Behold my servant, whom I uphold, my chosen, in whom my soul delights;
I have put my spirit upon him,
he will bring forth justice in the nations.
He will not cry or lift up his voice,
or make it heard in the street;
a bruised reed he will not break,
and a dimly burning wick he will not quench;
he will faithfully bring forth justice.
He will not fail or be discouraged
till he has established justice in the earth;
and the coast lands wait for his law.
Thus says God, the Lord
who created the heavens and stretched them out,
who spread forth the earth and what comes from it,
who gives breath to the people upon it
and spirit to those who walk in it.
I am the Lord, I have called you in righteousness,
I have taken you by the hand and kept you;
I have given you as a covenant to the people,
a light in the nations,
to open eyes that are blind,
to bring out the prisoners from the dungeon,
from the prison those who sit in darkness.
--Isaiah 42:1-7
In this passage, the purpose and the meaning of the anointing of the Holy Spirit is related to a threefold repetition of establishing justice in the nations. In other words, its message is that the coming of the Spirit always has to do with God's purposes of justice, liberation and reconciliation in the world--not just within the believing community but in the world.
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