Thursday, March 4
What does it mean that the Servant’s life is “an offering for sin” (Isaiah 53:10)?
The Hebrew word refers to a “guilt/reparation offering” (Leviticus 5:14-6:7, Leviticus 7:1-7), which could atone for deliberate wrongs against other people (Leviticus 6:2, 3). Such sins were singled out by Isaiah (Isaiah 1-3; Isaiah 10:1, 2; Isaiah 58). Also, the sinner must restore to the wronged person that which was taken, plus a penalty, before offering the sacrifice to receive forgiveness from God (Leviticus 6:4-7; compare Matthew 5:23, 24). In a case of inadvertent misuse of something that belongs to God, the reparation goes to Him (Leviticus 5:16).
Now we can understand Isaiah 40:2, where God comforts His exiled people by telling them they have paid enough reparation for their sins.
But following the reparation, there must be a sacrifice. Here it is in Isaiah 53: God’s Servant, instead of a ram, is led like a sheep to the slaughter (Isaiah 53:7) on behalf of people who have gone astray (Isaiah 53:6).
Although “cut off out of the land of the living” (Isaiah 53:8; compare Daniel 9:26), completely consumed in the sacrifice that kindles the flame of hope for us, the Servant comes forth from death, the land of no return, to receive exaltation, see His “offspring,” and prolong His days (Isaiah 53:10-12).
Look up each of the following verses. How does each one reflect the same basic message as Isaiah 53?
If someone were to ask you to summarize in a single paragraph the good news of Isaiah 52:13-53:12, what would you write?
