Isaiah

Isaiah began his work as a prophet in the year King Uzziah of Judah died, 739 BC (Isaiah 6:1). He prophesied during the reigns of "Uzziah, Jotham, Ahaz, and Hezekiah, kings of Judah" (Isaiah 1:1). Isaiah outlived King Hezekiah, who died in 686 B.C., for he recorded the death of King Sennacherib of Assyria (Isaiah 37:37-38), who was assassinated by two of his own sons in 681 B.C. Thus, his public prophetic ministry apparently lasted 53 years (739 B.C. - 686 B.C.), and he lived several years longer. A complete scroll of Isaiah dated by the carbon 14 dating method to the second century B.C. was found among the Dead Sea scrolls.

The Servant of the Lord

In twenty-one passages the prophet refers to the servant of the Lord (Isaiah 20:3; 22:20; 37:5; 41:8-9; 42:1,19; 43:10; 44:1-2,21,26; 45:4; 48:20; 49:3,5,6-7; 50:10; 52:13; 53:11). Isaiah himself (Isaiah 20:3), Eliakim (Isaiah 22:20), David (Isaiah 37:5), and Israel (Isaiah 44:21) are each designated as a servant of the Lord.

But one servant whom the prophet describes is completely apart from the others. Whereas Israel was rebellious (Isaiah 1:2; 30:1,9; 65:2), this servant was not (Isaiah 50:5). Isaiah was "a man of unclean lips" when he was called to be a prophet (Isaiah 6:5), but this servant's lips were pure (Isaiah 53:9). King David had been dead for centuries when Isaiah prophesied.

Eliakim was, at the choice of the Lord, over the household of good King Hezekiah (Isaiah 22:20-24; 36:1-3,11,22; 37:2). Is he the servant of Isaiah 42:1-7; 49:1-7; 50:4-10; and 52:13 - 53:12? This servant was to "bring forth justice to the Gentiles" (Isaiah 42:1), establish "justice in the earth" (Isaiah 42:4), and send his law to "the coastlands" (Ibid). He would be "a covenant to the people" and "a light to the Gentiles" (Isaiah 42:6). He was to "open blind eyes" and to "bring out prisoners from the prison" (Isaiah 42:7). He was to be the salvation of the Lord "to the ends of the earth" (Isaiah 49:6). Surely this servant is far, far greater than Eliakim.

Read of this servant, and you decide who he is. "He is despised and rejected by men" (Isaiah 53:3) and "wounded for our transgressions" (Isaiah 53:5). "By oppression and judgment He was taken away" (Isaiah 53:8, New American Standard Bible), and "He was cut off from the land of the living" (Ibid).

His grave was assigned with wicked men, Yet He was with a rich man in His death, Because He had done no violence, Nor was there any deceit in His mouth (Isaiah 53:9, NASB).

His "soul" was "an offering for sin" (Isaiah 53:10). Yet, "He shall prolong His days" (Isaiah 53:10).

The Song of the Suffering Servant

Of course, Isaiah, writing about seven hundred years before Christ Jesus walked upon earth is describing, not only the death, burial, and resurrection of the Lord, but even the significance of these events. Isaiah 52:13 - 53:12 is the gospel written before, the heart of the gospel according to Isaiah. It not only is awesome in its profound description of the meaning of the suffering of the Christ, it is unanswerable as evidence that Jesus Christ is the Son of God. It is the magnificently beautiful "Song of the Suffering Servant of the Lord."

First Stanza
Introduction

The Servant Song is composed of five stanzas. Stanza one, Isaiah 52:13-15 provides an overview of the Servant's work of redemption.

Behold, my servant shall act wisely; he shall be high and lifted up, and shall be exalted. As many were astonished at you-- his appearance was so marred, beyond human semblance, and his form beyond that of the children of mankind-- so shall he sprinkle many nations; kings shall shut their mouths because of him; for that which has not been told them they see, and that which they have not heard they understand (Isaiah 52:13-15, English Standard Version)

Because the Servant would suffer horribly, readers would surmise He was being punished for His own sins. But this is not the case. Rather, He would act wisely and would eventually triumph and be lifted up. This is what the apostle Paul affirms of Christ (Philippians 2:5-11).

But He would be mercilessly punished so that He would no longer even have the appearance of a man. Before His crucifixion Jesus was scourged by the Romans (Matthew 27:26; Mark 15:15; Luke 23:16,22; John 19:1). Romans scourged condemned slaves before they were crucified to increase their suffering. This beating with a whip consisting of a handle to which were attached nine leather thongs with pieces of bone or metal embedded in them was so brutal that the victims had the flesh of their backs torn loose to the bone, and they bled profusely and sometimes even died from the shock.

But the result would be that He would sprinkle many nations. The sprinkling of the blood of a sacrificial victim was for cleansing from sin (Leviticus 5:5-10) and uncleanness (Leviticus 14:1-7). But in reality animal sacrifices could not ultimately cleanse from sin (Hebrews 10:1-4). But the blood of Christ shed on the cross cleanses the sinner inwardly from all sins (Hebrews 9:13-14; 1 John 1:7). When our bodies are washed in the waters of baptism, the blood of Christ is in a figure sprinkled upon our hearts to cleanse us from sin (Hebrews 10:19-22).

