Isaías 53
Warren Wiersbe · Citado em PreceptAustin
Isaías 53
Wiersbe adds that "Like Mt. Everest, Isaiah 53 stands out in beauty and grandeur, but only because it reveals Jesus Christ and takes us to Mt. Calvary. The messianic interpretation of Isaiah 53 was held by Jewish rabbis till the twelfth century. After that, Jewish scholars started interpreting the passage as a description of the sufferings of the nation of Israel. (SEE MORE DETAILED NOTE BELOW) But how could Israel die for the sins of Israel (Isa 53:8)? And who declared that Israel was innocent of sin and therefore had suffered unjustly (v. 9)? No, the prophet wrote about an innocent individual, not a guilty nation. He made it crystal clear that this individual died for the sins of the guilty so that the guilty might go free. The Servant that Isaiah describes is the Messiah, and the New Testament affirms that this Servant-Messiah is Jesus of Nazareth, the Son of God (Matt. 8:17; Mark 15:28; Luke 22:37; John 12:38; Acts 8:27-40; 1 Peter 2:21-24). Isaiah 53 is quoted or alluded to in the New Testament more frequently than any other Old Testament chapter. The index of quotations in the appendix of my Greek New Testament gives at least forty-one different citations, and this may not be all of them. (Bible Exposition Commentary – Be Comforted - Isaiah). (Bolding Mine) J
Isaías 53
Wiersbe - The people whose mouths dropped open with astonishment at His humiliation and exaltation will shut their mouths in guilt when they hear His proclamation....Now we see why people are astonished when they understand the message of the Gospel: This Man whom they condemned has declared that they are condemned unless they turn from sin and trust Him. You cannot rejoice in the Good News of salvation until first you face the bad news of condemnation. Jesus did not suffer and die because He was guilty, but because we were guilty. People are astonished at this fact; it shuts their mouths. The word translated "sprinkle" in Isaiah 52:15 can be translated "startle," but most likely it refers to the ceremonial cleansing that was an important part of the Mosaic sacrificial system (Lev. 14:1-7, 16; 16:14-15; Nu. 8:7) (ED: BUT SEE WIERSBE'S COMMENTS BELOW WRITTEN APPARENTLY ABOUT 4 YEARS LATER!). While the sprinkling of blood, water, and oil did not take away sins, it did make the recipient ceremonially clean and accepted before God. Because of the sacrifice of Christ, we can tell all the nations that forgiveness and redemption are offered free to all who will receive Him (1 Pe 1:1-2). (Bible Exposition Commentary – Be Comforted Isaiah - first copyrighted in 1989). (Bolding Mine) Now here is another "interpretation" by the same highly respected commentator (I love Dr Wiersbe's work) which offers a different interpretation - The prophecy begins with Isaiah 52:13–15. Verse 13 tells of Christ’s exaltation, and the rest of the section deals with His humiliation. It is this strange “contradiction” that perplexed the OT prophets, as 1 Peter 1:10–11 informs us. They did not realize that there would be a long period between Messiah’s coming as the Suffering Servant to die and then returning as the Exalted Sovereign to reign. Verse 14 informs us that Christ’s physical sufferings made Him look inhuman, so much so that men were astonished at Him. But when He returns the second time (v. 15), the whole world will be “startled, shocked” (the word should not be translated “sprinkle” but “startle”). See Zech. 12:9–10 and Rev. 1:7. The first time He came, He astonished a few people in Palestine; the next time He comes, He will startle the whole world. (Wiersbe's Expository Outlines on the Old Testament - copyright 1993 - Notice this edition is 4 years later than the resource above - Did Wiersbe change his mind? Interesting.). (Bolding mine) John Martin - The Servant will sprinkle people in many nations. “Sprinkle” is associated with cleansing by the priest under the Mosaic Law (Lev. 4:6; 8:11; 14:7). This Servant, whom many have not considered important at all, will actually provide the most important thing for nations and their kings, namely, cleansing from sin (cf. John 1:29; Heb. 10:14). That is why they will shut their mouths. They will be appalled that they had miscalculated the situation so badly. Realizing their great mistake, they will have nothing to say. Eventually, when they see Him exalted in His Second Advent, they will finally understand and see clearly (ED: MARTIN'S COMMENTS ARE A HYBRID IN A SENSE BECAUSE THEY MENTION THE SPRINKLING WHICH WOULD BE ASSOCIATED WITH FORGIVENESS AVAILABLE TO THE NATIONS AND THEN HE MENTIONS THE FACT THAT THE KINGS WILL NOT SEE AND UNDERSTAND UNTIL MESSIAH RETURNS AND IT IS THEN THAT THEY WILL SHUT THEIR MOUTHS). (Bible Knowledge Commentary) Geoffrey Grogan - The word “sprinkle” has priestly-sacrificial overtones (cf. Ex 29:20–21; Lev 16:14–15), preparing us for further sacrificial language later in the passage. In common with everything else in these three verses, “sprinkle” relates to the consequences of the Servant’s sufferings rather than to the sufferings themselves. It also relates his sacrificial work to the world in general, not simply to Israel. His exaltation gives him complete supremacy over all; and kings will fall silent in his presence, astonished, over-awed, deeply respectful (cf. Job 29:7–10) (ED: THAT COMMENT SOUNDS WONDERFUL BUT HAS THIS EVER TRANSPIRED IN WORLD HISTORY?). (Expositor's Bible Commentary) The NET Note comments on naza writing that "Some emend the text; others propose a homonymic root meaning "spring, leap," which in the Hiphil could mean "cause to leap, startle" and would fit the parallelism of the verse nicely." It is interesting that a Targum note on "sprinkle" (naza) reads “so shall he scatter many nations.” (Ref)
Isaías 53
Wiersbe - The unbelief of Israel is now announced: they saw Him, heard Him, but would not trust Him (John 1:11; 12:37–38). There was a three-fold rejection: they rejected His words, “report,” and His works, “the arm of the Lord”See John 12:37–40 especially. The prophet had been warned of this hardness of heart in 6:9–10. The third focus of rejection was His person (v. 2). One might ask "Why was the message so difficult for the Jews to believe?" The next verse begins to help us answer that question. James Smith - THE ARM OF THE LORD Isaiah 53:1 The "arm" is here used as a figure of the true Christ as the Head of the Church. He is also the "Arm of the Lord." This metaphor is deeply suggestive. The— I. Significance of It. "The arm of the Lord" (Jehovah). It is the symbol of almighty power. Christ is the power of God. This power is a living power, an arm that is vitally connected with the Personal and Eternal God. It is no dead force like hydraulic pressure, but a power that worketh by love. His arm is also the symbol of mercy. Though His arm be strong to smite, 'tis also strong to save. His arm hath brought salvation (Isa. 59:16). II. Baring of It. "The Lord hath made bare His holy arm" (chap. 62:10). In making bare His arm (Christ) the Lord has revealed His great power both, to smite and to save. What mighty spiritual muscle there is unveiled in the life and death of Jesus Christ. It is the work of the Holy Spirit, and of every preacher of the Gospel, to make manifest the naked and almighty saving arm of God. Hymns Related to Isaiah 53:1: How Few Receive with Cordial Faith How Wonderful Jesus Is! I’ve Believed the True Report Now, Gracious Lord, Thine Arm Reveal Who Hath Believed the Tidings? Who of the Great, or Wise Zion’s King Shall Reign Victorious Isaiah 53:2 For He grew up before Him like a tender shoot, And like a root out of parched ground; He has no stately form or majesty That we should look upon Him, Nor appearance that we should be attracted to Him. KJV Isaiah 53:2 For he shall grow up before him as a tender plant, and as a root out of a dry ground: he hath no form nor comeliness; and when we shall see him, there is no beauty that we should desire him. NET Isaiah 53:2 He sprouted up like a twig before God, like a root out of parched soil; he had no stately form or majesty that might catch our attention, no special appearance that we should want to follow him. Septuagint - We brought a report as of a child before him; he is as a root in a thirsty land: he has no form nor comeliness; and we saw him, but he had no form nor beauty. For He grew up before Him like a tender shoot Isaiah 11:1; Jer 23:5; Ezek 17:22-24; Zech 6:12; Mark 6:3; Luke 2:7,39,40,51,52; Luke 9:58; Ro 8:3; Php 2:6,7 He has no stately form or majesty Isaiah 52:14; Mark 9:12; John 1:10-14; 9:28,29; 18:40; 19:5,14,15; 1 Pet 2:14 Isaiah 53 Resources - Multiple Sermons and Commentaries REASONS FOR REJECTION OF THE SERVANT For (NAS, KJV, ESV) in this context is a term of explanation, specifically explaining why the Jews did not believe in Him at this first coming. Remember that the Jews in Jesus' day were looking for a Messiah, but One Who would be a conquering King and Jesus looked like anything but a conquering King. So here is the penitential confession the believing Jews will make in the future, as to why they rejected Jesus as the Messiah. They and all their reasons express their contempt for Him.
