Isaiah 51-55

Paul Bukauskas

Isaiah • Sermon • Submitted 5 years ago

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Chapter 51-55 Review

Chapter 51

The promises of Eden would be restored (1-3) and the curse would be removed (17-23). Turning from the godless, Isiah now addresses the godly of the nation. They are called the pursuers after righteousness ( cf. Deut 16:20). They are active, vigorously seeking after righteousness, hungering and thirsty after it which results in action. God’s alarm clock telling us to Wake up!

Chapter 52

In the previous chapter (51) we are told that the promises of Eden would be restored (1-3) and that the curse would be removed (17-23) i.e. no longer drink from the cup of my fury. Here, God calls Zion to enter into Holiness because redemption has been accomplished (51:1)

Chapter 52:13-53:12

We reached the high point of our study of Isaiah, the 4th Servant Song. The gospel in a nutshell. We see Christ Life, Death, Burial, Resurrection Resurrection and Exaltation all this this one chapter. His death was for our sins to appease God and it was because of His great love for you that He willingly went to the cross

Chapter 54

The first verse speaks about how the barren women should rejoice. Paul provided deep insight into this verse when we commented on it GalatiansWe also saw a future time when we will forget our shame and enjoy the future city of God

Chapter 55

Here we see the OT formula for salvation: the sinner must come believing God, recognizing His sin and desiring forgiveness and deliverance from sin. This is one of the clearest OT invitations to Salvation. 55:11 is where we find a verse that all of us have committed to memory

Chapter 51

Overview

Comfort

A chapter of comfort. Isaiah the prophet reminds:

— 1) This God who raised the church out of nothing is strong enough to make sure we do not perish

— 2) His righteousness and salvation is very near

— 3) Those who persecute us are like dying men compared to the immortal God

J. Vernon McGee called this chapter God’s Alarm Clock because of the phrase “Awake, Awake” ( 51:9, 17; 52:1 )

Raised the Church from Nothing (51:1-3)

( 51:1-3 ) “Listen to Me, you who follow after righteousness, You who seek the Lord: Look to the rock from which you were hewn, And to the hole of the pit from which you were dug. 2 Look to Abraham your father, And to Sarah who bore you; For I called him alone, And blessed him and increased him.” 3 For the Lord will comfort Zion, He will comfort all her waste places; He will make her wilderness like Eden, And her desert like the garden of the Lord; Joy and gladness will be found in it, Thanksgiving and the voice of melody.

Q: Who is Go speaking to and what do Abraham and Sarah have to do with this (v1,2)?

You

( 51:1 ) Listen to Me, you who follow after righteousness

— The nation of Israel

Abraham / Sarah

( 51:2 ) They descended from Abraham and Sarah as stones are cut from a pit or quarry

Motyer

This verse speaks of the purpose of God in his call the transforming power of God in the blessing and the divine energizing whereby one without hope of increase became many

Words of Comfort

( 51:3 ) For the Lord will comfort Zion

— The same God that who fulfilled His promise to Abraham, will transform the land into paradise

Raised the Church from Nothing > The Lord’s Salvation is near (51:4-6)

( 51:4-6 ) “Listen to Me, My people; And give ear to Me, O My nation: For law will proceed from Me, And I will make My justice rest As a light of the peoples. 5 My righteousness is near, My salvation has gone forth, And My arms will judge the peoples; The coastlands will wait upon Me, And on My arm they will trust. 6 Lift up your eyes to the heavens, And look on the earth beneath. For the heavens will vanish away like smoke, The earth will grow old like a garment, And those who dwell in it will die in like manner; But My salvation will be forever, And My righteousness will not be abolished.

Q: God promises His Salvation in 4-6, what do we learn about it? Who is it for?

Listen

( 51:4 ) Listen to Me, My people

— The Lord calls the people to listen three ( 3 ) times ( 51:1, 4, 7 )

— Listen to His promises of a coming salvation

— He is going to bless all nation ( As a light of the peoples ); His promise is for the whole world

Bless All nations

— This was God’s intention with Abraham (Gen 12:1-3)

Near

( 51:5 ) My righteousness is near, My salvation has gone forth

— The Lord’s power to bring justice and salvation to the world was at work, it was near

— But God’s reckoning of time is not the same as man’s

— It was near from God’s endless eternity

Tribulation

( 51:6 ) This verse covers the beginning of the tribulation and the end of the tribulation

— Jesus returns to heaven passing away, Olivet Discourse (Luke 21:33)

— There will be a renewed earth during the tribulation (cf. Rev 6:12-14, 8:12,13, 16;8-10, 21)

— The actual destruction which Peter wrote about (2 Pet 3:10-13) takes place at the end of Christ’s 1000 year reign

— New Earth (Rev 21:1)

Raised the Church from Nothing > The Lord’s Salvation is near > Those who Persecute you are weak (51:7-8)

( 51:7-8 ) “Listen to Me, you who know righteousness, You people in whose heart is My law: Do not fear the reproach of men, Nor be afraid of their insults. 8 For the moth will eat them up like a garment, And the worm will eat them like wool; But My righteousness will be forever, And My salvation from generation to generation.”

Q: Who should we not fear? Why not (7,8)?

Men

( 51:7 ) Do not fear the reproach of men

— In 51:12 He calls them “men who will die”

( 51:8 ) The moth will eat them up

— Your enemies will perish but the Lord’s salvation is permanent

— Our hope is in God, not ourselves

— His faithfulness is a belt about His waist

— ”Righteousness shall be the belt of His loins, And faithfulness the belt of His waist.” ( 11:5 )

— His faithfulness reaches to the skies (Ps 36:5)

Raised the Church from Nothing > The Lord’s Salvation is near > Those who Persecute you are weak > God’s Alarm Clock ( 51:9-11 )

( 51:9-11 ) Awake, awake, put on strength, O arm of the Lord! Awake as in the ancient days, In the generations of old. Are You not the arm that cut Rahab apart, And wounded the serpent? 10 Are You not the One who dried up the sea, The waters of the great deep; That made the depths of the sea a road For the redeemed to cross over? 11 So the ransomed of the Lord shall return, And come to Zion with singing, With everlasting joy on their heads. They shall obtain joy and gladness; Sorrow and sighing shall flee away.

— Here is a prayer for deliverance

— When God doesn’t answer our prayers, we think He’s sleeping

— We only demonstrate our own foolishness when we tell the Lord, Wake up!

Put on Strength

( 51:9 ) Awake, awake, put on strength

— This is the people telling God to wake up

— Some people have no conception of God, unless they see His hand in action

— Unless they are receiving answers to their prayers, they cannot fathom who God is

— Their understanding of God ends there

Mercy Me

Even if

It's easy to sing When there's nothing to bring me down But what will I say When I'm held to the flame Like I am right now

know You're able and I know You can Save through the fire with Your mighty hand But even if You don't My hope is You alone

Arm

( 51:9 ) The Arm, very personal involvement

— All the nations will see his involvement ( 52:10 )

Rehab / Serpent

References to Egypt, Rehab a term widely used to refer to things that wreak havoc (cf Ps 87:4)

Sea

( 51:10 ) Dried up the Red Sea

They shall return

( 51:11 ) So the ransomed of the Lord shall return...joy ...gladness

— The faithful will return

— Those released out of captivity would return

Raised the Church from Nothing > The Lord’s Salvation is near > Those who Persecute you are weak > God’s Alarm Clock > Words of comfort (51:12-16)

( 51:12-16 ) “I, even I, am He who comforts you. Who are you that you should be afraid Of a man who will die, And of the son of a man who will be made like grass? 13 And you forget the Lord your Maker, Who stretched out the heavens And laid the foundations of the earth; You have feared continually every day Because of the fury of the oppressor, When he has prepared to destroy. And where is the fury of the oppressor? 14 The captive exile hastens, that he may be loosed, That he should not die in the pit, And that his bread should not fail. 15 But I am the Lord your God, Who divided the sea whose waves roared— The Lord of hosts is His name. 16 And I have put My words in your mouth; I have covered you with the shadow of My hand, That I may plant the heavens, Lay the foundations of the earth, And say to Zion, ‘You are My people.’ ”

Q: Isaiah returns to a familiar theme in vv12-16. What is he saying? Who should we fear?

Trust God

( 51:12 ) I, even I, am He who comforts you. Who are you that you should be afraid Of a man who will die, And of the son of a man who will be made like grass?

— Instead of fearing dying men (12), Israel should trust the creator of all things

God creator

( 51:13 ) He is thy maker

— Not speaking of universal creation but spiritual regeneration

— He is my maker, and we are the workmanship of God (Eph 2:10) and created for every good work

— He made you what you are by election, grace, providential care ( 44:2 )

Boundless Power

— stretched out the heavens

— In contrast to the one who will die (v12), we see the boundless power of God

Out of Bondage

( 51:14 ) They will be released out of bondage, quickly

— They will be objects of kindness

— They will be given food

All God

( 51:15 ) But I am the Lord your God implies what God will do for them which they cannot do for themselves

— He has all the power

My Words

( 51:16 ) My words in your mouth

— Israel had been the unfaithful repository of God’s revelation (Rom 9:1-5)

— They were chosen, had God’s glory, given the covenants, the law, the temple service, promises

— But they were unfaithful

— But a time is coming when God will put His words in the mouth of His faith remnant (59:21)

In Short 51:9-16

We pray for deliverance in the future with confidence because we saw what you have done in the past. Even in our distress we were protected by the shadow of your hand. We were not utterly destroyed

Raised the Church from Nothing > The Lord’s Salvation is near > Those who Persecute you are weak > God’s Alarm Clock > Words of comfort (12-16) > The Curse Removed (51:17-23)

( 51:17-23 ) Awake, awake! Stand up, O Jerusalem, You who have drunk at the hand of the Lord The cup of His fury; You have drunk the dregs of the cup of trembling, And drained it out. 18 There is no one to guide her Among all the sons she has brought forth; Nor is there any who takes her by the hand Among all the sons she has brought up. 19 These two things have come to you; Who will be sorry for you?— Desolation and destruction, famine and sword— By whom will I comfort you? 20 Your sons have fainted, They lie at the head of all the streets, Like an antelope in a net; They are full of the fury of the Lord, The rebuke of your God. 21 Therefore please hear this, you afflicted, And drunk but not with wine. 22 Thus says your Lord, The Lord and your God, Who pleads the cause of His people: “See, I have taken out of your hand The cup of trembling, The dregs of the cup of My fury; You shall no longer drink it. 23 But I will put it into the hand of those who afflict you, Who have said to you, ‘Lie down, that we may walk over you.’ And you have laid your body like the ground, And as the street, for those who walk over.”

God’s Alarm Clock

( 51:17 ) Awake, awake!

—Earlier, they told the Lord to awake ( 41:27 )

— They thought He was sleeping

Q: Why did they want the Lord to awaken (v9)?

