Category Archive

            In our last essay we studied Isaiah 56:1-57:2.  In this essay we are studying 57:3-21.  In 53:3-4 we see language of contrast: “But as for you.”  By this phrase God contrasts Jews in general with the righteous ones of verses 1-2, and he calls them before himself for judgment.  Rather than being children of Abraham, he calls them children of “a sorceress,” “an adulterer,” and “a whore” (v. 3).  Apparently they had been mocking others, perhaps the righteous ones of verses 1-2 (v. 4). 

            In verses 5-8 God accuses the Jews of serious idolatry and of practicing the nastiest practices of the Canaanite religions.  It is doubtful that many Jews were as blatant in their idolatry as this, or as disgusting in their religious practices, as the accusation implies.  Isaiah was using hyperbole to make God’s point. 

            First, he accuses them of fertility worship, which involved the use of ritual prostitutes in the sacred groves.  And he accuses them of child sacrifice, the most disgusting practice of the Canaanite religions, which took place in the valleys.  Low places, such as wadis, dry gullies cut out by rushing water, like the groves, were common places of worship.  As we shall see in the next verse, mountains were a third favorite place for pagan worship.  Notice in verse six that God asks rhetorically and rather sarcastically, if he is supposed to be appeased by all of this paganization of Israelite religion.  And of course the implied answer is that he is not. 

            In verse seven, Isaiah turns to pagan worship on the mountains, the third favorite place for the practice of Canaanite religions.  The specter of ritual prostitution once again is raised when Isaiah mentions that the Jews had set their beds there. 

            Verse eight is difficult to understand, but we can get the basic point.  It begins, “Behind the door and the doorpost you have set up your symbol.”  The word translated “symbol” literally means “memorial.”  Scholars are not certain what was intended here, but most believe it refers to some sort of pagan symbol.  The NIV translators even inserted the word “pagan” into their translation.  Whatever the hidden object was, for Isaiah it symbolized the Jews’ forsaking of God for pagan ways, including ritual prostitution.  So we can at least understand from this verse that Israel had turned her back on God and had taken other gods as lovers. 

            Now there is a translation problem at the end of the verse as well.  The NRSV translates the last clause, “you have gazed on their nakedness.”  And the NIV translates it almost exactly the same way.  But the phrase literally reads, “gaze on a hand.”  As you can see, the translators recognized that the Jewish culture sometimes used the word “hand” with a sexual connotation.  And scholars point to parallels in the Egyptian culture.  This could be referring to the pagan symbol hidden behind doors mentioned earlier in the verse.  At any rate, God is accusing Israel of deserting him for other gods. 

            Having dealt with the matter of fertility worship and the ritual prostitution that went with it, second, in verses 9-10 God accuses Israel of child sacrifice.  Molech was a popular Canaanite god with whom child sacrifice was closely associated.  The god Molech and child sacrifice are closely tied together several times in the Old Testament. 

            Some scholars suggest that Molech represents foreign countries that Israel allied herself with, and they interpret the oil and perfumes as items for trade.  That doesn’t really fit the context.  Molech represents a foreign god that Israel had begun to worship, even to the point of child sacrifice.  And the oil and perfumes suggest that Israel sought to impress the god by adorning herself with these substances. 

            As the verse continues, it becomes clear that literal countries are not intended.  Isaiah says that Israel even sent envoys to Sheol, the realm of the dead.  This suggests that some in Israel even had begun to worship the gods of the underworld, Death and Pestilence.  The first half of verse 10 tells us that Israel wearied of her wondering after other gods, but she never said that the quest was useless.  That’s why she kept at it. 

            At this point God begins to call Israel to account.  In verses 11-13 we see that the people of Israel had lied to God, had forgotten him, and indeed, hadn’t even given him a thought.  And God had been silent for so long about their sins that the people no longer feared him.  But Isaiah declares that the day is coming when God’s silence will end.  A day of judgment is coming when God will expose their “righteousness and works.”  And what he sees will not help them.  It won’t help them, because what they think is righteousness, namely the pagan practices, actually is sinfulness. 

            Verse 13 informs us that Israel’s idols will not be able to deliver them on that judgment day.  When they pray to the idols, the wind will carry them away.  But the verse ends on a positive note.  It is not too late to repent and believe.  They still can “possess the land” and inherit God’s “holy mountain.” 

            Now then, building on that positive word at the end of verse 13, Isaiah goes on in verses 14-16 to show what God will do for believers.  Isaiah begins with a reference to highway building, a recurring theme throughout the book.  An example is 40:3 which I remind you says, “A voice cries out: in the wilderness prepare the way of the Lord, make straight in the desert a highway for our God.”  The image is that of building a highway for God.  The picture is that of building up a roadbed and clearing it in order to provide a level road, without obstacles, for spiritual travelers. 