Isaías 53
Wiersbe - Israel was not a paradise when Jesus was born; politically and spiritually, it was a wilderness of dry ground. Parched (06723)(tsiyah) dryness, drought, parched land, desert and in all the uses describes the parched landscape of the desert or the dryness of fields after a lengthy drought. It refers to a drought in (Job 24:19) pt to the dry ground that results from yjr drought (Job 30:3). David compares the thirsting of the dry ground for water to the longing of his soul for God (Ps. 63:1). In Ps. 78:17; 105:41 tsiyah refers to the desert wanderings of Israel after their Exodus from Egypt. The psalmist says that God "changes a wilderness into a pool of water And a dry land into springs of water. (Ps. 107:35, same picture in Isa 35:1). Tsiyah describes what God will do to Nineveh (make it "parched like the wilderness.") (Zeph. 2:13). In the Millennial Kingdom the wilderness and desert will appear joyful, decked with wildflowers (Isa. 35:1). Gilbrant - The desert is also a picture of judgment. Hosea warned that his errant wife would be made like a desert if she persisted in her sin (Hos. 2:3). The prophet Ezekiel pictured Israel as a vine planted in a dry wilderness, soon to be withered (Ezek. 19:13). Babylon would be judged and would become a parched desert (Jer. 50:12; 51:43). Zephaniah predicted that God would make Nineveh into a desolation, a desert (Zeph. 2:13). Tsîyāh is also used in a variety of comparisons. The grave swallows up sinners just as drought and heat turn snowmelt to dust (Job 24:19). And Job described the pitiful men who were driven to gnaw the dry ground, looking for moisture (Job 30:3). (Complete Biblical Library Hebrew-English Dictionary) Tsiyah - 19x in 16v - desert(3), drought(2), dry(5), dry places(1), parched(4), parched land(1). Job 24:19; Job 30:3; Ps. 63:1; Ps. 78:17; Ps. 105:41; Ps. 107:35; Isa. 35:1; Isa. 41:18; Isa. 53:2; Jer. 2:6; Jer. 50:12; Jer. 51:43; Ezek. 19:13; Hos. 2:3; Joel 2:20; Zeph. 2:13
Isaías 53
Wiersbe - He was not born in a palace; He was born in a Bethlehem stable, and He grew up in the despised town of Nazareth (John 1:43–46). The words “tender plant” literally mean “a little bush” such as would spring from a low branch. In other words, Christ was not a great tree, but a humble bush. See Isa. 11:1. When He appeared, the nation was barren and dry spiritually. They had a form of religion, but they had no life, and because He brought life, they rejected Him. What a remarkable Man, human (“He shall grow up”) yet divine. This offended the Jews who could not believe that God would come in the form of a Servant (Mark 6:1–3). His physical appearance was not unusual; there was no splendor or special human attractiveness to the human eye. Of course, to those who know Him, He is the fairest of the fair (Ps. 45:1ff). Jesus' outward appearance was not striking. This does not mean that Jesus was ugly. As one man put it, this description simply meant that Jesus was not the "Prince charming" the Jews were anticipating in their Messiah! Of course their problem was they failed to see His incredible inner beauty! This one Who did not look like a royal prince would one day be the reigning Prince of Peace! He has no stately form or majesty that we should look upon Him (cf Isa 52:14+)("He had no stately form or majesty that might catch our attention" - NET; "There was nothing beautiful or majestic about his appearance, nothing to attract us to him" - NLT) - This statement is in past tense "He had no stately form..." (S Lewis Johnson Ref) It is notable that there is no description of Jesus' outward appearance the four gospels. But here the Jewish remnant look back (diagram) and see that His bearing was unremarkable. He was not charismatic. His appearance was not majestic. Form (08389)(toar) refers to form, appearance or beauty, a visual appearance that is pleasing to the eyes, especially in the contours and outward appearance (Rachel = "beautiful of form" - Ge 29:17, "Joseph was handsome in form" - Ge 39:6; David "a handsome man" - 1 Sa 16:18; Abigail "beautiful in appearance" - 1 Sa 25:3). This same noun is used in Isa 52:14+ to describe the Servant's "form" as marred more than any man. Toar is used of the form of the son of a king, a royal-looking person, a person with dignity (Jdg. 8:18) and can refer to the shape of trees, plants, etc. (Jer. 11:16). Toar - 12x in 12v - appearance(2), form(7), handsome(1), handsome*(1), resembling(1). Gen. 29:17; Gen. 39:6; Jdg. 8:18; 1 Sam. 16:18; 1 Sa 25:3; 1 Sa 28:14; 1 Ki. 1:6; Est. 2:7; Isa. 52:14; Isa. 53:2; Jer. 11:16; Lam. 4:8 Majesty (01926)(hadar) is a noun meaning glory, splendor, majesty, ornament, honor. It is the quality of a person or thing which inspires awe or reverence in the beholder and can be related to size, strength, power or authority. To the Jews in Israel (and sadly still most Jews today) Jesus lacked those attributes which normally evoke a response of reverence! Hadar is used frequently to describe the impressive character of God (Ps 29:4 = God's "voice"; Ps 90:16; Ps 96:6 1 Chr 16:27; Ps 104:1; Ps 111:3; Ps 145:5, 12) Isaiah describes God's judgment partially fulfilled in Judah's Babylonian captivity but fully developed in the coming Day of the Lord when sinners flee from the hadar of the Lord (Isa. 2:10, 19+). Hadar refers to God's creation of man whom He crowns "with glory and majesty!" (Ps 8:5) Gilbrant - It is used with reference to nature, people, cities and God. Trees are noted for their beauty (Lev 23:40). Indeed, the entire creation is said to reflect the glorious handiwork of the Lord (Ps 110:3). Zion is promised to radiate splendor in the future messianic kingdom (Isa. 35:2). Humankind is also crowned with honor when appropriate (Ps 8:5). The gray hair of the elderly is their splendor (Pr 20:29), and the ideal wife is clothed with honor (Pr 31:25). Glory once characterized Jerusalem (Isa 5:14) and such places as Persia, Lydia and Libya were known for their splendor (Ezek 27:10). God is known for his majesty (1 Chr 16:27), resplendent in holiness (Ps 104:1), and clothed in glory (Ps 145:12). (Ibid) Hadar - 30x in 29v - array(1), beautiful(1), dignity(1), honor(2), majestic(2), majesty(15), splendor(8). Lev. 23:40; Deut. 33:17; 1 Chr. 16:27; Job 40:10; Ps. 8:5; Ps. 21:5; Ps. 29:4; Ps. 45:3; Ps. 45:4; Ps. 90:16; Ps. 96:6; Ps. 104:1; Ps. 110:3; Ps. 111:3; Ps. 145:5; Ps. 145:12; Ps. 149:9; Prov. 20:29; Prov. 31:25; Isa. 2:10; Isa. 2:19; Isa. 2:21; Isa. 5:14; Isa. 35:2; Isa. 53:2; Lam. 1:6; Ezek. 16:14; Ezek. 27:10; Mic. 2:9 The Lxx translates this phrase as "He has no form or glory." First would be the Cross and then would be great glory (Mt 24:30+). Culross - Having misread the prophecies, having imagined another Deliverer than God had promised, being blind to the heavenly, while their souls lay open to the carnal and earthly, they found nothing worth gazing upon in Jehovah's Servant when He came. They would have welcomed a plumed and mail clad warrior, riding forth to battle against the oppressor, would have shouted before him, 'Gird thy sword upon thy thigh, O most mighty, with thy glory and with thy majesty!' They have no admiration and no welcome for One who comes, meek and lowly, to make His soul an offering for sin, and to be God's salvation to the end of the earth. It was not sin that troubled them: how should a Saviour from sin delight them? What was there in a Bringerin of righteousness to inspire such hearts?" (Quoted by David Baron Isaiah 53 Exposition) Should look on Him - Won't it be incredible beloved disciple of Christ that one day we shall look on Him on Whom men would not care to look at His first coming! We shall behold the One Who had no stately form or majesty who will then have great glory when He returns as the majestic King of kings. John describes what happens when we see Him... Beloved, now we are children of God, and it has not appeared as yet what we will be. We know that when He appears, we will be like Him, because we will see Him just as He is. (1 John 3:2+) Nor appearance that we should be attracted to Him (NET = "no special appearance that we should want to follow Him." ESV = "no beauty that we should desire Him." NLT = "nothing to attract us to Him") - Appearance is the Hebrew noun mar'eh (04758) meaning a sight, an appearance or a vision, and in this context means Messiah had no visual appearance that was pleasing to the eyes of the Jews. Attracted is the Hebrew verb hamad (02530) which means they took no pleasure in Messiah's appearance, they had no desire for Him. In Isaiah 1:29 this same verb hamad describes what they did desire - "Surely you will be ashamed of the oaks which