And so you will inherita double portion in your land, and everlasting joywill be yours. People might see and say, God forsakes his own. Once we trust Christ as our Savior, we are made members of his mystical body, and are therefore called to follow him. 15:3 highlights the shedding of blood for the forgiveness of sins and Is. Bearing fruit in a repentant life honors God who has provided the Substitute to suffer in But now they knew they were wrong. The mystery of the Suffering Servant is, indeed, a strange design. This Servant "shall be high and lifted up, and shall be exalted" (52:13), an image of majesty and awe. Achieving exaltation through suffering is a strange thing indeed. Hopefully youll re-read the four Servant Songs (or the whole book of Isaiah!) While some have claimed him to be Isaiah himself or another Old Testament persons or even Israel itself, only Jesus make sense since He alone fits all that is said about the Servant of the Lord. Koch, K. Messias und Sundenvergebung in Jesaja 53Targum. JSJ 3 (1972):117-148. No, humiliation is the path for the Suffering Servant's exaltation. The present study fills this gap. Since the creedal statement of 1 Cor. His beginnings were unlikely. The quotation of the Suffering Servant songs in the New Testament makes it clear that the early church understood that Jesus Christ was the Suffering Servant. The Use of Isaiah 53 by Jesus and the Early Church. Indian Journal of Theology 20 (1971):117-22. They will face persecution in the dark days that lie ahead (described in Isaiah 56-59 and 63-65a), but ultimately they will inherit the new Jerusalem that God has in store (Isaiah 60-62). On the one hand his beginnings were thought to be insignificant, and on the other hand his sufferings were offensive. Jesus Himself identifies His mission as Suffering Servant by conforming Himself to what is described in the fourth oracle, Is. Moses, David, Suffering ServantGod Himself, the great I Am!. The Golden Passional of the Old Testament. BibSac 94 (1934):211-232, 337-353. The theme announced in the first verse is now developed: the exaltation follows humiliation. The Suffering Servant sheds his blood for the forgiveness of sin so that we might live with Him in glory. The verb pleased does not mean enjoyment. At the conclusion of his public ministry, He gathers the disciples in the upper room for the Last Supper at which point He established the Holy Eucharist whereby His disciples would henceforth be able to understand the meaning of His entire life: that is on Good Friday, when He was to be crucified, God would speak his final and complete word about the meaning of love and the mystery of God to the human race. Praying and seeking to see/behold his love for me, and experience his love that along can transform me. Third, although the Servant will suffer and be rejected, he will, in the end, be exalted and vindicated. Wesley summed up this amazing truth in his hymn And Can It Be?. 1:10-11). A Literary Approach to Isaiah 53. Sermon: God Speaks and Promises a Savior But to suffer in service to God is a demonstration of love. The book of Isaiah is truly remarkable. Here are three honor-shame facts about the servant of the Lord. 4), it is clear that Jesus understood Himself and His mission in the light of the prophecies in Isaiah and in particular the Suffering Servant. It was the will of God that this Servant experience suffering, for it was through the vicarious suffering of the Servant that my righteous servant will justify many (53:11) and bear the sin of many, making intercession for the transgressors (53:12). See, his reward is with him, and his recompense accompanies him. God was satisfied, yea, pleased with the obedient suffering of the Servant, whom we know to be our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ. When they see Gods plan work out, when they look on him whom they pierced, they shall see what they had not been told, they shall understand what they had not heard. Jesus, Lord of all creation, Word of God in flesh made known; The book of Isaiah was foundational for the early followers of Jesus and helped motivate their mission to bring good news to the nations (see Acts 13:47). Save my name, email, and website in this browser for the next time I comment. He is the author of Introducing Biblical Hebrew and Grammar, Holiness to the Lord: A Guide to the Exposition of the Book of Leviticus, Creation and Blessing: A Guide to the Study and Exposit More. Save my name, email, and website in this browser for the next time I comment. Suffering may come to the people of God in many formsactual persecution from the world, malicious