Category Archive

            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.”

            In our last essay we studied Isaiah 51:9-52:12 in which the fundamental message was that Israel was to awaken and be delivered.  In this essay we are studying the great “suffering Servant” poem found in 52:13-53:3.  Although Isaiah has been preparing us for this revelation of how God will redeem his people, it still comes as something of a surprise.  The ultimate enemy of Israel and all of us is sin and death.  And this poem tells us that the power of God’s arm to redeem us is not the power to crush the enemy.  Rather God’s Servant is crushed.  He takes on himself the sin of Israel and the world.  And like the scapegoat of the Day of Atonement in Leviticus 16 (v. 22), he carries that sin away from us. 

            The first line of verse 13 has a translation problem.  The NRSV translates it, “See, my servant shall prosper.”  The NIV renders it, “See, my servant will act wisely.”  And Oswalt translates it, “Behold, my servant will accomplish his purpose.”  Oswalt says that neither “be wise” nor “prosper” gathers up the full sense of the context.  Isaiah is not saying that the Servant will merely be a wise man, or that he will be a rich man.  Rather he is saying that the Servant will wisely know and do the right things to accomplish the purpose for which he was called. 

            The rest of verse 13 expresses the coming exaltation of the divine Servant.  The words, “high” and “lifted up,” appear in combination in three other places in Isaiah and nowhere else in the Old Testament (Is. 6:1; 33:10; 57:15).  In each of those occurrences, the reference is to God.  This proves that it is the divine Servant that is in view here.  This is important, because some scholars deny that. 

            Verses 14-15 also present a couple of problems.  Once again the translation of two words makes a difference.  The NRSV renders the first line of verse 14, “Just as there were many who were astonished at him.”  The NIV translates the last part “were appalled at him.”  Oswalt prefers the NIV “appalled” here, though either is fine.  The more serious translation difference is in the first line of verse 15.  The NRSV reads, “so he shall startle many nations.”  And the NIV reads, “so he will sprinkle many nations.”  In this case Oswalt, in a very rare occasion of going against the Masoretic Text, prefers the NRSV “startle.”  There is no parallel in the passage to “sprinkle,” and he asks, what would be sprinkled?  Startle has a parallel, and it fits the context. 

            Although the imagery here in respect to the disfigurement of the Servant is not to be taken literally, it still expresses something of the experience of the messianic Servant.  In respect to the overall meaning of verses 14-15, the general sense is quite clear.  Many individuals, and even many nations, will be astonished, appalled or startled by what they see of the Servant and by his exaltation.  Indeed the kings of the nations will be rendered speechless.  We must remember what the Lord said back in 49:7.  I am quoting the NIV:

This is what the Lord says—the Redeemer and Holy One of Israel—to him who was despised and abhorred by the nation, to the servant of rulers, “Kings will see and rise up, princes will see and bow down, because of the Lord who is faithful, the Holy One of Israel, who has chosen you.”

            The kings of the earth will be so stunned they will simply bow down to the exalted Redeemer.  The idea that God’s messianic Servant can conquer all things by the loss of all things will be a totally new idea to them.  Interestingly, the apostle Paul uses the last two lines of verse 15 to give biblical support to his missionary ministry in general, and his desire to take the gospel to those who have never had an opportunity to hear it in particular.  That quotation is found in Romans 15:21. 

            The poem continues into chapter 53 with no break.  If the nations will be shocked by the new idea to them that a deliverer would willingly fall so low before delivering them, what about those who had heard the message?  Had any of them believed this? 

            The first question we need to answer is who are the “we,” or the “our,” (depending on the translation) in verse one?  Oswalt tells us that scholars have offered three proposals: the nations mentioned in the previous verse, the nation of Israel through the voice of the prophet, and the collective voice of the prophets.  The third is easy to refute, because it doesn’t fit the context of the next few verses.  The other two depend on one’s view of the servant.  Those who believe that the servant is Israel tend to believe that the “we” are the Gentile nations that are looking on.  But those of us who believe that the servant is the messianic Servant believe that the “we” is Israel who fails to recognize the “arm of the Lord” when it is revealed to them. 

            Verse one is quoted twice in the New Testament, and both authors understand the verses in the way just outlined.  For example, the apostle John says about Jesus’ ministry in John 12:37-38, quote, “Even after Jesus had done all these miraculous signs in their presence, they still would not believe in him.  This was to fulfill the word of Isaiah the prophet: ‘Lord, who has believed our message and to whom has the arm of the Lord been revealed’” (NIV)? 