you have desired, And you will be embarrassed at the gardens which you have chosen." describing where they practiced idolatrous and adulterous heathen worship! If we do not desire Jesus, that void ("God shaped vacuum") in our soul will be filled by desire for idols of various types, shapes and sizes! This is an amazing passage, for Jesus is the Creator of the entire world, the Creator of everything beautiful and magnificent and also the Sustainer of it all (Col 1:17, Heb 1:3), and yet He Himself came to earth with an unremarkable appearance, certainly not one that would draw the attention of others! He Who was the most special of all mankind, simply did not look "special." Although Messiah was of the lineage of the line of David, even He was unlike David who was described as "a skillful musician, a mighty man of valor, a warrior, one prudent in speech, and a handsome man; and the LORD is with him.” (1 Sa 16:18) Oswalt had an excellent summary - The real issue is not whether this person was good-looking, but that the way in which he set about delivering his people was just as shocking and as off-putting as it would be to have the ugliest man in a group chosen “best-looking.” Deliverers are dominating, forceful, attractive people, who by their personal magnetism draw people to themselves and convince people to do what they want them to do. People who refuse to follow that leadership frequently find themselves crushed and tossed aside. This man does not fit that picture at all. We are not drawn to him and his plans; rather, we are repulsed by him and them. Instead of bursting on the scene like a mighty oak or a fruit tree in full bloom, he appears as a sprout or “sucker,” the normally unwanted shoot that springs up from an exposed root of a tree. It is a matter of seconds for the gardener to snip it off. Or he is like a little plant struggling for life in unwatered ground. Far from forcing its way on all around it, its survival is in doubt....As a result, our eyes flicker across him in a crowd and we do not even see him. His splendor is not on the surface, and those who have no inclination to look beyond the surface will never even see him, much less pay him any attention. (NICOT-Isaiah). Wikipedia on His appearance - The Church Fathers Justin (d.165) and Tertullian (d.220) believed, following Isaiah:53:2, that Christ's appearance was unremarkable:[16] "he had no form nor comeliness, that we should look upon him, nor beauty that we should delight in him." But when the pagan Celsus ridiculed the Christian religion for having an ugly God in about 180, Origen (d. 248) cited Psalm 45:3: "Gird thy sword upon thy thigh, mighty one, with thy beauty and fairness"[17] Later the emphasis of leading Christian thinkers changed; Jerome (d. 420) and Augustine of Hippo (d. 430) argued that Jesus must have been ideally beautiful in face and body. For Augustine he was "beautiful as a child, beautiful on earth, beautiful in heaven." (Depiction of Jesus) David Thompson - - Most did not even look at Him. 53:2 In verse 2, there are three reasons why most did not even look at Jesus Christ and even consider the fact that He could be the Savior of Israel and the Savior of the world: (Reason #1) - Most would not look at Him being the Savior because of His unimpressive . youth. 53:2a (Reason #2) - Most would not look at Him because of His lowly and obscure origin . 53:2b (Reason #3) - Most would not look at Him because of His lowly physical appearance . 53:2c He didn’t have the charisma most successful people of this world have. He did not look like some winner. When you looked at Jesus Christ, you did not say - there is our King, you can see it. There was nothing spectacular about Jesus’ physique and nothing kingly about His look. He did not have some proud countenance or great honorable look. When He walked down the street, you wouldn’t turn your head in awe of the fact that you just walked by the King of kings and Savior of the world. Here was the only sinless, perfect Person to walk on this earth and hardly any would even look at Him. Isaiah says because He didn’t have the right look about Him, most didn’t look at Him at all. God was in Person on this earth in the Person of Jesus Christ and most who saw Him couldn’t see it and didn’t get it. (Exposition) Rod Mattoon - Nothing big or bombastic that would grab someone's attention would characterize Jesus. That is "opposite" to the thinking of this world that places so much importance on outward appearance, power, success, and money. Howard Hendricks said, "There was no identity crisis in the life of Jesus Christ. He knew who He was. He knew where He had come from, and why He was here. And He knew where He was going. When you are that liberated, then you can serve." That is what our Lord did. God's plan was that Christ's arrival be of a humble fashion. The Scriptures teach that exaltation comes from humility. James 4:10—Humble yourselves in the sight of the Lord, and he shall lift you up. He was lifted up and glorified. Jesus painted no pictures; yet some of the finest paintings of Raphael, Michalengelo, and Leonardo da Vinci received their inspiration from Him. Jesus wrote no poetry; but Dante, Milton, and scores of the world's greatest poets were inspired by Him. Jesus composed no music; still Haydn, Handel, Beethoven, Bach, and Mendelssohn reached their highest perfection of melody in the hymns, symphonies, and oratorios they composed in His praise. Every sphere of human greatness has been enriched by this humble carpenter of Nazareth. When our Lord was born, He who never began to be, but eternally existed, and who continued to be what He eternally was, began to be what He eternally was not..(Mattoon's Treasures – Treasures from Isaiah, Volume 3) Alan Carr: The Real Beauty of Jesus There is, however, an old saying that goes, "You can't judge a book by its cover." This was certainly the case with Jesus Christ. It was not what men saw, but what they could not see that made Him extra-ordinary. • Born to peasant parents. • Born in a manger, not a palace. • Poverty His constant companion. • His Disciples were just common fishermen. • Common peasants were His most devoted followers. • His death was among the condemned and wretched. • His church, for the most part, is made up of the lowly. Many might think that such a man is not worthy of our love, devotion and worship. However, with Jesus, His real beauty lies not in what men can see, but in what He has done. It is in the things which Jesus accomplished for you and me that His real beauty lies. So, dismiss from your mind every artist's rendering on Jesus you have ever seen. Forget all illusions you may have conjured up concerning Him and today, just look beyond the Man. Look instead to what He did. For it is in the work of Jesus that His real beauty is seen. (Isaiah 53:1-3 The Real Beauty Of Jesus) David
Isaías 53
Wiersbe adds - Because of His words and works, Jesus attracted great crowds, but nothing about His physical appearance made Him different from any other Jewish man. While few people deliberately try to be unattractive, modern society has made a religion out physical beauty. It is good to remember that Jesus succeeded without it. (Bible Exposition Commentary – Be Comforted - Isaiah). Seeing Jesus Read: Isaiah 53:1-6 | He has no form or comeliness; and when we see Him, there is no beauty that we should desire Him. —Isaiah 53:2 When I was young, I thought I knew exactly what Jesus looked like. After all, I saw Him every day whenever I looked at some pictures in my bedroom. One showed Jesus knocking at a door and the other depicted Him as a Shepherd with His sheep. What I didn’t know was that a mere decade before I was born, those pictures of Jesus didn’t exist. Warner Sallman painted the well-known “Head of Christ” and other portraits of Jesus in the 1940s. Those images were just one man’s idea of what Jesus might have looked like. The Bible never gives a physical description of Jesus. Even the men who saw Him every day didn’t tell us what He looked like. In fact, the only clue we have is a passage in Isaiah that says: “There is no beauty that we should desire Him” (53:2). It seems that Jesus’ human form was deliberately de-emphasized. He looked like an ordinary man. People weren’t drawn to Him because of a regal appearance but because of what He said and did and because of the message of love He came to give (John 3:16). But the next time Jesus comes to earth, it will be different. When our Savior returns, we will recognize Him as the sovereign King of kings and Lord of lords! (1 Tim. 6:14-15). The more I see His beauty, The more I know His grace, The more I long, unhindered, To gaze upon His face. —Anon. To see Jesus will be heaven’s greatest joy. J Oswalt Sanders - Moral Perfection Isaiah 53:2 In a letter published after his death, the poet Robert Browning cited several statements of men of learning concerning the Christian faith, and among them was this one from Charles Lamb: “In trying to predict with some friends as to how they would react if some of the great persons of past ages were to appear suddenly in the flesh once more, one of the friends said, ‘And if Christ entered this room?’ Lamb changed his attitude at once and said, ‘You see if Shakespeare entered we should all rise; if He appeared, we must kneel.”’ This was his view of the glory of Christ. A brilliant Hindu scholar drew a similar conclusion. Disturbed by the progress of the Christian faith among his own people, he determined to do all in his power to arrest it. His plan was to prepare a book for widespread distribution highlighting the weaknesses and failings of Christ and exposing the fallacy of believing in Him. For eleven years he diligently studied the New Testament, searching for inconsistencies in Christ’s character and teaching. Not only did he fail to discover any, but he became convinced that the One he sought to discredit was who He claimed to be—the Son of God. The scholar then boldly confessed his faith in Christ. The moral perfection of Christ impresses itself on the serious reader of the Gospels. The evangelists present the portrait of a real man who displays perfection at every stage of His development and in every circumstance of His life. This is all the more remarkable as He did not lock Himself in some secluded cloister but mixed freely and naturally with the imperfect people of His own generation. He became so deeply involved in the life of the ordinary people that His tendency to mix with sinners drew the most bitter criticism of the sanctimonious Pharisees. And yet He seemed so ordinary that many of His contemporaries saw Him only as “the carpenter’s son,” a lowly Nazarene. With eyes blinded by sin and selfishness, they saw no beauty in Him that they should desire Him (Isaiah 53:2). To all except those whose eyes were enlightened by love and faith, His moral grandeur and divine glory passed unnoticed. (31 Days) Inner Beauty By David H. Roper We beheld His glory. —John 1:14 The tabernacle in the wilderness was a tent where the glory of God dwelt. The structure was made of badger skins and was plain on the outside. But inside it was exquisitely beautiful (Exodus 25–27). We can compare the tabernacle with Jesus’ human form. John said, “the Word became flesh and dwelt among us” (John 1:14). The word dwelt means He “pitched His tent with us,” the same word that ancient Greek versions of the Old Testament used for the tabernacle. Jesus looked like an ordinary man: He had “no beauty that we should desire Him” (Isaiah 53:2). No one gave Him a second look. Yet John “beheld His glory,” the glory of God Himself. Occasionally, the tent flap was lifted and he caught a glimpse of Jesus’ inner beauty and majesty. We are tabernacles too, made of skin, made to contain God’s Spirit. Most of us are very plain, not like the made-up actors we see in the movies or the air-brushed models we view in the ads. But God is even now—at this moment—in the process of making us radiantly beautiful within. We may be very plain and ordinary on the outside—but as we allow God’s Spirit to work within us, the beauty of God’s indwelling presence will shine from our faces. So, is the world seeing Jesus in you? Let the beauty of Jesus be seen in me, All His wonderful passion and purity; O Thou Spirit divine, all my nature refine Till the beauty of Jesus be seen in me. —Orsborn A righteous heart is the fountain of beauty. Henry Blackaby - A Tender Plant He grew up before Him like a young plant and like a root out of dry ground.—Isaiah 53:2 The coming of Jesus was like a tender plant in the midst of a parched ground. Parched ground offers little hope for survival; it is dry and too hardened to allow most plants to penetrate its crust. Yet Jesus was prophesied as a tender plant that would break through the hostile soil and overcome the dry and lifeless environment in order to bring life. When Jesus was born, His people were hardened to God's Word. There is no written record of God's having spoken to His people for four hundred years. The religious leaders of Jesus' day had studied and memorized the Scriptures, but the words were lifeless to them. So hostile had they become to the truth that when God's Son came to them, they killed Him. Nevertheless, despite the enmity of the people, Jesus brought life to all who believed in Him. Jesus is capable of bringing life to any person, society, or culture no matter how hardened or hostile they have become to the gospel. Even the most calloused sinner will discover that Jesus knows how to penetrate the heart and bring life where there was only bitterness. The work of Jesus in a person's life may seem fragile at first, but like the mustard seed, it will eventually grow into something strong. As you pray for someone you care about, don't be discouraged if this person has not responded to Jesus. Just as a tender plant finds a way to grow in a hard and unreceptive environment, so the love of Jesus has the ability to emerge in a life that seems completely unresponsive. Billy Graham - It has always been interesting to me that—outside of the hints given in Isaiah 53—the Bible does not tell us what Jesus looked like, nor were paintings or drawings made of Him during His lifetime. Artists throughout the centuries have tried to imagine what He must have looked like, but the truth is, we don’t know. And I believe there is a very good reason for this: God knew that if we had an accurate portrait of Jesus, we would be tempted to worship it instead of worshipping Jesus Himself. We could even lapse into a type of idolatry, and that would be wrong. But someday we will know what the risen Christ looks like, for someday we will enter into His presence forever. And when we do, the Bible says, “we shall be like Him, for we shall see Him as He is” (1 John 3:2). Then we will share in His resurrection glory, and we will share in His sinless perfection. Are you ready for that glorious day? You can be, by committing yourself to Christ and opening your heart and life to Him. Isaiah 53:3 He was despised and forsaken of men, A man of sorrows and acquainted with grief; And like one from whom men hide their face He was despised, and we did not esteem Him. KJV Isaiah 53:3 He is despised and rejected of men; a man of sorrows, and acquainted with grief: and we hid as it were our faces from him; he was despised, and we esteemed him not. He was despised and forsaken of men Isaiah 49:7; 50:6; Ps 22:6-8; 69:10-12,19,20; Micah 5:1; Zech 11:8,12,13; Mt 26:67; 27:39-44,63; Mark 9:12; 15:19; Luke 8:53; 9:22; 16:14; Luke 23:18-25; John 8:48; Heb 12:2,3 A man of sorrows and acquainted with grief Isaiah 53:4,10; Ps 69:29; Mt 26:37,38; Mark 14:34; Luke 19:41; John 11:35; Heb 2:15-18; 4:15; 5:7 And like one from whom men hide their face He was despised, and we did not esteem Him.. Deut 32:15; Zech 11:13; Mt 27:9,10; John 1:10,11; Acts 3:13-15 Isaiah 53 Resources - Multiple Sermons and Commentaries JEHOVAH'S SERVANT SHUNNED! Messianic Jew David Baron comments that "The penitential confession (OF THE SAVED JEWS IN THE LAST DAYS)(diagram) proceeds in the third verse to set forth the positive aversion and hostility which the nation in its former ignorance manifested towards Jehovah's righteous Servant." (Isaiah 53 Exposition) He was despised and forsaken of men - Considering His unremarkable origin and appearance described in the previous passage, Jesus was still shunned by the Jews, especially the ruling and religious class. Despised (0959)(bazah is from a root meaning to accord little worth) means they disdained Jesus, and held Him in contempt. In Malachi the Jews despised Jehovah's Name, His table and His food (Mal 1:6, 7, 12+) and as a consequence Jehovah made them despised before all the people! (Mal 2:9+). Remember that the speakers here are the redeemed Jewish remnant (diagram) looking back and confessing (and undoubtedly mourning - cf Zech 12:10, 11+) that they (their ancestors) treated Jesus as insignificant or worthless! They raised their heads loftily and disdainfully and looked down their noses at Him! It is worth noting that the opposite of bazah is kabed/kabad meaning to honor. And to be sure, He Who was greatly despised at His first coming will be greatly honored at His Second Coming! The verb bazah is translated in the Septuagint here with the relatively uncommon NT adjective atimos used by Jesus Himself in Mt 13:57+ where we read "And they (PEOPLE OF NAZARETH - THE NAZARENES DESPISE THE NAZARENE!) took offense (skandalizo) (SINNERS SCANDALIZED BY SINLESS SAVIOR - TALK ABOUT TRAGIC IRONY!) at Him. But Jesus said to them, “A prophet is not without honor (atimos) except in his hometown and in his own household.” (THEY SHOULD HAVE HAD SIGNS UP "HOMETOWN BOY MAKES GOOD!" BUT INSTEAD SAW THE HOMETOWN BOY AS BAD! UNBELIEF IS A HORRIBLE SIN!) Oswalt on despised - despised picks up the thought of the previous verse directly, but it is important to understand the word in its Hebrew sense, not the English one. The English word has a heavy emotive content with a consequent connotation of belittling and contempt. The Hebrew lacks the strength of emotion. It means to consider something or someone to be worthless, unworthy of attention. (NICOT-Isaiah) Bazoh, an adjective related to the verb bazah, is used in Isaiah 49:7 - Thus says the LORD, the Redeemer of Israel and its Holy One, To the despised One, To the One abhorred by the nation, To the Servant of rulers, “Kings will see and arise, Princes will also bow down, Because of the LORD who is faithful, the Holy One of Israel who has chosen You.” John