Take Action

They wanted the Lord to take action like He did to Egypt (Rahab)

— You call me to perform works of salvation

— But you are the ones who are asleep

— Wake up and see what I have already done

— The day of salvation has dawned ( 51:17; 52:1, 11 )

— And then, as if to answer the unspoken question how all this happened, He says in 52:13: “Look, my Servant”

Q: Here in v17, The Lord is saying, Awake, for what reason? (vv17,22)

( 5:17 ) O Jerusalem, You who have drunk at the hand of the Lord The cup of His fury; You have drunk the dregs of the cup of trembling, And drained it out

— Jerusalem experienced the Lord’s anger through her extended subservience to foreign powers with no human to deliver her (v. 18)

— They had drank from the cup of fury (17)

— But the punishment will end (22)

— On the other hand, Babylon will drink from the cup of His anger forever ( Rev 1:8-11; 16:19 )

Enemies

Israel will not drink all of the cup

— ( 51:23 ) They were told to lay down like they were pavement; walked on by their enemies

— It (the cup of trembling, fury) will be put into the hands of Her enemies

— They will drink the full fury ( 49:26 )

Chapter 52

Overview

In the previous chapter ( 51 ) we are told that the promises of Eden would be restored ( 1-3 ) and that the curse would be removed ( 17-23 ) i.e. no longer drink from the cup of my fury. Here, God calls Zion to enter into Holiness because redemption has been accomplished ( 51:1 )

The New Zion (52:1-2)

( 52:1-2 ) Awake, awake! Put on your strength, O Zion; Put on your beautiful garments, O Jerusalem, the holy city! For the uncircumcised and the unclean Shall no longer come to you. 2 Shake yourself from the dust, arise; Sit down, O Jerusalem! Loose yourself from the bonds of your neck, O captive daughter of Zion!

Q: What is Zion called to do? (1-2)

Put on Holiness

( 52:1 ) your strength, O Zion; Put on your beautiful garments

— Awake, Awake! earlier in 51:9 they thought God was sleeping

— Sounds similar to what Elijah said to the Baal worshipers in 1 Kin 18:27, Maybe he’s asleep

Put on Garments

But you are sleeping!

— Wake up, put on clothes

( 52:1 ) And these beautiful garments, clothes of righteousness

Unclean

( 52:1e ) For the uncircumcised and the unclean Shall no longer come to you

— uncircumcised : those estranged from the church

— circumcision by itself means nothing (cf. Gal 5:6)

— Here the uncircumcised and unclean “not coming to you” refers to enemies no longer attacking

Shake off dust

( 52:2 ) Sit down

— No longer prostrate on the dust, under the control of foreign governments, invaders

— Now clothed in righteousness

The New Zion > Divine Soliloquy (52:3-6)

( 52:2-3 ) Shake yourself from the dust, arise; Sit down, O Jerusalem! Loose yourself from the bonds of your neck, O captive daughter of Zion! 3 For thus says the Lord: “You have sold yourselves for nothing, And you shall be redeemed without money.”

Q: What price was paid for their slavery and their redemption (v3) ?

Nothing

( 52:3 ) sold yourselves for nothing, ... redeemed without money

— The Jews became servants of the Babylonians, who paid nothing for Israel

— So the Lord will take them back for nothing

— Earlier in 50:1 “Or which of My creditors is it to whom I have sold you?”

Didn’t Sell

— The Lord didn’t sell Israel

Free Grace

— Some might say this is God’s gift of free grace!

— That grace is free is true, but it doesn’t fit what the prophet is saying

What God wants

— What God wants is to deliver His people

— He doesn’t have to strike a deal with the Babylonians or anyone else

( 52:4-5 ) For thus says the Lord God: “My people went down at first Into Egypt to dwell there; Then the Assyrian oppressed them without cause. Now therefore, what have I here,” says the Lord, “That My people are taken away for nothing? Those who rule over them Make them wail,” says the Lord, “And My name is blasphemed continually every day.

Oppression

( 52:4 ) They were oppressed under the Babylonians who by then had joined an alliance with the Assyrians

Q: In verse 5 the people are described as taken away, what else describes the captors and the Jews in verse 5?

The Captors

( 52:5 ) Mock the Lord, wail, howl

— Those who rule over them despise the God of Israel

( 52:5e ) My name is blasphemed continually every day

— Paul quotes this verse in Romans 2:24

— He says the Jews were blasphemers because of their hypocrisy

— They applied their standards to everyone but themselves

Q: Why did God even bother to deliver Israel?

His own sake

Not because of their goodness

— Not because they were more noble than the other nations

— But for His own sake to prove He was truthful, powerful and faithful (Ezek 20:9,14)

( 52:6 ) Therefore My people shall know My name; Therefore they shall know in that day That I am He who speaks: ‘Behold, it is I.’ ”

One Day

( 52:6 ) My people shall know My name; Therefore they shall know in that day That I am He who speaks

— One day in the future all of Israel will know that the Lord spoke through Isaiah and the prophets

— know the promise of deliverance

— And in the 2nd coming they shall know, the Lord Himself will be present in WORD and in Person

The New Zion > Divine Soliloquy > The Lord’s Homecoming (52:7-10)

( 52:7-10 ) How beautiful upon the mountains Are the feet of him who brings good news, Who proclaims peace, Who brings glad tidings of good things, Who proclaims salvation, Who says to Zion, “Your God reigns!”

Q: Where is verse 7 quoted in the NT and how is it applied?

Romans 10:15

Paul quotes this in Romans 10:15

— Paul broadened this to the preaching of the gospel ( Rom 10:13-14 )

Romans 10:13–14 NKJV

13 For “whoever calls on the name of the Lord shall be saved.” 14 How then shall they call on Him in whom they have not believed? And how shall they believe in Him of whom they have not heard? And how shall they hear without a preacher?

Someone has to go!

Obviously, someone has to go and bring the Gospel

— Then, Paul quotes ( 52:7 )

— What a beautiful thing to see the feet of a preacher coming to tell us of Jesus

Runner

— When we think of a runner, we think of the Marathon

— A messenger by the name of Pheidippides ran from the city of Marathon to Athens (490 BC)

— He ran 150 miles in two days

— He then ran 25 miles to a battlefield near Marathon and then back to Athens to announce the Greek victory over the Persians

— Modern day marathon is 26.2 miles

Paul expands

— Paul expands the idea of a runner to announce victory of a military campaign to announce the gospel

( 52:8 ) Your watchmen shall lift up their voices, With their voices they shall sing together; For they shall see eye to eye When the Lord brings back Zion.

Eye to Eye

( 52:8 ) When the Lord comes back to Zion, it will be so vividly clear as if they were standing next to each other and looking at each other eye to eye

( 52:9-10 ) Break forth into joy, sing together, You waste places of Jerusalem! For the Lord has comforted His people, He has redeemed Jerusalem. 10 The Lord has 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.

Q: What has the Lord done according to vv 9, 10? How should the people react ?

Sing

( 52:9 ) joy…sing…comfort

— The city will sing

— Because the Lord has provided comfort

The New Zion > Divine Soliloquy > The Lord’s Homecoming > The Greater Exodus (52:11-12)

( 52:11-12 ) The Lord has 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. 11 Depart! Depart! Go out from there, Touch no unclean thing; Go out from the midst of her, Be clean, You who bear the vessels of the Lord. 12 For you shall not go out with haste, Nor go by flight; For the Lord will go before you, And the God of Israel will be your rear guard.

Q: What does the Lord tell the Jews in captivity in Babylon to do (vv11-12)?

Leave

( 52:11 ) Depart, Depart

They were told to leave Babylon - also a future implication (Rev 18:4)

— Only a small number did (some commentators put the number at 50,000 others 40,000)

— They got cozy with living in Babylon, foreign wives, idolatry

Abstain

( 52:11 ) touch no unclean thing

Joshua laid down the principle when he conquered Jericho (Josh 6:18)

— Don’t bring anything into the camp

— Otherwise you will defile the camp

— Paul quotes this in 2 Cor 6:17 using them as an exhortation forbidding Christians to involve themselves with spiritual ties to forces of heathendom

— “Therefore “Come out from among them And be separate, says the Lord. Do not touch what is unclean, And I will receive you.” ( 2 Cor 6:17 )

( 52:12 ) not…with haste

Deliberate

The people returning from captivity will have the Lord as their guard in front and in back

— No rush, there is no army chasing you

Chapter 52:13-52:12 Part (1)

Overview

Reached the Mountain Peak

We’ve finally arrived at Chapter 53 of Isaiah

— It felt like we reached the top of Mount Everest

— We are at the mountain peak and we’re going to stay here a few weeks and enjoy the view

— The NT tells us that Christ would suffer and then be glorified ( 1 Peter 1:10,11 )

1 Peter 1:10–11 NKJV

10 Of this salvation the prophets have inquired and searched carefully, who prophesied of the grace that would come to you, 11 searching what, or what manner of time, the Spirit of Christ who was in them was indicating when He testified beforehand the sufferings of Christ and the glories that would follow.

Suffering and Glory

Suffering of Christ and the glories that would follow

Nowhere in NT

Nowhere in the NT do we find such a detailed description of Christ’s suffering on the cross as we do here in Chapter 53

Before we start

We just looked at 1 Peter 1:10-11 which said Christ would suffer and then experience glory

— ( 53:1-9 ) shows the suffering of Christ

— ( 53:10-12 ) shows the satisfaction of the Saviour

Q: Do you think that a statement like no pain, no gain is biblical?

J Vernon McGee

McGee says that even God didn’t take a short-cut

— He could have avoided the cross and accepted the crown

— That was Satan’s suggestion

— Suffering always comes first

— first trial, then triumph

— first clouds, then sunshine and rainbows

— light follows darkness

— April showers bring May flowers

God’s Way

— Seems to be God’s way

— Because it is God’s way

— In Genesis it was first darkness and then light; evening and then morning

Best Way

— And because it is God’s way, it is the best way

— ”For His anger is but for a moment, His favor is for life; Weeping may endure for a night, But joy comes in the morning.” ( Ps 30:5 )

Encouragement

— If right now your facing trials of life, walking through the valleys of darkness, let me encourage you -

— You’re on the same path that our Lord Jesus followed

We start at

( 52:13 ) Robert Stephanus was a 16th century printer

— He first put verses in the bible

— These verses first appeared in printed form in 1551

— Stephen Langton, Archbishop of Canterbury put chapter divisions in the bible (1227)

— Here is an example where Chapter 53 should start at (52:13) which is where we will start

The Servant’s Exaltation and Humiliation (52:13-15)

( 52:13-15 ) Behold, My Servant shall deal prudently; He shall be exalted and extolled and be very high. 14 Just as many were astonished at you, So His visage was marred more than any man, And His form more than the sons of men; 15 So shall He sprinkle many nations. Kings shall shut their mouths at Him; For what had not been told them they shall see, And what they had not heard they shall consider.

Q: If we think of 52:13-15 as summary of Chapter 53, what does it tell us?

God Commissioned it

( 52:13 ) Behold, My Servant

— God commissioned it, and because He did, He is saying Christ is qualified for it

— And as His Servant, He will do the will of the Father, not His own will

( 52:13 ) … shall deal prudently

… will act wisely (NIV)

.... will prosper (NRSV)

— He will meet the task with success

— He will not fail

Exalted

( 52:13b ) He shall be exalted and extolled and be very high

— High, Higher, Highest

— God incarnate comes off the throne!

Humiliated

( 52:14b ) So His visage was marred more than any man, And His form more than the sons of men

Q: Does this verse teach that Jesus was homely, ugly, unattractive man? Maybe even possibly deformed?

— No, He was perfect

— This describes His experience on the cross

He will cleanse

( 52:15a ) So shall He sprinkle many nations

— Not just Israel, but many nations will be sprinkled, cleansed by His priestly work

He will Astound

( 52:15b ) Kings shall shut their mouths at Him

— He will leave them speechless

— Astonish the rulers of the world

— Once a despised servant, now an exalted King

— Like Queen Sheba when she visited Solomon, when the kings see Christ and His power and glory, it will far exceed anything they were told

Paul

Paul quotes this verse in Rom 15:21 and applies it to taking the gospel to the Gentiles who have never heard of Christ

The Servant’s Exaltation and Humiliation > Suffering Observed and Misunderstood (53:1-3)

( 53:1-3 ) Who has believed our report? And to whom has the arm of the Lord been revealed? 2 For He shall grow up before Him as a tender plant, And as a root out of dry ground. He has no form or comeliness; And when we see Him, There is no beauty that we should desire Him. 3 He is despised and rejected by men, A Man of sorrows and acquainted with grief. And we hid, as it were, our faces from Him; He was despised, and we did not esteem Him.