            Verse 15 explains why God wants to build a road for repentant believers.  Isaiah makes three points in the verse.  First, he reminds us that God is “high and lifted up.”  You will remember that language from earlier in the book.  In 6:1 Isaiah, during his call as a prophet, saw God High and lifted up in the temple.  And in 52:13 he declared that the Suffering Servant would be high and lifted up.  Now he reminds us that God is high and lifted up.  He exists apart from this world.  He inhabits eternity, rather than time.  And his name, that is, his character, is Holy. 

            In the middle of verse 15 we see Isaiah’s second point.  God also dwells with “the contrite and humble in spirit.”  In other words, God not only exist apart from this world, he also is active within it.  He is willing, even anxious, to dwell with those of us who repent of our sins, believe in him, and want to have a relationship with him. 

            Isaiah’s third point is at the end of the verse.  When God comes to dwell with repentant believers, he revives our hearts.  What a blessing to find such good news in the Old Testament!  That’s the good news of salvation.  When God comes to dwell, he brings life to us.  No matter how crushed, or downcast we may be, God’s presence enlivens our spirits. 

            In verse 16 God announces, through Isaiah, that his anger is not eternal, as he himself is.  It is true that he becomes angry, but he is love (Oswalt).  Were his angry eternal, the spirits he created (that includes us) would “faint” before him, because there would be no real hope.  But because he is love, we not only have hope, those of us who are in relationship with him have assurance of salvation.  Praise the Lord! 

            In verse 17 we see that as anxious as God is to save humanity, he still is angry about our sinfulness.  So he brings judgment on humanity.  Greed seems to express for Isaiah the utter selfishness that characterizes humanity.  God not only punishes such sin, he hides himself from sinful humans, that is, he refuses to help them.  But as you see at the end of the verse, they refuse to change.  They keep turning back to their sinful ways. 

            Of course this leaves God with a dilemma.  He wants to save, but most people are unwilling to repent.  So he declares in verses 18-19 that he will heal them anyway.  Indeed earlier in the book he already has announced through Isaiah how he will reconcile sinful humanity to himself.  He will do it through the ministry of his divine, messianic Servant. And we see the benefits to human beings listed in verse 18.  God will heal us; he will lead us; he will comfort us; bringing praise to our lips, even when we mourn. 

            Notice that God’s message is one of peace and healing to believers far and near.  It is instructive that we see in the Gospels of the New Testament that Jesus’ ministry was a ministry of preaching peace and healing. 

            Verses 20-21 remind us that not all human beings are at peace with God.  This is an aspect of the mystery of divine/human relationships.  We humans are unable to reconcile ourselves to God, or to live the kind of life he calls us to live.  Thus we must rely on his initiative for salvation, and on his Holy Spirit to live for him.  On the other hand, God has given us the freedom to refuse his grace.  And when we refuse, he honors that decision.  Thus there is no peace for the wicked.

            In this essay we are studying Isaiah 56:1-57:2.  It would be possible to read verse one as though it were saying that one must “maintain justice and do what is right” to be saved.  But that would be a salvation by works that would go against the teaching of the entire book.  Indeed chapters 54-55, which we just completed, speak clearly of God’s unconditional acceptance of those who repent and believe.  Therefore the best way to understand this verse is that the Lord, through Isaiah, is demanding that justice and righteousness are a proper response to God’s salvation.  That interpretation is consistent with the rest of the book and the rest of the Bible for that matter. 

            Verse two follows up on verse one by declaring that the blessed, or happy, person is one who “keeps the Sabbath . . . and refrains from doing any evil.”  Once again this is intended as a response to salvation.  We must remember that the people of Israel still were under the Old Covenant.  Sabbath keeping represented the cultic side of Jewish life; and abstaining from evil represented the ethical side. 

            Now then, verses 3-8 speak unexpectedly about those who traditionally were excluded from the covenant fellowship, e. g, foreigners and eunuchs, as being included, if they meet the conditions. 

            This would have seemed radical to most Jews.  Indeed it would have been controversial, because the teaching contradicted the Law.  Please turn in your Bible to Deut. 23:1-6.  As you read down through those verses, you will see why Isaiah’s teaching would have seemed radical.  Deut. 23:1-6 lays out in clear terms that certain people were to be excluded from the covenant fellowship.  For example, eunuchs were to be excluded, because they were sexually mutilated (v. 1).  Ammonites and Moabites were to be excluded (v. 3).  And the reasons for their exclusion are given in verses 4-6.  Foreigners in general were treated with respect, but they still were excluded from the covenant fellowship.  Now come back to Isaiah 56.  Here Isaiah declares that these very people will be included, if they meet the conditions.  That would have seemed extremely radical.  Some Jews would even have said it was blasphemous. 

