#1023 Isaiah 52:13 - 53:12 Part 7 Soul Pour

 

Behold, my servant shall act wisely;

he shall be high and lifted up,

and shall be exalted.

14 As many were astonished at you—

his appearance was so marred, beyond human semblance,

and his form beyond that of the children of mankind—

15 so shall he sprinkle many nations.

Kings shall shut their mouths because of him,

for that which has not been told them they see,

and that which they have not heard they understand.

53 Who has believed what he has heard from us?

And to whom has the arm of the Lord been revealed?

2 For he grew up before him like a young plant,

and like a root out of dry ground;

he had no form or majesty that we should look at him,

and no beauty that we should desire him.

3 He was despised and rejected by men,

a man of sorrows and acquainted with grief;

and as one from whom men hide their faces

he was despised, and we esteemed him not.

4 Surely he has borne our griefs

and carried our sorrows;

yet we esteemed him stricken,

smitten by God, and afflicted.

5 But he was pierced for our transgressions;

he was crushed for our iniquities;

upon him was the chastisement that brought us peace,

and with his wounds 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.

7 He was oppressed, and he was afflicted,

yet he opened not his mouth;

like a lamb that is led to the slaughter,

and like a sheep that before its shearers is silent,

so he opened not his mouth.

8 By oppression and judgment he was taken away;

and as for his generation, who considered

that he was cut off out of the land of the living,

stricken for the transgression of my people?

9 And they made his grave with the wicked

and with a rich man in his death,

although he had done no violence,

and there was no deceit in his mouth.

10 Yet it was the will of the Lord to crush him;

he has put him to grief;

when his soul makes an offering for guilt,

he shall see his offspring; he shall prolong his days;

the will of the Lord shall prosper in his hand.

11 Out of the anguish of his soul he shall see and be satisfied;

by his knowledge shall the righteous one, my servant,

make many to be accounted righteous,

and he shall bear their iniquities.

12 Therefore I will divide him a portion with the many,

and he shall divide the spoil with the strong,

because he poured out his soul to death

and was numbered with the transgressors;

yet he bore the sin of many,

and makes intercession for the transgressors. Isaiah 52:13 - 53:12

Isaiah 53:3 Despised and Rejected

…6But I am a worm and not a man, scorned by men and despised by the people. 7All who see me mock me; they sneer and shake their heads:8“He trusts in the LORD, let the LORD deliver him; let the LORD rescue him, since He delights in him.”… Psalm 22: 6-8

He was despised and rejected by men - We see from the last verse that He did not come by any way that they would respect. He was not rich, nor was He beautiful in their eyes. The Hebrew word for despised here is bazah which means to be regarded with contempt, despicable. So full of hatred they were, that even when He did marvelous good, they accused Him of evil.

10 Now Jesus was teaching in one of the synagogues on the Sabbath. 11 And there was a woman who for eighteen years had had a sickness caused by a spirit; and she was bent over double, and could not straighten up at all. 12 When Jesus saw her, He called her over and said to her, “Woman, you are freed from your sickness.” 13 And He laid His hands on her; and immediately she stood up straight again, and began glorifying God. 14 But the synagogue leader, indignant because Jesus had healed on the Sabbath, began saying to the crowd in response, “There are six days during which work should be done; so come during them and get healed, and not on the Sabbath day.” 15 But the Lord answered him and said, “You hypocrites, does each of you on the Sabbath not untie his ox or donkey from the stall and lead it away to water it? 16 And this woman, a daughter of Abraham as she is, whom Satan has bound for eighteen long years, should she not have been released from this restraint on the Sabbath day?” 17 And as He said this, all His opponents were being humiliated; and the entire crowd was rejoicing over all the glorious things being done by Him. Luke 13: 10-17

…26If Satan drives out Satan, he is divided against himself. How then can his kingdom stand? 27And if I drive out demons by Beelzebul, by whom do your sons drive them out? So then, they will be your judges. 28But if I drive out demons by the Spirit of God, then the kingdom of God has come upon you.… Matthew 12: 26-28

…52Meanwhile, everyone was weeping and mourning for her. But Jesus said, “Stop weeping; she is not dead but asleep.” 53And they laughed at Him, knowing that she was dead. 54But Jesus took her by the hand and called out, “Child, get up!”… Luke 8: 52-54

The Son of God was treated as insignificant, crazy, a blasphemer, worthless. His own people didn't honor Him, so the Romans wouldn't either. He would be sold out for very little.

