High and Lifted Up

In this discussion about Jerusalem and the Hidden Servant of God, the Word of YHWH turns to focus on that Servant. ‘Behold, My Servant will prosper, He will be high and lifted up, and greatly exalted.’ This tells us that the work done by the Servant will succeed and He will gain great glory for what He accomplishes. Then He ties what will happen to Jerusalem directly in with what happens to The Servant. ‘Just as many were astonished at you, so His appearance was marred more than any many, and His form more than the sons on men. Thus He will sprinkle many nations, kings will shut their mouths on account of Him; for what they had not been told them they will see, and what they had not heard they will understand.’

It may seem like unintended consequences that Israel was scattered to every nation under Heaven, but God had it planned that way. The destructions of Jerusalem are embodied in the suffering and physical disfigurement of the physical body of the Servant. Just as His blood splattered and sprinkled many in the abuse He suffered, Israel would be sprinkled in with the nations so that the good news of the Servant would be made known everywhere. One day the nations would understand who God is and how He wrought salvation for them.

But until then, Isaiah wrote, ‘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 had 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. Surely our griefs He Himself bore, and our sorrows He carried; yet we ourselves esteemed Him stricken, smitten of God and afflicted. But He was pierced through for our transgressions, He was crushed for our iniquities; the chastening for our wellbeing fell upon Him, and by His scourging we are healed.’

The work of the Servant would be unique. He would come to suffer. He would suffer more than any man. His suffering would have purpose. His suffering would bring salvation to mankind. We just would not have any idea of the gravity of the situation or what it would accomplish, but He would know exactly what He was doing and why. 

As for us, all of us like sheep have gone astray. Each one of us has turned to our own way, but the LORD has laid on His Servant the iniquity of us all! He was oppressed and afflicted, yet He did not open His mouth. Like a lamb led to the slaughter, and a sheep before the shearers is silent, so He did not open His mouth. By oppression and judgment He was taken away. His lineage was cut off, no children left behind. He willingly suffered and died for the transgressions of God’s people to whom the strokes were due. His grave was assigned with the wicked, but then was buried in a rich man’s tomb, because He had done no violence, nor was there any deceit found in His mouth. We deserved the punishment, but He sacrificed Himself for sinful man!

The LORD was pleased to crush His Servant, putting Him to grief; if He would render Himself as a guilt offering, He would see His offspring, He will prolong His days and the good pleasure of the LORD will prosper in His hand. His suffering would have a good outcome - as a result of the anguish of His soul, He will see it and be satisfied. By His knowledge the Righteous One, My Servant, will justify the many, as He will bear their iniquities. The suffering of the Servant would cover the sins of many! There was good purpose in the affliction and death of the Servant.

This would gain glory for the Servant. He would lay His life down, pouring Himself out to death, being numbered with the transgressors. He would be without sin Himself, but He Himself would bear the sins of many and intercede for the transgressors. Therefore, YHWH would allot Him a portion with the great, and He will divide the booty with the strong. The death and burial of Jesus would accomplish much. He would defeat Death and the grave. He would secure salvation for mankind. And He would receive the Name above every Name, so that all will bow before the Kings of Kings and Lord of Lords. In the wisdom of God, the fullness of His plans were foretold, yet cloaked in mystery until Jesus accomplished His good work and was revealed for Who He Is - the Salvation of God.