Gentle Servant

The Servant of Yahweh comes quietly and gently, no breaking off a bent stick or snuffing out a smoldering wick (42:2; Heb. upishtah kechah lo yekabenah ). Ain’t he nice?

But Yahweh does what the Servant does not do – He quenches and extinguishes wicks (43:17; Heb. kapishtah kavu ). Not so nice.

The difference is not between the gentle Servant and mean Yahweh. The difference is the object of their action: Faced with the smoldering wick of Israel, the light of the world, the Servant brings the lamp back to flame. Faced with chariot and horse, arrogant strength and power [like Pharaoh’s], Yahweh puts out whatever light remains. He puts the violent down so they cannot rise.