18 But they cried out all together, saying, “aAway with this man, and release for us Barabbas!”

19 (He was one who had been thrown into prison for an insurrection made in the city, and for murder.)

20 Pilate, wanting to release Jesus, addressed them again,

21 but they kept on calling out, saying, “Crucify, crucify Him!”

22 And he said to them the third time, “Why, what evil has this man done? I have found in Him no guilt demanding death; therefore I will apunish Him and release Him.”

23 But they were insistent, with loud voices asking that He be crucified. And their voices began to prevail.

24 And Pilate pronounced sentence that their demand be granted.

25 And he released the man they were asking for who had been thrown into prison for insurrection and murder, but he delivered Jesus to their will. Luke 23: 18-25

…19Pilate also had a notice posted on the cross. It read: JESUS OF NAZARETH, THE KING OF THE JEWS. 20 Many of the Jews read this sign, because the place where Jesus was crucified was near the city, and it was written in Hebrew, Latin, and Greek. 21So the chief priests of the Jews said to Pilate, “Do not write, ‘The King of the Jews,’ but only that He said, ‘I am the King of the Jews.’ ”… John 19: 19-21

…8And in one month I dismissed three shepherds. My soul grew impatient with the flock, and their souls also detested me. 9Then I said, “I will no longer shepherd you. Let the dying die, and the perishing perish; and let those who remain devour one another’s flesh.”

10Next I took my staff called Favor and cut it in two, revoking the covenant I had made with all the nations. 11It was revoked on that day, and so the afflicted of the flock who were watching me knew that it was the word of the LORD.12Then I told them, “If it seems right to you, give me my wages; but if not, keep them.” So they weighed out my wages, thirty pieces of silver.…

…13And the LORD said to me, “Throw it to the potter”—this magnificent price at which they valued me. So I took the thirty pieces of silver and threw them to the potter in the house of the LORD. Zechariah 11: 8-13

A man of sorrows and acquainted with grief - We, as fallen human beings, are quite acclimated to sin, and it is only after realizing we are sinners that we appreciate Christ's work of atonement. Even after we are born again, through the process of sanctification we become more aware of sin, and that it originates from inside us, our very natures, this becomes a point of much sorrow. He knew no sin, yet walked among those oblivious to it. "Oh wretched man that I am', Paul states, 'Who can save me from this body of death?" How will we ever put into words what we have not experienced?

36At that time Jesus went with His disciples to a place called Gethsemane, and He told them, “Sit here while I go over there and pray.” 37 He took with Him Peter and the two sons of Zebedee and began to be sorrowful and deeply distressed. 38Then He said to them, “My soul is consumed with sorrow to the point of death. Stay here and keep watch with Me.”… Matthew 26: 36-38

…43Then an angel from heaven appeared to Him and strengthened Him. 44And in His anguish, He prayed more earnestly, and His sweat became like drops of blood falling to the ground. 45When Jesus rose from prayer and returned to the disciples, He found them asleep, exhausted from sorrow.… Luke 22: 43-45

41As Jesus approached Jerusalem and saw the city, He wept over it 42and said, “If only you had known on this day what would bring you peace! But now it is hidden from your eyes. 43For the days will come upon you when your enemies will barricade you and surround you and hem you in on every side.… Luke 19: 41-43

And as one from whom men hide their faces - They turned their faces away from Him, and many have remained in that position.

John MacArthur adds that "you will see in rabbinic writings Yeshu the contemporary way of saying, “We will not have this man to reign over us,” (Lk 19:14+) which is what they said when they screamed for His crucifixion."

…13The God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, the God of our fathers, has glorified His servant Jesus. You handed Him over and rejected Him before Pilate, even though he had decided to release Him. 14 You rejected the Holy and Righteous One and asked that a murderer be released to you. 15You killed the Author of life, but God raised Him from the dead, and we are witnesses of the fact.… Acts 3: 13-15

David Baron - "As one from whom men hide their face" "i.e. like one whose repulsive face it is impossible to endure, so that men turn away their face or cover it with their dress" (Delitzsch); or, as another expresses it: "Instead of meeting Him with a joyful gleam in their eyes responding to His grace and help, men turned away from Him—as one looks the other way to avoid the eye of a person whom he dislikes, or as one shrinks from an object of loathing" (Culross).

There are churches that bear His name today, but think none of this was really necessary. They actually reject the Christ of Scripture, but still like to use His name. They look for a more modern, inclusive, hip Jesus, but I only know One, and He is the same yesterday, today and forever. He is the only way.

