He shall not cry, nor lift up, nor cause his voice to be heard in the street.
He would carry forward His work quietly, without loud public clamor, noisy display, or conspicuous self-promotion to proclaim Himself. That quietness meant no contention or noisy disputation over doctrine, no answering opposition with loud self-assertion, and no public prayer or charity done to be seen and praised. He fulfilled this by teaching away from noisy crowds and busy cities, withdrawing to quiet retired places for prayer and instructing His disciples, and after healing the people charging them not to make Him known. His quiet manner belonged to His mission of faithfully bringing justice and judgment to the nations and to truth, tenderly restoring rather than crushing the afflicted, as the bruised reed is not broken nor the smoking flax quenched. In His humanity His restrained, meek and humble way stands as the pattern for those who teach the gospel, calling all to empty self of self-importance and carry on the same quiet ministry without failing or discouragement.
Servant Prophecy Setting
Isaiah 42:2 belongs to God's declaration of Christ as His Servant whom He upholds, His chosen elect in whom His soul delights, upon whom He has put His Spirit to bring forth judgment to the Gentiles and judgment unto truth. It presents the promised Servant as working without crying or lifting up His voice to be heard in the street, without breaking the bruised reed or quenching the smoking flax, and without failing or becoming discouraged until He has set judgment in the earth. In His humanity His quiet way without self-exaltation is the example in all words and works.
The surrounding mission presents Him as called in righteousness and held and kept by the Lord, and given for a covenant of the people and for a light of the Gentiles. That covenant work is to open blind eyes and to bring prisoners out of prison and those sitting in darkness out of the prison house. It continues without failing or discouragement till He has set judgment in the earth, with the isles waiting for His law, and without breaking the bruised reed or quenching the smoking flax.
The opening prophecy announces Jesus Christ as the promised Teacher who would bring God's message and God's purpose to the world. His mission begins with His advent and continues in the final work that closes this world's history. It unfolds under God's sheltering care over His Son in His mission to earth, so that the relentless hatred of men inspired by Satan would not thwart the design of the great plan of salvation. From childhood He conformed His life strictly to the Jewish laws, manifested great wisdom in His youth, and had the grace and power of God upon Him.
The section belongs to God's assurance to His loyal, commandment-keeping people about what He is doing for them through Christ. In that setting it teaches them to seek wisdom from God rather than turn to finite human beings. It foretells the work of presenting the warning message to the world, telling why believers believe as they do, with camp meetings affording opportunity to give people the information they desire.
Quiet Manner Explained
Not crying nor lifting up nor causing the voice to be heard in the street means carrying out the work quietly without loud public clamor, noisy display, or conspicuous self-promotion to proclaim Himself. The Redeemer works quietly and humbly, without loudly calling attention to Himself or making His voice heard in the streets. His manner is quiet and restrained, and it serves as the pattern for those who teach the gospel.
Quietness means no contention, strife, or noisy disputation over doctrine, no entering into controversy to win attention and honor, and no answering opposition with loud public self-proclamation. He did not cry in contention, lift up His voice in the street, seek to make a great display, undertake a work calling for a large outlay of money, or sanction self-exaltation. His life did not rely on display or argument to win attention and honor, but directed people to God through character, in contrast with loud controversies and showy religion around Him.
Quietness means no self-assertion, self-exaltation, or proclaiming of His own merits, and no use of human means to win allegiance or command homage. The homage the world gives to position, wealth, or talent was foreign to Him, and the wonder and excitement of the careless crowd jarred upon His spirit. His life displayed complete renunciation of self with humble dependence on God, and He did not proclaim His own merits nor enter into controversy or strife. He avoided drawing people merely as a wonder-worker or healer, directing them instead to Himself as Saviour and from earthly hopes toward spiritual things.
Quietness means no ostentatious worship, no public prayer or acts of charity done to be seen and praised, no joyful mirth or display to dazzle the senses and gain applause and flattery. Unlike priests and Pharisees who made public displays of prayer and charity and argued to draw attention to themselves, He carried out His mission without ostentation or public display of piety. He taught away from noisy crowds and chose quiet places and solitude for prayer, while carrying out His work of mercy without seeking human approval.
His quiet way is gentle, meek, humble, and without harshness or forceful display. It did not mean absence of earnest prayer, for He prayed intensely and powerfully in solitude, sometimes through whole nights in lonely mountains with strong cries and tears for strength to meet temptation and accomplish His saving work. He taught His disciples in quiet, retired places and then quietly resumed His labor of mercy by day, restoring without crushing the wounded or extinguishing the faintest hope.