Even the kings of the earth would shut their mouths in awe and reverence before this Servant who had been abused as a condemned slave. The Servant would ultimately triumph and be glorified.

Second Stanza
The Servant Despised and Rejected by Men

Who has believed our message? And to whom has the arm of the LORD been revealed? For He grew up before Him like a tender shoot, And like a root out of parched ground; He has no stately form or majesty That we should look upon Him, Nor appearance that we should be attracted to Him. He was despised and forsaken of men, A man of sorrows and acquainted with grief; And like one from whom men hide their face He was despised, and we did not esteem Him (Isaiah 53:1-3, NASB)

The message is so startling and different from human wisdom and expectations that hearers will scarcely believe it (cf. John 12:37-41; Romans 10:16). There is nothing attractive about the Servant so far as physical appearance and regal bearing. There is nothing in Christ or His message to appeal to the carnally minded. The Jewish people to whom He was sent as their Messiah rejected Him, called for His crucifixion, and chose a murderer and insurrectionist over Him (Matthew 27:15-23), whereas even His own followers forsook Him and fled (Mark 14:50).

Third Stanza
The Lord Has Laid on Him the Iniquity of Us All

This stanza reveals the real reason the Servant of the Lord would endure such suffering. Surely he has borne our griefs and carried our sorrows; yet we esteemed him stricken, smitten by God, and afflicted. But he was pierced for our transgressions; he was crushed for our iniquities; upon him was the chastisement that brought us peace, and with his wounds we are healed. All we like sheep have gone astray; we have turned--every one--to his own way; and the LORD has laid on him the iniquity of us all (Isaiah 53:4-6, ESV)

The Servant would not suffer for His own sins but for ours. The mob believed He was suffering for His own blasphemy and heaped verbal abuses upon His physical, mental, and spiritual anguish (Mark 14:61-65; 15:17-37). But in reality He bore the penalty for our sins (Matthew 8:16-17; Hebrews 9:27-28; 1 Peter 2:21-24).

Fourth Stanza
The Servant's Submission to Suffering

He was oppressed and He was afflicted, Yet He did not open His mouth; Like a lamb that is led to slaughter, And like a sheep that is silent before its shearers, So He did not open His mouth. By oppression and judgment He was taken away; And as for His generation, who considered That He was cut off out of the land of the living For the transgression of my people, to whom the stroke was due? His grave was assigned with wicked men, Yet He was with a rich man in His death, Because He had done no violence, Nor was there any deceit in His mouth (Isaiah 53:7-9, NASB)

What is more innocent and harmless than a lamb? Each year Israel was to kill hundreds of lambs and pour out their life blood in their daily sacrifices (Numbers 28:1-8), Sabbaths (Numbers 28:9-10), New Moons (Numbers 28:11) and annual memorials (Exodus 12:1-14; Numbers 28:16-19, 26-27; 29:1-2, 7-8,12-36). And whenever an Israelite sinned he was to bring a lamb or kid of the goats as an offering to the Lord (Leviticus 5:5-6). But the deaths of all these thousands upon thousands of innocent, harmless animals in reality could not provide forgiveness for even one sin (Hebrews 10:1-4).

But Jesus Christ is "The Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world!" (John 1:29) As a lamb or ewe is silent and submissive, He did not open His mouth to protest His innocence or beg for mercy (Isaiah 53:7; Matthew 27:12-14; Luke 23:9). His suffering and death, though the result of the judgment of the court, were acts of oppression and extreme miscarriage of justice (Matthew 26:59-66; 27:15-26). But though He died an ignominious death, He was given an honorable burial in the unused tomb of a rich man (Matthew27:57-60).

Fifth Stanza
The Servant's Victory

Yet it was the will of the LORD to crush him; he has put him to grief; when his soul makes an offering for guilt, he shall see his offspring; 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)

As the result of His death on the cross Christ has many spiritual children (Hebrews 2:11-13). He arose from the dead, and His days are prolonged eternally (Revelation 1:17-18). The death of the Servant satisfies the just demand of God of death for sin (Romans 3:21-25), and those who are taught of Him and obey in faith are righteous before God (John 6:44-45; Romans 10:17). He is the victor who divides the spoils of war, victory over Satan, with all who follow Him (Revelation 17:14). He intercedes with God on behalf of His disciples (Hebrews 7:25).

Conclusion

It is if Isaiah walked with Christ in Judea, saw His suffering, burial, and resurrection, and comprehended its awesome significance. But the prophet lived over seven centuries before Jesus went to the cross. Yet He foretold in minute detail both the acts and their significance related to the death, burial, and resurrection of the Lord Jesus Christ. For this there is no natural explanation. Isaiah was indeed inspired of God. Jesus of Nazareth is indeed the Christ the Son of the living God. By His stripes we are healed.

A government official from Ethiopia once rode in a chariot along the road from Jerusalem to Gaza. He read of the suffering Servant of the Lord in Isaiah chapter fifty-three. An evangelist named Philip preached Jesus to him from this passage. They came to some water, and Philip baptized that Ethiopian into Christ. The official then went on his way rejoicing (Acts 8:26-39). What hinders you from being baptized into Christ?

End Note