Q: Looking at Chapter 53, many skeptics have denied that Isaiah could have written Chapter 53 because it so accurately describes Jesus Christ. Can you provide any ”internal” evidence that it does describe Christ?

Ethiopian Philip and the Ethiopian Eunuch ( Acts 8:32 )

Acts 8:32–35 NKJV

32 The place in the Scripture which he read was this: “He was led as a sheep to the slaughter; And as a lamb before its shearer is silent, So He opened not His mouth. 33 In His humiliation His justice was taken away, And who will declare His generation? For His life is taken from the earth.” 34 So the eunuch answered Philip and said, “I ask you, of whom does the prophet say this, of himself or of some other man?” 35 Then Philip opened his mouth, and beginning at this Scripture, preached Jesus to him.

Jesus John applied Isaiah 53:1 to Jesus (Jn 12:37,38 )

John 12:37–38 NKJV

37 But although He had done so many signs before them, they did not believe in Him, 38 that the word of Isaiah the prophet might be fulfilled, which he spoke: “Lord, who has believed our report? And to whom has the arm of the Lord been revealed?”

Gospel Rejection

— Paul quotes ( 53:1 ) to state Israel’s rejection of Christ despite his many miracles in their presence

— “But they have not all obeyed the gospel. For Isaiah says, “Lord, who has believed our report?” ( Ro 10:16 )

Matthew

Matthew quotes ( 53:4 ) to describe Christ’s healing ministry (Matthew 8:16,17)

— When evening had come, they brought to Him many who were demon-possessed. And He cast out the spirits with a word, and healed all who were sick, 17 that it might be fulfilled which was spoken by Isaiah the prophet, saying: “He Himself took our infirmities And bore our sicknesses.” ( Matt 8:16,17 )

— Matthew says that Jesus fulfilled this prophecy

Peter

— Peter quotes ( 53:5 ) and describes this to Christ

—”who Himself bore our sins in His own body on the tree, that we, having died to sins, might live for righteousness—by whose stripes you were healed.” ( 1 Peter 2:24 )

Sheep

— Peter paraphrases (53:6)

— “For you were like sheep going astray, but have now returned to the Shepherd and Overseer of your souls.” ( 1 Peter 2:25 )

Keep Silent

— Peter comments on (53:7), on Christ’s silence before His accusers

— “ who, when He was reviled, did not revile in return; when He suffered, He did not threaten, but committed Himself to Him who judges righteously;” ( 1 Peter 2:23 )

No Deceit

— Not a grave with the wicked because there was no deceit found in His mouth

— Peter quotes (53:9)

— “For to this you were called, because Christ also suffered for us, leaving us an example, that you should follow His steps:” ( 1 Peter 2:21 )

Assigned a grave (w/ wicked)

— Assigned a grave with the wicked (cf. Luke 23:32-33, Luke 23:50-53)

— Fulfilled (53:9)

Q: How is Christ described in verses 2-3?

No Beauty

( 53:2 ) There is no beauty that we should desire Him

— He appeared as a man

— Not noble that they expected from a King

— Israel wanted a king; choose Saul 6’5 masculine; looked like a King

Despised

( 53:3 ) He is despised and rejected by men

Grief

( 53:3b ) A Man of sorrows and acquainted with grief

Q: Was Jesus depressed Verse 3 says He was a man of sorrows

Never Laughed

— Bible nowhere records that He laughed

— Better translated suffering

— (NIV) translates this as “a man of suffering”

— Yes, He suffered but He wasn’t melancholy or depressed

— It was for the joy that set before Him that He endured the cross (cf. Heb 12:2)

The Servant’s Exaltation and Humiliation > Suffering Observed and Misunderstood > Explanation: The Servant’s vicarious suffering, our sins and the Lord’s will (53:4-6)

( 53:4-6 ) Surely He has borne our griefs And carried our sorrows; Yet we esteemed Him stricken, Smitten by God, and afflicted. 5 But He was wounded for our transgressions, He was bruised for our iniquities; The chastisement for our peace was upon Him, And by His stripes we are healed. 6 All we like sheep have gone astray; We have turned, every one, to his own way; And the Lord has laid on Him the iniquity of us all.

Q: Why did He suffer (vv5-6)?

Our Sins

( 53:5 ) But He was wounded for our transgressions, He was bruised for our iniquities

— My sins caused nailed Him to the cross

— But His love held Him to the cross

( 53:6 ) And the Lord has laid on Him the iniquity of us all

— He didn’t suffer for His sin

— He suffered for our sins

— He was sinless

— Jews today still believe Jesus was a blasphemer

( 53:4 ) Yet we esteemed Him stricken

The Servant’s Exaltation and Humiliation > Suffering Observed and Misunderstood > Explanation: The Servant’s vicarious suffering, our sins and the Lord’s will > The Servant’s final act: His voluntary, undeserved death and mystery of His burial (53:7-9)

( 53:7-9 ) He was oppressed and He was afflicted, Yet He opened not His mouth; He was led as a lamb to the slaughter, And as a sheep before its shearers is silent, So He opened not His mouth. 8 He was taken from prison and from judgment, And who will declare His generation? For He was cut off from the land of the living; For the transgressions of My people He was stricken. 9 And they made His grave with the wicked— But with the rich at His death, Because He had done no violence, Nor was any deceit in His mouth.

Q: When Jesus faced His accusers in verse 7, how did He react? Can you cite any NT references that fulfilled this?

He was silent

( 53:7 ) Yet He opened not His mouth

( 53:7d ) And as a sheep before its shearers is silent, So He opened not His mouth

Ethiopian

This was the section of Isaiah which Philip explained to the Ethiopian Eunuch (Acts 8:32,33)

Fulfilled

This was fulfilled before the

— The High Priest (Caiaphas) (cf. Matt 26:63; Matt 27:12-14; Mark 14:61)

— Pilate (cf. Mark 15:5)

— Herod (cf. Luke 23:9, John 19:9)

— 1 Peter 2:23 “...when He was reviled did not revile in return...”

Killed

( 53:8 ) For He was cut off from the land of the living

--“to be cut off…living” is a Hebrew reference to death

— Dan 9:26 and Ps 88:5 use this same phrase

Q: How was he buried (v9)? Can you provide any NT references that this was fulfilled?

( 53:9 ) And they made His grave with the wicked— But with the rich at His death

Matthew

— Matthew 27:57-60

— Joseph of Arimathea

Luke

— Luke 23:53

Two Criminals

He is crucified between two criminals

— “Then two robbers were crucified with Him, one on the right and another on the left.” ( Matt 27:38 )

Road Kill

What was planned for Jesus was to leave Him on the cross for a few days

— First, the birds would come and gouge out the eyes

Don’t cross Rome

Then animals would crawl up the wood and eat the soft tissue

— Criminals were treated as road kill

— Also a sign to the public

— This is what happens to you if you go up against Rome

Hinnom

The bodies would be dumped in the Valley of Hinnom, the city dump

— Fires always burned in Ghenna and Jesus used this as an illustration of Hell

— This is also were Ahaz sacrificed his son (2 Chr 28)

— Isaiah 66:24 as the place where the worm never dies

Stop!

But God said Stop! This is where my Son’s humiliation stops

— It stops at death

— God would never allow Jesus’s body to be further humiliated after death

— Fulfilled ( Ps 16:10 )

— “For You will not leave my soul in Sheol, Nor will You allow Your Holy One to see corruption.” ( Ps 16:10 )

First Step up

The first step up

— Resurrection

— Ascension

— Exaltation

Another View

— Another view of the crucifixion (Ps 22:11-18)

— Poured out like water ( Ps 22:14 )

— My tongue clings to my jaw ( Ps 22:15 )

— They pierced my hands and my feet ( Ps 22:16 )

— They divide my garments among them ( Ps 22:18 )

( 53:10 ) Yet it pleased the Lord to bruise Him; He has put Him to grief. When You make His soul an offering for sin, He shall see His seed, He shall prolong His days, And the pleasure of the Lord shall prosper in His hand.

Q: Why did He die according to verse 10?

An offering

( 53:10 ) When You make His soul an offering for sin

Lit. Hebrew “because He would himself as a guilt offering”

Offerings

Five offerings Jews gave according to Leviticus (the last 3 involved animal sacrifices)

— Grain

— Peace

Animals

— Burnt

— Sin

— Guilt

Consequences

— These pictured the deadly consequences of sin

— The animal sacrifices pictured that God would allow a substitute to die in our place

Guilt offering

Whole animals placed on the altar

— A picture of complete satisfaction

Result

— The Servant was the lamb of God ( Jn 1:29 )

— His sacrifice was expiatory

— He will see a seed from his own seed, those redeemed from the guilt and power of their sins

— Full satisfaction, restitution, propitiation

— The debt fully paid, sinner is free

Q: Who killed Christ, v10?

Pleased

( 53:10 ) Yet it pleased the Lord to bruise Him

Young

The pleasure of the Lord had in view the accomplishing of the divine will

God

God’s will that Christ die (Matt 26:39; Luke 22:42; John 12:27; Acts 2:23)

( 53:11-12 ) He shall see the labor of His soul, and be satisfied. By His knowledge My righteous Servant shall justify many, For He shall bear their iniquities. 12 Therefore I will divide Him a portion with the great, And He shall divide the spoil with the strong, Because He poured out His soul unto death, And He was numbered with the transgressors, And He bore the sin of many, And made intercession for the transgressors.

Q: What would be the end result of His death (vv11-12)

( 53:11 ) justify many

( 53:11 ) He shall bear their iniquities

( 53:12 ) bore the sins of the many

( 53:12 ) made intercession for the transgressors

Justify many

We are justified by our Faith in Christ (Gal 2:16)

— Justified by Faith not the works of the law

Bore our sins

He took our sins

— Exchanged our sins for His righteousness

Closing thought

The Jews didn’t understand Isaiah 53

— But demons understood it!

— Their eschatology is so good that they understood that their judgment was tied to His second coming (Mark 5:6)

— The demon of Mark 5:6 was concerned that Jesus’ timing was off

— The demon of Matt 8:29 said that it was before his time

— They understood Christ would first come as a suffering Servant (Isa 53, Ps 16)

One True Servant

There is one true Servant of Israel

— He will redeem the people from their sins and their circumstances, enemies and suffering

— Zech 3:8 my Servant

— Zech 6:12 Behold the man

— Zech 9:9 Your King is coming

— The Servant of Jehovah will be A MAN, A KING, YOUR GOD ( 40:9 )

— This becomes the Theme of the Gospels

— Matthew - THE KING, Mark - THE SERVANT, Luke - MAN John - GOD

Chapter 52:13-52:12 Part (2)

Source

Portions extracted from “Behold the Lamb”, John MacArthur, https://www.gty.org/library/sermons-library/GTY140/behold-the-lamb

Only Religion

Christianity is the only religion that has two (2) ancient books separated by hundreds of years that are in perfect harmony with each other

The OT - what will happen (Isaiah)

The NT writes the history that it did happen (Gospels)

A Gospel

— Prophecy and fulfillment

— Isaiah 53 is a detailed prophecy of Christ

— Some have called Isaiah the fifth (5th) gospel

— Actually, it’s the first

The 5th Gospel

Q: How would you define a gospel?

