Chapter 50

50:1-3

50:4-6

50:7-10

50:10-11

Recap

A. Find Out:

1. What 2 questions does the Lord ask Israel ? v.1a,b

2. What was the cause of them being sent away? v.1c,d

3. What 4 questions does He then ask? v.2

4. What does He say is a sign of His power? v.2

5. What more does He say He does? v.3

B. Think:

1. What seems to be the question Israel is struggling with?

2. How does the Lord answer that?

3. Why do you think we make wrong assessments as is here?

C. Comment:

      At various times in these prophecies in the latter half of Isaiah, there are questions on Israel 's heart which the Lord responds to (see 40:27, 49:14 and 49:24). It seems that today's verses seem to still be in response to the questioning of 49:14. The claim from Israel is that God has forsaken them, and they make this wrong assessment by looking at the circumstances and misunderstanding what is happening.

     Hold on, says the Lord, if you are saying that I have left you, where is the divorce certificate, where is the proclamation that I have divorced you? The fact of the circumstances is not because I have divorced you, it is simply your own sin that has opened the way for you to become vulnerable and for the enemy to come in and over-run you. These things are a direct consequence of your actions, not because the Lord has given you up. I came looking for someone to answer me and someone to respond to me, and found no one!

     Then He moves to the last question in v.24.  Do you think it is too difficult to get you back from an enemy land?  Look, He says, think back to the Exodus.  It was no problem for me to dry up the Red Sea.  Think back to entering the land, it was no problem for me to get you through the Jordan dry.  I'm the one who can change the weather and change the circumstances – whatever they are!  Will you not understand this. I am God ALL-mighty, ALL-powerful.  I CAN do this!

D. Application:

1. Do not put any limitations on the Lord.

2. Have a right assessment about sin!

Chapter: Isaiah 50

Passage: Isaiah 50:4-6

A. Find Out:    

1. What has the speaker been given? v.4a

2. With what purpose? v.4b

3. How does he start the day? v.4c,d

4. What had the Lord done & how had the servant responded? v.5

5. What also had the servant done? v. 6a,b

6. What had he not done? v.6c

B. Think:

1. How will this servant be a blessing to others?

2. How has he been prepared?

3. Yet what also does he experience.

C. Comment:

     In these verses we come to what is usually accepted to be the third Servant Song, although the speaker on this occasion is not addressed by the Lord as the Servant. Instead it is his personal testimony, and here for the first time we encounter the negatives of his experience as a servant.

     First we note the little he shares of his task – to sustain the weary by a comforting word.  It doesn't sound much but it is everything!   Jesus is able to comfort us by saying, “I have died to take your sin.  You can be declared not guilty now, you can be reconciled to my Father by what I have done for you, you can be declared righteous if you simply believe this.”  What amazing words those are!

     But these are the words of the human Messiah, the words of the Son from heaven who submitted himself to human limitations, and as such needed the daily contact with the Father by being instructed, taught.   As Jesus himself said, the Son “can only do what he sees the Father doing” (Jn 5:19).  Jesus was taught and led by his Father at all times.

     Finally come for the first time, the awful words of rejection.   Part of the Messiah's path is to receive rejection, to be beaten, to have his beard pulled out, to be spat upon and mocked!  These are the prelude to the Cross.  This is the world rejecting God.  This is God's salvation!

D. Application:

1. Have I learnt to listen to the Lord daily?

2. Do I have a teachable spirit?

Chapter: Isaiah 50

Passage: Isaiah 50:7-10   

A. Find Out:

1. How did the Servant encourage himself? v.7a,b

2. So what was he able to do, and why? v.7c,d

3. What did he see the Lord doing? v.8a

4. So what could he challenge? v.8b-e

5. Who was his helper, so what was his challenge? v.9a,b

6. What was his conclusion about others? v.9c,d

B. Think:

1. What did the servant know about the Lord?

2. What does he reveal about his opposition?

3. How did the one counter the other?

C. Comment:

     In these verses the Servant continues to reveal his awareness of the opposition he has to face. He has just said that he will be mocked and spat upon and with that in mind he speaks these verses.