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#1022 Isaiah 52:13 - 53:12 Part 6 Sucker Branch

 

Behold, my servant shall act wisely;

he shall be high and lifted up,

and shall be exalted.

14 As many were astonished at you—

his appearance was so marred, beyond human semblance,

and his form beyond that of the children of mankind—

15 so shall he sprinkle many nations.

Kings shall shut their mouths because of him,

for that which has not been told them they see,

and that which they have not heard they understand.

53 Who has believed what he has heard from us?

And to whom has the arm of the Lord been revealed?

2 For he grew up before him like a young plant,

and like a root out of dry ground;

he had no form or majesty that we should look at him,

and no beauty that we should desire him.

3 He was despised and rejected by men,

a man of sorrows and acquainted with grief;

and as one from whom men hide their faces

he was despised, and we esteemed him not.

4 Surely he has borne our griefs

and carried our sorrows;

yet we esteemed him stricken,

smitten by God, and afflicted.

5 But he was pierced for our transgressions;

he was crushed for our iniquities;

upon him was the chastisement that brought us peace,

and with his wounds 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.

7 He was oppressed, and he was afflicted,

yet he opened not his mouth;

like a lamb that is led to the slaughter,

and like a sheep that before its shearers is silent,

so he opened not his mouth.

8 By oppression and judgment he was taken away;

and as for his generation, who considered

that he was cut off out of the land of the living,

stricken for the transgression of my people?

9 And they made his grave with the wicked

and with a rich man in his death,

although he had done no violence,

and there was no deceit in his mouth.

10 Yet it was the will of the Lord to crush him;

he has put him to grief;

when his soul makes an offering for guilt,

he shall see his offspring; he shall prolong his days;

the will of the Lord shall prosper in his hand.

11 Out of the anguish of his soul he shall see and be satisfied;

by his knowledge shall the righteous one, my servant,

make many to be accounted righteous,

and he shall bear their iniquities.

12 Therefore I will divide him a portion with the many,

and he shall divide the spoil with the strong,

because he poured out his soul to death

and was numbered with the transgressors;

yet he bore the sin of many,

and makes intercession for the transgressors. Isaiah 52:13 - 53:12

Isaiah 53:2 Sucker Branch

For He grew up before Him like a young plant - The Hebrew word for young plant here is yoneq. When me and my brother were little, my mom had a rather large garden with lots of tomatoes, and one of our responsibilities was pulling suckers. These are shoots that come up in between branches, and while they don't fruit they still demand nutrients from the plant. Farmers do the same in their orchards, removing sucker branches from the main stalk to increase the tree's yield. Under the careful eye of His Father, Messiah would grow up under circumstances that none of the religious elite or wealthy would ever acknowledge, much less consider. He was born in a manger, to a very young mother, a poor earthly father, and He grew up in the town of Nazareth, a branch they would just as soon discard. There are two great comparisons here:

1. The way His Father sees Him

1 Then a shoot will spring from the stem of Jesse,

And a branch from his roots will bear fruit. Isaiah 11:1

Behold, the days are coming,” declares the Lord,

“When I will raise up for David a righteous Branch;

And He will reign as king and act wisely

And do justice and righteousness in the land. Jeremiah 23:5

2. The way the world views Him

They had already had uprisings from the Zealots, who did not appreciate Roman rule, and this would give them cause for concern when people started following anyone. Rome would answer forcefully, and so even though they looked for Messiah, hoped for Messiah, they wanted to be sure that this individual was a military prodigy who could break Rome. Jesus was a carpenter's son with no training as a soldier, no degree from any esteemed university, and no capital. So to them, by their wise estimation, up against their perceived need in a Messiah, Jesus was as useless as a yoneq. The Bible says He grew in favor with God and man, that He had wisdom from a young age. His mother was from the line of David, and His earthly father, Joseph, was also from Judah, so He was not without pedigree. 

…2When the Sabbath came, He began to teach in the synagogue, and many who heard Him were astonished. “Where did this man get these ideas?” they asked. “What is this wisdom He has been given? And how can He perform such miracles? 3Isn’t this the carpenter, the son of Mary and the brother of James, Joses, Judas, and Simon? Aren’t His sisters here with us as well? And they took offense at Him. 4Then Jesus said to them, “Only in his hometown, among his relatives, and in his own household is a prophet without honor.”… Mark 6: 2-4

And like a root out of dry ground - It has nothing to draw from, the ground is parched, the well too far away; it is a root destined to go nowhere. He was a nobody from nowhere with no means. This is the womb of their revered mother Sarah, Abraham's wife. Here is the Seed promised in the garden, and all they can think to do is mow it down. What did you read of the barren womb? What did you believe?