Fulfillment in Christ's Life
He fulfilled the prophecy by teaching the gospel among the people yet away from noisy crowds and the noise and confusion of the busy city. He withdrew His disciples to quiet, retired places suited to lessons of humility, piety, and virtue, choosing quiet places and solitude for prayer while shunning human praise. He would not proclaim His message with loud public clamor, yet those who listened could gather into a great company. His quietness did not mean absence of earnest prayer, for He prayed intensely and powerfully in solitude, sometimes through whole nights in lonely mountains with strong cries and tears for strength to meet temptation and accomplish His saving work.
He preferred quiet retirement by night for earnest private intercession to the Father and then quietly resumed by day His labor of mercy and disinterested benevolence. His work began quietly and gently like daylight dispelling darkness rather than in splendor meant to dazzle the senses. He did not assert Himself or use loud display and other human means to win allegiance or command honor. His quietness meant no noisy public contention, no showy prayer to be seen, no loud mirth, and no self-exaltation to gain applause and flattery.
After withdrawing from those plotting against Him He healed the people and told them not to make Him known, fulfilling the prophecy of His quiet, restrained manner. He often withdrew from the multitude to avoid an outbreak of hostility, as when He withdrew to the borders of Tyre and Sidon and would have no man know it. Yet His wise, gracious words and deeds of mercy revealed a power far above the power of the priests and rulers. His Godlike character made Him the observed of all observers, so He could not be hid, and a wonderful power worked among the people speaking to their hearts and minds even though He offended the Pharisees by exposing the hollowness of their piety and the unscripturalness of their teachings.
He avoided drawing people to Himself merely as a wonder-worker or healer, directing them instead to Himself as their Saviour and from earthly hopes toward spiritual things. His life did not rely on display or argument to win attention and honor, but directed people to God through His character. He lived without self-assertion and without using any of the means men employ to win allegiance or command homage, and the homage the world gives to position, wealth, or talent was foreign to Him. The wonder and excitement of the careless crowd jarred upon His spirit.
His quiet, humble life stands in marked contrast to the chief priests, scribes, and Pharisees of His day, whose voices were heard in the streets in self-exaltation. Their prayers were offered in crowded synagogues and street corners to be seen and praised by men, and their public acts of charity were done to draw attention. They contended with those who differed from them in doctrine, being resentful, unforgiving, proud, haughty, and bigoted. Christ carried out His mission without such ostentation or public display of piety, joining His quiet manner to gentleness toward those needing help.
Mission and Character Revealed
His quietness belongs to His mission to bring justice and judgment faithfully to the nations and Gentiles and to bring judgment unto truth, carried out with patience and compassion and without harshness, noisy clamor, boastful public display, loud self-assertion, or proclaiming Himself in the street. The Servant whom God upholds and chooses and delights in, upon whom God puts His Spirit, does this work quietly and gently without crying out or lifting up His voice to be heard in the streets. His work of bringing judgment and truth is therefore without self-display and without seeking public attention.
The same mission is tender restoration toward the bruised and fainthearted, the afflicted and distressed, the wounded, and those with only the faintest hope. He does not speak words that crush them, does not break the bruised reed, does not quench the smoking flax, does not crush the wounded, and does not extinguish the faintest hope. His quiet manner belongs to this gentle, merciful ministry of restoring rather than crushing.
The verse foretells His work as the greatest Medical Missionary and perfect example of service, fulfilled in going from place to place ministering to the afflicted and teaching the way of life. As the great Physician He came at infinite sacrifice to bring restoration of soul and body to those under the curse of transgression, to help human weakness, and to give the sick heavenly gifts with physical healing so that many are turned to the Lord in confidence. His wise, gracious words and deeds of mercy revealed a power far above priests and rulers, and His Godlike character made Him the observed of all observers so that He could not be hid, with wonderful power speaking to hearts and minds even when He offended the Pharisees by exposing their hollow piety and withdrew from the multitude to avoid hostility, as when He withdrew to the borders of Tyre and Sidon and would have no man know it.
He did not cry in contention, seek to make a great display, undertake a work calling for a large outlay of money, proclaim His own merits, enter into controversy or strife, or sanction self-exaltation. Those who seek to honor themselves will not be honored by Him. His whole life as the great Medical Missionary was a representation of God.