Contains

Isaiah contains the Lord’s

— Arrival

— Deity in human flesh

— Life

— Death

— Burial

— Resurrection

— Ascension

— And, Exaltation

Everything is here from the incarnation to the final exaltation of Christ

Only Here

— There is no NT passage with a commentary on the meaning of the death of Christ as in here in 53

— The clearest explanation of the death of Christ is here

Split the same way

Isaiah is split the same way as the Bible

66 Chapters - How many Chapters ?

39 = OT How many in the OT?

27=NT How many in the NT?

Thirty-nine (39) chapters of judgment

— The Government of God (1-39)

Twenty-seven (27) chapters on Salvation ( 40 -66 )

3 Sets of 9

In the 27 chapters that make up the second half of Isaiah, there are three (3) sets of 9

— 40-48: Salvation from the Babylonian captivity

— 49-57: Salvation from sin

— 58-66: Salvation from the curse

— A future end times (Eschatological) event that will happen during the millennium

The Middle

The Middle of the Middle chapter of 49-67 is 53

— The middle of 53 is 53:5

— “But He was wounded for our transgressions, He was bruised for our iniquities; The chastisement for our peace was upon Him, And by His stripes we are healed.” ( 53:5 )

NT began

— This second half of Isaiah starts where the NT start, with the introduction of John the Baptist (40:3)

— And Isaiah ends where the NT ends with a look at the New Heavens and the New Earth (65:17)

Chapter 53

Chapter 53 is like an encapsulation of the whole bible

Exalted Glory

— Starts with our Lord’s eternal relationship with the Father in the exalted state of glory

Humiliation

Descends down to

— His humiliation, incarnation

— rejection, execution

Resurrection

Then goes back up through the empty tomb on Easter

Justification

The accomplishment of Justification for the many

Intercession

His intercession

— His Glory

— His final kingdom

— It’s all here in Isaiah 53

Quoted

No wonder that it is quoted so often:

— Matthew, Mark, Luke, Acts, Romans, 1 Corinthians, Galatians

— Ephesians, Timothy, Titus, Hebrews, 1 Peter, 1 John

Every Phrase

Virtually every phrase in this chapter you will find somewhere in the NT

— The writers of the NT pirated this chapter under the inspiration of the Holy Spirit

Important

This chapter is critically important

— Shows the veracity of Scripture

— Scripture prophesied and fulfilled

— Apologetic value

Also because

It answers the most critical question that anyone can ask

The 5th Gospel > The Most important Question

Q: What is that question What is the most important question that anyone can ask?

Nothing to do with

It has nothing to do with

— Health

— Wealth

— Prosperity

— Fulfillment

— Success

— Morality

The Question The Answer to the most important question is another question:

A: How can a sinner be made right with a holy God so to escape eternal punishment and enter eternal heaven?

The Answer

Chapter 53 answers that question

Q: So why did the Jews reject it?

Self- Righteousness

Because their system is set up based on self-righteousness

— Listen to Paul Rom 10:3

— “For they being ignorant of God’s righteousness, and seeking to establish their own righteousness, have not submitted to the righteousness of God.” ( Rom 10:3 )

Isaiah Said this earlier

— Isaiah said this earlier 1:5-6

Isaiah 1:5–6 NKJV

5 Why should you be stricken again? You will revolt more and more. The whole head is sick, And the whole heart faints. 6 From the sole of the foot even to the head, There is no soundness in it, But wounds and bruises and putrefying sores; They have not been closed or bound up, Or soothed with ointment.

The 5th Gospel > The Most important Question > Self Works

Self Works

They don’t need a Saviour

— Apostate Judaism is premised on good works

— You earn your way in thru morality and observing religious rules

— That was true in Jesus’ day, Jesus said:

— ” I have not come to call the righteous, but sinners, to repentance.” ( Lk 5:32 )

— If you think you’re righteous, I can’t work with that

Tried to Kill Him

In Luke 4:16-28 Jesus went back to His home town of Nazareth where He had grown up

— He spent His whole life there

— They knew Him

— And He goes to the synagogue on the Sabbath and He opens the book of Isaiah to Isaiah 61 and He begins to preach

Preached Gospel

And He preached the gospel

— He said the gospel has come to the poor, prisoners, oppressed…and this day is fulfilled in your hearing

Q: What did they do to Him after that sermon?

Murder

They tried to murder Him

— After just one sermon!

— They tried to throw Him off a cliff

Q: Why?

Because He said if you don’t see yourself as:

— The poor, brokenhearted

— Captive, prisoner

— Spiritually blind, oppressed

— YOU HAVE NO HOPE!

Illustrations

Then He used a couple of illustrations:

— You are like your forefathers, God couldn’t do anything with them either

Elijah heals

Elijah had to go over to Baal’s country and heal a widow over there

— And you are like the people in the day of Naaman

— God couldn’t do anything for the Jews, He had to go over and heal a boarder - terrorist Syrian by the name of Naaman (2 Ki 5:11)

You’re the same kind of people

— You think you’re righteous

— And that is why they tried to murder Him after just one sermon in His hometown

— And they are still that way

Self-Righteous

Self righteous people don’t need a saviour

— They don’t know that they are sick from the head to the toe (1:6)

The OT Theme is the Law, keeping the Law and death

Grace, mercy, bring life. Christ died and the tombs opened

The 5th Gospel > The Most important Question > Self Works > We Know we are Wretched

Wretched

They don’t know how wretched they are

— That’s the difference between Jew and Christian

— We understand that

What they Want

They just want a deliverer

— From their enemies

— From their circumstances

What they Got

When Jesus didn’t deliver them from their enemies and negative circumstances, they killed Him

Not Ready

They weren’t ready to hear the answer to the most important question - How can a sinner be made right with a Holy God so as to escape eternal punishment and enter eternal heaven?

All Here

Isaiah answer all that here in Isaiah 53

The 5th Gospel > The Most important Question > Self Works > We Know we are Wretched > Not what you expect

One more thing… Although this chapter deals with the

— Deity of Christ

— The Humanity of Christ

— The Life of Christ

— The rejection of Christ

— The Humiliation of Christ

— The death of Christ

— The Resurrection of Christ

— The Intercession of Christ

— And the exaltation of Christ

Not About Christ

It’s not primarily a prophecy about Christ

Not forward

It’s not a prophecy about Christ because it’s not looking forward

— All the verbs from 1-11 are in the past tense

Q: Can you find them? (vv1-11)

( 53:1 ) Who has believed our report?… to whom has the arm of the Lord been revealed?

( 53:3 ) He is despised and rejected by men

( 53:5 ) He was wounded...He was bruised

( 53:6 ) the Lord has laid on Him the iniquity of us all.

( 53:7 ) He was oppressed … He was afflicted

( 53:8 ) He was taken from prison… He was cut off

Already Happened

This is describing something that has already happened

Q: How could it have already happened?

Because

What we have in Isaiah 53 is the words of the confession that Israel will make in the future when they are redeemed

Zechariah

Remember Zechariah made this incredible prophecy

— “And I will pour on the house of David and on the inhabitants of Jerusalem the Spirit of grace and supplication; then they will look on Me whom they pierced. Yes, they will mourn for Him as one mourns for his only son, and grieve for Him as one grieves for a firstborn.” ( Zech 12:10 )

A promise

There is a promise of future Salvation for Israel ( Zech 13:1 )

— It is also promised in Ez 36, Jer 31, Rom 11:25-27

A Future Day

Isaiah 53 is a statement that the Jews will make when they look upon the one they have pierced

— The very words they will say when God pours out His Grace and saves them

Their Confession

This is their confession

— All the pronouns are plural

— This is not Isaiah talking

— All the verbs are past tense

— This is what they will say when they see Christ and repent for who He really is

The 5th Gospel > The Most important Question > Self Works > We Know we are Wretched > Not what you expect > The Servant Song

The Servant Songs

1st

( 42:1-9 ) Introduces us to the Servant (Ehbed [heb], Doulos [grk])

— Means slave

— We learn in 42:1-9

— He will be chosen by God

— Empowered by the Holy Spirit

— Bring justice and Righteousness into the world

— Deliver prisoners from their dark dungeons of sin

2nd

( 49:1-3 ) We learn a little more

— He will be a human man

— A reference that He will be born of a virgin

— He will save Israel and bring salvation to the nations of the world

— He will be glorified

3rd

( 50:4-7 ) We see His humiliation

— His face is struck

— His beard is plucked out

— He was spat on

— He suffers humiliation and learns obedience

4th

( 52:13-53:12 )

— We see the Messiah in a kind of precision that can only be known by God

— We see a Messiah who dies as a sacrifice for sins

The 5th Gospel > The Most important Question > Self Works > We Know we are Wretched > Not what you expect > The Scorned Servant (1-3)

Scorned

( 53:1 ) Who has believed our report? And to whom has the arm of the Lord been revealed?

— Who believed the message given to us

— Which is the way it should be translated

First Thing

The first thing they will say:

— We didn’t believe!

— Who believed it? Nobody believed it

— Our own leaders and scribes did not believe it

The Message

The message of Jesus

— Not what we gave

— But what was given us

— lit: who has believed the message that was heard by us?

We heard it

We heard it but we didn’t believe it

Jews know the Gospel

The Jewish people have been exposed to the Gospel

— Virtually every Jew in the world since the NT has heard the message of Jesus in order that he might reject it

— The Rabbis have been very busy discrediting Jesus

When they look back

When the future remnant looks back, they will say, who believed the message we heard?

Paul understood

Paul understood the meaning of that confession

— Rom 10:11 he makes reference to it

— Rom 10:11-14 People cannot believe unless they hear. Can’t hear unless they’re sent

— Rom 10:16 The Jews heard but did not believe, he then quotes (53:1) Lord who has believed our report?

— He says faith comes by hearing, and hearing by the Word of God (Rom 11:17)

— Paul literally says, the Jews did not believe exactly like (53:1) predicted

Then God Speaks

Then, in Rom 10:21 God speaks ( 65:2 )

— “But to Israel he says: “All day long I have stretched out My hands To a disobedient and contrary people.” ( Ro 10:21 )

— They know it, they don’t believe it

The 5th Gospel > The Most important Question > Self Works > We Know we are Wretched > Not what you expect > The Scorned Servant > We saw but didn’t believe

Second Question

( 53:1 ) And to whom has the arm of the Lord been revealed?

— Then there is a 2nd question to drive the point home

— He showed us His arm

— He showed us His power to save

— And we didn’t understand it

Arm

— The Messiah is the arm of the Lord

The Gospel is the arm of the Lord too (cf. Rom 1:16 )

Power of God

The arm is the Power of God

— We didn’t understand it was the power of God

— Power over sickness, demons, nature

— The one who yields “the arm” is God. This is the Deity of the Messiah

— We didn’t see it! (they’ll say)

The 5th Gospel > The Most important Question > Self Works > We Know we are Wretched > Not what you expect > The Scorned Servant > We saw but didn’t believe > Rejected by Men

Q: Why would the Jews reject Him (53:2)?

They will give an answer

( 53:2 ) For He shall grow up before Him as a tender plant, And as a root out of dry ground

— The answer will pour out of their hearts

Him

Not only us, but God (Him)

— Christ grew up

— He pleased God as He grew up

Tender plant

As a tender plant - a sucker branch

— Something not needed

— If you are a farmer, you cut it off

Root

A root out of dry ground

— We didn’t plant Him

— We don’t want Him

— A dead root sticking out of parched ground. Good for nothing

Origin

Means, He had a contemptible origin:

— Came from a nowhere town

— John 1:46 Can anything good come out of Nazareth?