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Wiersbe says Isaiah 53:4-6 "is the heart of the passage, and it presents the heart of the Gospel message: the innocent Servant dying as the sacrifice for sin. This message was at the heart of Israel's religious system—the innocent animal sacrifice dying for the guilty sinner (Lev. 16+ = Day of Atonement)." (Bible Exposition Commentary – Be Comforted - Isaiah). Surely (aken) means truly or certainly and describes something that is unexpected. The redeemed Jewish remnant (diagram) recognize the error of the perception of their forefathers (and themselves before they received Jesus as their Savior). Their eyes are now opened to see what the Messiah did for them! The One they had esteemed as nobody is the Somebody Who stepped in to be their Substitute on the Cross! The Jews thought Jesus died because God killed Him for what they misinterpreted as His many blasphemies such as claiming to be the Son of God (Lk 22:70, 71+, Mt 26:65, Mk 14:61-64), claiming to be "I Am", i.e., alive before Abraham (Jn 8:58-59), claiming to be equal with God (Jn 5:18, cp Jn 10:33), etc. And now, they recognize that these were not blasphemies but were all true words spoken by their Messiah! And here they are making an "about face," complete turn around from their previous opinion about Jesus! They have come to understand that the Servant's suffering on the Cross was not because of sins He committed but because of their sins which He bore on the Cross! Messianic Jewish writer David Baron says "The veil lifted from their eyes, Israel sees the true cause of Messiah's sufferings, and, "bearing witness against himself, laments his former blindness to the mediatorial vicarious character of the sufferings both of soul and body that were endured by Him." Oh, it was for us—they now say—that He endured all the shame and agony. To translate the 4th verse literally: "Verily they were our griefs (or 'sicknesses') which He bore, and our sorrows (or, 'pains') with which He burdened Himself, but we regarded Him as one stricken, smitten of God, and afflicted." No plainer or stronger words could be used to express the thought of vicarious suffering than those employed in the original of this verse. (Isaiah 53 Exposition) It is important to note that Matthew quotes from this passage in his Gospel, but he does so in the context of Jesus' physical healing while on earth. Of course, Jesus' physical healing was a preview of the spiritual healing made possible by His atoning work on the Cross. Jesus provided a solution for mankind's spiritual death, far more serious (and eternal) than temporal physical healing. Here is Matthew's quote from Isaiah 53:4 When Jesus came into Peter’s home, He saw his mother-in-law lying sick in bed with a fever. (SO THE CONTEXT = PHYSICAL NOT SPIRITUAL ILLNESS) 15 He touched her hand, and the fever left her; and she got up and waited on Him. 16 When evening came, they brought to Him many who were demon-possessed; and He cast out the spirits with a word, and healed all who were ill (WHILE IN A SENSE DEMON POSSESSION WAS "SPIRITUAL" JESUS' HEALING DID NOT PROVIDE A CURE FROM THEIR SPIRITUAL DEATH DUE TO SIN UNLESS OF COURSE THEY PLACED THEY FAITH IN HIM). 17 This was to fulfill what was spoken through Isaiah the prophet: “HE HIMSELF TOOK OUR INFIRMITIES AND CARRIED AWAY OUR DISEASES.” (Mt 8:14-17) MacArthur on Mt 8:17 - Both physical healing and ultimate victory over death are guaranteed by Christ's atoning work (ED: IT'S CALLED "GLORIFICATION!"), but these will not be fully realized until the very end (1Co 15:26). (MacArthur Study Bible) Wiersbe adds that "Every blessing we have in the Christian life comes because of the Cross, but this verse does not teach that there is "healing in the atonement" and that every believer therefore has the "right" to be healed. The prophecy was fulfilled during our Lord's life, not His death." (Bible Exposition Commentary – Be Comforted - Isaiah). Gingrich has an interesting note - Upon the cross, Jesus bore not only our sins (the penal consequences of our sins) but also our physical imperfections (which are a part of the natural consequences of our ancestors’ and our own sins). He began to bear these physical imperfections during His public ministry, Matthew 8:16, 17, but full satisfaction for the body imperfections of all men was made only upon the cross. When will the benefits of this part of the atonement be applied? It will be applied to the church, God’s heavenly people, at the rapture, 1 Corinthians 15:42, 43. It will be applied to Israel, God’s earthly people, during the Millennium, Isaiah 33:24; 35:5, 6. (Book of Isaiah) Our griefs He Himself bore - Our griefs is the confession in the future when the Jewish remnant (diagram) is saved (cf Zech 13:1+, Zech 13:8-9+). Of course the truth of this passage has a much wider application, so that Messiah's work of bearing our griefs encompassed all who believe on Him for their salvation. Has He borne your griefs? I am not asking if you know about Jesus, but do you truly know Him intimately, in your heart, as you Substitutionary Sacrifice, the One Who died in your place on the Cross? There are many today who know about Him, but they are deceived and on their way to eternal separation from Him because they know Him religiously but do not know Him relationally. In some of the most frightening verses in the Bible, Jesus made a statement that speaks to the danger of religion and His demand for a relationship. Profession of Jesus saves no one. It is only possession of Jesus saves. Not everyone who says to Me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ (THAT IS A PROFESSION!) will enter the kingdom of heaven, but he who does (present tense - not perfection but direction only possible by the power of the indwelling Spirit - this is clear evidence that one is truly Born again) the will of My Father Who is in heaven (THAT IS POSSESSION!) will enter. 22 “Many (NOTE THE QUANTIFYING ADJECTIVE!) will say to Me on that day, ‘Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in Your name, and in Your name cast out demons, and in Your name perform many miracles?’ 23 “And then I will declare to them, ‘I never knew you; DEPART FROM ME, YOU WHO PRACTICE (present tense = proving they had never truly repented, believed and experienced a supernatural change in their heart) LAWLESSNESS.’ (Mt 7:21-23+) Griefs is the same word choli in the previous passage, but here the Septuagint translates it with hamartia (in the plural) the Greek word for sins. And so we see that their confession acknowledges that Messiah was their (and our) Sin-Bearer. Sin is deceptive (Heb 3:13+, Ro 7:11+) promising "good" but always resulting in grief, and so the description as grief is an appropriate description of sin! He Himself - Jesus Himself did this. He had no stand in or substitute. He Himself WAS the Substitute! He voluntarily submitted Himself to the horrors of the Cross. In John Jesus declared “For this reason the Father loves Me, because I lay down My life so that I may take it again. No one has taken it away from Me, but I lay it down on My own initiative. I have authority to lay it down, and I have authority to take it up again. This commandment I received from My Father.” (Jn 10:17-18). Thomas Constable on Jesus' bearing of the griefs Himself - Since sin is against a holy God it does not just require physical suffering, which Israel had experienced in abundance, but spiritual suffering, separation from God. Animal sacrifices covered human sin only temporarily, but a perfect sinless human sacrifice was necessary to remove the sin of humanity. (Isaiah 53 Commentary) THE PROPHETIC PERFECT ILLUSTRATED
