July 29 - Isaiah 53:7-12

July 29 – Isaiah 53:7-12

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. 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.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.

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. 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. 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.

Although ‘innocent until proven guilty’ is a point of law in the United States, it doesn’t often feel as if that is the case.  When someone is accused of a crime, there is a general assumption that they actually committed the crime.  It is very rare to see someone take a conviction knowing that they were innocent.

The Servant stayed silent through the accusations, the oppression, the judgment.  He allowed all of the accusations to be laid on His shoulders and accepted them.

God says in Isaiah 53:8b, “…for the transgression of my people he was stricken.”

For the sins of my people he was stricken…

How difficult would that have been for people to comprehend?  Imagine the difference in the time.  These people did not know that Jesus had died for them.  They were still living under the Law.  Every sin and transgression had to be atoned for with sacrifices.  There was very little freedom.  They didn’t live with the hope that we live with.  Can you begin to comprehend the difference in their outlook?  They didn’t know who Jesus was.  They didn’t understand the great sacrifice that God had made for their freedom. 

It’s hard to imagine living in a world that doesn’t know the saving grace of God, yet we still have people who have never heard of Him or aren’t allowed to know about the sacrifice of Jesus Christ on the cross.

For those of us who live in freedom and are given the freedom to accept Jesus as our Savior, we can’t afford to take this incredible gift for granted! 

Isaiah prophesied to a people that didn’t know how to accept a Savior.  Their sin would crush them.

Isaiah speaks to us – a people who constantly needs to be reminded of the extraordinary gift for without Jesus’ sacrifice, our sin would destroy us.