Friday, January 20, 2006

Isaiah 53

1 Who has believed our message
and to whom has the arm of the LORD been revealed?

2 He grew up before him like a tender shoot,
and like a root out of dry ground.
He had no beauty or majesty to attract us to him,
nothing in his appearance that we should desire him.

3 He was despised and rejected by men,
a man of sorrows, and familiar with suffering.
Like one from whom men hide their faces
he was despised, and we esteemed him not.

4 Surely he took up our infirmities
and carried our sorrows,
yet we considered him stricken by God,
smitten by him, and afflicted.

5 But he was pierced for our transgressions,
he was crushed for our iniquities;
the punishment that brought us peace was upon him,
and by his wounds we are healed.

6 We all, like sheep, have gone astray,
each of us has turned to his own way;
and the LORD has laid on him
the iniquity of us all.

7 He was oppressed and afflicted,

yet he did not open his mouth;
he was led like a lamb to the slaughter,
and as a sheep before her shearers is silent,
so he did not open his mouth.

8 By oppression and judgment he was taken away.
And who can speak of his descendants?
For he was cut off from the land of the living;
for the transgression of my people he was stricken.

9 He was assigned a grave with the wicked,
and with the rich in his death,
though he had done no violence,
nor was any deceit in his mouth.

10 Yet it was the LORD's will to crush him and cause him to suffer,
and though the LORD makes his life a guilt offering,
he will see his offspring and prolong his days,
and the will of the LORD will prosper in his hand.

11 After the suffering of his soul,
he will see the light of life and be satisfied;
by his knowledge my righteous servant will justify many,
and he will bear their iniquities.

12 Therefore I will give him a portion among the great,
and he will divide the spoils with the strong,
because he poured out his life unto death,
and was numbered with the transgressors.
For he bore the sin of many,
and made intercession for the transgressors.


This is one of those chapters in the Bible that I think is incredibly beautiful. I love so much the Bible, but this passage is especially beautiful to me. The words fit together so well and flow so wonderfully. It is so humbling. The punishment that brought us peace was upon him, and by his wounds we are healed. Think about it for a while. That is truly incredible! How thankless I am so much of the time. Lord forgive me.

Glory Hosanna
Glory in the highest
Glory to the King who comes
In the name of the Lord!

2 comments:

  1. Have you noticed that suffering is mentioned quite a bit in the Bible? Do you think we are a bit spoiled here in the good ole USA? Oh, and I apologize that I misinterpretted your comment about my blog. Communication is quite difficult. LOve you!

    ReplyDelete
  2. spoiled? sue is too kind...we are gluttoness wretches most of us. suffering is a gift. draw near to god and he will draw near to you! i am comforted to know that he has ordained such a thing in my life. i am ashamed that i so often groan and grumble at the arrival of suffering in my life. forgive me father, create in me a clean heart! give me...all of us... a fresh and passionate desire to reach the dying with your saving gospel!


    thanks so much faith for your scriptue posts! amen!!

    ReplyDelete

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