            Look at verses 4-5.  God clearly says to the eunuchs that they will be included if they enter into a relationship with him.  They will be given an “eternal name;” and that will be better than having physical children, because it will be everlasting or eternal, something physical children are not. 

            In verses 6-8, following the same pattern as with the eunuch, God declares through the prophet that foreigners who meet several conditions also will be included in the covenant fellowship.  As we work through this section, we need to keep in mind that it is talking about us.  We are Gentiles, foreigners, insofar as Israel; is concerned. 

            First, the foreigners will be people who “join themselves to the Lord.”  And of course that is the key condition, because it indicates a relationship.  Second, they will “minister to him.”  This is significant, and once again radical.  The Hebrew word used here for “minister” is the same word used for the ministering of priests in the temple.  The thought of a foreigner ministering in that way would have seemed abhorrent to many Jews.  Third, they will be people who “love the name of the Lord.”  This parallels joining themselves to the Lord.  Fourth, they will be people who are the Lord’s servants.  That parallels their ministering to him.  Fifth, like the eunuchs, they will keep the Sabbath.  And sixth, they will hold fast to the Lord’s covenant.  In other words, we are held responsible for maintaining, and being faithful to, the covenant relationship. 

            Verse seven reveals certain benefits that the foreign believers will receive.  First, God will bring them to his holy mountain.  That symbolizes their full inclusion in the covenant fellowship.  Notice that God personally will bring them.  In other words, they will be treated like any believing Israelite.  Second, God will make them joyful in his house of prayer.  Third, their burnt offerings and sacrifices will be accepted on God’s altar.  Of course this is not done literally under the New Covenant.  What it means is that the foreigners would have the full privileges of forgiveness of sins. 

            I believe there are two main points in all of this.  First, it is clear that God’s ultimate plan of salvation includes anyone and everyone who will meet the conditions of faith and obedience.  The second major point is the fact that God did not chose Israel, and give them all that he did, in order to shut out the world.  On the contrary, he did it in order to bring in the world.  It is true that he kept Israel separated from the world, but that was to keep her from being absorbed into the world.  If she had been absorbed into the world, she would have lost her “ability to call the world out of itself into the blessings of God” (Oswalt).  The Church today faces that same challenge.  We must resist being absorbed into the world so that we do not lose our ability to call the world out of itself into the blessings of God. 

            In verse eight Isaiah underlines the fact that God will not be finished with his gathering of believers after he gathers the exiles from Babylon.  God’s plan of salvation is much bigger than Israel.  He will gather all who will meet the conditions laid out in respect to the eunuchs and foreigners.  Although the persons to be gathered are not specified in this verse, I agree with Oswalt that it refers to the worldwide expansion of believers that is taking place under the New Covenant. 

            Now then, according to Oswalt the next segment doesn’t end with the end of chapter 56.  He believes it carries over to 57:2.  And he gives the segment the title, “Sheep Without a Shepherd.”  In the segment Isaiah lays the blame for Israel’s problems on her leaders. 

            In verse nine Isaiah invited the “wild animals” to come and devour.  The “wild animals” are the nations, and Israel is the meal.  This was a rather dramatic way of expressing the fact that God won’t tolerate his people going their own way.  He always brings judgment in those who insist on doing that.  And in every case of judgment, it is because of blatant sinfulness. 

            Verses 10-11 explain the sins of Israel’s leaders, meaning all of their leaders, though the prophets would be especially in view.  The “watchmen,” NRSV, “sentinels,” are the leaders.  And Isaiah says they are blind.  His point is that the leaders were responsible to sound the alarm in regard to Israel’s sinfulness; but they were blind to it.  Indeed they were so blind, they had no knowledge of it. 

            Then Isaiah changes the image.  He calls the leaders watchdogs that cannot bark.  They would rather sleep than keep watch and bark at danger.  But the leaders are not just lazy and idle dogs.  They have huge appetites.  They never are satisfied with what they have to eat. 

            In the second half of verse 11 Isaiah once again changes the image.  He now refers to the leaders as shepherds.  Of course shepherds are responsible for the flock.  But these shepherds have no understanding of what they are called to do, and they have failed to fulfill their responsibilities.  They have gone their own way, instead of God’s; and they have sought their own greedy agendas instead of doing what God called them to do.  It is these three images taken together, watchmen, dogs, and shepherds that suggest that Isaiah had kings and other leasers in mind in addition to the prophets. 

            The unidentified speaker in verse 12 represents the attitude of the leaders.  The word used for drinking here is one that suggests drinking in excess.  This is how Israel’s leaders want to spend their time.  And tomorrow they will do the same thing, only better, meaning with even more excess.  This verse summarizes the nasty condition of Israel’s leaders, those who are responsible for the well being of the nation. 

