Lesson #42

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Isaiah

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RETURN TO THE LIST OF LESSONS

ISAIAH 53
Lesson #42
THE SUFFERING SERVANT

• MEMORY VERSE: ISAIAH 53:6

• ISAIAH 53 IS THE SECOND PART OF THE FOURTH SERVANT SONG WHICH BEGAN IN VERSE 13 OF CHAPTER 52.
  • FOR A REVIEW OF THE 4 SERVANT SONGS, SEE THE SHEET AT THE END OF YOUR NOTES.

• READ ISA 53:1-6 THE SONG OF THE SUFFERING SERVANT
  • ISAIAH KNEW NO ONE WOULD BELIEVE WHAT HE WAS ABOUT TO TELL US ABOUT THE COMING SERVANT, JESUS CHRIST, THE MESSIAH. ISAIAH 53 WAS WRITTEN ABOUT 700 YEARS BEFORE THE BIRTH OF JESUS. THIS WAS BEFORE THE EXISTENCE OF THE PRACTICE OF CRUCIFIXION WHICH WAS PERFECTED BY THE ROMANS AS A MEANS OF CAPITAL PUNISHMENT FOR NON-ROMAN CRIMINALS.
    • HOW CAN WE KNOW THAT ISAIAH 53 REALLY RELATES TO THE CRUCIFIXION OF JESUS CHRIST?
      • READ ACTS 8:26-35
        • ACTS 8:32-33 QUOTES ISA 53:7-8. PHILIP TELLS THE ETHIOPIAN ABOUT THE DEATH AND RESURRECTION OF JESUS CHRIST, AND THE ETHIOPIAN GETS SAVED.
      • READ JOH 12:37-40
        • JESUS USES ISA 53:1 TO REFER TO HIMSELF, AS THE ONE WHO FULFILLED THE PROPHECIES OF ALL OF ISA 53.
      • READ ROM 10:16-19a
        • PAUL PROVES THAT ISRAEL KNEW ISA 53 REFERRED TO THE MESSIAH AND THAT MESSIAH IS JESUS CHRIST. HE QUOTES ISA 53:1.
    • “THE (BARED) ARM OF THE LORD” (1)
      • PSA 19:1 SAYS, “THE HEAVENS DECLARE THE GLORY OF GOD; AND THE FIRMAMENT SHOWETH HIS HANDIWORK.”
        • HANDIWORK MEANS = LITTLE FINGER WORK, LIKE THE WORK OF KNITTING OR CROCHETING.
          • THIS TELLS US THAT CREATION OF THE UNIVERSE WAS AN EASY JOB THOUGH VERY INTRICATE.
        • EXO 13:3 TELLS US THAT GOD DELIVERED THE ISRAELITES OUT OF EGYPT BY HIS STRONG HAND.
        • HOWEVER, IN CONTRAST, THE WORK OF REDEMPTION THROUGH THE BLOOD OF JESUS CHRIST WAS HARD WORK. GOD ROLLED UP HIS SLEEVES, BARED HIS ARM, AND LABORED TO BRING IT ABOUT.
    • “A TENDER PLANT” (2) = HUMBLE BEGINNINGS
      • THE MESSIAH WOULD COME AS A BABY AND GROW UP LIKE ANY OTHER HUMAN BEING.
    • “A ROOT OUT OF A DRY GROUND” (2)
      • AT THE TIME OF JESUS’ BIRTH, THE FAMILY OF DAVID WAS CUT OFF FROM RULING THE KINGDOM. IT WAS RULED BY ROME.
      • THE AGE WAS CHARACTERIZED BY SPIRITUAL POVERTY.
      • THE ROOT IS ACACIA WOOD THAT GROWS IN THE DESERT. IT WAS THE WOOD OUT OF WHICH NOAH MADE THE ARK THAT SYMBOLIZED MAN’S SALVATION.
    • “HE HATH NO FORM NOR COMELINESS (MAJESTY)” (2)
      • WE DISCUSSED THIS ASPECT OF THE PRE-CRUCIFIXION BEATINGS IN OUR LAST LESSON WHICH LEFT JESUS SO MARRED THAT HE DIDN’T LOOK HUMAN, AND HE CERTAINLY DIDN’T LOOK LIKE A KING.
