God’s Prophet, God’s Servant: A Study in Jeremiah 40-55
ISBN 978 1894667 19 7
172 pages.
Published 1/7/2002
£13.00
Paperback
It is easy to think of Christian ministry as an exercise of our gifts or even finding fulfillment for ourselves. In God’s Prophet, God’s Servant, John Goldingay examines the portrait of a prophet’s ministry found in Jeremiah and the portrait of a servant’s ministry in Isaiah 40-55, showing us that in both cases, God calls us to a deeper and more demanding view of ministry?
JOHN GOLDINGAY is David Allan Hubbard Professor of Old Testament at Fuller Theological Seminary in Pasadena, California. He is the author of numerous scholarly books and commentaries on Daniel (Word Biblical Commentary) and Isaiah (New International Biblical Commentary). He has also written several more popular expositions such as After Eating the Apricot and Men Behaving Badly.
John Goldingay has done some outstanding work in Isaiah 40-55, and these studies were penned and orally delivered in the mid 1990s, while the more substantial commentaries on these texts were being prepared. Goldingay discusses the role of the servant in Jeremiah 1 as a prophet to the nations, and how this is similar to the servant’s role in the Isaiah texts.
The discussion in Isaiah was particularly interesting. Goldingay acknowledges that the servant in Isaiah is Israel in chapters 42-48, and is perhaps to be identified with the prophet in Isaiah 49:5, but that what is said about the servant in these texts and in Isaiah 52:13-53:12 goes beyond anything in the experiences of Israel and Isaiah. Goldingay sees fulfilment in Christ!
Goldingay also notes how the call of the servant in Isaiah 42 and Isaiah 49 has been closely associated not only with Christ, but with the first Christians (Acts 13:47-48).
These were nice messages, but it would have been nice to see a bit more application. But what is here is outstanding. It is easy to read and thought provoking.
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Foreword
Introduction
PART ONE
Jeremiah: “A burning fire in my heart”
- What being a prophet costs……………………………………. 17
- Who a prophet is identified with……………………………. 35
- What distinguishes a prophet………………………………… 49
- What makes someone a prophet?……………………………. 65
- The moment of fulfillment……………………………………. 75
PART TWO
Isaiah 40–55: “A light to the nations”
- The chosen servant (Isaiah 41:1–20)………………………. 87
- The faithful servant (Isaiah 41:21–42:17)………………. 101
- The blind servant (Isaiah 42:18–48:22)…………………. 115
- The persistent servant (Isaiah 49–50)…………………….. 133
- The triumphant servant (Isaiah 52:13–53:12)………….. 149