            Then the apostle Paul writes in Romans 10:16, “But not all have obeyed the good news, for Isaiah says, ‘Lord, who has believed our message?’”  Thus we see that the New Testament authors agree that Isaiah was talking about those in Israel who had heard, but had not believed. 

            The shocking thing in this passage is the revelation of “the mighty arm of the Lord.”  The people had been told time and time again that the mighty arm of the Lord would save them (40:10; 48:14; 51:5; 52:10).  But they did not expect the “arm of the Lord” to look like he did, or to save them in the way that he did. 

            Verse two continues the description of the Servant that we saw in 52:14.  He is the opposite of what they expected.  They expected a strong, attractive, charismatic deliverer, one who would lead and convince people to do what he wanted them to do.  But the messianic Servant not only is unattractive (52:14), he seems weak.  He is like a little plant trying to grow in unwatered ground. 

            The word “despised” in Hebrew lacks the heavy emotion of the English word.  It doesn’t carry the meaning of belittling or contempt.  Rather it means “worthless,” “unworthy of attention.”  Thus the Servant appears to be a loser who is given a hasty dismissal.  After all, losers don’t deliver anyone.  The Servant is a man of pain and suffering.  He is the type of person people hide their faces from.  As Oswalt puts it, thus we see why this, “revelation of the arm of the Lord that will deliver God’s people, is met with shock, astonishment, distaste, dismissal, and avoidance.  Such a one as this can hardly be the one who can set us free from the most pervasive of all human bondages: sin, and all its consequences.”  Or can he?

            In this essay we are studying Isaiah 51:9-52:12 in which the fundamental message is for the people of God to awaken and be delivered.  But the segment begins with a cry of complaint from Zion for the Lord to awake and do something.  In verses 9-11 Isaiah speaks the feelings of the people, and he calls on God to act as he did in “days of old.”  Rahab symbolizes Egypt (see Is. 30:7).  “The dragon” symbolizes Pharaoh (see Ezekiel 29:2-3).  The “sea” in verse 10 refers to the Red Sea.  Thus all of these images refer to the Exodus.  The people are frustrated because God is not doing something like that for them in the immediate present.  As Oswalt reminds us, one can sincerely believe that God can do something about one’s captivity (whether it is to the Babylonians or to sin) and that God will do something, and still be deeply troubled that he or she does not see God doing anything right now.  Verse 11 declares that deliverance will come.  The redeemed will come to Zion with great joy and singing. 

            Then in verses 12-16 the Lord responds to the cry of the people.  The Lord begins by declaring that he is the great “I am,” who comforts them.  And he wants to know why they are afraid of human beings.  Then in verse 13 the Lord announces that it is they, the people, who have forgotten him, rather than the other way round.  They needed to broaden their horizons, and the same is true for us.  If we focus our attention on the oppressor; and that is all we see, we will be ruled by fear and hatred.  But if we focus on God, we will realize that he is the larger reality; and that he holds our ultimate destiny in his hands. 

            In verse 14 the Lord promises that his people will not perish.  He will deliver them, and the implication is that he is talking about eternal deliverance.  Verse 15 declares that they will be delivered because of who God is.  And in verse 16 we have a sudden shift in addressee from the nation to an individual.  Oswalt believes it is the divine Servant, though it seems to me it could just as easily be the prophet.  In either case the message is that God is the creator and Zion is his people. 

            In verses 17-23 God calls on Israel to rouse herself from her drunken stupor.  In this segment Israel is described as staggering drunk.  You will remember that we were told in verse nine the people wanted God to wake up and do something.  But the Lord is saying that they are the ones who must wake up and do something.  Notice the reminder that they are in their drunken condition because of God’s judgment, not because of their enemies.  But verse 18 informs us that Zion is unable to get up and move on her own.  And none of her children are left to take her by the hand and lead her home.  Oswalt describes the situation in these words: “Thus we have the picture of an inebriated old woman whose children are either dead or helpless so that there is none let to help her home.”  Yet God still calls for her to get up.  That is because he can help her, if she will repent and believe. 