    • “WHEN WE SHALL SEE HIM, THERE IS NO BEAUTY THAT WE SHOULD DESIRE HIM.” (2)
      • WHO WOULD WANT TO WORSHIP A GOD WHO COULDN’T DEFEND HIMSELF? A GOD WHO WAS TERRIBLE TO LOOK AT? A GOD WHOSE GREATEST CLAIM TO FAME WAS THE BLOODY, HUMILIATING DEATH OF A CRIMINAL? NO ONE, UNLESS YOU UNDERSTAND THE PURPOSE. THAT’S WHY ISAIAH 53 IS SO IMPORTANT IN SCRIPTURE.
        • THERE ARE STILL MANY PEOPLE TODAY WHO CAN’T STAND TO TALK ABOUT THE CRUCIFIXION AND THE BLOOD. IT IS ABHORRENT TO THEM BECAUSE THEY REFUSE TO UNDERSTAND IT.
    • “DESPISED AND REJECTED OF MEN” (3)
      • THE WORD “MEN” IN HEBREW MEANS = MEN OF STATURE. THIS REFERS TO THE RELIGIOUS AND POLITICAL LEADERS OF BOTH THE JEWS AND THE ROMANS.
  • THE ATONEMENT (4-6)
  • WHAT EXACTLY DID JESUS BEAR ON THE CROSS FOR US ACCORDING TO
  • ISA 53:4-6?
    • “A MAN OF SORROWS” (3)
      • DOES THIS MEAN THAT JESUS WAS ALWAYS SAD? NO. IT IS NOT HIS SORROWS IT REFERS TO BUT OUR SORROWS.
      • THE WORD “SORROWS” HAS A GREAT DEAL OF MEANING IN IT.
      • “Makobe” = ANGUISH, AFFLICTION, GRIEF, PAIN
    • “ACQUAINTED WITH GRIEF” (3)
      • THE WORD “GRIEFS” ALSO HAS A GREAT DEAL OF MEANING.
      • “Kholee” = MALADY, ANXIETY, CALAMITY, DISEASE, GRIEF, SICKNESS.
    • ISA 53:4 TELLS US HE BORE OUR GRIEFS AND SORROWS.
      • THE WORD “BORNE” IN HEBREW IS “nasa” = TO BEAR PUNISHMENT OR SUFFERING FOR SOMETHING.
        • WHAT GRIEFS AND SORROWS IS ISAIAH TALKING ABOUT?
          • I HAVE DEFINED GRIEFS AND SORROWS FOR YOU ACCORDING TO STRONG’S CONCORDANCE.
            • OUR GRIEFS AND SORROWS ARE ALL THOSE PROBLEMS THAT COME INTO OUR LIVES BECAUSE WE LIVE IN A FALLEN WORLD. IT WAS THE SIN NATURE THAT BROUGHT ALL THESE PROBLEMS.
              • THERE ARE MANY CHRISTIANS WHO DO NOT BELIEVE THAT JESUS CARRIED OUR SICKNESSES ON THE CROSS. THEY BELIEVE THAT HE ONLY BORE OUR SINS FOR SPIRITUAL SALVATION. ACCORDING TO THE MEANING OF THESE WORDS, WHAT JESUS BORE IN CRUCIFIXION IS BROADER THAN JUST SIN.
              • READ MAT 8:16-17
              • MATTHEW TELLS US THAT JESUS’ HEALING MINISTRY IS BASED ON THIS PASSAGE IN ISA 53:4 IN THE CONTEXT OF THIS PASSAGE IN MATTHEW, SIN IS NOT MENTIONED..
    • “WOUNDED FOR OUR TRANSGRESSIONS, HE WAS BRUISED FOR OUR INIQUITIES” (5)
      • HERE IN VERSE 5 IS WHERE SIN COMES INTO THE ATONEMENT.
        • “WOUNDED” = PIERCED THROUGH
        • THIS COULD ONLY REFER TO CRUCIFIXION. CAPITAL PUNISHMENT IN THE JEWISH CULTURE WAS BY STONING.
        • “TRANSGRESSIONS” = THOSE SINS WE PERSONALLY AND PURPOSEFULLY COMMIT. WE ARE SINNERS BY CHOICE.