Came from a nobody family

— Matt 13:55 He’s the son of a carpenter

— Didn’t come from an elite or elevated family

— Unable to bring a Ram as a purification offering (Lev 12:2-5) so they brought two turtle doves (Luke 2:22-24)

Education

He didn’t have an education

— Totally unimpressive

Birth

Born in a manger attended by shepherds

— Who were at the bottom of the social ladder

When He Grew up

( 53:2 ) For He shall grow up before Him as a tender plant, And as a root out of dry ground. He has no form or comeliness; And when we see Him, There is no beauty that we should desire Him.

— Nothing royal, stately, no bearing, non persona

— Jews blackmailed Pilot

— His get back was the plaque because he knew the Jews found that objectionable!

— Pilots vengeance: The most objectionable claim that Jesus made: “This is Jesus of Nazareth King of the Jews”

End

His end was contemptible

( 53:3 ) He is despised and rejected by men, A Man of sorrows and acquainted with grief. And we hid, as it were, our faces from Him; He was despised, and we did not esteem Him.

Contempt

They had contempt for his origin and his life, but especially for His death

— They could have seen Christ’s death as a substitutionary sacrifice like Abraham finding a Ram to sacrifice instead of his son Isaac

— But they didn’t see themselves as sinful or needing a saviour to die in their place

— When they saw their self proclaimed Messiah’s life ending in grief, a man of sorrows

— His life ending the way it ended, they found it despicable

What do the Jews say

Early View

The early sages expected a personal Messiah to fulfill the Isaiah prophecy.

— Same as the Christian interpretation

Middle Ages

Popularized by Jewish commentator Rashi (Rabbi Shlomo Itzchaki), who lived one thousand years after Jesus.

— Isreal is the servant; Problems with this view

— ( 53:8 ) says He will be killed (But Isreal will not be cut off, cf. Jer 31:36)

— ( 53:8 ) For the transgressions of My people He was stricken ; people is clearly Jewish people

— ( 53:9 ) Nor was any deceit in His mount; Isreal was never without sin

They despised Jesus

They despised Jesus and they still do

— Hebrew is Yeshua

— Rabbis have changed that by dropping the final “a”

Yeshu The Rabbis call Him Yeshu

— Yeshu is an acrostic, meaning “Let His Name be Blotted Out”

Another way

This is another way of saying what they said recorded in Luke (cf Luke 19:14)

— “But his citizens hated him, and sent a delegation after him, saying, ‘We will not have this man to reign over us” ( Lk 19:14 )

Rabbis call Him

The transgressor the hanged one (Dt 21:23)

— The real story of Jesus, the Rabbis say, is the story of Yeshu. They reject the NT but there was a historical Jesus

— His real story with “Miriam ben Stada” and “Ben Pandera”

— His father is Ben Pandera

— His mother is Miriam ben Stada, a hairdresser who had an adulterous affair with Ben Pandera a Roman mercenary and produced Yeshu

— Rabbis say this illegitimate son then went to Egypt to learn magical arts and lead men astray

— That’s in the Talmud, codification of Jewish History

Forsaken by Men

Forsaken of Lords, Rulers, Leaders

— So what do the people say?

— A contemptible beginning

— A contemptible life

— A contemptible death

— And no important people affirmed Him

— We looked to our leaders and they were the ones crying for His blood (John 7:48)

Man of Sorrows

Sorrows of heart

— Broken hearted

— Sad on the inside, He was acquainted with grief

Actual Pain

( 53:3c ) The actual pain was so bad that by the time He got to the cross, we hid our faces from Him

— ( 52:4 ) says He was marred more than any man

— Thorns crushed on His head

— Blood running down His face

— Flies cloaking His body

— Hanging naked on the cross

— Marks from the lashes

— Bruises from the beatings to His face

Don’t look

Someone you don’t even want to look at - turn your face away

— Too grotesque, too ugly, too shameful

— Don’t even want to look at the person

— Like a disfigured person

Despised

We despised and esteemed Him not

— He did not exist (literally)

— He was a nobody

— He hung around nobodies and He Himself was a nobody

—Seven (7) of His disciples were fisherman and the rest uneducated Galileans

— The only non-Galilean in the group was Judas Iscariot from Queriot or Kerioth (South of Jerusalem)

The 5th Gospel > The Most important Question > Self Works > We Know we are Wretched > Not what you expect > The Scorned Servant > We saw but didn’t believe > Rejected by Men > The Substituted Servant (53:4-6)

When Grace is poured When the spirit of Grace and Supplication is poured on them, we will hear them say verse 4:

( 53:4 ) Surely He has borne our griefs And carried our sorrows; Yet we esteemed Him stricken, Smitten by God, and afflicted.

We thought

— We thought God was punishing Him for being a blasphemer because He said

— “I and My Father are one.” ( Jn 10:30 )

— Jesus said to them, “Most assuredly, I say to you, before Abraham was, I AM.” ( Jn 8:58 )

— But Jesus answered them, “My Father has been working until now, and I have been working.” ( Jn 5:17 )

— Jesus said to him, “Have I been with you so long, and yet you have not known Me, Philip? ( Jn 14:9 )

— He who has seen Me has seen the Father; so how can you say, ‘Show us the Father’?

— For the Son of Man is Lord even of the Sabbath.” ( Mt 12:8 )

Now we know

But now we Know

— Our griefs He bore

— Our sorrows He carried

— ( 53:5 ) But He was wounded for our transgressions, He was bruised for our iniquities; The chastisement for our peace was upon Him, And by His stripes we are healed

Q: In verse 5, He was pierced for what?

Our sins

He was wounded for our transgressions (general sins)

— Transgressions: sins in general violation of God’s law

Crushed for our iniquities (perversions)

— Iniquities: Perversions, means to bend double, to be twisted

He suffered God’s chastisement in order to secure our peace with God

— Chastised for our Shalom (peace)

By His stripes (wounds, lashings) we are healed

Every Jew

Someday the Jew will make this confession

— If you are a follower of Christ, you have already made this confession

— He was pierced for your transgression

— He was crushed for your iniquities

— He bore your grief

— He carried your sorrows

Expiation

( 53:4 ) Surely He has borne our griefs And carried our sorrows; Yet we esteemed Him stricken, Smitten by God, and afflicted.

— Verse 4 is about the doctrine of expiation

— Christ takes your sins away like the scapegoat image in Lev 16

— He takes all our sins and carries them away

— “who Himself bore our sins in His own body on the tree, that we, having died to sins, might live for righteousness—by whose stripes you were healed.” ( 1 Peter 2:24 )

Propitiation

( 53:5 ) But He was wounded for our transgressions, He was bruised for our iniquities; The chastisement for our peace was upon Him, And by His stripes we are healed.

— Verse 5 is the doctrine of propitiation, appeasement, satisfaction (1 John 2:2)

— He’s the satisfaction of God. He pays the penalty for our sins

— This is the confession that everyone makes if he / she wants to escape the wrath of God!

Justification

( 53:6 ) All we like sheep have gone astray; We have turned, every one, to his own way; And the Lord has laid on Him the iniquity of us all.

— Verse 6 is the doctrine of justification

— Our sins are laid on Him

— Imputed to Christ, the true doctrine of Salvation

— Christ didn’t die as a moral influence

— He dies as a substitute for us

But not only

— But His death is not just for our transgressions - breaking of the law

— And our iniquities - our perversions

— But also for our fallen nature

— Like sheep, we do what sheep do. Our nature dictates what we do

—In that future day the Jews will confess their deep down depravity.

— Every sinner must in order to come to Christ

For Who We Are

We don’t need a savior just for the things we do

— We need a saviour for who we are!

God Punishes Jesus

This is a rich description of what Christ did on the cross

— A NT equivalent is 2 Cor 5:21

— “ For He made Him who knew no sin to be sin for us, that we might become the righteousness of God in Him.” ( 2 Cor 5:21 )

Q: But what does it mean being made sin for us?

Not a sinner

Not that Jesus became a sinner

— No, He was holy, harmless, undefiled

— He was a lamb without blemish

When He was dying

As Jesus was dying on the cross, God treated Jesus as if He had personally committed every sin every committed by every person by every person who would ever believe

— Though, He committed none of them

Three Verses

— ( 53:7 ) His Trial

— ( 53:8 ) His Death

— ( 53:9 ) His Burial

This Section

This section was read by the Ethiopian Eunuch and it was explained to him by Philip

— Philip explained that the Servant was Jesus (Acts 8:32-33)

The Trail ( 53:7 )

The Messiah speaks in Servant songs:

— 42

— 49

— 50

The Messiah says nothing in 53

— He is the silent, suffering Servant

Oppressed

( 53:7 ) He was oppressed

— He Himself…literally in the Hebrew

— He Himself emphatically was oppressed, brutality, enslavement, refers to being arrested, abused

— His arrest was so severe, brutal that He didn’t even look human

— “Just as many were astonished at you, So His visage was marred more than any man, And His form more than the sons of men;” ( 52:14 )

Kept Silent

Kept silent before the high priests (Matt 26)

— Chief priests and scribes (Matt 27)

— Taken to Pilate (Mark 15) and silent

— Taken to Herod, the vassal King (Luke 23) and silent

— Never said a word in defense of Himself and His innocence

No Crime

All the time before the High Priests, Herod, Pilate

— No crime was ever validated, no proof given (Luke 23:15)

— Herod declares His innocence (Luke 23)

— Pilate declared His innocence three (3) times and He was governor

Legal Verdict

The verdict - 3 times innocent

— But the Jewish leaders pushed Pilate to call for His execution

— That’s what he does in Luke 23:25 and that’s what we see here in (53:7)

Afflicted

( 53:7 ) … and He was afflicted

Passive, He allowed this to happen to Him

— Could also be translated as humble as in Ex 10:3

— Maybe that is what Paul had in mind (Phil 2:8)

— “And being found in appearance as a man, He humbled Himself and became obedient to the point of death, even the death of the cross.” ( Phil 2:8 )

The Death (53:8)

( 53:8 ) He was taken from prison and from judgment, And who will declare His generation? For He was cut off from the land of the living; For the transgressions of My people He was stricken

Judgment

A judicial term, speaks of a trail

— He was falsely accused

— Tormented

— Tortured

— Harassed

— Abused

— Taken from prison, doesn’t open His mouth, like a silent lamb being led to the slaughter

Executed

— Pilate orders that He is executed the way slaves are executed

— He is the slave of Yahweh

“Cut off”

— He will be murdered, executed, killed

Who Protested?

( 53:8b ) And who will declare His generation? For He was cut off from the land of the living

— Who protested?

— Who saw it for what was happening?

— No One will defend Him, none of the priests, scribes, although we have a prophecy of 700 years

Q: Where were the disciples?

Living Zech 13:7

They were living out Zechariah 13:7

Zechariah 13:7 NKJV

7 “Awake, O sword, against My Shepherd, Against the Man who is My Companion,” Says the Lord of hosts. “Strike the Shepherd, And the sheep will be scattered; Then I will turn My hand against the little ones.

Died in our Place

( 53:8c ) For the transgressions of My people He was stricken

— He died the vicarious death for us

— In our place

The Burial (53:9)

( 53:9 ) And they made His grave with the wicked— But with the rich at His death, Because He had done no violence, Nor was any deceit in His mouth.

Details

— Astonishing!

Q: Why was His grave assigned with the wicked?

Criminals

Because He died between two criminals (Matt 27:38, Luke 23:33 )

— If you died this way, you didn’t deserve a proper burial

— Left for road kill

Road Kill

Illustrated in Jeremiah

— “And at that day the slain of the Lord shall be from one end of the earth even to the other end of the earth. They shall not be lamented, or gathered, or buried; they shall become refuse on the ground.” ( Jer 25:33 )

Q: Why would God allow Him to be put in a new tomb?

