"Yet it was the will of the Lord to crush him; he was put him to grief; when his soul makes an offering for sin, he shall see his offering; he shall prolong his days; the will of the Lord shall prosper in his hand. 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. 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 53:10-12, ESV) [Read Isaiah 52:13- 53:12]Today we conclude the Suffering Servant Songs from the prophecy of Isaiah. Why did I begin this series? Say it was from my intense interest in studying the Word of God and seeing how one portion explains another, how the whole is tied together in one great and marvelous story of redemtpion of mankind. Recently, my pastor has been preaching through The Revelation in his Sunday morning sermons. As hard as that book of the Bible is to interpret and understand, his deligence in preaching-teaching has made clear that Scripture (even the visions of John on the Island of Patmos) is relevant today and exceedingly important. Any my pastor's plea that we be serious in our own personal Bible study led not only to my examination of these important Suffering Servant Songs in Isaiah, but also to all the studies that have gone into these devotionals back to January 1, 2010 when I began them. Pardon this personal testimony about the importance and benefits of studying the Word of God. As I study, rich avenues open up, and the Spirit reveals truths of which I have been hitherto unaware. I pray that something I have written will make you want to study more deeply the riches of God's Word and find and apply its relevance to your lfie.
In the verses for today, we see how the Messiah's life was a sin offering for our guilt. As a result, we are His spiritual offspring. Let us never forget that truth! We learn here that God was pleased that the Savior's death paid the price; it was not some happenstance but was predetermined with much purpose and forethought. This sacrifice, God's love for us, and His plans to establish a worldwide kingdom began with the removal of guilt and proceeded with the restitution. Many will be justified-that is, will choose to belive that the Messiah came and became the propitiation for guilt and the ent4ance way to the Kingdom of God.
"His days will be prolonged." This result, as I interpret it, means the resurrection from the dead of the Suffering Servant Himself and of His followers. The Suffering Servant is satisfied about His suffering and himiliation. "It is finished!" He said on the cross (John 19:30). After three days He rose from the dead. At His ascension, He gave us a commission which is still intact until His second return: "Go, tell, baptize, teach.." (Matthew 28:18-20). And for all the faithful, and those who "confess with thy mouth...and believe in thine heart" (Romans 110:9-10) that Jesus is Lord, to the glory of God the Father, we will have a portion with Him, not only in work and sometimes suffering here, but in results and rewards of faithfulness. The John, in giving us his visions of Heaven, gave a foretaste of what is yet to come for the redeemed. Here is one of his glimpses: "And night will be no more. They will need no light of lamp or sun, for the Lord God will be their light, and they will reign forever and ever." (Revelation 22:5, ESV) Selah!
c Ethelene Dyer Jones; Tuesday, September 28, 2010
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