“My Servant Shall Deal Prudently”
(Isaiah 52:13-15)
After Jesus had been scourged, he was handed over to the execution squad by Pilate. He had known what to expect for a long time — the terrible climax of all his physical sufferings. For hours, as dark gave way to dawn, and as the crowd gathered, he had already endured humiliating insults and cruel buffetings. A “crown” of thorns had been brutally forced down upon his head. (And these were real thorns, an inch long, if the traditional plant of the crown of thorns is the correct one!) So it was with scarred face, and lacerated back and shoulders, that he followed the Roman soldiers, bearing his cross and stumbling as he went. Before and behind and on either side, they clear a path and keep the excited crowd at bay. In their midst he stumbles and shuffles his way under the weight of the cross, his face a mask of patience and pain.
Jesus, the express image of the Father’s person, is reduced to the state predicted by Isaiah:
“His visage was so marred more than any man, and his form more than the sons of men” (52:14).
And further:
“There is no beauty that we should desire him” (53:2).
Growing weaker, he stumbles one last time and falls prostrate under the burden. The impatient soldiers compel a witness to bear his cross, and rudely wrestle him to his feet again. Soon they are at Calvary, where a hole has been dug in the ground. The cross is laid on the ground and he is placed upon it. Spikes are driven through his wrists and ankles and into the rough wood. Then with its human burden the cross is lifted and jolted down into the hole, where it is made fast. There, for ceaseless hours, he hangs, his whole body a raw nerve of pain, his senses dazed by the shimmering heat and the clouds and the dust.
“They gaped upon me with their mouths, as a ravening and a roaring lion. I am poured out like water, and all my bones are out of joint: my heart is like wax; it is melted in the midst of my bowels. My strength is dried up like a potsherd; and my tongue cleaveth to my jaws; and thou has brought me into the dust of death. For dogs have compassed me: the assembly of the wicked have inclosed me: they pierced my hands and my feet” (Psa. 22:13-16).
He suffered the shame, the physical agony, the draining away of his strength, and a raging thirst. There was dizziness, cramps, fever, torment. Every moment, no matter how slight, would signal new anguish. Truly might it be said, “His visage was so marred more than any man.”
52:13. “Behold, my servant shall deal prudently, he shall be exalted and extolled, and be very high.”
This verse is an overview. The four main stages of Christ’s work are referred to:
- His ministry (“deal prudently”);
- His crucifixion (“exalted” — compare John 3:14; 12:32);
- His resurrection (“extolled”); and
- His ascension, mediation, and coming kingdom (“very high”).
This outline is clearly parallel to Paul’s outline:
- “The form (Greek ‘fashion’) of a servant” (Phil. 2:7);
- “Obedient unto death, even the death of the cross” (v. 8);
- “Wherefore God also hath highly exalted him” (v. 9); and
- “That at the name of Jesus every knee should bow . . . and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord” (vv. 10, 11).
“Behold” — A trumpet call, demanding careful attention to all that follows.
“My servant” — The Hebrew “ebed” is a slave, as opposed to a hired servant. Unless released, a slave serves for life. The example for all such slaves is Exod. 21:5, 6:
If the servant shall plainly say, I love my master . . . I will not go out free . . . then his master shall bring him to the door . . . and his master shall bore his ear through with an aul; and he shall serve him for ever.”
To this the Psalmist refers:
“Mine ears hast thou opened” (40:6), a passage cited in conjunction with the perfect obedience of the Perfect Servant of Yahweh in Heb. 10:5-9, where this phrase is translated ‘a body (i.e., a slave) hast thou prepared me!”
The prophecies relating to Yahweh’s servant are found in Isaiah, from chapter 41 through this section. In these prophecies, Isaiah has been continually contrasting the “national” servant, Israel, with the “individual” servant, the Messiah, much to the discredit of the former. Israel the multitudinous servant has been called to an honorable position of service, but has despised the privilege and failed miserably (41:8; 42:19; 43:10; 44:1, 21; 45:5; 48:20). For this they are sharply rebuked (42:17-20). Meanwhile. Israel is called upon to “behold My Servant” (42:1); God’s individual “Servant” would accomplish what the national “Servant” could not. Through him the works of the Father, the greatest of which is the redemption and glorification of a portion of mankind, will be accomplished.
Strangely, at least from the contemporary Jewish perspective, God’s purpose of redemption requires the suffering and finally the sacrificial death of His obedient servant. This point is reached by stages in the progressive revelations about Isaiah’s “Servant.” First, there is a mere hint of temporary discouragement (42:4); second, a lament over “failure” (49:4); third, personal abuse (50:6); and finally, here, misrepresentation, injustice, and a violent death!
“Deal prudently” — Hebrew “yaschil” signifies “to prosper” (RSV, NEB). The same word is used of Joshua (1:7,8) in regard to achieving the inheritance of the land of Canaan for himself and his flock, and also of the “righteous Branch” (Jer. 23:5), who will reign as a king and save Judah and Israel., and who will be called “The Lord our Righteousness.”
