“Behold, my servant shall act wisely; he shall be high and lifted up, and shall be exalted. As many were astonished at you—his appearance was so marred beyond human semblance; and his form beyond that of the children of mankind—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.” (Isaiah 52:13-15, ESV) [Read Isaiah 52:13 – 53:12].Today we begin a look at the fourth in what scholars term the “Suffering Servant” Songs in the prophecy of Isaiah. Only God could have directed this prophet to see and write about the Messiah hundreds of years before He came to be the propitiation for our sins. Matthew quotes the Servant Song from Isaiah 42:1-4 in Matthew 12:18-21: “Behold, my servant whom I have chosen, my beloved with whom my soul is well pleased. I will put my Spirit upon him, and he will proclaim justice to the Gentiles. He will not quarrel or cry aloud, nor will anyone hear his voice in the streets; a bruised reed he will not break, and a smoldering wick he will not quench, until he brings justice to victory; and in his name the Gentiles will hope.”
The term servant was often applied to those who preformed a mission or service for the Lord. And with the Messiah Himself, that mission was to suffer and then to be glorified. Verse 13 forsees His being lifted up on the cross—the vilest and most degrading form of death. But because of His willingness to thus suffer, “He shall be exalted.” Jesus said of Himself, “And I, if I be lifted up from the earth, will draw all men unto me” (John 12:32). Now when we see the cross, the symbol of Christ’s suffering and shame, we think of our Saviour, His mission finished, high and lifted up, reigning in Heaven, even interceding for us.
A difficulty arises with the pronoun “you” as translated in verse 14: “Just as there were many who were appalled at you…” In the New International Version and others of more modern translation, the pronoun is rendered “him”—in reference to the Suffering Servant. The “you” is at odds with the third person “him”. What may it mean? It may be that Isaiah is directly addressing the Suffering Servant. He himself, in seeing this vision, is so appalled that the Messiah would thus be debased for the sins of many. And momentarily the prophet is there, observing, seeing, amazed and appalled by the sight before him. The remainder of verse 14 reiterates that “you” refers to the Suffering Servant Himself, for His entire appearance is disfigured and marred by the punishment wielded on Him by others. Think of that, and shudder. Jesus did that willingly for you and for me, and for all people!
The word “sprinkling” in verse 15 refers to the Levitical rite of sprinkling blood on the altar (Lev. 4:6, 5:9, etc.). “Without the shedding of blood, there is no remission of sins” (Heb. 9:22; Lev. 17:11). This act of sprinkling blood is a key factor that caused many nations and kings to honor the Suffering Servant. Even rulers will be in awe of him, “shut their mouths,” and even if not witnessed to, they will “see” and “understand” what the Messiah did. The Servant’s willing sacrifice will result in a new understanding of God’s promise to Abraham that all the nations of the earth will be blessed.
I have just been reading the book Radical by David Platt. I have been amazed at the “underground” or “secret” church in India and other places where people risk their very lives to get together to study the Word of God and then go out amidst persecution to act upon what they learn. When I consider anew this marvelous “Servant Song” given in Isaiah, and think how very fortunate we are to be able to read, study and act upon the Word of God, I pray a sincere prayer of confession that we are so lackadaisical about our commitment to the Suffering Servant. May we renew our vows to the One who purchased our salvation! May we not be intimidated when we have opportunities to share His message with others. Open our eyes, Lord, to see Your glory. Open our hearts, Lord, to receive your commission. Open our days, Lord, to be cognizant of Your presence and Your leadership.
c Ethelene Dyer Jones; Friday, September 24, 2010
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