…6While they were there, the time came for her Child to be born. 7And she gave birth to her firstborn, a Son. She wrapped Him in swaddling cloths and laid Him in a manger, because there was no room for them in the inn. 8And there were shepherds residing in the fields nearby, keeping watch over their flocks by night.… Luke 2: 6-8

57As they were walking along the road, someone said to Jesus, “I will follow You wherever You go.” 58 Jesus replied, “ Foxes have dens and birds of the air have nests, but the Son of Man has no place to lay His head. 59Then He said to another man, “Follow Me.” The man replied, “Lord, first let me go and bury my father.”… Luke 9: 57-59

…45Philip found Nathanael and told him, “We have found the One Moses wrote about in the Law, the One the prophets foretold—Jesus of Nazareth, the son of Joseph.” 46“Can anything good come from Nazareth? Nathanael asked. “Come and see, said Philip. 47When Jesus saw Nathanael approaching, He said of him, “Here is a true Israelite, in whom there is no deceit.”… John 1: 45-47

He had no form or majesty that we should look at Him - The word for form here is toar, so there was nothing in His outward appearance that pointed toward majesty. He did not look like royalty, and the Jews were greatly offended when Pilate had a sign put above His head, "King of the Jews." Kings had flowing robes, were more like the picture of Christ described in Isaiah 6, high and lifted up on His throne. They carried an immense presence with them, the clothes, the gold, the entourage, but he grew up poor, all he owned was wisdom. He was average looking, and his followers were the most ignorant of sorts, and they smelled like fish. 

18Next, Gideon asked Zebah and Zalmunna, “What kind of men did you kill at Tabor?” “Men like you,” they answered, “each one resembling the son of a king.”19“They were my brothers,” Gideon replied, “the sons of my mother! As surely as the LORD lives, if you had let them live, I would not kill you.”… Judges 8: 18-19

…6Who, existing in the form of God, did not consider equality with God something to be grasped, 7but emptied Himself, taking the form of a servant, being made in human likeness. 8And being found in appearance as a man, He humbled Himself and became obedient to death—even death on a cross.… Philippians 2: 6-8

He had no one from their esteemed clubs standing up to sponsor Him, to nominate Him. His brothers were embarrassed by Him. When you're the brother of a king, of anyone important, it comes with perks, but He didn't bring such things. He was humble and set upon fulfilling the will of His heavenly Father, boring right? Sure, there were times when people thought this could be the guy, the Messiah, even a time when they were willing to force Him to be king. This Jesus could take 5 loaves and 2 fish and feed 5,000 with baskets of food left over. That would be a socialist's dream, a guy that could fulfill everything they promise. He could heal the sickest, the lame, even raise people from the dead, and here we are all wearing mask, mandated, but people still die, everyone will. He turned water into wine, and His wine was the best. Who wouldn't want a party favor like that? Jesus did amazing things, but then He had to go and talk about His body and His blood. His own disciples rebuked Him for talking about His suffering; they blocked that out of their minds. And what is this talk of repentance? We are Abraham's children. He hung out with tax collectors and prostitutes, did stooping things like washing people's feet. Only a slave would do those things, not a king, there was no beauty in that. The law required that we walk a mile with a Roman soldier, but He says, "walk two." This passage is removed from the daily reading in the synagogues today, and the deeper we go, the more we will see why. His was eternal glory, a love that upheld the righteousness of God, the beauty of His justice, and the majesty of His grace.

13children born not of blood, nor of the desire or will of man, but born of God. 14 The Word became flesh and made His dwelling among us. We have seen His glory, the glory of the one and only Son from the Father, full of grace and truth. 15John testified concerning Him. He cried out, saying, “This is He of whom I said, ‘He who comes after me has surpassed me because He was before me.’ ”… John 1: 13-15

…9Jesus said to him, “Today salvation has come to this house, because this man too is a son of Abraham. 10For the Son of Man came to seek and to save the lost. 11While the people were listening to this, Jesus proceeded to tell them a parable, because He was near Jerusalem and they thought the kingdom of God would appear imminently.… Luke 19: 9-11

…12I fast twice a week and pay tithes of all that I acquire.’ 13But the tax collector stood at a distance, unwilling even to lift up his eyes to heaven. Instead, he beat his breast and said, ‘God, have mercy on me, a sinner! 14I tell you, this man, rather than the Pharisee, went home justified. For everyone who exalts himself will be humbled, but the one who humbles himself will be exalted.”… Luke 18: 12-14

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