The First Song of Isaiah

The Psalter Reading for the coming Sunday found in the New Revised Common Lectionary is a portion of Isaiah's first Servant Song.  This is the text of Isaiah 12:2-6 from the New Revised Standard Version of the Bible:

Surely God is my salvation;

   I will trust, and will not be afraid,

for the Lord God is my strength and my might;

   he has become my salvation.

 With joy you will draw water from the wells of salvation. 
And you will say on that day:

Give thanks to the Lord,

   call on his name;

make known his deeds among the nations;

   proclaim that his name is exalted.

Sing praises to the Lord, for he has done gloriously;

   let this be known in all the earth.

Shout aloud and sing for joy, O royal Zion,

   for great in your midst is the Holy One of Israel.

There is a musical setting (below) that moves me a great deal.  I was pastor at a church at one time where the choir presented this piece as an anthem frequently.  The opening lines were sung by both the congregation and the choir:

Surely it is God who saves me;

I shall trust in Him and not be afraid,

For the Lord is my stronghold and my sure defense,

And he shall be my savior.

There are four Servant Songs in Isaiah.  The Gospels appeal to the  figure of the Suffering Servant (especially in the Passion Narratives) repeatedly.  But the lectionary reminds us that this prophesy is also apt for our Advent observance.  It offers an alternate perspective to some of our more commonly-read seasonal texts.