be worked.

Trust and Mission

Trust in God's wisdom rather than in finite human wisdom, for He guides His people along unfamiliar paths, makes what is dark clear and what is crooked straight, and does not abandon them. This means not turning from Him to look to finite human beings for wisdom, not taking orders from men, and not being led away from Him by human interference. Gospel workers are guided by God Himself into unfamiliar service and sent where He chooses to carry the light of life to others.

God has claims upon men and will judge anyone who interposes between others and God to lead them into paths not prepared for the ransomed, for this hinders His work. His work is to be presented in distinct, holy, sacred lines, and it advances not with outward observation but by the gentleness of His word and the operation of His Spirit in the soul. The set time to favor Zion is near, and He will accomplish His appointed work exactly as He ordained it to move, providing men and means for it and not leaving His people to shame.

The promise assures believers facing sin and difficulties that God is light and gives divine guidance, so those who walk faithfully can trust Him to lead even when the way is clouded, mysterious, dark, and uncertain. Some experiences will not be fully understood until immortality, yet He guides those who cannot see the way ahead, brings light through darkness, straightens what is difficult, and does not abandon them. The Lord will fulfill what He has promised in the latter days for those who place themselves where He can do so, for this belongs to His promises and assurance.

The same guidance sustained the sorrowing disciples in grief, confusion, and doubt while Jesus lay in the tomb after His death. Their sorrow was not evidence that God had abandoned them, for He leads the spiritually blinded along an unfamiliar way, turns their darkness to light, makes their crooked path straight, and guides them to understand what had happened and brings them through. The promise likewise applies to honest-hearted people in heathen lands who lack knowledge of the right way, whom God leads toward truth and hope, making their path clear, removing obstacles and difficulties, and giving them light amid darkness without forsaking them.

God leads His children by ways they do not know, including through trials, but does not forget or abandon those who trust Him. Affliction teaches submission, patience, and faith, and through constancy and obedience trials enrich them spiritually and make their example a strength to others, while even trials that seem like forsakenness can draw them closer to Christ to lay down burdens and receive His peace. This leading describes and encourages the present work of God-appointed ministers, gospel workers, and every person given a part in His great work in His vineyard, which is the whole house of Israel. He leads them in unfamiliar service, sends them where He chooses, and enables them while fully awake to the times to explain Scripture by Scripture, bear the lamp of life into the dark places of the earth, and hasten the coming of Christ the King.

That present work is to warn and arouse people dead in trespasses and sins and bound in the prison house of unbelief. It is done by giving most startling testing messages by men of God's appointment out of the usual order amid God's judgments, finding openings where truth has no standing room and bearing a decided message to startle hearers even though some will resist light and evidence. It calls for reformatory work and thorough reformation, for hearts prepared to receive God's messages, and for men of clear understanding worked by the Holy Spirit to lead out with no haphazard work, the deeply spiritual nature of which is shown by studying this verse in connection with Isaiah 40 and 2 Peter. The verse foretells presenting the warning message to the world, showing that the world has a right to know why this faith is held and that camp meetings are to give the information they desire and arouse slumbering people to see how far they have departed from the Lord's ordinances.

The verse gives encouragement for missionary work in hard and out-of-the-way places such as the ends of the earth, the sea, the highways and byways, and the tops of the mountains where people seem unable to be reached with truth. God stands behind going to neglected people in person and freely supplying books there and replacing them when used up. All who have the light and receive the light have a work to help fellow men by communicating light and truth with patience and loving forbearance, with tender hearts softened and subdued by God's love, placing oneself in their position to clear away fog and spiritual difficulty. It must not be done in one's own spirit with natural, hereditary, and cultivated traits, likes, dislikes, and sharpness, which by un-Christlikeness would drive souls away, but as wise as serpents and harmless as doves, standing in the forefront of the battle where God places one, waiting upon the Lord, imbued with His Spirit, and reaching people through God. The verse is part of the true science of redeeming grace to be diligently studied and firmly stood upon in the Word of God against confusing false human science.