Death, Satisfaction, and Exaltation

Introduction:

We learned, last week, that God intended to make His Servant the restitution offering for the sins of his people.

The text is clear that all of this happens because it is the will of the Lord.

Is. 53:10.

We also learned what happens to the Servant requires thought and explanation.

He dies and has need of a grave (Is. 53:8-9).

He would see offspring, prolong his days, and God’s will would succeed (Is. 53:10).

One aspect of how we should think about this text is to marvel at the way the Servant reacts compared to how “normal” people might react to facing this situation.

Would you suffer and die for someone else’s crimes?

Would you suffer and die for someone else’s sins?

We can see what the New Testament writers saw in Jesus.

More importantly, we can see what God saw in him.

The Servant Finds Satisfaction in His Sufferings

The wording of the text now focuses upon the Servant’s view of his ordeal.

“From the grief/misery of his life, he will see, he will be satisfied.”

Note the description of the quality of his life.

“See” either refers to personal consideration upon reflection, or it refers to what he experiences.

I think it makes more sense to understand it in the first sense.

He will consider or contemplate what happens to him.

He will be satisfied with what he experiences.

We might assume he would see himself as the victim of a great injustice, but he does not.

Instead, he knows what God has in store for him (Is. 53:12), and he knows what his suffering will accomplish.

The Servant Causes Many to be Justified by Bearing Their Evils.

The second part of Is. 53:11 elaborates upon what the Servant knows about his life, and especially, about the losing of his life.

Notice how God describes him.

“By his knowledge, my righteous servant will cause to make righteousness for many. And their evils he will bear.”

He is the righteous servant of God.

Yet, what he experiences (see, see above), has causative power. He will cause to make many righteous.

The tenor of the text will not allow for Israel to be righteous.

They have transgressed.

They are morally rebellious.

They are lawless.

Jehovah’s Servant is righteous.

1 Peter 2:20-22

He carries/bears their evils.

Jehovah Will Exalt His Servant for What He Has Done

In Is. 53:12, Jehovah divides to His Servant, and His servant divides.

The prophet uses the same terminology.

“Many” could be what Jehovah divides or among whom he makes the division.

If the former, the Servant then would be superior to the “many” and stands to have the allotted to him, perhaps to rule over.

If the latter, the Servant, despite appearances, now joins the ranks of the “many” because God places him there.

This receives some clarification in the next line.

Although he appeared weak, now the Servant is dividing the spoils among the strong.

He has some place of honor, power, or authority.

He has joined Jehovah in battle, and they have won.

The strong could also be what he divides as spoil.

He may be viewed to have triumphed over them.

Jehovah gives the reasons for his exaltation of His Servant.

“He emptied his soul to death.” (Phil. 2)

“He was counted among the criminals.” (Lk. 22:37).

“He bore the sins of many.”

“He makes intercession for the transgressors” (Is. 53:6 and the “intercession language”).

Conclusion

Israel would not be at peace with God through animal sacrifice or reformed, legal behaviors.

God would make peace with them through His Servant.

This coincides with the New Testament’s presentation of Jesus and justification.

God has interceded through the Messiah to provide righteousness for us.

May we be confident and humbled.