            Meanwhile, as 57:1-2 tells us, the righteous people are disappearing from Israelite society.  And no one takes it to heart; they don’t even notice.  Many scholars take “perish” in verse one literally and believe that the righteous people are dying out.  And they interpret resting on their beds in verse two, which parallels “entering into peace” in the first half of the verse, to mean death.  Others interpret the verses to mean that the righteous ones are being taken from this world to a better place, but it’s hard to tell what was in Isaiah’s mind.

            Last Sunday we studied Isaiah 54, the first half of a two-chapter section that Oswalt called “an invitation to salvation.”  Isaiah begins chapter 55 with an invitation to the thirsty to “come to the waters.”  Elsewhere in the book water is associated with the Holy Spirit.  For example, in 44:3, Isaiah wrote, “I will pour water on the thirsty land, and streams on the dry ground.  I will pour my spirit upon your descendents, and my blessings on your offspring.”  In the New Testament Jesus used this same imagery with the Samaritan woman (John 4:10-14) and at the Feast of Tabernacles (John 7:37-39).  And notice that the invitation is offered to those with no resources.  The “waters,” wine,” and “milk” are offered free.  Anyone can come and buy “without money and without price.” 

            The idea of the first sentence of verse two, the question about spending one’s money, and therefore one’s labor, “for that which is not bread,” for “that which does not satisfy,” points to the frequent attempt by persons to buy what God offers for free.  As the second part of the verse says, all one has to do to receive God’s spiritual “food” is listen to what God is saying through the prophet, and then come and eat. 

            In my opinion the NRSV has a weak translation of the last clause of verse two, where it says, “and delight yourselves in rich food.”  The NIV is much better, and more literal.  It reads, “and your soul will delight in the richest of fare.”  The word “soul” needs to be translated as such, because it carries the idea of one’s whole being.  The whole person benefits from this rich spiritual food. 

            In verse three we see further information about the meaning of listening to (and of course obeying) God.  If we listen and come to him, our souls will live.  “Coming” implies a positive response, a response of faith.  Those of you with an NRSV will notice that it once again does not translate “soul” as such. 

            Now then, this first sentence of verse three proves that the coming to “eat” in verses two was metaphorical.  It had nothing to do with returning to Israel and eating the food there.  Rather it had to do with eating spiritual food for salvation of the soul through the sacrifice of the divine Servant. 

            The second sentence of verse three adds even more to our understanding.  When we hear and come to the Lord, we participate in an “eternal covenant” that he has put in place.  And it is a covenant based on the Davidic covenant.  Now this gets a bit complicated, but it is worth the mental effort.  The Mosaic covenant that provided the primary basis for the Old Testament, or Covenant, had been broken by Israel’s sinfulness.  Thus a New Covenant was needed.  You may recall that Jeremiah, like Isaiah, had perceived this.  Please turn to the book of Jeremiah, and read verses 31:31-34. 

            As you can see, Jeremiah perfectly saw the need for a New Covenant.  And he understood the nature of it.  It would be different from the Old Covenant in that it would be based on our relationship with God rather than on the Law.  Isaiah also saw this.  As I mentioned above, he declares that the New Covenant would be based on God’s steadfast love for David.  God determined to institute the New Covenant by means of a Davidic Messiah, whom we realize is the Suffering Servant. 

            These connections that I am making are vital for a proper understanding of Isaiah and fairly important for the larger picture of evangelical theology.  As Oswalt points out, in the earlier chapters of the book, despite the corruptions and fears of the house of David in Isaiah’s historical time (7:2, 13), it still was described, “as the child, the shoot of Jesse, through whom God’s kingdom is to be established.”  Then in chapters 40-55, which we are just finishing up, we have seen that the divine Servant is the one who is to fulfill those messianic hopes.  For example, 42:1-4 reads in part, “Here is my servant, whom I uphold . . . I have put my spirit upon him; he will bring forth justice to the nations . . . He will not grow faint or be crushed until he has established justice in the earth.”  Then 49:6-9 says in part, “It is too small a thing for you to be my servant to restore the tribes of Jacob and bring back those of Israel I have kept.  I will also make you a light for the Gentiles, that you may bring my salvation to the ends of the earth . . . I will keep you and will make you a to be a covenant for the people . . . to say to the captives, ‘Come out,’ and to say to those in darkness, ‘Be free!’” (NIV). 

            Moving on to 55:4-5, verse four clearly is speaking of about the historical David.  David’s name is the last word of verse three; and then verse four begins, “I made him a witness.”  The “him” is David.  So Isaiah declares that the historical David was a witness to the power of God as Israel’s leader and commander. 

