Monthly Archives: March 2012

Mar
25
2012

Week 4: Isaiah 53:7-9

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[7] He was oppressed, and he was afflicted,

yet he opened not his mouth;

like a lamb that is led to the slaughter,

and like a sheep that before its shearers is silent,

so he opened not his mouth.

[8] By oppression and judgment he was taken away;

and as for his generation, who considered

that he was cut off out of the land of the living,

stricken for the transgression of my people?

[9] And they made his grave with the wicked

and with a rich man in his death,

although he had done no violence,

and there was no deceit in his mouth.

 

Mar
20
2012

The Servant’s Substitutionary Suffering

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Isaiah’s description of the servant in Isaiah 53:4-6 shifts back and forth between the servant’s work and the resultant blessing on God’s people. The following chart highlights the numerous links.

 

Suffering on behalf of others
VerseThe Servant's PartThe People's Part
Isaiah 53:4he took
he carried		our infirmities
our sorrows
Isaiah 53:5he was pierced
he was crushed
his punishment
his wounds		for our transgressions
for our iniquities
brought us peace
we are healed
Isaiah 53:6laid on himthe iniquity of us all

 

These verses, perhaps as much as any in the Bible, highlight the servant’s substitutionary (vicarious) suffering on behalf of others.

 

(Taken from Sidebar 17.2, page 207, in Encountering the Book of Isaiah by Bryan E. Beyer)

 

Mar
18
2012

Week 3: Isaiah 53:4-6

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[4] Surely he has borne our griefs

and carried our sorrows;

yet we esteemed him stricken,

smitten by God, and afflicted.

[5] But he was pierced for our transgressions;

he was crushed for our iniquities;

upon him was the chastisement that brought us peace,

and with his wounds we are healed.

[6] All we like sheep have gone astray;

we have turned—every one—to his own way;

and the LORD has laid on him

the iniquity of us all.

 

Mar
15
2012

The Suffering Servant in the New Testament

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The significant usage of this passage (Isaiah 52:13-53:12) by many New Testament writers provides early testimony to the link the early church made between Isaiah’s words and the life and ministry of Jesus.

 

Links between Isaiah's words and Jesus
Isaiah's Verse(s)New Testament Citation(s)
Isaiah 52:15Romans 15:21
Isaiah 53:1John 12:38; Romans 10:16
Isaiah 53:4Matthew 8:17
Isaiah 53:7-8Acts 8:32-33 (Septuagint)
Isaiah 53:91 Peter 2:22
Isaiah 53:12Luke 22:37

 

(Table taken from Sidebar 17.3, page 211, in Encountering the Book of Isaiah by Bryan E. Beyer)

 

Mar
13
2012

A Completed “Memory Moleskine”

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I have been using the “memory moleskine” since I started with Philippians last year. Tim Brister’s idea revolutionized my thinking about Scripture memorization, and along the way, changed how I manage my private devotions.

My devotions over the years have always varied from hot to cold, working on something or doing nothing at all. I have used teaching Sunday school as a devotion of sort, yet I never really felt that lesson preparation should be my only devotion.

Now though, I am deliberately and systematically choosing what to memorize. In turn, I am choosing what to spend time on. The time spent focused on memorizing has also become time spent in study and worship.

With each passage in my “memory moleskine”, I read one to several commentaries about that passage. I take notes and look for links pointed out within the books. I seek out new applications and new means to draw nearer to Christ.

With our just finished study of Philemon, I used Peter O’Brien’s commentary to help me understand better Paul’s letter. The picture below is one page of how my notebook ended up looking. The entire notebook is also available.

 

Mar
11
2012

Week 2: Isaiah 53:1-3

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[1] Who has believed what he has heard from us?

And to whom has the arm of the LORD been revealed?

[2] For he grew up before him like a young plant,

and like a root out of dry ground;

he had no form or majesty that we should look at him,

and no beauty that we should desire him.

[3] He was despised and rejected by men;

a man of sorrows, and acquainted with grief;

and as one from whom men hide their faces

he was despised, and we esteemed him not.

 

Mar
08
2012

Week 1: Isaiah 52:13-15

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[13] Behold, my servant shall act wisely;

he shall be high and lifted up,

and shall be exalted.

[14] As many were astonished at you—

his appearance was so marred, beyond human semblance,

and his form beyond that of the children of mankind—

[15] so shall he sprinkle many nations;

kings shall shut their mouths because of him;

for that which has not been told them they see,

and that which they have not heard they understand.

 

Mar
08
2012

The Suffering Servant (Isaiah 52:13-53:12)

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Suffering Servant Wordle

This week, our church began memorizing the final song of the Suffering Servant from Isaiah (Isaiah 52:13-53:12). These words from the Old Testament point us to Jesus who suffered and died for us. Our pastor David Hull encouraged all of us to use this passage and this memorization effort as preparation for Easter.

The ESV Study Bible introduces this section with a statement about what Isaiah is revealing and which words we as readers should pay attention to:

Isaiah finally explains how the Holy One can bless sinful people: all the promises of God will come true for them because the suffering and triumphant servant removes their guilt before God by his sacrifice. To be clear on which parties are described, it helps to observe the pronouns: “I” in this passage is typically the Lord, “he” the servant, and “we” the servant’s disciples, who themselves need the servant to bear their guilt (Isaiah 53:4-6), which is why the servant cannot be Israel or the pious within Israel.

 

The “memory moleskine” to use in a notebook is located here. It is one mechanism for keeping up with the weekly Scripture memorization. Reading the passage aloud several times a day has been a great help to me. Recently, I have tried visualizing the scene described within the verses. The brain works incredibly well with images. If you can link a verse or a phrase to an image in your mind, then your chances of retaining the verse will be increased.