A picture of the lamb of God who taketh away the sin of the world.
Who
hath believed our report? And to whom is the arm of the LORD revealed?
Certainly not the Jewish people today
for they believe the servant of Isaiah 52:13 refers to them, to the Jewish race. They do not believe Isaiah’s report as
referring to Messiah nor do they understand the universality and totality of
the Lord’s salvation as seen in Isaiah 52:10… “The LORD hath made bare his holy arm in the eyes of all the
nations; and all the ends of the earth shall see the salvation of our God.”
Isaiah goes on to say of the LORD’s
servant that he shall grow as a fresh shoot (from the remains of a majestic yet
fallen tree), a root out of the dry ground of a fallen Kingdom. There will be nothing spectacular about his
appearing, and nothing commanding about his appearance; nothing that would attract
men to his side. In fact he would be
despised and rejected by men because of his lowly and inconspicuous birth.
Yet for all this he would take
upon himself the grief and sorrows of mankind, some of whom considered his
judgment and death to be deserved, who considered his death to be God’s
judgments. But the fact of the matter
was that he was wounded for our
lawlessness, he was
bruised for our perverse doings, and the punishment that brought about our
peace was poured upon him; and by the afflictions he bore we are made whole.
Isaiah is speaking particularly
to Israel but his gospel includes all men, for all the earth would see the
salvation of God in his ‘servant’ (Isaiah 52:10). All Israel were like sheep that had gone astray
yet no one is exempt from this condemnation, and because of this the LORD laid
on his servant the iniquity of us all.
He was oppressed and depressed, subjugated
and deserted but offered no protest even though he was to be slaughtered like a
sacrificial lamb; He was summarily taken from detention without due process of
law leaving nothing but memories. He was
‘cut off’ divided from Israel by death, but as theirs and our substitute.
In his grave he was reckoned with
sinners and placed with the rich in his death yet he had done nothing deserving
of such an end; yet it was the LORD’s will, for in this great abuse his soul
was made an offering for sin and as a result he would have a posterity of his
own, a posterity according to Jehovah’s design, and one he would see and would
enjoy. It would be by knowledge of him
and his death that many would be justified, because he took upon himself their
iniquities.
Therefore the LORD would apportion
him a great spoil, which he in turn would divide with the many who are
benefitted by his sacrifice and with whom he was counted, and for whom he makes
intercession.
Isaiah 53 is a clear
representation of the gospel of Christ for it is a prophetic word regarding
Messiah as the servant of Jehovah, suffering for the sins, not only of the
children of Israel, but for the sins of the whole world.
Those of us who have and do experience
the peace and joy of this salvation should pray for those who are blinded by religious
tradition and/or unbelief. Pray for the
peace of Jerusalem, a peace that will only come when the Prince of peace is
welcomed back as Saviour, as King of kings and Lord of lords.