            Verse five is another matter.  Most scholars are convinced that Isaiah refers to someone other than David in verse five, but they disagree on who the other is.  Many recent commentators have taken it to be Israel, and others including Oswalt, take it to be the Davidic Servant-Messiah.  We won’t go into the arguments, but I believe Oswalt is correct.  The verse is significant either way, because the role of calling and receiving the nations is important.  But if Oswalt is right, and this is the Davidic Messiah, it establishes how God chose to fulfill his promise to David that David never would lack a descendent on the throne of Israel.  The Davidic Messiah is the eternal king of the New Israel.  And notice that it is God, the Holy One of Israel, who is promising this. 

            Following the great promises of verses 3-5, Isaiah commanded Israel in verse six to seek the Lord.  The Lord obviously wanted to be found.  And it was not information they were to seek.  Rather they were to seek a relationship with him.  And notice that there was a sense of urgency about it.  The time when the Lord would be near and could be found might run out before they did it.  And the same is true for us.  Whether in Old or New Testament days, the wicked must seek the Lord while he may be found. 

            In verse seven Isaiah told them how “the wicked” were to seek the Lord.  They were to forsake their ways and thoughts and “return to the Lord.”  And the same is true for us today.  Undoubtedly this is true for unbelievers.  But we don’t want to make the mistake of thinking that we don’t at all fit into the category of the wicked.  Any refusal to do what God wants is wickedness.  And most of us are guilty of stubbornly hanging on to at least some of our own ways and thoughts.  That’s why we must give up our ways and thoughts for God’s.  And notice how merciful God is.  He is anxious for us to repent and return so that he can “abundantly pardon.” 

            I think it is quite clear that for the Jews, deliverance from Babylon was a secondary matter.  The primary thing was seeking forgiveness for their sins.  And we must not forget that the basis for that offered forgiveness was what the suffering Servant had done on their behalf, and ours too, as we saw outlined in chapter 53. 

            Verses 8-9 explain the matter further.  God’s ways and thoughts not only are different from ours; they are higher.  The word “ways,” as it is being used here, refers to a person’s pattern of behavior.  The word “thoughts” refers to the values and perceptions that underlie our behavior.  And we must turn from our ways and thoughts because they are not of God.  Indeed they are sinful.  Proverbs 21:2 makes the same point.  It reads, “All deeds are right in the sight of the doer, but the Lord weighs the heart.” 

            In verses 10-11 we see a second reason for seeking the Lord.  The first was because our ways and thoughts are not his.  Now second, we should seek him because his word is completely dependable.  It is like rain that comes from heaven when it is needed.  That kind of rain produces a good crop, which in turn provides adequate food (bread) and enough seed for next year’s crop. 

            God’s word likewise comes from heaven and accomplishes God’s spiritual purposes on the earth.  By means of his word God has revealed his plans and purposes to humanity, especially his plan of salvation.  Here in Isaiah he revealed that he would send his divine Messianic Servant to suffer on our behalf and make possible the forgiveness of our sins. 

            Finally, verses 12-13 serve as a conclusion to both the segment, verses 6-13, and the section, chapters 40-55 (Oswalt).  Many recent commentators believe the verses refer to the return from exile.  And they do.  But again that is secondary to the restoration of sinners through the word of God.  The outlandish imagery expresses the joy of all creation at God’s saving grace.  The return from exile was an important event, but it was the forgiveness of sin that is the “eternal sign.”  Like God’s “eternal love” in 54:8 and his “eternal covenant” in 55:3, it is permanent.

            In the last essay we concluded our study of Isaiah’s great poetic proclamation of salvation that comes through the Suffering Servant, in 52:13-53:12.  The poem tells of the power of God’s “arm” to redeem Israel, and us, from the ultimate enemy, sin and death.  Specifically we studied 53:4-12. 

            In this essay we are studying chapter 54.  As Isaiah moves from the Suffering Servant poem into chapters 54-55, he offers what Oswalt calls “an invitation to salvation.”  And he begins in 54:1-10 with the image of “a wife restored.”  In the Suffering Servant poem, Israel was called to believe it could be restored to God.  In this passage Isaiah writes as though the restoration is about to take place, and Israel is to bask in that reality. 

            Notice in verse one that Isaiah personifies Israel as a barren woman who can rejoice because she now has many children.  She is to sing and shout in response to the good news of her salvation seen in the Suffering Servant poem.  Interestingly, the apostle Paul quotes this verse in Gal. 4:27 where he is talking about the experience of Sarah and Hagar in the Old Testament.  He sets forth Sarah as a type of “the Jerusalem above,” which is the New Covenant community.  And he quotes Isa. 54:1 in relation to Sarah.  In Paul’s mind, Sarah (representing the Church) is a barren woman who has many children released from the bondage of sin; and she rejoices.  In Isaiah’s imagery, Israel was a barren woman who could rejoice because God’s people were about to be released from the bondage of the Babylonian exile. 