Isaías 53
Wiersbe adds that "The emphasis in verses 4-6 is on the plural pronouns: our griefs and sorrows, our iniquities, our transgressions. We have gone astray, we have turned to our own way. He did not die because of anything He had done, but because of what we had done." (Ibid) Bore is the verb nasa' which means to carry or to take away. It means to endure something unpleasant and/or difficult, in this case on the behalf of others (i.e., substitution). Nasa' is the same verb used in the description of the Day of Atonement in Lev 16:22+ describing the goat that bore "on itself all their iniquities to a solitary land." (cf penal substitution) Jesus bearing their griefs on Himself was the fulfillment of the shadow of the "scapegoat" (picture) in Leviticus. Jesus bore our griefs (sins) on Himself on the Cross. Nasa' is used again in Isa 53:12+ in the remnant's confession/declaration that "He Himself bore (nasa'; Lxx = anaphero used in Heb 7:27+ = "He offered up Himself" and 1 Pe 2:24+ = "He Himself bore our sins") the sin of many." John does not use this verb but it does express the idea of the Passover Lamb bearing our sins, John the Baptist exclaiming "“Behold, the Lamb of God Who takes away the sin of the world!" (Jn 1:29) Baron - Delitzsch properly explains, " 'nasa' signifies to take the debt of sin upon oneself, and carry it as one's own, i.e. to look at it and feel it as one's own (e.g., Lev. 5:1, 17), or more frequently to bear the punishment occasioned by sin, i.e. to make expiation for it (Lev. xx. 19, 20; xxiv. 15), and in any case in which the person bearing it is not himself the guilty person ('nasa' signifies to bear sin in a mediatorial capacity for the purpose of making expiation for it. It is evident that both the verbs used in this verse, 'He hath borne,' and 'He carried,' are to be understood in the sense of an expiatory bearing, and not merely of taking away, as has been recently maintained in opposition to the satisfactio vicaria, as we may see clearly enough from Ezek. 4:48, where seth ‘avon ('bearing iniquity') is represented by the prophet in a symbolical action. But in the case before us, where it is not the sins, but 'our diseases' and 'our pains' that are the object, this mediatorial sense remains essentially the same. The meaning is not merely that the Servant of God entered into the fellowship of our sufferings, but that He took upon Himself the sufferings which we had to bear, and deserved to bear, and therefore not only took them away, but bore them in His own person, that He might deliver us from them. (Isaiah 53 Exposition) Paul writes about the reality of the Suffering Servant bearing our sins declaring... He made Him who knew no sin to be sin on our behalf (SUBSTITUTION), so that we might become the righteousness of God in Him. (2 Cor 5:21+) O Christ, what burdens bowed Thy head! Our load was laid on Thee; Thou stoodest in the sinner’s stead, Didst bear all ill for me. A Victim led, Thy blood was shed; Now there’s no load for me. A R Cousins Griefs and sorrows (cf Isa 53:3 = "A man of sorrows and acquainted with grief") - Grief is intense sorrow caused by loss of something or someone. Sorrow is an emotion of great sadness associated with loss or bereavement. Clearly in the context, both of these emotions are metaphors for sin, the effect of which is to result in loss (of something, sometimes someone!) and great sadness at loss and the associated consequences (Sadly we are all painfully aware of these twin effects of our sins, past and present!) In Ps 32:10 David laments (from experience) that "Many are the sorrows of the wicked." In Ps 38:18 David says "I confess my iniquity; I am full of anxiety (da'ag describes describes his uneasiness of mind as a result of the consequences of sin) because of my sin." Jesus was a man of sorrows not because of His own intrinsic sorrows -- the sorrows were not His but ours! He substituted Himself, taking on Himself on the Cross what really belonged to us -- our sorrows (and better the effects of our sins producing sorrows) were placed on Him! And our sorrows He carried - This is the Jewish redeemed remnant's confession ("our sorrows") now that their eyes have been opened for "whenever a person turns to the Lord, the veil is taken away." (cf 2 Cor 3:16, 14, 15). Sorrows (pains)(04341) is the same word makob used in Isa 53:3 and it describes that which causes great unhappiness! Sin always ends up causing unhappiness! If you were saved late in life (I was age 39 - my testimony), you have more time to commit sins, which can cause great sorrows. Jesus can heal us of those sorrows, even though the memories may remain. Carried (05445)(sabal) means literally to bear or transport a load (Ge 49:15). Patterson says that "In contrast to the synonymous nāśāʾ(USED ABOVE) “bear/carry (away),” sābal lays stress on the process of bearing or transporting a load (Isa 46:7), hence, it becomes a figure of servitude (Ge 49:15)." (TWOT) How fitting is this particular meaning of sabal given the fact that this is the song of the Suffering Servant! Sabal is used twice in Isaiah 53 (Isa 53:4, 11) to figuratively describe the Suffering Servant bearing "our sorrows". As Patterson says "Here the coming Servant, Messiah, lifts up and takes upon Himself man’s sicknesses and bears the weight of his worrisome sorrows. Nothing could more graphically portray the vicarious sacrificial work of Christ Who bore the penalty for man’s sin so that man may receive God’s righteousness and stand justified before Him." (TWOT) (Bolding mine) Sabal is used twice in Isaiah 46:4 recording Jehovah's promise to Israel that "Even to your old age I will be the same, And even to your graying years I will bear (sabal) you! I have done it, and I will carry you; And I will bear (sabal) you and I will deliver you." What a great promise. Can we not as believers partake of this promise, personalizing it, especially those of us who are old and graying. Methinks so!!! Thank You God! Amen. Jeremiah writes "Our fathers sinned, and are no more; It is we who have borne (sabal) their iniquities." Clearly the bearing of their iniquities indicates that the the breaking of the Mosaic Covenant by their fathers had consequences (destruction and exile from Judah and Jerusalem) which fell on their heads (so to speak). Sabal - 9x in 8v - bear(5), borne(1), carried(1), carry(1), drags(1). Gen. 49:15; Ps. 144:14 = Let our cattle bear without mishap; Eccl. 12:5 = the grasshopper drags himself along; Isa. 46:4; Isa. 46:7; Isa. 53:4; Isa. 53:11; Lam. 5:7 Yet - This is a term of contrast and in this case contrasts what they had come to realize was true about Jesus with what they previously and erroneously thought was true about Him. We ourselves esteemed Him stricken, smitten of God, and afflicted - NET Bible has "even though we thought He was being punished, attacked by God, and afflicted for something He had done." NET Note adds that "The words “for something He had done” are supplied in the translation for clarification. The group (ED: FUTURE BELIEVING JEWISH REMNANT) now realizes He suffered because of His identification with them (ED: SINFUL MANKIND), not simply because He was a special target of divine anger." Esteemed is the same Hebrew verb chasab/hasab used in Isaiah 53:3+ and which conveys the idea of utilizing one's mind in thinking about some subject or in this case Someone, the Messiah. As in Isa 53:3, the Septuagint translates chasab with logizomai which means they thought about Jesus and considered Him to be deserving of death at the hands of God. Stricken (05060) is the verb naga which means to touch and then to strike. It conveys the idea of one person physically contacting another and ranges from a simple touch (Ge 3:3+) to striking someone as here in Isaiah 53:4 of striking the Suffering Servant. The Septuagint translates stricken with the noun ponos which describes work that involves much exertion or toil and then the consequences of that toil including pain, distress, suffering and affliction, all of which would be a very appropriate description of Jesus' suffering on the Cross (and even before as He agonized in prayer in the Garden of Gethsemane, cf Lk 22:44+). Ponos is used again in the Septuagint translation of Isaiah 53:11 to describe "the anguish (Heb - amal; Lxx - ponos) of His soul."