slander and mental cruelty because of our chosen piety, trials and testings from the Lord, suffering with and for others in the body, or the natural cost of serving the Lord in this sinful world. God launches his case, claiming to be the Creator of the world and Lord of history. In the Old Testament sufferers broke out into one of two voicesthe voice of guilt or the voice of doubt. Third, these passages call us back to the biblical text with fresheyes. There is no peace with God apart from the chastisement that he, the sinless Son of God, bore. Who is the Servant of the Lord in the Bible? | GotQuestions.org 6 Essential Attributes of Successful Survivalists - Survival Mom him as a Suffering Servant (one who is obedient even unto death). We share the cause of pain in the world. An ideal Israel was needed who could serve God in righteousness, a man who would embody and represent Israel before the Lord in order to fulfill Israel's vocation. Exile was the fate of God's old covenant people because they rejected His righteous rule (Lev. 14:26), did the Apostles clearly understand what Jesus was trying to say about being both the Suffering Servant and the Son of Man. God would be exalted through humiliation. The poem that follows this dramatic announcement is the famous suffering servant poem of Isaiah 53 (to be precise, it goes from Isaiah 52:13-53:12). In Isaiah 48, God accuses the post-exile Israelites of continuing their hollow allegiance and idolatry, which ultimately disqualifies them from being Gods servant to the nations. We often suffer because we ourselves are not innocent. Such is the case here. Exhibit C is the downfall of Babylon itself, which is the focus in chapters 46-47. In the gift of Gods Son into the worldOne born to suffer and diewe finally come to fully know and comprehend the love of God. "Behold, my servant shall act wisely; he shall be high and lifted up, and shall be exalted. This is what the poem in Isaiah 42 is all about. It is Gods love that transforms us and empowers us to change. For those of us who have come to know him by faith this suffering will receive eternal praise. The details of this will be discovered in 53:1-9. He endures them, not for his own sake, but for some practical end of which he is aware and to which they will bring him. 2.He would be wounded and face death sentence for peoples sins. The Essential Character Traits of the Saved - Steps to Life So after many years of observation, below are listed the 6 essential traits every survivalist should possess to be successful. Nevertheless, our LORD says that the world hated Him, and if it hated Him, it will hate us as well. Isaiah 52:14 and the DSIa Variant. Bib 35 (1954):475-479. They forget, however, that there are two reasons people endure suffering in this worldjustice and love. But it cannot remove sin. He experiences suffering and affliction (53:3). Ed. 8:31-33). A little later, Jesus will repeat the same prophecy to them, but they will still refuse to hear what He is saying because they are too busy deciding who will be most important in the Kingdom (Mk. Experiencing the power, grace, and providence of their God should motivate the Israelites to become Gods servant who will bear witness to Gods justice and mercy before all of the nations. Gelston, A. In other words, God would have to do this work through the Messiah, a holy King who could atone for the sins of His people and establish them in righteousness. He skips the birth of Jesus and dives quickly into presenting his public ministry. Some New Testament References to Isaiah 53. The Expository Times 68 (1957):254-255. There are many wonderful things we can say about God. People suffer because God is angry with them. The beginning of the poem is in the voice of God and belies a deep sense of relation between God and the servant. A. 2) Jesus never sought to please Himself but always to please the Father ( John 5:30 ). Savant is a name used to describe a person who has extraordinary skills in a very specialized area, but who is nonetheless intellectually disabled. Emptied himself of all but love, and bled for Adams These texts are found in Isaiah 42:19; 49:16; 50:29; and 52:1353:12. It was judicial murder. (Isa 54:4-5), Instead of your shame you will receive a doubleportion, and instead of disgrace you will rejoice in your inheritance. This is a demonstration of Gods justice on behalf of Israel, as he brought down their former oppressor. Click here to get yours free in your inbox each morning! 