Serve the Lord Faithfully – Isaiah 52:13-53:12
52 (13) See, my servant will be successful; he will become high and lifted up, he will be greatly exalted. (14) Just as many were appalled at you—he was so disfigured that his appearance was unlike any other man, his form was unlike the sons of men—(15) so shall he cause many nations to be shocked. Kings shall cover their mouths at the sight of him; for what was not reported to them they themselves will see, and what was not explained to them they will understand.
53 Who has believed our message, and to whom has the arm of Jehovah been revealed?—(2) for he grew up before him like a tender shoot, and like a root out of parched ground. He had no beauty or majesty to attract us to him; and when we looked at him, there was nothing in his appearance that would cause us to desire him. (3) He was despised and rejected by men; he was a man of sorrows and acquainted with suffering. Like one from whom men hide their faces he was despised, and we did not hold him in esteem.
(4) Surely he has borne our afflictions and carried our sorrows; but we regarded him as one who was stricken by God, smitten by him and afflicted as an evildoer. (5) But he was pierced for our transgressions, he was crushed for our iniquities; the punishment was laid upon him for our peace, and by his wounds we are healed. (6) We all, like sheep, have gone astray, each of us has turned to his own way; but Jehovah has laid upon him the iniquity of us all. (7) He was oppressed and afflicted, but he did not open his mouth; like a lamb that is being led to slaughter, and like a sheep that is silent before her shearers, so he did not open his mouth. (8) By persecution and condemnation he was taken away. But who of his generation considered the fact that he was cut off out of the land of the living for the transgression of my people whose punishment was laid on him. (9) Although he was assigned his burial with wicked men, he was with a rich man in his death; because he had done no violence, nor was there any deceit in his mouth.
(10) Yet it was Jehovah’s will to crush him, he caused him to suffer. Even though you have made his life an offering for sin, he will see his offspring; his days shall continue, and Jehovah’s purpose shall be accomplished by his hand. (11) He will see the fruit of the travail of his soul and shall be satisfied. By his knowledge my righteous servant shall justify many, and he will bear their iniquities. (12) Therefore, I will give him a portion with the great, and he will divide the spoil with the strong; because he poured out his life unto death, and was numbered with the transgressors—he bore the sins of many and interceded for the transgressors.
Now proceed to the next section of this study, entitled, Exploring the Passage.
