18. The Redeemer describes himself: Isaiah 50:1-11
The Redeemer describes himself
All scriptures declare and reveal the person and work of Christ Jesus, our redeemer (Acts 10:43). He is the ‘key of knowledge’ denied by the Pharisees and lawyers (Luke 11:52). When Paul wrote, ‘He died, was buried, and rose again according to the scriptures,’ he was referring to the Old Testament scriptures such as those before us (1 Corinthians 15:1-4).
Isaiah 50:1. ‘Where is the bill of your mother’s divorcement?’ When a man divorced his wife, he was required to give her a paper stating that he had officially divorced her. Our Lord says, ‘You have no such bill; I did not forsake you.’
‘Which of my creditors is it to whom I have sold you?’ When a man was so heavily in debt that he could not pay, he would sell his children into slavery to satisfy his debts. The Lord owes no one; he has no creditors. The truth of the matter is, ‘for your sins you have sold yourselves. For your transgressions are you separated from God.’ Man’s ruin, spiritual death, and slavery lie at his own door. ‘Your sins have separated between you and your God’ (Isaiah 59:1-2).
Isaiah 50:2-3. ‘When I came, was there no man?’ He was in the world and the world knew him not; he came unto his own and his own received him not (John 1:10-11; Isaiah 53:1-3). ‘When I called, was there none to answer?’ He called to peace, rest, and to the marriage feast; and they made light of it. He stretched out his hand, and no man regarded (Proverbs 1:24-28). Sinners are not to be pitied, but rather to be blamed; for our condemnation is our own fault.
God is able to save; he is able to redeem all who call upon him. He has power to deliver; nothing is too hard for our God. (1) He dried up the sea for Israel to cross over, (2) he made the river Jordan a wilderness, (3) he clothed the heavens with blackness (Exodus 10:21), (4) he made sackcloth to cover the sun (Revelation 6:12). Preachers today may make man to be more than he is and God to be less than he is; but when our God describes himself, he declares his majesty, power, and total sovereignty (Romans 9:15-16). The Bible knows nothing of an impotent God nor a doormat named Jesus. He declares, ‘I have spoken it. I will bring it to pass. I have purposed it. I will do it. My counsel shall stand’ (Isaiah 46:9-11; Romans 8:29-31).
Isaiah 50:4. The Lord describes his prophetic office. You are familiar with the fact that our Lord has a three-fold office. He is the King, typified by David. As King he reigns over all by decree, by design, and by the fact that he died that he might be Lord. He is that priest forever after the order of Melchisedec (Hebrews 7:17-25), and he is that prophet spoken of by Moses (Deuteronomy 18:18-19). ‘This is my beloved Son; hear ye him’ (Hebrews 1:1-2). ‘He that heareth me, heareth my Father.’ ‘No man knoweth the Father save the Son and he to whom the Son will reveal him’ (Matthew 11:27; John 17:6-8). Our Prophet reveals and manifests the Father’s will, word, and work.
Isaiah 50:5. The Redeemer declares his submission as the messenger of the covenant and the Father’s servant (Isaiah 42:1). He is the God-man and servant who was willing to do all that was required to redeem the elect. ‘The Lord hath digged or bored my ear.’ This comes from the scripture in Exodus 21:1-6 where the slave, who had served his time and was free to go, chooses out of love for his master to remain as a willing, loving bondslave, and has his ear bored before the judges. ‘No man taketh my life from me; I lay it down willingly’ out of love for the Father’s will and love for his people.
Isaiah 50:6. The Redeemer describes himself as the suffering servant. ‘He opened not his mouth’ against the witnesses, the charges, nor those who abused him (Isaiah 53:7). ‘He gave his back to the smiters’ (Matthew 27:26) and his face to those who spit upon him and pulled out his beard (Matthew 26:67). The suffering and death of our Redeemer was no accident nor unexpected tragedy. It was decreed by the Father (Acts 2:23; Acts 4:27-28), prophesied in scripture (Isaiah 53:4-6; Acts 13:29), and fulfilled by the Son--willingly.
Isaiah 50:7-9. The Redeemer describes the success of his work.
1. ‘The Lord God will help me.’ This is no contradiction of the deity of Christ nor any sign of weakness in him, but he was a man with the weaknesses and limitations of flesh and needed the strength and power of his God to effect the greatness of the work of our redemption (Luke 27:42-43).
2. ‘I shall not be confounded nor ashamed,’ neither of his ministry (which was with power and authority in truth), nor of his obedience (which was perfect and pleasing to the Father), nor of his sufferings (for the sake of his people), nor of his work of redemption (which was effectual) (John 17:4-5).
3. ‘I have set my face like a flint (Luke 9:51) for he is near that justifieth me.’ The Father designed and decreed his death and sent him into the world. The Father was near him in his whole state of humiliation and justified him from all the false charges brought against him and from the sins of his people laid upon him as evidenced by his resurrection (Acts 13:29-30; Acts 17:31). ‘Who shall contend with me and who shall condemn me?’ Not Satan, nor the law, nor the justice of God. Satan came and found nothing in him, and he honored the law and satisfied justice.
Isaiah 50:10-11. The Lord sets forth two classes of people.
1. Those who fear the Lord and have been given ears to hear the voice of Christ and see the glory of God in the face of Christ. They know they are in the darkness of sin and have no light; therefore they look to Christ, trust him for all truth and righteousness, and stay upon their God. These shall never be ashamed.
2. But there are those who will not come to him, but rather depend upon their own works and righteousness. They ‘kindle a fire’ and ‘walk in the light of their own fire.’ These shall lie down in death and eternal sorrow and have judgment at God’s hand.