“Exalted” — “Rum”: to be high. Several passages in John’s Gospel equate crucifixion with being lifted up (3:14; 8:28; 12:32, 33), most directly alluding to the brazen serpent lifted up on the pole (Num. 21:1-9).
“Extolled” — “Nasa”: elevated as a banner or an ensign. The victory of the children of Israel over Amalek through the lifting up of Moses’ rod (Exod. 17:9, 11) was commemorated by the building of an altar called “Yahweh-Nissi”—”He who shall be lifted up,” or “The Lord my banner”.
In a glorious “kingdom” prophecy, the “root of Jesse” (cp. Isa. 53:2!) will stand for an “ensign (“nes”) of the people,” to which even the Gentiles will seek (Isa. 11:10).
“And be very high” — Thus the three similar phrases may be differentiated: Jesus was lifted up on the cross. He was then lifted up out of the grave. And finally he was lifted up to heaven, to sit on the right hand of God, from whence he will return to sit on a glorious throne, ruling over all kingdoms!
Verse 14: “As many were astonished at thee; his visage was so marred more than any man, and his form more than the sons of men:”
The “as” beginning this verse is matched by the “so” beginning verse 15. As ‘many” individuals were astonished at the Messiah, so shall “many” nations be sprinkled (i.e., cleansed) by him! Here is the multiplying effect of the work of Christ: what a comparatively few witnessed in person, in the streets of Jerusalem and on the brow of a little hill, will ultimately bring blessing to multitudes scattered from sea to sea, and from the river to the ends of the earth! And the marvelous irony is this: that what appalled and repelled those who witnessed it will at last be embraced joyfully and thankfully by humble and obedient believers. That which appeared tragic and senseless will be seen to be lovely and wise. Paul speaks of the rationale of the crucifixion, and the irony of the cross, to the Corinthian brethren:
“Hath not God made foolish the wisdom of this world . . . ? We preach Christ crucified, unto the Jews a stumbling-block and unto the Greeks foolishness; but unto them that are called, both Jews and Greeks, Christ the power of God, and the wisdom of God” (1 Cor. 1:20, 203, 24).
That which “the world” saw as scandal and weakness was actually righteousness and power. Paul leads us surely to the conclusion that the salvation of mankind is specifically designed by God to run counter to proud and vain man’s expectations; hence the “astonishment” of Isa. 52:14 (and the despite and disesteem of 53:3). His purpose in so doing is undoubtedly to lead man to renounce his “worldly,” materialistic, natural attitudes, and to see salvation on God’s terms, and to see himself in God’s eyes. In the words of Paul again, this was done so “that no flesh should glory in His presence” (1 Cor. 1:29).
“Many” — Not only were “many” astonished, but “many” will finally be cleansed (v. 15) by the “sprinkled blood” of Christ. This is further amplified by the “many” who will be justified (53:11) by their knowledge of him, and the “many” whose sins he bore (v. 12) !
“Astonied” — “Astonished” (RSV), a state of mind manifested by some as early as Jesus’s twelfth year, when he sat in the Temple with the doctors of the law (Luke 2:46, 47). The type of astonishment, however, reflected by this picture of Isaiah is best captured by the alternate renderings “appalled” (NIV) and “aghast” (NEB).
“His visage was so marred more than any man, and his form more than the sons of men” — “Visage” is translated “appearance’ (RSV), and is the same word as “beauty” in 53:2. “Form” appears also in 53:2. The latter portions of each of these two phrases are practically identical. The literal is “from being a man;” other versions read “beyond human resemblance” (RSV) or beyond human likeness” (NIV). This description is comparable to Psa. 22:6.
“I am a worm, and no man.”
Indeed, there are many such comparisons between this Servant Song and Psalm 22.
The literalness of this description, as connected with Christ’s trials, is easily grasped. The Temple guard and the Roman soldiers had no regard for delicate sensibilities; and this man — though markedly different from others — was nevertheless a condemned criminal. It is probably correct, then, to think of the Suffering Servant as ending up not only with a lacerated back (Matt. 27:26), but also with a mass of cuts and bruises on his face, a black eye, teeth knocked out, and a long red scar across his cheek (Matt. 27:30; 26:67; John 18:22, mg.; Mic. 5:1). Truly “beyond human resemblance”!
Although the imagery of this section is that of a suffering leper (and probably well described the appearance of the typical Hezekiah when ravaged by that disease), it is obvious upon reflection that Jesus could not have literally suffered leprosy. It was prophesied of him that, as “the holy thing” (Luke 1:35), he should not see corruption (Psa. 16:10; Acts 2:27). If he were not to partake of corruption even in death, how unlikely that he would so partake during his lifetime! Furthermore, an appearance of leprosy during his ministry would have prohibited him from preaching in the synagogues or in the Temple, and would of course have been inconsistent with the magnetic effect he had upon many, including small children. Finally, there is also the ritual of the Passover, of which Jesus was the perfect fulfillment (1 Cor. 5:7), a lamb necessarily without spot and blemish. We must come to the conclusion, then, that the marring of his countenance and figure must have been effected only in his last trials and crucifixion.
The Origin of the Organic World – Part One