        • “INIQUITIES” = A GENERAL TERM FOR SIN MEANING THE CROOKEDNESS OF OUR SIN NATURE THAT WAS PASSED DOWN FROM ADAM AND INHERITED BY US ALL. WE ARE SINNERS BY NATURE.
          • IT IS BECAUSE OF THE SIN NATURE THAT WE INHERIT DISEASES, MALADIES, SORROWS, PAIN, GRIEF, ANXIETY, ETC.
          • WE ARE BORN WITH A NATURE THAT PROMPTS US TO STRAY AND LIKE FOOLISH SHEEP WE PERSONALLY DECIDE TO GO OUR OWN WAY.
          • BY NATURE WE ARE BORN THE CHILDREN OF WRATH (EPH 2:3) AND BY CHOICE WE BECOME THE CHILDREN OF DISOBEDIENCE. (EPH 2:2)
        • “BRUISED” = CRUSHED UNDER THE WEIGHT OF A BURDEN
          • IT WAS OUR PERSONAL SINS THAT CRUSHED HIM.
          • THE SINS OF THE PAST, BEFORE THE CRUCIFIXION, AS WELL AS THE SINS OF THE FUTURE, AFTER THE CRUCIFIXION. IN OTHER WORDS, THE SINS OF ALL MANKIND, FOR ALL TIME.
        • “CHASTISEMENT FOR OUR PEACE” (5)
          • “CHASTISEMENT” = PUNISHMENT, THAT WHICH WE DESERVED.
            • JESUS PAID OUR PUNISHMENT SO THAT WE MIGHT HAVE PEACE WITH GOD.
    • “WITH HIS STRIPES WE ARE HEALED” (5)
      • THE HEBREW WORD FOR “HEALED” IS “raphah” WHICH MEANS = TO MEND, TO CURE, TO THOROUGHLY MAKE WHOLE.
      • THE STRIPES REFERS TO THE BEATINGS THAT JESUS BORE PRIOR TO CRUCIFIXION. IT WAS DONE WITH A CAT-O-NINE-TAILS WHICH WAS MADE OF LONG LEATHER STRIPS. AT THE END OF EACH STRIP WAS TIED A SMALL PIECE OF METAL, SHARP BONE, OR GLASS. ROMAN LAW DETERMINED THAT YOU COULD BEAT A PERSON WITH THIS TORTUROUS INSTRUMENT ONLY 40 TIMES. THEREFORE, IN ORDER TO BE SURE AND NOT OVERSTEP THE LAW, PRISONERS WERE COMMONLY BEATEN WITH 39 LASHINGS.
        • IT IS INTERESTING THAT MODERN MEDICINE HAS DIVIDED ALL ILLNESSES INTO 39 MAJOR CATEGORIES, AND THAT JESUS WAS BEATEN WITH 39 STRIPES.
      • THESE STRIPES PURCHASED HEALING FROM SICKNESS AS WELL AS FROM SIN BECAUSE BOTH ARE INCLUDED IN THE CONTEXT OF ISA 53. THE SUMMARY RESULT IS HEALING FOR BOTH SIN AND SICKNESS OF WHICH BOTH CAME ABOUT BECAUSE SATAN BROUGHT THEM INTO THIS WORLD THROUGH ADAM’S FALL.
        • READ 1PET 2:21-25
          • NOTICE THAT THE PASSAGE REFERS TO ISA 53:4-6.
          • WHAT IS THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN 1PET 2:24 AND ISA 53:4-5?
    • “THE LORD HAS LAID ON HIM THE INIQUITY OF US ALL” (6)
      • THIS TELLS US THAT JESUS’ DEATH WAS VICARIOUS. HE DID NOT DIE FOR HIMSELF OR FOR HIS OWN SIN, HE DIED FOR US, FOR OUR SINS.
        • THIS VERSE IS AN ILLUSION TO THE SIN OFFERING OF LEV 4 WHICH COVERED THE SIN NATURE. THE TRESPASS OFFERING OF LEV 5 COVERED THE PERSONAL ACTS OF SIN (TRANSGRESSIONS).