3:9). Jesus Christ not only comes to earth as perfect man (the second Adam), but He also comes as our High Priest, our Prophet-Redeemer, our Final Sacrifice, our Lawgiver and our King. Santala, Risto. The song goes on to declare that the Servant will suffer on behalf of another: Surely he took up our infirmities and carried our sorrows (53:4). The second stanza begins to trace the development of the theme of suffering, first showing that it raises disbelief and thoughtfulness in the people who observe it. Because he knew the truth. In this section they realize that the suffering is vicarious. Your email address will not be published. Isaiah depicts this historic moment of salvation with the language of new creation and new exodus. Yet again, God would rescue his people from shame and restore their honor. it found out me! It is far more important for us to do his will, to please him, than to have a comfortable, carefree life. Isaiah 53 is central for understanding the identity of Jesus Christ; in part because NT writers frequently quote it to explain the cross. The prophet reports that the Servant was innocent. First, the Suffering Servant is sent on a mission from God. In a world of discourse where the subtext is taken for granted, it can be presupposed and is most powerfully present when it is only alluded to, providing the allusions are appropriate. With the Rich in His Death. Bible and Spade 6 (1977):56-59. What is success? God himself had to carry the sins of his people. No one could have imagined that Jesus would come to suffer and die on the cross. of love divine. We make snap judgments about suffering on the surface. 26:26-29), whose subtext is none other than Is. This understanding of Jesus Christ is found in one of the oldest writings contained in the New Testament, St. Paul's First Letter to the Corinthians, where in 15:3 he quotes a creedal formula which he himself had already received: For I deliver to you first of all that which I also received: that Christ died for our sins according to the scriptures. Nicholas, great point here! This devotional will focus on the fourth Suffering Servant song found in Isaiah 52:1353:12. on 52:13-53:12). This is how God will become the victor over the human evil that resulted from that tragic error. For your Maker is your husband,theLordof hosts is his name. He had done no violence; no guile was found in him. It was only through that suffering that the nations would be redeemed and Gods ultimate plan would be accomplished. What all vicarious suffering had failed to do in Israels experience, the suffering of our Lord accomplished. The humiliation is reported in v. 14: earlier, many were aghast at him. Using military terminology Isaiah declares that the Lord will divide the spoil. On the other hand, a person's suffering is the direct consequence of his or her violation of God's laws. So the effect of the suffering of our Lord is full atonement. Indeed, the Suffering Servant is Israel, the ideal and perfect IsraelJesus Christ. As the nations live in right relationships, they will live in a world envisioned by the Ten Commandments. Its a profound development of that strange, poetic image we were introduced to all the way back in Genesis 3:15, about the suffering seed of the woman who would destroy the serpent: And I [God] will put enmity between you [the serpent] and the woman, and between your seed and her seed; he will strike your head, and you will strike his heel. Dahood, Mitchell. This oracle may indeed be the most important prophecy regarding Jesus in the entire Old Testament. It is foolishness in our way of doing things, but it is wisdom in God's economy. The suffering, which seems to be misfortune, is here seen as the Servants wisdom which will issue in his glory. The story ends with God bringing final justice and a renewed creation (Isaiah 65-66), where all nations are invited into the Kingdom of Gods servants. Speak tenderly to Jerusalem, and proclaim to her that her hard service has been completed, that her sin has been paid for, that she has received from the Lords hand double for all her sins. The song is preceded by a scene in heaven where God declares how beautiful are the feet of His messenger who will bring good news and announce salvation (Isa. Very truly, I tell you unless a grain of what falls to the ground and dies it remains only a single seed. John 12 vs. 23-24. Isaiah and the suffering servant: A look at Isaiah 52:13-53:12 Who is right? For ages Israel did not believe such suffering was at the heart of Gods redemptive plan. It is reckoned to be folly, because it exceeds all human capacities." The first line of each of the sections gives a summary of that section. This is when the great promise to Abraham of blessing for all nations (remember