No further humiliation

The Father would not allow any further humiliation of the Son

— Ps 16 says, He would not allow His Holy One to see corruption

New Tomb

— He ended up in the tomb of a rich man

— Joseph of Arimathea (Matt 27:57)

Sinless

— He was sinless

— “For such a High Priest was fitting for us, who is holy, harmless, undefiled, separate from sinners, and has become higher than the heavens ( Hebrews 7:26 )

STOP!

— Because Jesus was HOLY, HARMLESS, UNDEFILED, SEPARATE FROM SINNERS (Heb 7:27)

— God would not allow Him to see further corruption

( 53:10-12 ) Yet it pleased the Lord to bruise Him; He has put Him to grief. When You make His soul an offering for sin, He shall see His seed, He shall prolong His days, And the pleasure of the Lord shall prosper in His hand. 11 He shall see the labor of His soul, and be satisfied. By His knowledge My righteous Servant shall justify many, For He shall bear their iniquities. 12 Therefore I will divide Him a portion with the great, And He shall divide the spoil with the strong, Because He poured out His soul unto death, And He was numbered with the transgressors, And He bore the sin of many, And made intercession for the transgressors.

Resurrection (53:10)

( 53:10c ) He shall see His seed (offspring)

— Here we have the resurrection

— prolong His days - Living Forever

— (2 Sam 7:13,16; Ps 21:4,89:4, 132:12)

Pleasure / Power

( 53:10c ) And the pleasure of the Lord shall prosper in His hand

— The Lord will allow the ministry of Christ to bring forth abundant faith

Q: And what is that fruit ?

To bring a redeemed humanity from every tribe and nation to the Lamb as His bride

— We will worship and praise Him forever

Their Confession

( 53:1-10 ) is their confession

— One day they will confess:

— The deity of Christ ( 1 )

— The humanity of Christ ( 2 )

— The rejection of Christ ( 3 )

— The substitutionary /vicarious death of Christ to justify many ( 5 )

— The resurrection of Christ ( 10c )

— The intercession of Christ ( 10d )

— The exaltation of Christ ( 10e )

God Speaks (53:11)

We go from past tense verbs and plural pronouns to Future tense and singular

( 53:11 ) He shall see the labor of His soul, and be satisfied. By His knowledge My righteous Servant shall justify many, For He shall bear their iniquities

This is God summarizing the confession

— He will justify the many - sounds like Romans

— The doctrine of vicarious, substitutionary atonement - justification by imputation

Q: How can a sinner be made right with a Holy God so as to escape eternal punishment and enter eternal heaven?

Answer:

Through the death of the Righteous One, who died in the sinner’s place, paying the full penalty of sin

Righteous One

My righteous Servant

— Peter called Christ the Holy and Righteous One when he preached his sermon in Acts 3:14

— Stephen preached the sermon and was crushed by rocks (Acts 7:52) (NIV) NKJV translates this “Just One”

— Paul went to the house of Ananias to hear about the Righteous One

— “Then he said, ‘The God of our fathers has chosen you that you should know His will, and see the Just One, and hear the voice of His mouth.” ( Acts 22:14 )

Messianic Title

The “Righteous One” was a Messianic Title

— Clearly Christ

The Many

( 53:11 ) God will justify the many

Q: Who are the many?

Those who believe

— Those from whom He died and atoned, not all.

— Did Jesus die for all men? if true, how can anyone be sent to hell? This always raises controversy!

— Jesus’ death on the cross was sufficient (efficacious) for all those who would ever believe

( 53:12 ) Therefore I will divide Him a portion with the great, And He shall divide the spoil with the strong, Because He poured out His soul unto death, And He was numbered with the transgressors, And He bore the sin of many, And made intercession for the transgressors.

Exaltation

Great and strong - that’s us

— We will become joint-heirs with Christ

Willingly

He poured Himself out to death

— Echoes the confession earlier

— He handed His soul over to death and gave His life, no one took it

— “No one takes it from Me, but I lay it down of Myself. I have power to lay it down, and I have power to take it again. This command I have received from My Father.” ( Jn 10:18 )

Numbered

And He was numbered with the transgressors

— Jesus quotes this verse from Isaiah before He goes to the cross (Luke 22:37)

— “For I say to you that this which is written must still be accomplished in Me: ‘And He was numbered with the transgressors.’ For the things concerning Me have an end.” ( Lk 22:37 )

Q: What did Jesus mean by that? What does it mean here in Isaiah speaking of the Messiah?

Normal

He walked among us, like all transgressors

— He did what men did, no halo around His head

— He appears to be like the rest of us but He is the Righteous One, the Lamb of God, the only one able to bear our sins

Mediated

Made intercession for Man

— Continuous always making intercession for us

—Christ is the one who is between Man and God

— “ For there is one God and one Mediator between God and men, the Man Christ Jesus,” ( 1 Tim 2:5 )

Chapter 54

Overview

The first verse speaks about how the barren women should rejoice. Paul provided deep insight into this verse when we commented on it Galatians. We also saw a future time when we will forget our shame and enjoy the future city of God

Restored Wife

Matthew Henry

— The death of Christ is the life of the church and of all that truly belong to it

— it is only fitting that after Isaiah tells of Christ’s suffering he tells of the flourishing church

— The primary reference is Jews returning from captivity, yet Paul quotes this verse and applies it to the church ( Gal 4:27 )

— Jerusalem had been in the condition of a wife written childless, or a desolate solitary widow; but now it is promised that the city should be replenished and the country populated again

— The city will be repaired, the foundations rebuilt, and the land which was taken by their enemies will be returned

( 54:1 ) “Sing, O barren, You who have not borne! Break forth into singing, and cry aloud, You who have not labored with child! For more are the children of the desolate Than the children of the married woman,” says the Lord.

Q: What will happen to the women in 54:1?

( 54:1 ) barren…have not borne…have not labored…desolate

Sing

— She will sing

— She will have children

— Contrast here is between the barren women and the women who is fertile and has a husband

— The desolate women will have more children than the married fertile women

— This is the restored wife

Sara

— This is a picture of Sarah

Barren but her offspring were more numerous than the stars (Gn 11:30, 16:1; Isa 51:2)

Q: Where does the NT quote this passage (54:1) and what does it mean?

Galatians

— If Paul were teaching on Is 54:1 what would he say?

— I think we have an idea

— Paul quotes this in Galatians

— For it is written: “Rejoice, O barren, You who do not bear! Break forth and shout, You who are not in labor! For the desolate has many more children Than she who has a husband.” ( Gal 4:27 )

— God says you’ll flourish

— God said it to Sarah and he fulfilled it

— God said it to the exiles (27) and He fulfilled it

Gal 4:21-5:1

Very confusing text

— You’ll never hear a sermon on this text. Confusing from 24ff

Allegory

(4:24) - symbolic. Translated as allegory in KJV, ESV, ASV, NRSV

— (These things are being taken figuratively (NIV)

— which things are symbolic ( NKJV )

— Allegories always hide a meaning

— Unless someone tells you the secret meaning you don’t know

— This is not an allegory

— Paul is giving an illustration

Historical Illustration (22-23)

( Gal 4:21-23 ) Tell me, you who desire to be under the law, do you not hear the law? 22 For it is written that Abraham had two sons: the one by a bondwoman, the other by a freewoman. 23 But he who was of the bondwoman was born according to the flesh, and he of the freewoman through promise

Historical

The law will put you under bondage

Slave

(4:22) Ishmael’s mother Hagar. She is a slave and all her children are slaves

— Ishmael is a picture of all who try to please God by the flesh

— It’s sinful, creates bondage

— “God has a plan but we have to fulfill our part,” the lie says

Free

(4:23) Isaac born of the free women

— He is free, born of Sarah

— 14 years later and the son of promise

— 2 different mothers - 1 a slave, the other free

Historical Illustration > Divine Interpretation (24-28)

( Gal 4:24-28 ) which things are symbolic. For these are the two covenants: the one from Mount Sinai which gives birth to bondage, which is Hagar—25 for this Hagar is Mount Sinai in Arabia, and corresponds to Jerusalem which now is, and is in bondage with her children—26 but the Jerusalem above is free, which is the mother of us all. 27 For it is written: “Rejoice, O barren, You who do not bear! Break forth and shout, You who are not in labor! For the desolate has many more children Than she who has a husband.” 28 Now we, brethren, as Isaac was, are children of promise.

Old & New

There are two covenants - Old and New

(4:24) Old - You shall, you shall, you shall … or die

— New - I will, I will, I will … just believe

(4:25) Hagar like Mt. Sinai

Q: What happened at Mt. Sinai ?

Mt Sinai

God gave the law at Mt. Sinai

— Mt Sinai is Hagar

— Hagar = Ishmael, Ishmael = Sinai

— Hagar is a slave and Ishmael is a slave

Bondage

(4:25) The law at Sinai was bondage

— Now Jerusalem (in Paul’s day) is connected to Sinai

— Hagar = Ishmael = Sinai = Jerusalem = Flesh = Law = bondage = condemnation

— Trying to do God’s will in the flesh

— That’s what the Judaizers were trying to do

In Contrast

(4:26) Jerusalem above is our mother (John 3:3)

— We are born from above

— We aren’t trying to please God by the flesh

— Isaac’s birth was miraculous and so was ours!

Illustration

(4:27) quotes (54:1) Isaiah is writing to encourage the captives of Babylon

— You’re in exile, life is horrible, sad

— Cheer up, you’ll be more fruitful you who have been desolate

— A promise to return to the Lord

— God said it to Sarah and it happened, God said it to the exiles and it happened

— This foretells the flourishing of the church

— Hagar - law, bondage, death

— Sarah - grace, faith, freedom

Children of promise

(4:28) We’re born like a miracle, just like Isaac

— We were born in the line of Isaac

— So, it’s not whether you’re from Abraham, but it is who is your mother spiritually

— We’re in the line of Isaac

Historical Illustration > Divine Interpretation > Divine Consequences (29-31)

( Gal 4: 29-31 ) But, as he who was born according to the flesh then persecuted him who was born according to the Spirit, even so it is now. 30 Nevertheless what does the Scripture say? “Cast out the bondwoman and her son, for the son of the bondwoman shall not be heir with the son of the freewoman.” 31 So then, brethren, we are not children of the bondwoman but of the free.

Hagar’s hatred

(4:29) Hagar hated Sarah and Isaac, Ishmael hated Isaac

— The sons of Hagar, Sinai are false religions based on works righteousness and they will always persecute the truth

(4:30) We have this false church persecuting the true church

— Not possible to co-exist

— God says, Cast out Hagar!

— People under bondage cannot inherit with those who come by grace and faith

Historical Illustration > Divine Interpretation > Divine Consequences > Final Exhortation (5:1)

( Gal 5:1 ) Stand fast therefore in the liberty by which Christ has made us free, and do not be entangled again with a yoke of bondage.

Exhortation

(5:1) Do not be subject again to the yoke of slavery

— Don’t go back to that system of bondage

— You’re of the line of Isaac not Ishmael

Historical Illustration > Divine Interpretation > Divine Consequences > Final Exhortation > Reasons to Sing (54:2-5)

( 54:2-5 ) “Enlarge the place of your tent, And let them stretch out the curtains of your dwellings; Do not spare; Lengthen your cords, And strengthen your stakes. 3 For you shall expand to the right and to the left, And your descendants will inherit the nations, And make the desolate cities inhabited. 4 “Do not fear, for you will not be ashamed; Neither be disgraced, for you will not be put to shame; For you will forget the shame of your youth, And will not remember the reproach of your widowhood anymore. 5 For your Maker is your husband, The Lord of hosts is His name; And your Redeemer is the Holy One of Israel; He is called the God of the whole earth.