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Wiersbe - The only way a lawbreaker can be at peace with the law is to suffer the punishment that the law demands. Jesus kept the Law perfectly, yet He suffered the whipping that belonged to us. Because He took our place, we now have peace with God and cannot be condemned by God's law (Ro 5:1; Ro 8:1+). (Bible Exposition Commentary – Be Comforted - Isaiah). We were rebels at war with God, at enmity with Him, hating Him, but here because of what transpired in our Substitute on the Cross, we now are forever at peace with God. The peace OF God is another issue and can be disturbed by our disobedience (sin) (cf "peace of God" in Php 4:6-7+). Chastening (04148)(musar) describes the imposition of painful consequences (or severe punishment) upon the Suffering Servant, consequences which we deserved for our disobedience! This is the supreme demonstration of Jesus' infinite love for us willingly taking the chastening rod of His Father for sins not His own! Amazing love! Motyer adds this note on musar - Just as ‘covenant of peace’ (Isa 54:10) means ‘covenant which pledges and secures peace’ so (lit.) ‘punishment of our peace’ means punishment which secured peace with God for us. This peace was lost (Isa 48:18) by disobedience, and, since it cannot be enjoyed by the wicked (Isa 48:22), the Servant stepped forward (Isa 49:1) to bring us back to God (Isa 49:6). This is what He achieved by his substitutionary, penal sufferings. Fell upon Him - "Fell" is added by the translators. Young's Literal has 'The chastisement of our peace [is] on him," adding the "is" to make good English. The Hebrew preposition for "upon" is 'al, (used almost 5000x in the OT) which means up on something, on something. This same preposition 'al is used four times in Leviticus 16:21-22+ describing the scapegoat (picture) carrying away Israel's sins for the previous year, foreshadowing of course Messiah's work on the cross. “Then Aaron shall lay both of his hands on ('al) the head of the live goat, and confess over ('al) it all the iniquities of the sons of Israel and all their transgressions in regard to all their sins; and he shall lay them on ('al) the head of the goat and send it away into the wilderness by the hand of a man who stands in readiness. 22 “The goat shall bear on ('al) itself all their iniquities to a solitary land; and he shall release the goat in the wilderness. Allen Ross - .Many have seen this passage not only as a prophecy of the suffering of Jesus, but the national confession of sin by Israel on the Day of Atonement—to be fulfilled at the end of the age when all Israel will be saved. (Ref) Jehovah lifted up His rod; O Christ, it fell on Thee! Thou wast sore stricken of Thy God— There's not one stroke for me. Thy tears, Thy blood, beneath it flowed; Thy bruising healeth me --A. R. Cousin Because of the punishment that our Suffering Servant Substitute endured on our behalf, we who rebelled against God even from birth can now be restored to a state of friendship and harmony. This is the essence of reconciliation, where in His Suffering, the Messiah took upon Himself our sin and became a substitutionary atonement, thereby making possible a relationship of peace with God which was heretofore prevented by the demands of God's justice and His abhorrence of sin. Paul explains it this way "Now all these things are from God, Who reconciled us to Himself through Christ (AS EXPLAINED IN ISAIAH 53:5) and gave us the ministry of reconciliation, namely, that God was in Christ reconciling the world to Himself, not counting their trespasses against them, and He has committed to us the word of reconciliation." (2 Cor 5:18-19+) Gotquestions explains... Imagine two friends who have a fight or argument. The good relationship they once enjoyed is strained to the point of breaking. They cease speaking to each other; communication is deemed too awkward. The friends gradually become strangers. Such estrangement can only be reversed by reconciliation. To be reconciled is to be restored to friendship or harmony. When old friends resolve their differences and restore their relationship, reconciliation has occurred....The Bible says that Christ reconciled us to God And through Him (THE SUFFERING SERVANT OF ISAIAH 53) to reconcile all things to Himself, having made peace through the blood of His cross; through Him, I say, whether things on earth or things in heaven. 21 And although you were formerly alienated and hostile in mind, engaged in evil deeds, yet He has now reconciled you in His fleshly body through death, in order to present you before Him holy and blameless and beyond reproach (Colossians 1:20-22+). The fact that we needed reconciliation means that our relationship with God was broken. Since God is holy, we were the ones to blame. Our sin alienated us from Him. Romans 5:10-11+ says that we were enemies of God: For if (SINCE) while we were enemies we were reconciled to God through the death of His Son, much more, having been reconciled, we shall be saved by His life. And not only this, but we also exult in God through our Lord Jesus Christ, through Whom we have now received the reconciliation. When Christ died on the cross, He satisfied (PROPITIATION) God’s judgment and made it possible for God’s enemies, us, to find peace with Him. (ED: THE "WELL-BEING" OF ISAIAH 53:5) Our “reconciliation” to God, then, involves the exercise of His grace and the forgiveness of our sin. The result of Jesus’ sacrifice is that our relationship has changed from enmity to friendship. “I no longer call you servants … Instead, I have called you friends” (John 15:15). Christian reconciliation is a glorious truth! We were God’s enemies, but are now His friends. We were in a state of condemnation because of our sins, but we are now forgiven. We were at war with God, but now have the peace that transcends all understanding (Phil 4:7+). (Bolding Added) Related Resources: What is the ministry of reconciliation in 2 Corinthians 5:18? What does it mean to have peace with God? What is alienation? What does it mean that we are alienated from God? Messiah's Ministry of Reconciliation - John MacArthur Reconciled to God - Colossians 1:20-23 - John MacArthur The Reconciling Gospel - 2 Corinthians 5:11-20 - John MacArthur And by His scourging (wounds, bruises, stripes) we are healed - Several modern versions translate scourging as wounds (NET, ESV, HCSB, NIV). He is speaking primarily of spiritual healing from the deadly effects of the "sin virus" which we all inherited from Adam (Ro 5:12+). As Oswalt says "This is not a matter of a raging tyrant who demands violence on someone to satisfy His fury. It is a God who wants a whole relationship with his people, but is prevented from having it until incomplete justice is satisfied. In the Servant He has found a way to gratify His love and satisfy His justice." (NICOT-Isaiah) (ED: CF Ro 3:26 = God "would be just and the Justifier of the one who has faith in Jesus.") Scourging (Wounds) is the Hebrew word chabburah which refers to bruises, wounds, injuries, "the tumor raised by scourging" (cf welt). Thus one has translated it "By reason of His contusions we were healed."". The KJV renders it "stripes" in the famous phrase "with his stripes we are healed." Baron says this passage "may well lead our thoughts to the cruel scourging endured by our Saviour on our behalf." (cf Mt 20:19; 27:26; Mk 10:34; 15:15; Lk 18:33; Jn 19:1) (Isaiah 53 Exposition) This same Hebrew noun (chabburah) is used by Isaiah in the beginning of his prophecy to describe the miserable, seemingly hopeless condition of the nation of Israel "From the sole of the foot even to the head There is nothing sound in it, Only bruises, welts (chabburah) and raw wounds, Not pressed out or bandaged, Nor softened with oil." (Isaiah 1:6+) What looked to be irreparable, can now be "healed" because of the vicarious wounds (scourging) of God's Servant! The Septuagint translates chabburah with the noun molops which means welts (as from whipping), bruises, wounds. It is the same word used by Peter as he alludes to Isaiah 53:5 writing... He Himself (THE SUFFERING SERVANT) bore our sins in His body on the cross, so that we might die (JUSTIFICATION) to sin and live to righteousness (SANCTIFICATION); for by His wounds (molops) you were healed. (1 Pe 2:24+) John
Isaías 53
Wiersbe - Under the Law of Moses, the sheep died for the shepherd; but under grace, the Good Shepherd died for the sheep (John 10:1-18). Devotional "God's Remedy for Man's Sin" (discusses dumb sheep!) Even the psalmist (who Spurgeon thinks was David) confessed "I have gone astray like a lost sheep; seek Your servant, For I do not forget Your commandments." (Ps 119:176) I was a wandering sheep, I did not love the fold; I did not love my Shepherd’s voice, I would not be controlled. I was a wayward child, I did not love my home; I did not love my Father’s voice, I loved afar to roam. --Horatius Bonar Gone astray ((08582)(ta'ah) means literally to wander, to wander off, to stagger, to roam about, to travel about without any specific goal (e.g., physical roaming = Ex 23:4). Figuratively ta'ah means to err or go astray (active) or in passive sense, to be led astray or to be deceived) as when false prophets led the people astray by their false words and false gods (idols) (Jer 23:13, 32, Mic 3:5; false shepherds in Jer 50:6). In short, figuratively taah refers to mental, moral, or spiritual wandering (Ps 95:10) or ethical wandering (Ezek 44:10). The picture is wandering off spiritually (or being lead away from) the correct path, the godly path (eg see the "Highway of Holiness" Isa 35:8). (Ps 95:10; 119:110; Pr 7:25; 14:22; 21:16; Isa 29:24; 35:8; 47:15; 53:6; Ezek 14:11; 44:10,15; 48:11). In Ezekiel Jehovah gives a prophetic promise "that the house of Israel may no longer stray from Me and no longer defile themselves with all their transgressions. Thus they will be My people, and I shall be their God." (Ezek 14:11). Ta'ah is used 13x in Isaiah - Isa. 3:12; Isa. 9:16; Isa. 16:8; Isa. 19:13; Isa. 19:14; Isa. 21:4; Isa. 28:7; Isa. 29:24; Isa. 30:28; Isa. 35:8; Isa. 47:15; Isa. 53:6; Isa. 63:17. The Septuagint translates ta'ah in Isaiah 53:6 with planao meaning to be led astray, misled, caused to wander. Planao can also describe those who are deceived and indeed our hearts are more deceptive (Jer 17:9) and sin itself is deceptive (Heb 3:13+). Peter picks up this theme in the NT writing to believers "For you were continually straying like sheep, but now you have returned to the Shepherd and Guardian of your souls." (1 Peter 2:25+) S Lewis
