*Isaiah 53:1-12
Isaiah 53 describes a suffering servant of God who bears the punishment for the sins of others.
- The Suffering Servant Prophecy:
- The passage begins with a description of the suffering servant, who is portrayed as despised and rejected by others, a man of sorrows and acquainted with grief.
- Despite his lowly appearance, the prophet declares that the suffering servant will bear the sins and sorrows of the people, undergoing affliction and punishment on their behalf.
- The Servant’s Rejection and Sacrifice:
- The prophet explains that the suffering servant will be despised and rejected by his own people, bearing their griefs and carrying their sorrows.
- He is described as being wounded for their transgressions, crushed for their iniquities, and chastised for their peace, with his suffering bringing about their healing and reconciliation.
- Silent Submission to Suffering:
- Despite being oppressed and afflicted, the suffering servant is portrayed as willingly submitting to his suffering, like a lamb led to the slaughter or a sheep before its shearers, remaining silent and not opening his mouth.
- He is unjustly condemned and cut off from the land of the living, suffering humiliation and death as a sacrifice for the sins of the people.
- Victory Through Suffering:
- The prophet declares that through the suffering servant’s affliction and death, he will justify many and bear their iniquities, reconciling them to God and securing their salvation.
- Despite his apparent defeat and rejection, the suffering servant will ultimately see the fruit of his labor and be satisfied, as he will justify many and divide the spoils of victory with the strong.
- Divine Purpose and Redemption:
- The passage concludes by affirming that the suffering servant’s sacrifice is part of God’s divine plan for redemption, as he will intercede for the transgressors and make atonement for their sins.
- The suffering servant’s ultimate victory and exaltation are assured, as he will be numbered among the great and receive the reward of his faithful obedience.
53:1 Who hath believed our report? and to whom is the arm of the LORD revealed? 53:2 For he shall grow up before him as a tender plant, and as a root out of a dry ground: he hath no form nor comeliness; and when we shall see him, there is no beauty that we should desire him.
53:3 He is despised and rejected of men; a man of sorrows, and acquainted with grief: and we hid as it were our faces from him; he was despised, and we esteemed him not.
53:4 Surely he hath borne our griefs, and carried our sorrows: yet we did esteem him stricken, smitten of God, and afflicted.
53:5 But he was wounded for our transgressions, he was bruised for our iniquities: the chastisement of our peace was upon him; and with his stripes we are healed.
53:6 All we like sheep have gone astray; we have turned every one to his own way; and the LORD hath laid on him the iniquity of us all.
53:7 He was oppressed, and he was afflicted, yet he opened not his mouth: he is brought as a lamb to the slaughter, and as a sheep before her shearers is dumb, so he openeth not his mouth.
53:8 He was taken from prison and from judgment: and who shall declare his generation? for he was cut off out of the land of the living: for the transgression of my people was he stricken.
53:9 And he made his grave with the wicked, and with the rich in his death; because he had done no violence, neither was any deceit in his mouth.
53:10 Yet it pleased the LORD to bruise him; he hath put him to grief: when thou shalt 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.
53:11 He shall see of the travail of his soul, and shall be satisfied: by his knowledge shall my righteous servant justify many; for he shall bear their iniquities.
53:12 Therefore will I divide him a portion with the great, and he shall divide the spoil with the strong; because he hath poured out his soul unto death: and he was numbered with the transgressors; and he bare the sin of many, and made intercession for the transgressors.