            Moving to verses 2-3, we see Isaiah use the imagery of expanding one’s tents.  In the Near East the women were responsible for setting up and maintaining the family’s tents.  And the Lord commands Israel, through Isaiah, to expand her tents.  Now the only reason for enlarging tents was to accommodate a growing family.  And remember, Israel already has been described as barren, because she is still enduring the Babylonian Exile.  So this command was like a promise.  God will keep his word.  Israel, when she is redeemed, will expand on all sides.  Her children will dispossess the nations and populate the “desolate cities.”  Surely Isaiah intended that this description of what God is about to do to prompt his readers to think about the original conquest of Canaan. 

            Isaiah’s culture considered childlessness shameful.  A barren woman was at best a failure, and at worst a sinner whom God was punishing.  Israel actually had sinned, and the Lord had sent her into exile in shame as punishment.  Now we see in verse four that the days of shame soon will be past.  She is not to fear, or be discouraged.  For she will be fruitful and will forget her earlier shame and disgrace.  Notice the mention of her “youth” and her “widowhood.”  Oswalt suggests that these probably were intended to symbolize her entire life.  She has known shame and disgrace her entire life, but that is about to nd. 

            Verse five tells why Isel no longer needs to know shame and disgrace.  Her maker, the God of all the earth, is her husband and Redeemer.  What imagery!  What could be greater than having God himself as a loving husband?  That’s why Israel can sing (verse one); why she can spread her tents (verse two); and why she can surrender her fear (verse four). 

            In verse six Isaiah provides two pictures.  The first is that of a forsaken wife who is grieved in spirit.  She is unhappy and bitter.  That is a picture of Israel in exile.  The other picture is that of “the wife of a man’s youth.”  That makes one think of a laughing bride with dancing eyes and much hope for the future.  In the case of Israel, the latter had become the former.  In Oswalt’s words, “the laughing eyes have been turned into bitter eyes by broken dreams and scattered hopes.  The bride has been rejected, and the fault has been all her own . . . . But, wonder of wonders, Her Husband, who is her Maker, calls her back to all that might have been and yet will be again.” 

            Verses 7-8 explain the situation from God’s point of view.  Because of Israel’s sinfulness, God abandoned her (v. 7) and hid his face from her (v. 8), for a moment, meaning the Exile.  But his character is love (1 Jn. 4:8, 16).  And he reaches out to her with great compassion. 

            There is an important factor here that we must not overlook.  The key element in Israel’s restoration is not the return to the land.  Although returning to the land is important, restoration of their relationship with the Lord is much more important.  They will no longer be abandoned.  The Lord’s face will no longer be turned from them.  As God redeems them, he restores them to his favor, because he is love.  The best biblical analogy for what is revealed here is the story of Hosea and Gomer in the book of Hosea.  Gomer was a prostitute when Hosea married her.  Although Gomer persistently defiled her marriage by returning to prostitution, and ended up on the slave block (3:1-2), Hosea in obedience to God purchased her, and returned her to his home and love to symbolize God’s steadfast love for Israel. 

            As you can see in verses 9-10, Isaiah is continuing in the same vein; but he changes the image.  He now speaks of Noah and the flood.  Just as God bound himself not to destroy humanity again by flood, he binds himself not to remain angry at Israel.  Indeed God’s love is more secure than the mountains.  His “covenant of peace (shalom)” is permanent. 

            Now then, in the next paragraph Isaiah once again shifts the poetic imagery.  He began the chapter, in verses 1-9, with the image of a restored wife.  Then in verses 10-11 he changed to the image of Noah and the flood.  Now in verses 11-17 he shifts to the image of a rebuilt city.  But the focus remains the same throughout.  God is restoring Israel’s relationship to him.  He is restoring her to divine favor. 

            Verse 11 begins with a three-fold description of Israel’s present wretched condition.  First, she is “afflicted.”  Oswalt translates it, “poverty-stricken.”  In any case Israel is suffering.  Second, she is “storm-tossed,” which means that she lacks stability like a ship tossed on the great waves of a storm.  And third, Israel is “not comforted.”  At the very least that means that she is unhappy.  She is upset about her suffering and instability.  But, as you can see, God (through Isaiah) is comforting her now. 

            In the rebuilding process, he will set her “stones in antimony.”  “Antimony” is thought to be a black mortar used to make colored paving stones stand out.  Oswalt says it could be a reference to mosaics.  The foundations of the city will be laid with sapphires, the pinnacles of the walls with rubies, the gates with jewels, and the walls themselves with precious stones.  This glorious imagery is used to drive home the point that their situation will be drastically changed.  From being afflicted, storm tossed, and not comforted, they will become wealthy, stable, secure, and comforted. 