            It is uncertain what the phrase “two things” in verse 19 refer to.  The same phrase is used in 47:9, and there it refers to childlessness and widowhood.  Since childlessness is mentioned in verse 18, Oswalt suggests that childlessness and widowhood are the two things intended here.  Others suggest that “devastation and destruction” are one and “famine and sword” are the second.  Either way her children are as helpless as she is.  They lie where they have fallen in the streets from starvation or capture.  Once again the point is pressed home that they are in that condition because of the wrath of God. 

            In verses 21-22 the Lord announces that he will end their time of judgment.  Notice the “therefore.”  God declares himself to be their “Sovereign,” that is, their King.  He is the Lord.  He is their God, and he is the one who defends them.  It certainly is true that he punished them, but that was not his final intention by any means.  He will remove his cup of wrath and keep his covenant promises.  Indeed verse 23 tells us that he intends to give the cup to their tormentors. 

            At the beginning of chapter 52, Zion once again is called upon to wake up and lay hold on her salvation.  Verse 1 is almost the same as 51:9, but this time it is Zion who is to wake up rather than God.  In 51:12-23 God in his response to Israel’s complaint clearly showed that the problem was not on his side.  It is Zion that needs to wake up and believe that the Lord will save them. 

            The “uncircumcised” who no longer will enter Jerusalem are those who are spiritually unclean, whether they are Jews or Gentiles.  And notice in verse two that the people of Zion must do their part.  God will break the chains that bind them, but they have to get up, shake off the dust, and throw off the chains themselves.  The same is true for us.  We cannot break the chains of sin and death that bind us.  God must do that.  But once he breaks the chains, we have to remove them ourselves. 

            We saw the meaning of verse three coming out in an earlier passage.  Since the Lord did not sell Israel to pay his debts, but instead decided to chastise her, he can just as easily redeem her simply by deciding to do it.  Verses 4-6 explain further.  The Lord mentions the fact that Israel went into Egypt voluntarily and that Assyria oppressed them involuntarily.  And of course the Babylonians likewise took them captive without cause.  Thus Israel’s leaders howl with shame and despise God’s name because he seems to be doing nothing about their problem.  And of course the nations that were observing the situation also would be despising God’s name because it appeared he could not defend his people.  Thus God’s reputation was at stake. 

            Verse six answers the question of verse five, “what am I doing here?”  Notice the two therefores.  They provide a two-fold answer to the question.  Therefore one, his people will know his name, which means that they will see him act on their behalf revealing his character and nature.  And two, his people will know it is he who speaks, which means that they will see him do what he said he would do. 

            As we have seen several times before in Isaiah, this section ends with a hymn of praise.  Oswalt suggests that Isaiah is picturing here a city awaiting news of the outcome of a decisive battle.  Then when the runner comes with news of victory, the city rejoices and celebrates. 

            The song begins with Isaiah extolling the bringer of good news.  Notice that there are four aspects to the message.  First, it is a message of peace (shalom).  It is a message of health and well being.  Second it is a message of good news.  It is a message of victory rather than defeat.  Third, it is a message of salvation.  This is the braking of the chains we spoke of earlier.  And fourth, it is a message that “Your God reigns.”  God rules.  Therefore he can and will deliver. 

            Classic Christianity firmly believes that the gospel of Christ is the fulfillment of Isaiah’s words.  Indeed the apostle Paul quotes the beginning of this passage to support his presentation of the process of salvation in Rom. 10:14-15.  He writes, “But how are they to call on one in whom they have not believed?  And how are they to believe in one of whom they have not heard?  And how are they to hear without someone to proclaim him?  And how are they to proclaim him unless they are sent?  As it is written, ‘how beautiful are the feet of those who bring good news!’” 

            In verse eight we see the watchmen on the walls taking up the song.  And notice that the messenger is now identified as the Lord.  In verse nine the “ruins” in Jerusalem symbolize the spiritual condition of the people.  But they can break out of their spiritual brokenness because of the Lord’s comfort and redemption.  Verse 10 tells us that God’s salvation will take place in full view of the nations, which will restore his reputation in their eyes. 

            In verses 11-12 the people are called to depart as they did during the Exodus.  But this time things will be different.  They will not go out in haste.  And they will be able to take with them some of the gold vessels of the sanctuary.  One thing will be the same, however.  God will guide them on the way and act as their rear guard.  The same is true for those of us who are in relationship with Christ.  We are saved from sin and God leads us to the heavenly Promised Land, while watching our backs all the way.