Isaiah 50:2-6 Why, when I came, was there no man? when I called, was there none to answer? Is my hand shortened at all, that it cannot redeem?… In my opinion, these verses (2-6) run on without any break, so that you are not to separate them, and ascribe one to the prophet, another to the Messiah, and another to Jehovah Himself; but you must take the whole as the utterance of one Divine Person. That Jehovah-Jesus is the One who is speaking here, is very clear from the last verse of the previous chapter: "I the Lord" ("I, Jehovah," it is,) "am thy Saviour and thy Redeemer, the mighty One of Jacob." I. BEHOLD THE MESSIAH AS GOD. Link vers. 3 and 6: "I clothe the heavens with blackness, and I make sackcloth their covering... I gave my back to the smiters," etc. He, then, who suffered thus, and whom we regard as redeeming us by His death, and as saving us by His life, is no less than the Almighty God. I think the first reference, in these words, is to the miracles which were wrought by the plagues in Egypt. It was Jehovah-Jesus who was then plaguing His adversaries. In a later chapter, Isaiah says that "the Angel of His presence saved them;" and who is that great Angel of His presence but the Angel of the covenant in whom we delight, even Jesus Christ our Lord and Saviour? But we must not restrict the text to that which happened in the land of Egypt, for it has a far wider reference. All the great wonders of nature are to be ascribed to Him upon whom we build all our hopes for time and for eternity. The last miracle recorded here, namely, that of covering the heavens with sackcloth, was performed by our Lord even when He was in His death agony. You are not depending for your salvation upon a mere man. He is man, but He is just as truly Divine. II. BEHOLD THE MESSIAH AS THE INSTRUCTED TEACHER (ver. 4). I call your special attention to the condescension of our Lord in coming here on purpose to care for the weak — to speak consoling and sustaining words to them; and also to the fact that, before He performed that service, He learned the sacred art from His Father. For thirty years was He learning much in Joseph's carpenter's shop. Little do we know how much He learned there; but this much we do know, "Jesus increased in wisdom and stature, and in favour with God and man." And afterwards, when He entered upon His public work among men, He spake with the tongue of the learned, saying to His disciples, "All things that I have heard of My Father I have made known unto you." All through His time of teaching, He was still listening and learning. III. BEHOLD JESUS CHRIST AS THE SERVANT OF THE LORD (ver. 5). 1. He speaks of Himself as being prepared by grace. "The Lord God hath opened Mine ear," as if there had been a work wrought upon Him to prepare Him for His service. And the same Spirit, which rested upon Christ, must also open our ears. 2. Being thus prepared by grace, He was consecrated in due form, so that He could say to Himself, "The Lord God hath opened Mine ear." He heard the faintest whispers of His Father's voice. 3. He not only heard His Father's voice, but He was obedient to it in all things. "I was not rebellious." From the day when, as a child, He said to His parents, "Wist ye not that I must be about My Father's business?" till the hour when, on the cross, He cried, "It is finished," He was always obedient to the will of God. 4. In that obedience, He was persevering through all trials. He says that He did not turn away back. Having commenced the work of saving men, He went through with it. IV. BEHOLD THE MESSIAH AS THE PEERLESS SUFFERER (ver. 6). It has been asked, "Did God really die?" No; for God cannot die, yet He who died was God; so, if there be a confusion in your mind, it is the confusion of Holy Scripture itself, for we read, "Feed the Church of God, which He hath purchased with His own blood." In addition to the pain, we are asked, in this verse, to notice particularly the contempt which the Saviour endured. The plucking of His hair was a proof of the malicious contempt of His enemies, yet they went still further, and did spit in His face. Spitting was regarded by Orientals, and, I suppose, by all of us, as the most contemptuous thing which one man could do to another; yet the vile soldiers gathered round Him, and spat upon Him. I must point out the beautiful touch of voluntariness here: "I hid not my face." Our Saviour did not turn away, or seek to escape. If He had wished to do so, He could readily have done it. Conclusion: Notice three combinations which the verses of my text will make. (1) Verses 2 and 6. Those verses together show the full ability of Christ to save. Here we have God and the Sufferer. (2) Verses 4 and 5. Here you have the Teacher and the Servant, and the two together make up this truth — that Christ teaches us, not with words only, but with His life. What a wonderful Teacher He is, who Himself learned the lessons which He would have us learn! (3) Now put the whole text together, and I think the result will be — at least to God's people — that they will say, "This God shall be our God for ever and ever; and it shall be our delight to do His bidding at all times." It is a high honour to serve God; and Christ is God. It is a great thing to be the servant of a wise teacher; and Christ has the tongue of the learned. It is a very sweet thing to walk in the steps of a perfect Exemplar; and Christ is that. And, last and best of all, it is delightful to live for Him who suffered and died on our behalf. ( C. H. Spurgeon.) Parallel Verses KJV: Wherefore, when I came, was there no man? when I called, was there none to answer? Is my hand shortened at all, that it cannot redeem? or have I no power to deliver? behold, at my rebuke I dry up the sea, I make the rivers a wilderness: their fish stinketh, because there is no water, and dieth for thirst. |
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