            Verses 13-14 are important, because they make it clear that the primary meaning of the change is spiritual rather than material.  In these verses Isaiah explains what he means by the extensive use of jewels.  And as he does so, he speaks not of wealth, but of being taught by the Lord, and of experiencing the wholeness of shalom. 

            Notice in verse 14 that the city will know righteousness, in addition to peace and wholeness.  Being righteous and doing what is right go hand in hand with shalom.  And notice that the city also will be secure.  It will be free from oppression and fear. 

            In verse 15 the Lord reveals that if trouble comes to them after the restoration; and he knew it would, because trouble comes to everyone, it would not come from him.  And those who make trouble for God’s people will fall. 

            In verse 16 the Lord asserts his sovereignty.  No part of his creation is exempt from his purposes.  In reverse order from what is in the text, God creates the warrior-destroyer; and he creates the blacksmith who makes the weapon used by the warrior.  In other words, even though people with free will may cause havoc, they never are out of God’s control.  And as he goes on to say in verse 17, no weapon that is fashioned against Israel will prosper.  It doesn’t eliminate the power of our enemies to harm us, but they will not prevail.  The same is true of those who use the tongue against us.  They might harm us, but they will not prevail against us.

            The “heritage” (inheritance) of God’s servants, and that includes us, is the restoration that has been laid out by Isaiah: shalom, righteousness, and freedom from fear.  And we must never forget that God is the source of all of this.  And it is critical that we grasp the fact that the restoration is about our relationship to God, not about personal prosperity.

            In our last essay we studied Isa. 52:13-53:3, which launched Isaiah’s famous Suffering Servant poem.  In this essay we are studying 53:4-12, which concludes the Suffering Servant poem.  At verse four we begin to see the Servant’s mission. 

            This passage is extremely important theologically.  It not only is a prophecy of Christ’s death, it also points directly to a proper interpretation of Christ’s death.  These verses make clear that the sorrows and sufferings of the divine Servant that were laid out in verse three, those that made people think he was of no account, are really our weakness and sin sickness that he is bearing on our behalf.  In other words, the divine Servant takes on himself the suffering of our sinfulness so that we do not have to suffer the consequences of that sinfulness.  “He has borne our infirmities and carried our diseases.”  He was “wounded (literally pierced through) for our transgressions” and “crushed for our iniquities.”  “Upon him was the punishment that made us whole, and by his bruises (literally welts) we are healed.” 

            We must remember that in Jewish theology, if people suffered, it was because they deserved it.  Their suffering was understood to be the result of their sinfulness, or perhaps their daddy’s sinfulness.  But normally, they believed it was the sinfulness of the individual.  Job’s so-called friends articulated this theology quite clearly. 

            However here it is revealed that the divine Servant suffers, not because he deserves it, but because he suffers the punishment for our sinfulness.  It is clear that he is not suffering with us; he is suffering for us.  He died as our substitute and thus fulfilled the Old Testament sacrificial system. 

            In verse six Isaiah uses an extended simile to reinforce the point.  Sheep graze simply by moving on the next clump of grass.  They don’t pay any attention to where they are going.  If they get frightened, they bolt in any direction.  So they easily get lost.  And we have acted that way in respect to sin.  We went our own way and ended up lost.  But God laid on the divine Servant “the iniquity of us all.”  Praise the Lord!. 

            Verses 7-9 continue the theme of the unjust punishment of the Servant.  The Servant was “oppressed and afflicted.”  These terms imply mistreatment, but notice that the Servant remained silent.  He was totally was submissive “like a lamb that is led to the slaughter.”  You will recall that the people complained that God was doing nothing to help them (51:9-10).  But the divine Servant, who legitimately is being wronged, remains silent. 

            This imagery is powerful.  Notice that both the Servant’s people and the Servant are likened to sheep, but in a totally different way.  In verse six the Servant’s people were likened to sheep that get lost in sin.  Here in verse seven the Servant is likened to a silent, submissive “lamb that is led to the slaughter.”  That immediately brings to mind John 1:29, where John the Baptist declared of Jesus, “Behold the lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world.” 

            In verse eight we see the unjust suffering continue.  However once again the translation is uncertain.  The first sentence literally reads, “from oppression and judgment he was taken away.”  According to Oswalt, there are several ways to interpret the opening preposition, “from.”  And one’s interpretation of that preposition controls how one translates the verse.  Without going into all of that, let me just give you Oswalt’s conclusion that the best interpretation of the preposition, “from,” is a causal one.  That is, it was because of the oppression and judgment that the Servant was taken away to death.  This accounts for the NRSV rendering, “by a perversion of justice he was taken away.”  In other words the Servant was treated unjustly from the beginning to the end of the process. 