• READ ISA 53:7-9 THE SERVANT’S CHARACTER
  • “HE OPENED NOT HIS MOUTH” (7)
  • “A SHEEP BEFORE HER SHEARERS, IS DUMB” (7)
    • THE PICTURE OF THE PEACE OFFERING (5,7).
      • HERE ISAIAH GIVES US THE PICTURE OF THE PEACE OFFERING FROM LEV 3. IT WAS NOT AN OFFERING FOR SIN. IT WAS AN OFFERING TO CELEBRATE MAN HAVING MADE PEACE WITH GOD.
      • IN THE SIN OFFERING THE WHOLE ANIMAL WAS OFFERED.
      • IN THE PEACE OFFERING, ONLY THE CHOICE PARTS OF THE ANIMAL WERE OFFERED. JESUS WAS THE CHOICE PART OF HUMANITY.
      • TO THE OLD TESTAMENT JEW, PEACE WITH GOD MEANT TOTAL WELL BEING, BODY, SOUL, AND SPIRIT, AND INCLUDED ALL MAN’S NEEDS FROM FINANCIAL BLESSING TO HEALING TO FORGIVENESS OF SIN.
      • A LAMB MAKES NO SOUND WHEN HURT.
    • MAT 27:12,14 FULFILLS THIS PROPHECY IN ISAIAH ABOUT JESUS’ BEFORE HIS ACCUSERS.
  • “HE WAS CUT OFF OUT OF THE LAND OF THE LIVING.” (8)
    • THIS HAS 2 MEANINGS:
    • HE DIED AN EARLY DEATH.
    • HE WAS SHUNNED BECAUSE HE DIED THE DEATH OF A COMMON CRIMINAL. GAL 3:13
      • AT FIRST EVEN THE DISCIPLES SCATTERED.
  • “FOR THE TRANSGRESSION OF MY PEOPLE WAS HE STRICKEN” (8)
    • GOD’S PEOPLE AND ISAIAH’S PEOPLE WERE THE JEWS. JESUS DIED FOR THE JEWS….AND THEN FOR THE GENTILES.
  • “HE MADE HIS GRAVE WITH THE WICKED, AND WITH THE RICH IN HIS DEATH(S)” (9)
    • JESUS DIED THE DEATH OF A CRIMINAL BETWEEN 2 THIEVES, BUT HE WAS BURIED IN A RICH MAN’S TOMB. (MAT 27:57-60)
      • THE WORD “DEATH” IN THE HEBREW IS A PLURAL WORD INDICATING THAT JESUS DIED A PHYSICAL DEATH AS WELL AS A SPIRITUAL DEATH. (MAT 27:45-46)
  • “HE HAD DONE NO VIOLENCE, NEITHER WAS THERE ANY DECEIT IN HIS MOUTH” (9)
    • ISAIAH IS CLEAR TO TELL US THAT HE WAS WITHOUT SIN. THIS IS IMPORTANT BECAUSE IT CLARIFIES THE FACT THAT HE DID NOT DIE FOR HIMSELF, NOR FOR HIS OWN SINS, BUT FOR OURS.

HOMEWORK
ISAIAH 53 — continued
This is a self-study. Please do not send homework answers to the teacher forcorrection.

• APPLICATION OF ISA 53:1-9
• REVIEW THE LESSON AND WRITE DOWN THE NEW THINGS YOU LEARNED ABOUT THE CRUCIFIXION OF JESUS CHRIST.

• PREPARATION FOR ISA 53:10-12
  • ISAIAH 53:10-12
    • FOR BACKGROUND, READ LEVITICUS 1-5
      • EACH CHAPTER IS A DIFFERENT OFFERING FULFILLED BY JESUS ON THE CROSS AND SPOKEN OF BY ISAIAH IN ISA 53.

MEMORY VERSE: REV 5:12