Day 210 (Isaiah 49-53) - Year 4
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Hey, Bible readers, I'm Tara Lee Cobble, and I'm your host for The Bible Recap. Today we hit one of the most important sections of prophecy in the Old Testament. I can't wait to talk about those sections, but let's start in chapter 49.

First, you may be wondering who exactly the text is referring to when it uses the word coastlands. One of the first verses we read said, Listen to me, O coastlands. The general opinion is that this is a catch-all word for all the nations of the world reaching to the far corners of the earth. God tells Israel, I will make you as a light for the nations, that my salvation may reach to the end of the earth.

He says that although Israel is a despised nation, he's chosen them and will use them to bless all the nations that despise them. So how will he do that? And what exactly has he chosen them for? He's chosen them to be the lineage of the Messiah. And that Messiah will save people from among every nation. His love will reach to those who hate him and the people of his lineage. And then he will turn his enemies into his family.

In the meantime, though, Israel feels forgotten and ashamed. Waiting can feel shameful and lonely. I'm sure you can relate. But God says, those who wait for me shall not be put to shame.

He reminds them that he cannot forget his people. They're engraved on the palms of his hands. By the way, I used to think this was a reference to Jesus and the nail marks in his hands, and maybe it is, but then I learned that Roman crucifixion put the nails in the wrists between the radius and ulna bones, not in the palms of the hands. So who knows? Chapter 50 brings us some beautiful prophecies of Christ. Here are a few of the things it says to point us to him.

Verse 4 says he knows how to sustain with a word him who is weary. This reminds me of the way Jesus spoke to so many people he encountered. From the woman caught in adultery, to Zacchaeus the tax collector, to the woman at the well, to Peter after he betrayed him. His compassionate words sustained the weary.

Chapter 50 also points to Christ when it says, I was not rebellious. I gave my back to those who strike and my cheeks to those who pull out the beard. I hid not my face from disgrace and spitting.

Jesus endured all of that at his crucifixion. This chapter also begins to draw a unique distinction for us. So far, God has called a few people his servant. The pagan king Cyrus, Israel as a whole, but in pointing to Christ, these prophecies are pointing out that there's another servant, a superior servant, which only seems fitting because, frankly, Israel hasn't quite lived up to its role, and we know Cyrus doesn't have a heart for God, so this can't be referring to him.

Christ is the Messiah. Christ is the servant. Verses 10 through 11 are some of my favorite verses in the whole book. Once, when I was trying to make a decision about what I should do in a certain situation, my mentor said, don't light your own fires. I didn't know what he was talking about until he quoted these verses. They tell the story of two different types of people. One who trusts God and obeys his servant, Jesus, and one who forges his own path. I want to read the verses to you one by one. See if you identify with either person.

Verse 10 says, That's verse 10. The man who trusts God and obeys Jesus. Despite feeling stuck in the dark, he knows God is with him there.

And in contrast, verse 11 says, Verse 11 shows us the person who doesn't trust God to come through, who insists on making his own way out of the trials and the darkness.

He lights his own fires. And God says, enjoy the comfort of those torches because it's the only comfort you'll know. You'll never know the joy of my nearness in the dark or of the moment when I crack the sky open with light to dawn on you. When I read these two verses, I want to be the person God is calling Israel to be in verse 10. Moving on to chapter 51, this chapter tells us the earth is going to wear out like a garment. And we're seeing that happen in real time.

But it also says that his salvation will outlast even the undone earth. Chapters 52 and 53 are a section often referred to as the suffering servant, and they're filled with prophecies of Christ. In fact, some Jewish people refer to chapter 53 specifically as the forbidden chapter, and they refuse to read it in the synagogues. It's been removed from some of their holy books.

We'll link to a short article and video in today's show notes, just in case you want to see more about this. And trust me, you want to see it. I found the video to be incredibly compelling, and it will not only tell you more about the meaning behind this chapter, but it'll also give you some insights into a common Jewish perspective on the Messiah. So let's take a look at these chapters and see what they show us about Christ. 53.2 tells us he wasn't particularly attractive.

One reason this is important is because it's human nature to follow people who have some kind of physical presence. But this goes to show that he was nothing special to look at, and that people followed him because of his message, not his muscles. 533 points out that he was a man of sorrows and acquainted with grief. He was despised and rejected. If you've been any of those things, he knows your pain.

53.5 says, Upon him was the chastisement that brought us peace. This reminds me of Colossians 1.20, which says that he makes peace by the blood of his cross. Peace through bloodshed.

And speaking of his death, 5214 says he was beaten beyond human recognition when he was crucified. That's one reason people were so astonished when they saw him three days later. Because as far as they know, bodies don't raise from the dead, and they also don't heal and regenerate that quickly. So when you see a crucifix with just a little trickle of blood on the forehead, just know that's a gross misrepresentation of what he really endured when paying for our sins.

My God shot was honestly all of the suffering servant portion, but especially the last part of chapter 53. We see two of the three persons of the Trinity in this section. Verse 10 says it was the Father's will to crush the Son. Wow. What does that even mean and why? This is one of the many passages in scripture that show us a kind of hierarchy within how the Trinity works here on earth.

The three persons of the Trinity are all of equal value and Godhood, working in tandem for the same purpose and plan, and they do that through various roles. The Father initiated the plan, and the Son and Spirit work out the Father's plan. They do it joyfully because they have the same will. They're united in will and purpose. The Trinity works in unity, so that means the Son was on board with this plan.

According to Revelation 13, 8, this has been the plan to redeem our fallen world even before the world was created. Jesus died willingly, submitting to the plan of the Father. If all this Trinity talk feels confusing to you and you want a helpful tool to learn more, we've linked to a great book in the show notes. It's easy to read and super helpful. It's okay if this is challenging to process. Everything about this is complex, including the emotions presented here.

In fact, verse 11 says God was both anguished and satisfied simultaneously. This reminds me of Hebrews 12, 2, which says, For the joy that was set before him, he endured the cross. Joy and endurance of the cross. I love seeing God's complex emotions in these verses because I love being reminded that he's not a two-dimensional God.

And I love that in these verses, we're promised that Christ did this to make many to be accounted righteous and to bear the sins of many. If you know him, you're among the many whose sins he paid for that day. How ironic is it that our physically unattractive Savior is the most beautiful thing of all? He's where the joy is.

It's time for our weekly check-in, Bible readers. The prophets can be really challenging sometimes, but that's what we're here for, to help it all make sense. So if you spend your time wondering what in the world is going on and who they're talking to or about, or if any of this has happened yet, remember that the main thing we're looking for here is the character of God. Even more than understanding timelines and prophecies, we want to see who God is. So I'm praying He will keep revealing Himself to you on these pages and in this poetry.

Keep coming back day after day to fix your eyes on Him. The Bible Recap is brought to you by DGroup, discipleship and Bible study groups that meet in homes and churches around the world each week.