As Restorer He restores the moral image of God in all who connect themselves with God, which Satan by his devices nearly obliterated. Hereditary peculiarity, deficiencies of character, and head-reading judgments do not fix a person's course. Through faith and the imputed righteousness of Christ in the new birth old things pass away and all things become new, deficiencies may be overcome, and God by His own grace gives fitness to do successfully the very work He has chosen, as successful agents cooperating with divine agencies.
Covenant with Him unites the majesty of an omnipotent King with the gentleness and tenderness of a caretaking shepherd. The set time to favor Zion will soon come, with men and means provided so His work will be accomplished and His people will not be left to shame, moving just as He has ordained it to move. His work is to be presented before the world in distinct, holy, sacred lines, for the kingdom of God comes not with observation but by the gentleness of the inspiration of His word, by the operation of His Spirit in the soul.
Pattern for Believers Today
In His humanity He is the example in all words and works, and His quiet and restrained manner is the missionary's pattern for those who teach the gospel. His ministry is not loud or showy, for He does not proclaim Himself by clamorous public display or lift up His voice in the street in self-exaltation. As God's Servant, upheld and chosen, with God's Spirit upon Him, His quiet way shows how to bring the truths of God's Word to bear upon human hearts with diligence and without haphazard methods. That way joins giving the sick heavenly gifts with physical healing so that many are turned to the Lord in confidence, and this is the work to be accomplished.
The verse declares the work to be carried on by God's people together with Christ as evangelists, carrying forward the same quiet ministry. He taught the gospel among the people without proclaiming His message with loud public clamor, yet those who listened could gather into a great company. That quiet ministry does not break the bruised reed or quench the smoking flax, and it does not fail nor become discouraged until judgment is set in the earth, bringing forth judgment to the Gentiles as the promised Servant upheld by God and filled with His Spirit.
His example as the greatest Medical Missionary and perfect pattern of service was fulfilled in going from place to place ministering to the afflicted and teaching the way of life. He did not cry in contention, seek to make a great display, undertake a work calling for a large outlay of money, or sanction self-exaltation. Those who seek to honor themselves will not be honored by Him. The verse therefore calls all to empty self of the spirit of self-importance, to place themselves where they may receive His precious grace and be sanctified through belief of the truth, and to receive the meekness of Christ.
He would carry forward His work quietly, without loud public clamor, noisy display, or conspicuous self-promotion to proclaim Himself. That quietness meant no contention or noisy disputation over doctrine, no answering opposition with loud self-assertion, and no public prayer or charity done to be seen and praised. He fulfilled this by teaching away from noisy crowds and busy cities, withdrawing to quiet retired places for prayer and instructing His disciples, and after healing the people charging them not to make Him known. His quiet manner belonged to His mission of faithfully bringing justice and judgment to the nations and to truth, tenderly restoring rather than crushing the afflicted, as the bruised reed is not broken nor the smoking flax quenched. In His humanity His restrained, meek and humble way stands as the pattern for those who teach the gospel, calling all to empty self of self-importance and carry on the same quiet ministry without failing or discouragement.
Servant Prophecy Setting
Isaiah 42:2 belongs to God's declaration of Christ as His Servant whom He upholds, His chosen elect in whom His soul delights, upon whom He has put His Spirit to bring forth judgment to the Gentiles and judgment unto truth. It presents the promised Servant as working without crying or lifting up His voice to be heard in the street, without breaking the bruised reed or quenching the smoking flax, and without failing or becoming discouraged until He has set judgment in the earth. In His humanity His quiet way without self-exaltation is the example in all words and works.
The surrounding mission presents Him as called in righteousness and held and kept by the Lord, and given for a covenant of the people and for a light of the Gentiles. That covenant work is to open blind eyes and to bring prisoners out of prison and those sitting in darkness out of the prison house. It continues without failing or discouragement till He has set judgment in the earth, with the isles waiting for His law, and without breaking the bruised reed or quenching the smoking flax.
The opening prophecy announces Jesus Christ as the promised Teacher who would bring God's message and God's purpose to the world. His mission begins with His advent and continues in the final work that closes this world's history. It unfolds under God's sheltering care over His Son in His mission to earth, so that the relentless hatred of men inspired by Satan would not thwart the design of the great plan of salvation. From childhood He conformed His life strictly to the Jewish laws, manifested great wisdom in His youth, and had the grace and power of God upon Him.