Genesis 12:1-3) will come true. The vantage point of this prophetic voice is positioned after the exile, which is described here as a period of hard service that came about as a result of Israels sins. Now that Israel has paid its dues, God announces comfort (in Hebrew, nakham) that a new day has dawned. However, they now acknowledge that they couldnt have been more wrong (Isaiah 53:4-6). Servant songs - Wikipedia If that should be his will, then we must seek to suffer and to die well. The overriding theme of the Gospel of Mark is that Jesus came to serve. This is the one message which can render any pain tolerableGod willed itit is his pleasure. So it is reasonable that the suffering Servant himself share the suffering of the world to redeem the world. Isaiah does refer to Israel as the Lord's servant, and this servant's vocation was to be righteous (44:1, 21; 45:4; 53:11; 60:3). If youre interested in partnering with us, you can give here! The truth is that suffering is part of Gods p[an to remind us of the human predicament we share, to bring up out of ourselves in sympathy and patience, and to eventually fit us for glory. God would have to establish His kingdomHis blessed presence would have to break into history, removing the transgressions that kept His people from seeing His face and guaranteeing their heavenly citizenship forever. Every valley shall be raised up, every mountain and hill made low; the rough ground shall become level, the rugged places a plain. Both clearly identify the "suffering servant" in Isaiah 53 as the nation of Israel, who suffered as a humiliated individual at the hands of the gentile nations. They did not see how Jesus death could fulfill all of the kingly, prophetic, and priestly roles that they expected in their long-anticipated messiah. But if we submit to Gods will and sacrifice self for others, or for the building up of the faith of others, we shall then be living out the love of Christ in this world, and please our heavenly Father. The ancient barbarians simply got rid of sufferers in their societies. 42:1-9; 49:1-13; 50:4-9; 52:13-53:12). helpless race; Although the song gives a first-person description of how the servant was beaten and abused, here the servant is described both as teacher and learner who follows the path God places him on without pulling back. It was Israel who rejected Gods servant, and they led him to his death and killed him (Isaiah 53:7-9). He will receive a threefold blessing of being raised and lifted up and highly exalted (52:13). from Jerusalem a passage which nine times mentions and describes the suffering "Righteous Servant" and His substitutionary and sacrificial death for our sins and transgressions. What is described here is the ideal Sufferer, the Suffering Servant. The book of Acts specifically quotes the passage, which says, Like a sheep he was led to the slaughter, and like a lamb silent before its shearer, so he does not open his mouth (Acts 8:32 NRSV, quoting Isa. Human experience feels it has found its highest and holiest form of love when the innocent is willing to take the blame for others. Whybray, R. N. Thanksgiving for a Liberated Prophet: An Interpretation of Isaiah Chapter 53. 53:7). Seedbed sells resources, but we give away far more in resourcing than we sell. However, each of the oracles contributes details by which can be discovered. And now it appears, hes showing up on the scene after the exile. Marred is mild. In fact, our Lord learned obedience through the things that He suffered; if that is true of the Son of God, how much more is it true of us? The Servant is not lifted high because of some kind of outer beauty or evident regal stature, for He is "marred, beyond human semblance" (v. 14) and has "no form or majesty that we should look at him, and no beauty that we should desire him" (53:2). 132 The significant theological ideas of this song make the many alternative suggestions for its meaning highly unlikely. How will it go down? Jails are not usually a place of rejoicing but Paul, as a prisoner, rejoiced. But people argue that vicarious suffering is unjust. 