Q: Because of these children in 54:1 what will happen in Isa 54:2-3?

Expand

( 54:2 ) Expand their tens, make more room

( 54:3 ) Expand left and right

— Inhabit the cities

— The descendants / Children will be so numerous they will have to make more room

Matthew Henry

— The bounds of the church are extended as never before

— It was the business of the apostles to disciple all nations, to stretch forth the curtains of the church’s habitation, to preach the gospel where Christ had not yet been named (Rom. 15:20)

— So that more could enter the church the disciples would have to lengthen the cords, and strengthen the stakes

Q: Spiritually why would they be ashamed v4? And why will they forget their shame (vv4-5)?

Sins

( 54: 4 ) Past sins of youth: Egyptian slavery, idolatry

— Exile into Babylon captivity, i.e. “widowhood”

You will forget

( 54:4 ) For you will forget the shame of your youth, And will not remember the reproach of your widowhood anymore

Glories will be so great that it will overshadow the past

The Reason

( 54:5 ) For your Maker is your husband

— Because the Lord is their husband

— Redeemer - near relative. He Redeemed that people out of Egypt

— Now He will do the same with the Suffering Servant

— And He is a God of the whole earth (Chapter 55 is the general call)

Holy One

— Holy One and Redeemer goes together ( 43:14; 47:4; 48:17; 49:7; 54:5 )

Historical Illustration > Divine Interpretation > Divine Consequences > Final Exhortation > Reasons to Sing > The reconstituted marriage (54:6-10)

( 54:6-10 ) For the Lord has called you Like a woman forsaken and grieved in spirit, Like a youthful wife when you were refused,” Says your God. 7 “For a mere moment I have forsaken you, But with great mercies I will gather you. 8 With a little wrath I hid My face from you for a moment; But with everlasting kindness I will have mercy on you,” Says the Lord, your Redeemer. 9 “For this is like the waters of Noah to Me; For as I have sworn That the waters of Noah would no longer cover the earth, So have I sworn That I would not be angry with you, nor rebuke you. 10 For the mountains shall depart And the hills be removed, But My kindness shall not depart from you, Nor shall My covenant of peace be removed,” Says the Lord, who has mercy on you.

Q: What do you see in verses 6-8?

Forsaken

— Like a women left alone - forsaken

— Here husband has left her or is dead

— She is grieved, she is young - a young wife even worse

A Moment

( 54:7 ) For a mere moment I have forsaken you

He promises to end His fury (54:7-8)

— It was brief, only a moment

— He turns His back but not His face (He hid His face ( 54:8 )

— “The face of the Lord is against those who do evil, To cut off the remembrance of them from the earth.” ( Ps 34:16 )

Endless Love

( 54:8 ) His anger is contrasted with His endless love, everlasting mercies

Q: What does God promise not to do in verse 9?

No more anger

( 54:9 ) Just like His promise not to flood the earth again, He promises to no longer be angry with God’s people

Kindness

( 54:10 ) His kindness will not depart His people

— His covenant of peace, prosperity, perfect happiness

— Millennium ( 48:6,7; 51:6,16 ) topography will change (Ez 39:20; Mic 1:4 ; Zech 14:4,10)

Historical Illustration > Divine Interpretation > Divine Consequences > Final Exhortation > Reasons to Sing > The reconstituted marriage > The City of Righteousness (54:11-17)

( 54:11-17 ) “O you afflicted one, Tossed with tempest, and not comforted, Behold, I will lay your stones with colorful gems, And lay your foundations with sapphires. 12 I will make your pinnacles of rubies, Your gates of crystal, And all your walls of precious stones. 13 All your children shall be taught by the Lord, And great shall be the peace of your children. 14 In righteousness you shall be established; You shall be far from oppression, for you shall not fear; And from terror, for it shall not come near you. 15 Indeed they shall surely assemble, but not because of Me. Whoever assembles against you shall fall for your sake. 16 “Behold, I have created the blacksmith Who blows the coals in the fire, Who brings forth an instrument for his work; And I have created the spoiler to destroy. 17 No weapon formed against you shall prosper, And every tongue which rises against you in judgment You shall condemn. This is the heritage of the servants of the Lord, And their righteousness is from Me,” Says the Lord.

Q: in the future Jerusalem will be the center of worship. How will God decorate the city (vv11-12)?

Colorful Gems

( 54:11 ) Colorful gems

( 54:11b ) Foundation with Sapphires

Rubies

(54:12 ) battlements or pinnacles with rubies

(54:12b ) gates with sparking jewels or crystals, walls with precious stones

Q: More important than how the city will look, what will happen in vv13-14?

Spiritual Riches

( 54:13 ) Taught by the Lord Himself

Matthew Henry

— Our Saviour quotes it with application to gospel grace, and makes it to have its accomplishment in all those that were brought to believe in him (Jn. 6:45): It is written in the prophets, They shall be all taught of God, whence he infers that those, and those only, come to him by faith that have heard and learned of the Father, that are taught by him as the truth is in Jesus, Eph. 4:21

MacArthur

— Jesus paraphrased Is 54:13 to support the point that if someone comes to faith and repentance to God, it is because they have been “taught,” and hence drawn by God

— Those taught by God to grasp the truth are also drawn by God the Father to embrace the Son

— All said the same thing (Jeremiah, Joel, Micah, Zephaniah, Malchi)

— When will all this happen?

— In the millennial Kingdom (11:6; 14:1-3; 19:16; 24:23; 27:2-6; 30:23; 32:15; 35:1-10; 41:8; 43:19; 42:10-12; 43:5-6; 49:19ff; 55:12; 56:1-11; 61:1-9)

— after the Great Tribulation

( 54:14 ) Protected from all your enemies

Q: How would you interpret Isaiah 54:13 ? Jesus quotes is 54:13 in John 6:45. How did He interpret it?

Jesus

— Quotes ( 54:13 ) in John 6:45

— In the middle of the Bread of Life Sermon

— If someone comes to faith and repentance, it is because they have been taught and hence drawn to God

— Those taught are also drawn

— Taught and drawn are different aspects of God’s direction in your life

— When the father teaches, they learn, when they learn, they are drawn

— Drawn —> Come —> Received When they are received I keep them

— Keep them, raise them. The great truth of Election

Q: What will happen to those who attack / oppose Israel (v15)?

They will fall

( 54:15 ) Whoever assembles against you shall fall for your sake

— For the sake of Israel they will fall

Q: God will protect Israel. How does He illustrate that (vv16-17)?

Blacksmith

( 54:16 ) The Lord will burn up his enemies (Rev 20:7-9)

Weapons

( 54:17 ) no weapon formed against you shall prosper

— He created the Blacksmith (16) so He can tie his hands

Tongues

— Weapons wouldn’t work, so the enemies of Israel will slander, malign

— But those who do so will likewise be condemned

Servants

— After Isaiah 53 Israel is always referred to as God’s Servants ( 54:17; 56:6; 63:17; 65:8,9,13,14,15; 66:14 )

Chapter 55

Overview

The Story Continues

Chapter 53 Not fair to lift out a chapter and pay no attention to the context (McGee)

— Was the Gospel - A saviour who was dying for the sins of mankind (53:6)

Chapter 54 was the restored wife

— The Church of Christ

— The gospel was constrained to Isreal at first

— For the Jews first and also the Greek (Rom 1:16)

— Those who respond to Christ in 53 are called His servants ( 54:17 ); those who do not are “the wicked”

Chapter 55 Now, this invitation goes out to the entire world

— The covenant of grace made with us in Christ

— The “sure mercies of David”

— There is one condition on which men must receive it

— This is not a mechanical offer

Individual needs are met (55:1-5)

( 55:1- 5 ) “Ho! Everyone who thirsts, Come to the waters; And you who have no money, Come, buy and eat. Yes, come, buy wine and milk Without money and without price. 2 Why do you spend money for what is not bread, And your wages for what does not satisfy? Listen carefully to Me, and eat what is good, And let your soul delight itself in abundance. 3 Incline your ear, and come to Me. Hear, and your soul shall live; And I will make an everlasting covenant with you— The sure mercies of David. 4 Indeed I have given him as a witness to the people, A leader and commander for the people. 5 Surely you shall call a nation you do not know, And nations who do not know you shall run to you, Because of the Lord your God, And the Holy One of Israel; For He has glorified you.”

Q: What does God invite the people to do in 55:1?

Ho!

( 55:1 ) Ho!

— (NIV) translates this as “come”

— Take notice! He who has ears, let Him hear

Water

( 55:1 ) Everyone who thirsts, Come to the waters;

— The call goes out to everyone, not just the Jew (but only those who are thirsty will come)

— Everyone who thirsts spiritual water for the soul (12:3; John 4:10, 14, 7:37; Rev 7:16,17:21)

— Waters, Hebrew expression: superlative as in best water and abundance

— Jesus referred to himself as living water

— “but whoever drinks of the water that I shall give him will never thirst. But the water that I shall give him will become in him a fountain of water springing up into everlasting life.” ( Jn 4:14 )

No Money

( 55:1c ) And you who have no money, Come, buy and eat

— indicates how free it is; nothing worthy you can give God for it

— Salvation is free because of what the suffering Servant accomplished

— Christ paid the price in 53; He paid it all

— Can’t buy it with money or works (Eph 2:8-9)

— “For by grace you have been saved through faith, and that not of yourselves; it is the gift of God, 9 not of works, lest anyone should boast.” ( Eph 2:8-9 )

— Salvation invitation similar to Rev 3:18 (buy gold, white clothes, eye salve)

— In other words, come, buy, eat, abundance without price ( Rom 6:23 )

Q: What does the water, milk and wine represent in 55:1?

Wine

Wine speaks of Joy, abundance, satisfaction ( Prov 31:6; Song 5:1, 25:6-8)

Milk

— Isaiah doesn’t have the “milk of the Word” in view (1 Peter 2:2); McGee would disagree

— Nourishment, growth

— Milk of richness (Ex 3:8); a land flowing with milk and honey

— “So I have come down to deliver them out of the hand of the Egyptians, and to bring them up from that land to a good and large land, to a land flowing with milk and honey, to the place of the Canaanites and the Hittites and the Amorites and the Perizzites and the Hivites and the Jebusites.” ( Ex 3:8 )

Andries Combrink

In Isaiah 55:1 we are offered water, wine and milk.

These three drinks match our deepest needs. We all are needy and must be taken care of by a loving yet almighty God.

Water:

Relates to our need for refreshment. When you are most thirsty and most desperate and totally dehydrated, water is what you want and nothing else. God invites us to receive refreshment, restoration, reviving and a new beginning which he only can give.

Milk:

Relates to our need for ongoing nourishment and growth. When you want a little baby to grow day after day, you give it milk again and again. God is not just for thirsty emergencies, but even more for sustainable health. He invites us not only to come alive with water but also to be stable and strong with milk.

Wine:

Relates to our need for excitement, joy and celebration. We want to be truly alive. Yes, we need to be strong and stable. But that is not all we need to be alive. No matter how unemotional, laid-back, and poker-faced we may look like to others, there is an excited child inside every one of us that God wants to bring to life for joy and delight: for shouting and singing and dancing and playing and skipping and running and jumping and laughing

When we come to God, we will find that in our relationship with him we will receive more than resuscitation or even growth- we will find that a relationship with God, in Christ, brings excitement and joy!