The section belongs to God's assurance to His loyal, commandment-keeping people about what He is doing for them through Christ. In that setting it teaches them to seek wisdom from God rather than turn to finite human beings. It foretells the work of presenting the warning message to the world, telling why believers believe as they do, with camp meetings affording opportunity to give people the information they desire.
Quiet Manner Explained
Not crying nor lifting up nor causing the voice to be heard in the street means carrying out the work quietly without loud public clamor, noisy display, or conspicuous self-promotion to proclaim Himself. The Redeemer works quietly and humbly, without loudly calling attention to Himself or making His voice heard in the streets. His manner is quiet and restrained, and it serves as the pattern for those who teach the gospel.
Quietness means no contention, strife, or noisy disputation over doctrine, no entering into controversy to win attention and honor, and no answering opposition with loud public self-proclamation. He did not cry in contention, lift up His voice in the street, seek to make a great display, undertake a work calling for a large outlay of money, or sanction self-exaltation. His life did not rely on display or argument to win attention and honor, but directed people to God through character, in contrast with loud controversies and showy religion around Him.
Quietness means no self-assertion, self-exaltation, or proclaiming of His own merits, and no use of human means to win allegiance or command homage. The homage the world gives to position, wealth, or talent was foreign to Him, and the wonder and excitement of the careless crowd jarred upon His spirit. His life displayed complete renunciation of self with humble dependence on God, and He did not proclaim His own merits nor enter into controversy or strife. He avoided drawing people merely as a wonder-worker or healer, directing them instead to Himself as Saviour and from earthly hopes toward spiritual things.
Quietness means no ostentatious worship, no public prayer or acts of charity done to be seen and praised, no joyful mirth or display to dazzle the senses and gain applause and flattery. Unlike priests and Pharisees who made public displays of prayer and charity and argued to draw attention to themselves, He carried out His mission without ostentation or public display of piety. He taught away from noisy crowds and chose quiet places and solitude for prayer, while carrying out His work of mercy without seeking human approval.
His quiet way is gentle, meek, humble, and without harshness or forceful display. It did not mean absence of earnest prayer, for He prayed intensely and powerfully in solitude, sometimes through whole nights in lonely mountains with strong cries and tears for strength to meet temptation and accomplish His saving work. He taught His disciples in quiet, retired places and then quietly resumed His labor of mercy by day, restoring without crushing the wounded or extinguishing the faintest hope.
Fulfillment in Christ's Life
He fulfilled the prophecy by teaching the gospel among the people yet away from noisy crowds and the noise and confusion of the busy city. He withdrew His disciples to quiet, retired places suited to lessons of humility, piety, and virtue, choosing quiet places and solitude for prayer while shunning human praise. He would not proclaim His message with loud public clamor, yet those who listened could gather into a great company. His quietness did not mean absence of earnest prayer, for He prayed intensely and powerfully in solitude, sometimes through whole nights in lonely mountains with strong cries and tears for strength to meet temptation and accomplish His saving work.
He preferred quiet retirement by night for earnest private intercession to the Father and then quietly resumed by day His labor of mercy and disinterested benevolence. His work began quietly and gently like daylight dispelling darkness rather than in splendor meant to dazzle the senses. He did not assert Himself or use loud display and other human means to win allegiance or command honor. His quietness meant no noisy public contention, no showy prayer to be seen, no loud mirth, and no self-exaltation to gain applause and flattery.
After withdrawing from those plotting against Him He healed the people and told them not to make Him known, fulfilling the prophecy of His quiet, restrained manner. He often withdrew from the multitude to avoid an outbreak of hostility, as when He withdrew to the borders of Tyre and Sidon and would have no man know it. Yet His wise, gracious words and deeds of mercy revealed a power far above the power of the priests and rulers. His Godlike character made Him the observed of all observers, so He could not be hid, and a wonderful power worked among the people speaking to their hearts and minds even though He offended the Pharisees by exposing the hollowness of their piety and the unscripturalness of their teachings.
He avoided drawing people to Himself merely as a wonder-worker or healer, directing them instead to Himself as their Saviour and from earthly hopes toward spiritual things. His life did not rely on display or argument to win attention and honor, but directed people to God through His character. He lived without self-assertion and without using any of the means men employ to win allegiance or command homage, and the homage the world gives to position, wealth, or talent was foreign to Him. The wonder and excitement of the careless crowd jarred upon His spirit.