3The Servant is divinely honored. Moreover, since the Lord's kingdom and the Davidic kingdom were to be one and the same as an eternal kingdom (2 Sam. Yet he was taken to judgment by tyrannical powers. (2m 55s) 9055 Views SHARE Explore Career Opportunites and Apply Here, BibleProject Resources in 55+ languages and counting, Hosea and Amos: Two Sides of Covenant Failure. Vindication from the sufferings and insults comes by way of divine elevation. If First Corinthians was a show, it might be slotted into the daytime melodrama genre. What Does Suffering Mean? Bible Definition and References 52:1353:12. VT 3 (1953):87-92. For us who know Christ we can see this as the prediction of His sufferings. These characteristics are conducive to building authentic, trusting relationships with team members. It is in the presence of the Crucified One, Gods Suffering Servant, that we finally begin to see the full contours of Gods great plan. Weaknesses Job fell victim to his culture and thought his suffering must have a traceable cause. Our mission is extravagant. Evangelicals tend to read this passage as how the suffering servant removes sinners guilt before God or how people need the servant to bear their guilt (cf. Your email address will not be published. If we Christians have learned to see in sufferings the purpose of God, and in vicarious suffering Gods most holy service; if patience and self-sacrifice have come to be part of our spiritual lifethe power to make this change in our faith has been Christs example. We hear that his death was actually the opposite of failure. Exhibit B is the exile itself. Jesus knew full well the purpose of his suffering, and willingly submitted to it as his service to God the Father in order to provide for us salvation. ________. This is the main point of Isaiah 49-55, which describes this new servants mission, first to Israel and then to all nations. Therefore, the Suffering Servant stands in marked contrast to the human expectations of Jesus' contemporaries, whether they be His disciples or His enemies. 18. The Suffering Servant (Isaiah 52:1353:12) | Bible.org Whether by attribution or by allusion, this book stands behind much of the New Testament. Up to now the servant has been Israel, the remnant, Cyrus, the prophet, and ultimately a prophecy of the Messiah. The Suffering and Glory of the Servant - See, my servant will act wisely; he will be raised and lifted up and highly exalted. 6. Mark also has a greater number of "problem passages," difficult statements and actions by Jesus that Matthew and Luke tend to smooth out. The Ethiopian was baptized, becoming not only the first African Christian, but also signifying the global, multi-ethnic reach of the redemption found in Jesus Christ. In this story of the servants death and resurrection, we discover the love of God that leads to true life. He has insight. Then youll enjoy Timothy Tennents book, The Fulfillment: Jesus and the Old Testament, where he explores how Jesus Christ fulfills many Old Testament characters, stories, themes, and practices. Q. Catholic Exchange is a project of Sophia Institute Press. This grand theme is announced in the first verse. The Cross And Our Response to Trials (1 Peter 4:12-19), 8. Not how youd expect. Steck, O. H. Aspekte des Gottesknechts in Jes 52:1353:12. ZAW 97 (1985):36-57. document.getElementById( "ak_js_1" ).setAttribute( "value", ( new Date() ).getTime() ); A growing network of pastors and vocational leaders committed to awakening in their churches. It had been said of him in 52:13: My servant shall deal wisely. He knew what he was about. But, reading all four servant passages in the broader historical-literary contexts reveals much more. There are several important themes that are found in these passages. A series of short talks on theological topics from a wide variety of Christian professors, pastors, speakers, and theologians. The term used describes a spoiling, a destruction, an appearance-changing affliction. The prophet himself does not identify himthat identification must await the fullness of time when Christ came and suffered, the just for the unjust. Ginsberg, H. L. The Arm of YHWH in Isaiah 5163 and the Text of Isaiah 53:10-11. JBL 77 (1958):152-156. Peter's description of Jesus as a "servant" is accurate for at least four reasons: 1) Jesus always did the will of the Father ( John 4:34; 6:38 ). ), providing atonement for their evil. Copyright 2023 Catholic Exchange. These words illustrate vividly a habit we all share, the habit of letting the eye cheat the conscience, of letting the sight of suffering blind us to the meaning. But nothing could be further from the truth. Moreover, it is particularly the image of the Suffering Servant, as described by the four Songs of the Suffering Servant of the Lord, (Is. MacRae, Allan. And the pain brought spiritual healing and peacethat is, the suffering was redemptive. It means that he will live skillfully according to the plan of God so that he may be prosperous and have good success. The suffering of our Lord corresponds to the letter with the picture Isaiah draws. Characteristics Of John Proctor In The Crucible | 123 Help Me