< 2 Nephi 7 >

The Third Servant Song: Isaiah 50 – Breakdown
  • This chapter is often called The Third Servant Song.
  • It continues Isaiah’s theme of the Servant of the Lord — a figure who suffers, remains faithful, and ultimately vindicates God’s covenant.
  • Christians often see Jesus Christ in these verses, while Jewish commentators often see Israel (the faithful remnant) or the prophet as the servant.
Verses 1–3: God’s Assurance
  • v.1 – The Lord asks rhetorically: “Where is the bill of your mother’s divorcement?” In other words, I never divorced you; I didn’t sell you into bondage. Your sins brought this on yourselves.
  • v.2 – The Lord reminds them: When I came, no one answered; when I called, no one responded. Yet He is mighty to deliver.
  • v.3 – God shows His power: I clothe the heavens with blackness → a symbol of judgment, drought, and captivity.
Point: Their suffering is not because God abandoned them, but because of their rebellion. Yet God still has power to redeem.
Verses 4–9: The Servant’s Obedience
  • v.4 – The Servant has a “tongue of the learned,” able to speak words that comfort the weary. He listens to God daily.
  • v.5 – The Servant is obedient and does not turn away, even when it’s hard.
  • v.6 – Famous verse: “I gave my back to the smiters, and my cheeks to them that plucked off the hair: I hid not my face from shame and spitting.” Christians see this fulfilled in Jesus’ suffering before crucifixion.
  • v.7 – “I set my face like a flint.” → The Servant is resolute, unyielding, despite mockery or persecution.
  • v.8–9 – The Servant declares confidence: God is near to justify him, no adversary can condemn.
Point: The Servant willingly suffers humiliation and violence but remains faithful and steadfast, knowing God will vindicate him.
Verses 10–11: Call to Trust God
  • v.10 – Exhortation: Who among you fears the Lord and obeys his Servant?Even in darkness, trust in God.
  • v.11 – Warning: Those who “kindle a fire” (make their own light, i.e., rely on their own wisdom instead of God) will suffer sorrow.
Point: The chapter ends with a stark choice:
  • Trust God’s Servant → light in darkness.
  • Trust your own sparks → sorrow.
Key Themes
  1. God has not abandoned Israel – exile is due to sin, not divine rejection.
  2. The Servant is obedient in suffering– a model of faithfulness.
  3. Vindication comes from God – not from self-justification.
  4. Choice for the people – walk by God’s light or by your own sparks.
Cross References:
  • 2 Nephi 7 (Book of Mormon) – quotes Isaiah 50 directly.
  • Matthew 26–27, Mark 14–15, Luke 22–23, John 18–19 – Christ fulfills v.6 in His trial and scourging.
  • Acts 7:51–52 – Stephen echoes Isaiah’s message of rejecting God’s Servants.
v. 1 Yea, for thus saith the Lord: Have I put thee away, or have I cast thee off forever? For thus saith the Lord: Where is the bill of your mother's divorcement?

Who did it?
1. Marriage & Divorce (Covenant Symbolism)
  • In ancient Israel, a husband could issue a bill of divorcement (Deut. 24:1).
  • Here, God asks Israel: “Where’s the divorce paper I supposedly gave you? Did I abandon you?”
  • Implication: God has not divorced or rejected Israel. If separation happened, it’s not because He cast them off.
2. Debt & Slavery (Creditor Language)
  • In ancient times, if someone had debts, they might “sell” family members into servitude.
  • God asks: “Which creditor did I sell you to?”
  • Answer: None — God doesn’t sell His people away.
3. The Real Cause of Separation
  • “Behold, for your iniquities have ye sold yourselves.”
  • Israel’s exile and suffering weren’t because God abandoned them.
  • It was their own sins and choices that led to estrangement.
How Nephi/Jacob Uses It
  • Jacob quotes Isaiah here to reassure his people: God is faithful to His covenants.
  • Even when scattered or feeling abandoned, it’s not because God discarded them — it’s because of sin.
  • The hopeful subtext: If sin caused the separation, repentance can bring restoration.
Application Today
  • When we feel distant from God, it’s not that He’s “divorced” us or sold us off.
  • Often, our own choices create the distance.
  • The good news: God is still faithful; His covenant love is unbroken.
v. 7 Therefore have I set my face like a flint, and I know that I shall not be ashamed. 

 What Does “Set My Face Like a Flint” Mean?
  1. Flint = a very hard stone Flint was used to make cutting tools and to strike fire. Symbol of hardness, strength, unbreakability.
  2. Face like a flint = determined, unyielding The servant is saying: “I am absolutely resolute. I won’t turn aside, and I won’t be broken by opposition.” It conveys courage and steadfastness in the face of trials.
  3. Connection to Christ Many Christians see this as messianic — Christ setting His face firmly toward His mission, even though it would bring suffering. Luke 9:51 echoes this: “He steadfastly set his face to go to Jerusalem” — despite knowing crucifixion awaited Him.
In Isaiah 50 / 2 Nephi 7
  • The Servant is rejected, spat upon, struck (v.6).
  • Yet he is unshaken, because the Lord God helps him.
  • His “face like a flint” means he won’t flinch, back down, or lose confidence in God’s vindication.
v. 11 Behold all ye that kindle fire, that compass yourselves about with spark, walk in the light of your fire and in the sparks which ye have kindled. 

God's light vs. out light
  1. Fire & Sparks as Human Efforts: In scripture, fire can symbolize God’s light and truth — or man’s attempts to produce his own light. Here, it’s negative: people who kindle their own fire are trying to create their own guidance apart from God. “Walk in the light of your fire” = follow your own wisdom, schemes, or self-made truth.
  2. Contrast with God’s Light: Earlier in Isaiah, God calls His people to walk in His light (cf. Isaiah 2:5). In Isaiah 50:10, right before this verse, it says: “Who is among you that feareth the Lord… that walketh in darkness, and hath no light? Let him trust in the name of the Lord, and stay upon his God.” Verse 11 is the contrast: if you refuse God’s light, you’re left with your own sparks — weak, fleeting, and ultimately leaving you in darkness.
  3. The Result: “Ye shall lie down in sorrow.”Relying on self-made light instead of God leads to despair, exhaustion, and spiritual darkness.

“Walk in the light of your fire and the sparks which ye have kindled” = choosing to trust in your own self-made light (human wisdom, false guides, or worldly solutions) instead of God’s light. Isaiah warns that such paths end in sorrow, while trusting in the Lord brings true deliverance.