His quiet, humble life stands in marked contrast to the chief priests, scribes, and Pharisees of His day, whose voices were heard in the streets in self-exaltation. Their prayers were offered in crowded synagogues and street corners to be seen and praised by men, and their public acts of charity were done to draw attention. They contended with those who differed from them in doctrine, being resentful, unforgiving, proud, haughty, and bigoted. Christ carried out His mission without such ostentation or public display of piety, joining His quiet manner to gentleness toward those needing help.
Mission and Character Revealed
His quietness belongs to His mission to bring justice and judgment faithfully to the nations and Gentiles and to bring judgment unto truth, carried out with patience and compassion and without harshness, noisy clamor, boastful public display, loud self-assertion, or proclaiming Himself in the street. The Servant whom God upholds and chooses and delights in, upon whom God puts His Spirit, does this work quietly and gently without crying out or lifting up His voice to be heard in the streets. His work of bringing judgment and truth is therefore without self-display and without seeking public attention.
The same mission is tender restoration toward the bruised and fainthearted, the afflicted and distressed, the wounded, and those with only the faintest hope. He does not speak words that crush them, does not break the bruised reed, does not quench the smoking flax, does not crush the wounded, and does not extinguish the faintest hope. His quiet manner belongs to this gentle, merciful ministry of restoring rather than crushing.
The verse foretells His work as the greatest Medical Missionary and perfect example of service, fulfilled in going from place to place ministering to the afflicted and teaching the way of life. As the great Physician He came at infinite sacrifice to bring restoration of soul and body to those under the curse of transgression, to help human weakness, and to give the sick heavenly gifts with physical healing so that many are turned to the Lord in confidence. His wise, gracious words and deeds of mercy revealed a power far above priests and rulers, and His Godlike character made Him the observed of all observers so that He could not be hid, with wonderful power speaking to hearts and minds even when He offended the Pharisees by exposing their hollow piety and withdrew from the multitude to avoid hostility, as when He withdrew to the borders of Tyre and Sidon and would have no man know it.
He did not cry in contention, seek to make a great display, undertake a work calling for a large outlay of money, proclaim His own merits, enter into controversy or strife, or sanction self-exaltation. Those who seek to honor themselves will not be honored by Him. His whole life as the great Medical Missionary was a representation of God.
As Restorer He restores the moral image of God in all who connect themselves with God, which Satan by his devices nearly obliterated. Hereditary peculiarity, deficiencies of character, and head-reading judgments do not fix a person's course. Through faith and the imputed righteousness of Christ in the new birth old things pass away and all things become new, deficiencies may be overcome, and God by His own grace gives fitness to do successfully the very work He has chosen, as successful agents cooperating with divine agencies.
Covenant with Him unites the majesty of an omnipotent King with the gentleness and tenderness of a caretaking shepherd. The set time to favor Zion will soon come, with men and means provided so His work will be accomplished and His people will not be left to shame, moving just as He has ordained it to move. His work is to be presented before the world in distinct, holy, sacred lines, for the kingdom of God comes not with observation but by the gentleness of the inspiration of His word, by the operation of His Spirit in the soul.
Pattern for Believers Today
In His humanity He is the example in all words and works, and His quiet and restrained manner is the missionary's pattern for those who teach the gospel. His ministry is not loud or showy, for He does not proclaim Himself by clamorous public display or lift up His voice in the street in self-exaltation. As God's Servant, upheld and chosen, with God's Spirit upon Him, His quiet way shows how to bring the truths of God's Word to bear upon human hearts with diligence and without haphazard methods. That way joins giving the sick heavenly gifts with physical healing so that many are turned to the Lord in confidence, and this is the work to be accomplished.
The verse declares the work to be carried on by God's people together with Christ as evangelists, carrying forward the same quiet ministry. He taught the gospel among the people without proclaiming His message with loud public clamor, yet those who listened could gather into a great company. That quiet ministry does not break the bruised reed or quench the smoking flax, and it does not fail nor become discouraged until judgment is set in the earth, bringing forth judgment to the Gentiles as the promised Servant upheld by God and filled with His Spirit.
His example as the greatest Medical Missionary and perfect pattern of service was fulfilled in going from place to place ministering to the afflicted and teaching the way of life. He did not cry in contention, seek to make a great display, undertake a work calling for a large outlay of money, or sanction self-exaltation. Those who seek to honor themselves will not be honored by Him. The verse therefore calls all to empty self of the spirit of self-importance, to place themselves where they may receive His precious grace and be sanctified through belief of the truth, and to receive the meekness of Christ.