( 55:1d ) Without money and without price

Matthew Henry

— Buy it without money, and without price. A strange way of buying, not only without ready money (that is common enough), but without any money, or the promise of any; yet it seems not so strange to those who have observed Christ’s counsel to Laodicea, that was wretchedly poor, to come and buy, Rev. 3:17, 18

— Buying without money because

— These gifts are so priceless that no price can be set upon them

— Wisdom cannot be gotten for gold

— The things offered are already bought and paid for, not with money, but with his own blood ( 1 Pt 1:19 )

— We can offer nothing in return and are forever indebted for Christ’s offer of grace

Q: What should they avoid, verse 2?

( 55:2 ) Why do you spend money for what is not bread

— Rather than rely on the FREE Grace of God, they would rather go spending money on what does not satisfy

— The ingratitude of man

Deceit of Life

They seek the bread of deceit (Prov 20:17) rather than the bread of life (John 6:32-25)

Pay Attention

( 55:1 ) Ho!

( 55:2 ) Listen carefully to me

( 55:3 ) Incline your ear and come to me

— The Lord Himself is the feast. Come to Me!

Q: What are we invited to do in verse 3?

( 55:3 ) Incline your ear, and come to Me. Hear, and your soul shall live; And I will make an everlasting covenant with you— The sure mercies of David.

New Covenant

— God will make a new covenant with Israel, an everlasting covenant (cf. Isaiah 61:8; Jer 3:31-34)

— (Jeremiah 3:31-34) Write a new law in their hearts, forgive their sins, remember them no more

— Announced by Jesus

— “Likewise He also took the cup after supper, saying, “This cup is the new covenant in My blood, which is shed for you.” ( Lk 22:20 )

( 55:3c ) The sure mercies of David.

— Paul quotes ( 55:3 ) in Acts 13:34

Q: The Davidic covenant promised what?

His Seed would rule

— That his seed would rule over Israel in an everlasting kingdom (2 Sam 7:8, Ps 89:27-29)

— Paul connects Jesus’ resurrection with this promise

( 55:4 ) David was a witness to the people

— Messiah will take on this role, as the true witness, leader

— Many call on the Lord but refuse to accept Him as leader and commander

( 55:5 ) Call a nation, people who are not Jews

— Jesus said He has other sheep not of this fold (John 10:16)

Individual needs are met > A call to repent (55:6-13)

( 55:6-13 ) Seek the Lord while He may be found, Call upon Him while He is near. 7 Let the wicked forsake his way, And the unrighteous man his thoughts; Let him return to the Lord, And He will have mercy on him; And to our God, For He will abundantly pardon. 8 “For My thoughts are not your thoughts, Nor are your ways My ways,” says the Lord. 9 “For as the heavens are higher than the earth, So are My ways higher than your ways, And My thoughts than your thoughts. 10 “For as the rain comes down, and the snow from heaven, And do not return there, But water the earth, And make it bring forth and bud, That it may give seed to the sower And bread to the eater, 11 So shall My word be that goes forth from My mouth; It shall not return to Me void, But it shall accomplish what I please, And it shall prosper in the thing for which I sent it. 12 “For you shall go out with joy, And be led out with peace; The mountains and the hills Shall break forth into singing before you, And all the trees of the field shall clap their hands. 13 Instead of the thorn shall come up the cypress tree, And instead of the brier shall come up the myrtle tree; And it shall be to the Lord for a name, For an everlasting sign that shall not be cut off.”

Q: What must people do to receive the Lord’s forgiveness (vv6-7)?

Seek

( 55:6 ) Seek the Lord

— What will you have me do?

—”But from there you will seek the Lord your God, and you will find Him if you seek Him with all your heart and with all your soul.” ( Dt 4:29 )

— This is one of the clearest OT invitations to Salvation

— Some may say that this is not legitimate because men will not seek God (McGee)

Our Motive

( 55:6 ) while He may be found, Call upon Him while He is near

— Implies God is near and can be found

— His patience is waiting for us

— His Word is calling us

— His Spirit is striving with us

— Now is the acceptable time

Too Late

But there will be a time when it is too late

— When His patience is over

— It may be in this life when a heart is too calloused

— Certain when you die - mercy now, at death only judgment without mercy

You must Repent

(55:7 ) Let the wicked forsake his way, And the unrighteous man his thoughts

Two things

1) Turn from sin - Forsake it

— Leave it never to return to it again

— A false way, fleeting pleasure that will never bring happiness only grief

— A dangerous way that leads to destruction

— It could be an secret addition

2) Forsake your thought

— Not only a change of behavior, change your thinking

— Don’t entertain sin in the mind

— True repentance strikes at the root, the heart, the thoughts

J. MacArthur

A sinner must come, believing in God, recognizing his sin and desiring forgiveness and deliverance from sin. At the same time, he must recognize his own inability to be righteous or to satisfy God and cast himself at God’s mercyIt is then that he receives a complete pardon. His sin has been covered by the substitution of the Messiah in his place (53)This is one of the clearest OT invitations to salvation now and kingdom blessings later. This OT pattern of salvation is illustrated in Luke 18:9-14

Q: How do the ways and thoughts of God differ from those of man (8-9)?

( 55:8-9 ) “For My thoughts are not your thoughts, Nor are your ways My ways,” says the Lord. 9 “For as the heavens are higher than the earth, So are My ways higher than your ways, And My thoughts than your thoughts.

How different

(55:8) The relationship between God’s mind and ours is stated not by comparison, but contrast

— Not … neither

— God is holy, transcendent ; Ps 145:3

— It is across an infinite gulf ( 6-7 ) that God calls us to repentance

— Watch what you “think” of God; he is so very different than us

— No capacity to “know” God unless He reveals Himself

Nature

( 55:9 ) Heaven is so much higher. How much higher?

— Immeasurably

— What a wonderful thing repentance must be if it can bridge that gap

Q: What lessons and applications should we make from the principle of vv10-11?

( 55:10 )

— A prominence to the Word of God; Word, only place the gospel is found

— Comes down from heaven like rain

McGee

It is not God asking you to do something; gospel is not something man thought up; not as a result of a tower of Babel effort

( 55:11 ) “For My thoughts are not your thoughts, Nor are your ways My ways,” says the Lord. 9 “For as the heavens are higher than the earth, So are My ways higher than your ways, And My thoughts than your thoughts.

( 55:11 ) Water, snow, the Word of God all have a heavenly origin and power and effectiveness that doesn’t fail

— rain and snow come down from heaven and accomplish their purpose

— God will do what He has spoken

Q: When God says the words will accomplish what I please, what is meant by that?

Restrain

Restrain sin, bring men to repentance

— Remind them of God’s faithfulness

— Profitable for doctrine, reproof, correction, instruction in righteousness (2 Tim 3:16)

Q: Describe the peace and joy experienced by those who receive the blessings of God’s Word? (vv12,13)

Peace / joy

( 55:12 ) For you shall go out with joy, And be led out with peace

You

— Same “you” as in 6, 8, 9

— Those who were far from God but now enter His peace

— The world-wide fruition of the Servant’s work because no longer limited to Israel

( 55:12 ) The mountains and the hills …break forth into singing

— The rain causes the earth to respond with a green blanked

— Some day the earth will respond with praise to the creator; today groaning (Ro 8:22)

( 55:13 ) thorn…cypress tree…brier..myrtle tree

— In the Davidic kingdom positive changes

— Something bad is replaced by something good

— Curse reversed

— Life replaces death

The curse on the Man

Today, man’s effort to feed his family is difficult because of the curse which is the result of sin

— Now the ground is our enemy

— We must subdue the earth (Gen 3:17-19)

Hard Work

Just the opposite of a blessed earth (Deut 33:13-15)

— We toil and deal with bugs, animals, birds, bad weather, locusts and other insects

— All our work is toil (agriculture is the realm of man but this applies to all his work)

— Ps 127:2 bread of sorrow

— Prov 5:10, Prov 10:22, Prov 27:23

Millennial

One day curse will be removed. Isaiah saw it here and elsewhere:

— The crops will grow at night because the moon will be so bright ( 30:23 )

— The crops will be so large the crops will look like a forest ( 32:15)

— The wilderness will be a pool of water ( 41:18 )

— Rivers in the desert ( 43:19 )

—Mountains and hills will sing ( 55:12 )

(Macarthur, The Gospel in Genesis, The Curse of the Man Part 1B)

Additional Resources

J Vernon McGee Isaiah 50-51: https://www.oneplace.com/ministries/thru-the-bible-with-j-vernon-mcgee/listen/isaiah-50-51-756181.html

McGee Isaiah 52:1 - 53:1: https://www.oneplace.com/ministries/thru-the-bible-with-j-vernon-mcgee/listen/isaiah-521531-756182.html

McGee Isaiah 53:1-6: https://www.oneplace.com/ministries/thru-the-bible-with-j-vernon-mcgee/listen/isaiah-531-6-756184.html

McGee Isaiah 53:5: - 54:17: https://www.oneplace.com/ministries/thru-the-bible-with-j-vernon-mcgee/listen/isaiah-5355417-756185.html

McGee Isaiah 55: https://www.oneplace.com/ministries/thru-the-bible-with-j-vernon-mcgee/listen/isaiah-55-756189.html

Chuck Missler Isaiah 50:-52: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fCD3XGZWqbs

Missler Isaiah 53: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Mall7UadiHg

Missler Isaiah: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TYi7ixa3qhA

Missler Isaiah 54-59: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QhZqRhkrcqo

John MacArthur, The Startling Servant of Jehovah (Isaiah 52:13-15): https://www.gty.org/library/sermons-library/90-436/the-startling-servant-of-jehovah

MacArthur, The Astonishing Servant of Jehovah (Isaiah 53): https://www.gty.org/library/sermons-library/90-435/the-astonishing-servant-of-jehovah

MacArthur, Behold the Lamb! (Isaiah 53): https://www.gty.org/library/sermons-library/GTY140/behold-the-lamb

MacArthur, The Scorned Servant of Jehovah Part 1 (Isaiah 53:1-3): https://www.gty.org/library/sermons-library/90-437/the-scorned-servant-of-jehovah-part-1

MacArthur, The Scorned Servant of Jehovah Part 2 (Isaiah 53:1-3): https://www.gty.org/library/sermons-library/90-438/the-scorned-servant-of-jehovah-part-2

MacArthur, The Substituted Servant Part 1 (Isaiah 53:4-6): https://www.gty.org/library/sermons-library/90-439/the-substituted-servant-part-1

MacArthur, The Substituted Servant Part 2 (Isaiah 53:4-6): https://www.gty.org/library/sermons-library/90-440/the-substituted-servant-part-2

MacArthur, The Silent Servant Part 1 (Isaiah 53:7-9): https://www.gty.org/library/sermons-library/90-441/the-silent-servant-part-1

MacArthur, The Silent Servant Part 2 (Isaiah 53:7-9): https://www.gty.org/library/sermons-library/90-442/the-silent-servant-part-2

MacArthur, The Sovereign Servant Part 1 (Isaiah 53:10-12): https://www.gty.org/library/sermons-library/90-443/the-sovereign-servant-part-1

MacArthur, The Sovereign Servant Part 2 (Isaiah 53:10-12): https://www.gty.org/library/sermons-library/90-444/the-sovereign-servant-part-2

Macarthur, The Gospel in Genesis, The Curse of the Man Part 1B

MacArthur Isaiah 53: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=a5HLx4wAqj4

https://jewsforjesus.org/publications/issues/issues-v13-n06/whos-the-subject-of-isaiah-53-you-decide/

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