            There also is a translation problem with the second sentence of the verse.  It literally reads, “And who shall consider his generation?”  And that’s the way Oswalt translates it.  I have no idea how the NRSV translators arrived at, “who could have imagined his future?”  The NIV reading, “And who can speak of his descendents?” seems much better to me, because the idea in mind is the fact that the divine Servant dies childless.  In that culture, having no children was considered a curse.  It seems that Isaiah was reflecting on the Servant’s childlessness as an additional injustice. 

            The rest of the verse returns to the basic fact that the Servant’s suffering and death were because of the sins of the people.  Indeed he suffered and died on behalf of the people. 

            Verse nine moves from the death of the Servant to his burial.  “They made his grave with the wicked and his tomb with the rich.”  You may already be aware that a standard Hebrew poetry contains parallelism.  Typically, two lines of Hebrew poetry either say the same thing, a contrasting thing, or the second builds on the first.  Where they say the same thing, that’s synonymous parallelism.  Where they say contrasting things, that’s antithetical parallelism.  And where the second builds on the first, that’s called synthetic parallelism.  Now some scholars believe that Isaiah intended the two lines to be antithetical rather than synonymous.  Thus they would understand the two lines to be saying that it was intended that he be buried with the wicked, but he actually was buried with the rich.  It is more likely that Isaiah intended the two lines to be synonymous, in which case he meant that the Servant would be buried with the wicked rich.  Either way this suggests that the Servant suffered a final indignity of being buried with those whose sins he had carried, but who had not believed in him. 

            The second part of the verse is quite important: “although he had done no violence, and there was no deceit in his mouth.”  Notice that the injustice of the treatment of the Servant still is at the forefront.  Not only had the Servant kept silent in his own defense, as had been declared earlier in verse seven, he also said nothing deceitful.  In addition he had done nothing violent.  Thus does Isaiah press home the injustice of the treatment of the Servant.  But he also emphasizes the innocence of the Servant.  He deserved no punishment whatsoever. 

            Now then, we come to the last stanza of the poem, which brings it to a grand climax.  The first thing we notice about this stanza is the declaration that God wanted this to happen: “It was the will of the Lord to crush him.”  Isaiah wants his readers to know without doubt that the suffering and death of the divine Servant was part of God’s plan for the salvation of the world. 

            Now the second sentence once again raises a translation problem that can be seen in the differing translations of the NIV and the NRSV.  The NIV reads, “and though the Lord makes his life a guilt offering,” and the NRSV reads, “When you make his life an offering for sin.”  The NIV translates it from God’s perspective, and the NRSV translate it from our perspective.  Thus we can safely say that however one decides to deal with the translation problem, both translations contain part of the truth.  When the divine Servant died for our sins, from God’s perspective, the Servant made his life a guilt offering for us.  On the other hand, from our perspective, we must offer the Servant’s broken self back as a guilt offering in our place.  Either way the Servant becomes an atoning sacrifice for our sins. 

            Verse 10, along with verse 11, goes on to explain that two things happen when we accept this sacrifice by the Servant.  One of the two things benefits the Servant, and the other benefits us.  First, the futility expressed about the Servant’s life in verses 8-9 is reversed.  He who died childless will see his offspring.  He who was cut off from the land of the living will live forever.  And he who suffered and died unjustly will accomplish his purposes in life.  And Isaiah tells us what those purposes are.  The will of the Lord will prosper; the Servant will see the light; he will find satisfaction; and he will save his people from their sins.  And that leads us to the second thing, the one that benefits us.

            All right, second, at the end of verse 11, we see the benefit to us.  It reads, “The righteous one, my servant, shall make many righteous, and he shall bear their iniquities.”  Here Isaiah once again emphasizes that the suffering and death of the divine Servant is a means of bearing our iniquities, our sins.  He doesn’t want anyone to misunderstand the reason for that suffering. 

            Verse 12 summarizes what has gone before: “Therefore I will allot him a portion with the great, and he shall divide the spoil with the strong.”  In other words, the divine Servant will be exalted, and he will in turn share that exaltation with those who are in union with him.  Then the last part of the verse summarizes the reasons: “because he poured out himself to death;” he “was numbered with the transgressors; . . . he bore the sin of many, and [he] made intersession for the transgressors.” 

            Once again we cannot miss the heart of the divine Servant’s mission.  He died for our sin.  As Oswalt so eloquently puts it, “the Servant will be exalted to the highest heaven (52:13) not because he was humiliated (although he was), not because he suffered unjustly (although he did), not because he did it voluntarily (although he did), but because it was all in order to carry the sin of the world away to permit God’s children to come home to him.  He is exalted because he fulfilled God’s purpose for his ministry, and that purpose was redemption.”