     The opposition would seek to disgrace him, would seek to put him to shame, would seek to challenge, accuse and condemn him. This happened at his trial and crucifixion and continues to happen in the minds of many throughout history.  Jesus is a challenge and therefore a threat and because of that many would seek to discredit him by saying he is a fraud.  They refuse to face the facts.

     But the Servant is not put off by this.  He knows that God Almighty is (his Father) on his side. He knows that the Lord will help him and stand up for him and will vindicate him by ensuring all he does comes to successful fulfilment.

     His conclusion? It doesn't matter who says what about him.  Let them come and face him with their challenges and they will be brought to nothing.  Indeed in the long term they will be gone.  So it has been in history.  Challenges to Jesus have come and come and come, and every time his challengers have gone into oblivion and been forgotten by most, but Jesus' name and honour is still heralded throughout the world for he still is the Son of God, the Saviour of the world!

D. Application:

1. Don't be put off by questioners. You have good answers!

2. Don't worry about detractors, they will soon be gone.

Chapter: Isaiah 50

Passage: Isaiah 50:10,11    

A. Find Out:

1. Who does the Lord ask for? v.10a,b

2. What does He say they are like? v.10c

3. What does He say they should do? v.10d

4. Who next does He address? v.11a,b

5. What does He tell them to do? v.11c,d

6. But what does He say will happen to them? v.11e,f

B. Think:

1. Two groups are addressed here. Who are they?

2. How does the advice given differ?

3. Why do you think it was a time of ‘darkness'?

C. Comment:

     Here, at the end of the Third Servant Song, comes a strong warning to two groups of people. The first group of people are those who fear the Lord and respond well to the Servant. The second group are those who ignore the Servant (by implication) and do their own thing, making their own provision.  Providing themselves with flaming torches is akin to the “dug their own cisterns” of Jer 1:14, a reference to people who seek to provide their own salvation.

     The advice to the first group is simply to trust in the Lord in the darkness. What is the ‘darkness'? Simply a period of time when the nation is not generally walking with the Lord and the blessing and presence of the Lord is not apparent. This group is the remnant of believers in the otherwise apostate land. The call to them is simply to trust in the Lord and seek to be faithful despite what others may be doing.

     The advice to the second group is to go on and trust in their own efforts. In this we see the awfulness of the Lord who simply allows us to go our own foolish way. It's as if He says, “Fine, if that's the way you want to go, go for it!”  But He then warns them of the ultimate outcome. You may seem to be able to get by using your self-effort, but in the long-term understand your end is destruction and torment!

D. Application:

1. When all others are unfaithful, you remain faithful.

2. When it's darkest, simply trust in the Lord.

RECAP - "Sin & Salvation" - Isaiah Chapter 50

SUMMARY :  

In this second group of 4 studies we have seen :

  - Israel 's sin being the cause of their exile (v.1-3)

  - The Third Servant Song

  - the Servant taught by the Lord (v.4,5)

  - being beaten (v.6)

  - yet helped & vindicated by God (v.7-9)

  - calling on God's people to trust Him (v.10)

  - warning the self sufficient of destruction (v.11)

COMMENT :

     Having emphasised the restoration after exile in chapter 49, the Lord faces Israel again with the cause of their exile. Hope has to be there but hope mustn't dull the reminder of the need for repentance. The Lord would far rather they repented and didn't go into exile. By way of comparison we are then shown again God's other servant, the faithful one, who will go through trying times, yet remain true to his calling as the Lord upholds him in his commitment to his task.  He calls on those walking in those dark times to trust in the Lord, not in their own self-efforts.

LESSONS?

1. The promise of blessing does not negate the need for repentance.

2. Sin must be faced and dealt with.

3. The salvation from the servant is earned through harsh means.

4. Even when the way seems unclear, trust in the Lord.

5. Beware resorting to human effort to the exclusion of the Lord.

PRAY :

     Thank the Lord for His servant Jesus, who came and bore the anguish of the Cross to bear our sin and bring us salvation.

PART 3 : "The Coming Salvation"

      In this next Part we will see comforting words that come from the Lord. Amazingly these are chapters of comfort plus comfort plus comfort. There is acknowledgement of all that Israel has been through but only to point out that it will now come on their enemies, because their time has finished and restoration blessing is on God's heart.