Isaías 53
Wiersbe - Pause for Power) The Lamb of God in Scripture - Ian Paisley - A Text A Day "But with the precious blood of Christ, as of a lamb without blemish and without spot." I Peter 1:19 The Bible gives us seven pictures of the Lamb of God. I. The Lamb Specified "And Abraham said, My son, God will provide himself a lamb for a burnt offering: so they went both of them together." (Genesis 22:8). "Where is the Lamb," cried Isaac. Abraham replied "God shall provide himself a lamb for the burnt offering." Note three things about the specified lamb. 1, Of God's provision; 2, For God Himself; 3, For the fire of sacrifice—a burnt offering. II. The Lamb Typified "Speak ye unto all the congregation of Israel, saying, In the tenth day of this month they shall take to them every man a lamb, according to the house of their fathers, a lamb for an house." (Exodus 12:3). Christ is the Passover Lamb sacrificed for us. III. The Lamb Personified "He was oppressed, and he was afflicted, yet he opened not his mouth: he is brought as a lamb to the slaughter, and as a sheep before her shearers is dumb, so he openeth not his mouth." (Isaiah 53:7) The Person of the Son of God is the Lamb of God. IV. The Lamb Identified "The next day John seeth Jesus coming unto him, and saith, Behold the lamb of God, which taketh away the sin of the world... And I knew him not: but he that sent me to baptise with water, the same said unto me, Upon whom thou shalt see the Spirit descending, and remaining on him, the same is he which baptiseth with the Holy Ghost... And I saw, and bare record that this is the Son of God." (John 1:29, 33, 34). Here is the dearest possible identification of the Lamb of God. V. The Lamb Crucified "But with the precious blood of Christ, as of a lamb without blemish and without spot." (I Peter 1:19) O the Bleeding Lamb! O the Bleeding Lamb! He was found worthy! VI. The Lamb Glorified "And I beheld, and, lo, in the midst of the throne and of the four beasts, and in the midst of the elders, stood a Lamb as it had been slain, having seven horns and seven eyes, which are the seven Spirits of God sent forth into all the earth." (Revelation 5:6). A Slain lamb standing in the midst of God's Everlasting Throne. What glory is this. Ah, the Lamb is all the glory of Emmanuel's Land, VII. The Lamb Satisfied "And there shall in no wise enter into it any thing that defileth, neither whatsoever worketh abomination, or maketh a lie: but they which are written in the Lamb's book of life." (Revelation 21:27). The Lamb will bring every son of God to heaven and satisfy them and Himself in the Paradise of God. Those in the Lamb's book of life will partake forever of the Lamb's water of life. The Clue Of Silence Read: Isaiah 53 The chief priests accused Him of many things, but He answered nothing. —Mark 15:3 The story Silver Blaze by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle centers around a clue of silence. Detective Sherlock Holmes investigates the theft of a prized racehorse, which had been guarded by a watchdog. In gathering evidence, Holmes learns that the dog didn’t bark during the intrusion. The detective deduces that the dog knew the culprit, and this leads to solving the crime. For anyone investigating the identity of Jesus, the Bible holds many clues. One of them is His silence. Centuries before Jesus lived, the prophet Isaiah wrote of Him:“As a sheep before its shearers is silent, so He opened not His mouth”(53:7). The significance of this remained obscure until Jesus was brought before His accusers and“answered nothing” (Mark 15:3). It’s a small but important piece of evidence, especially when combined with other clues: His birth in Bethlehem (Micah 5:2; Luke 2:4), His Davidic lineage (Isaiah 11:10; Luke 3:31), and the casting of lots for His clothes (Psalm 22:18; John 19:23-24). These and more than 200 other fulfilled prophecies provide overwhelming evidence of the identity of Jesus. He is the Messiah, the Son of God, the Savior of all who put their faith in Him. THINK ABOUT IT Are you convinced that Jesus is the promised Savior?, Have you accepted the forgiveness and eternal life He offers? If you have doubts, read the gospel of John. Believing Christ died—that’s history; believing Christ died for me—that’s salvation. A W Tozer - “Unfair! Unfair!” He was oppressed, and he was afflicted, yet he opened not his mouth … neither was any deceit in his mouth. (Isaiah 53:7, 9) Christians who understand the true meaning of Christ’s cross will never whine about being treated unfairly. Whether or not they are given fair treatment will never enter their heads. They know they have been called to follow Christ, and certainly the Savior did not receive anything approaching fair treatment from mankind. In language the word “unfair” seems altogether innocent but it indicates an inner attitude that has no place among Christians. The man who cries “Unfair!” is not a victorious man. He is inwardly defeated and in self-defense appeals to the referee to note that he has been fouled. This gives him an alibi when they carry him out on a stretcher and saves his face while his bruises heal. It is a certainty that Christians will suffer wrongs; but if they take them in good spirit and without complaint, they have conquered their enemy. They remember that Jesus was reviled—but any thought of His shouting for fair play simply cannot be entertained by the reverent heart! Isaiah 53:8 By oppression and judgment He was taken away; And as for His generation, who considered That He was cut off out of the land of the living For the transgression of my people, to whom the stroke was due? KJV Isaiah 53:8 He was taken from prison and from judgment: and who shall declare his generation? for he was cut off out of the land of the living: for the transgression of my people was he stricken. Amplified Isaiah 53:8 After oppression and judgment He was taken away;And as for His generation [His contemporaries], who [among them] concerned himself with the fact That He was cut off from the land of the living [by His death] For the transgression of my people, to whom the stroke [of death] was due? Amplified (classic - old version) By oppression and judgment He was taken away; and as for His generation, who among them considered that He was cut off out of the land of the living [stricken to His death] for the transgression of my [Isaiah’s] people, to whom the stroke was due? CSB Isaiah 53:8 He was taken away because of oppression and judgment; and who considered His fate? For He was cut off from the land of the living; He was struck because of my people's rebellion. ESV Isaiah 53:8 By oppression and judgment he was taken away; and as for his generation, who considered that he was cut off out of the land of the living, stricken for the transgression of my people? NAB Isaiah 53:8 Oppressed and condemned, he was taken away, and who would have thought any more of his destiny? When he was cut off from the land of the living, and smitten for the sin of his people, NET Isaiah 53:8 He was led away after an unjust trial– but who even cared? Indeed, he was cut off from the land of the living; because of the rebellion of his own people he was wounded. NIV Isaiah 53:8 By oppression and judgment he was taken away. And who can speak of his descendants? For he was cut off from the land of the living; for the transgression of my people he was stricken. NJB Isaiah 53:8 Forcibly, after sentence, he was taken. Which of his contemporaries was concerned at his having been cut off from the land of the living, at his having been struck dead for his people's rebellion? NLT Isaiah 53:8 Unjustly condemned, he was led away. No one cared that he died without descendants, that his life was cut short in midstream. But he was struck down for the rebellion of my people. By oppression and judgment He was taken away. Ps 22:12-21; 69:12; Mt 26:65,66; Jn 19:7 And as for His generation, who considered Mt 1:1; Acts 8:33; Ro 1:4 That He was cut off out of the land of the living Da 9:26; Jn 11:49-52 For the transgression of my people, to whom the stroke was due - 1 Pe 3:18 Isaiah 53 Resources - Multiple Sermons and Commentaries THE SACRIFICIAL DEATH OF THE SUFFERING SERVANT David Baron writes that "We now come to perhaps the most difficult verse in this great prophecy, the main purport of which is to describe the closing portion of the life of the Servant of Jehovah and the manner of death that He should die." As testimony to this see the renderings of this passage above. Baron goes on to add "On the whole, I prefer the reading given by Delitzsch, Von Orelli, and others: "He was taken away from prison and from judgment," which is almost, though not quite, the same as that in the Authorized Version. The principal emphasis (in the sentence) is not laid upon the fact that He was taken away from suffering, but that it was out of the midst of suffering that He was carried off." (Isaiah 53 Exposition) NET Note - The precise meaning of this line is uncertain. The present translation assumes that min here has an instrumental sense ("by, through") and understands 'otser umimmishpat "coercion and legal decision" as a hendiadys meaning "coercive legal decision," thus "an unjust trial." Other interpretive options include: (1) "without [for this sense of min see BDB 578 s.v. 1.b] hindrance and proper judicial process," i.e., "unfairly and with no one to defend him," (2) "from [in the sense of "after,"] arrest and judgment."