Isaiah 53:1

Who hath believed our report? and to whom is the arm of the LORD revealed? The speaker, according to Horsley, personates the repenting Jews in the latter ages of the world coming over to the faith of the Redeemer: the whole is their penitent confession. This view suits the context (Isaiah 52:7), which is not to be fully realized until Israel is restored. Also the "we" and "our," in Isaiah 53:2, suit the penitent Jews. However, primarily, it is the abrupt exclamation of the prophet: "Who hath believed our report" (that of Isaiah and the other prophets) as to Messiah? The infidels' objection from the unbelief of the Jews is anticipated, and hereby answered: that unbelief and the cause of it (Messiah's humiliation, whereas they looked for One coming to reign) were foreseen...

1._Who will believe our report? _This division, or rather dismemberment, of the chapter, ought to be disregarded; for it ought to have begun with the thirteenth verse of the former chapter, and these words ought to be connected with what goes before. (50) Here the Prophet pauses, as it were, in the middle of his discourse; for, having formerly said that the name of Christ would be everywhere proclaimed, and would be revealed to unknown nations, and yet would have so mean an aspect that it might appear as if these things were fabulous, he breaks off his discourse, and exclaims that “Nobody will believe those things.” At the same time, he describes his grief, that men are so unbelieving as to reject their salvation. Thus, it is a holy complaint made by one who wished that Christ should be known by all, and who, notwithstanding of this, sees that there are few who believe the Gospel, and th...

1-3 No where in all the Old Testament is it so plainly and fully prophesied, that Christ ought to suffer, and then to enter into his glory, as in this chapter. But to this day few discern, or will acknowledge, that Divine power which goes with the word. The authentic and most important report of salvation for sinners, through the Son of God, is disregarded. The low condition he submitted to, and his appearance in the world, were not agreeable to the ideas the Jews had formed of the Messiah. It was expected that he should come in pomp; instead of that, he grew up as a plant, silently, and insensibly. He had nothing of the glory which one might have thought to meet with him. His whole life was not only humble as to outward condition, but also sorrowful. Being made sin for us, he underwent the sentence sin had exposed us to. Carnal hearts see nothing in the Lord Jesus to desire an interest...

CHAPTER LIII _This chapter foretells the sufferings of the Messiah, the end_ _for which he was to die, and the advantages resulting to_ _mankind from that illustrious event. It begins with a complaint_ _of the infidelity of the Jews_, 1; _the offence they took at his mean and humble appearance_, 2; _and the contempt with which they treated him_, 3. _The prophet then shows that the Messiah was to suffer for sins_ _not his own; but that our iniquities were laid on him, and the_ _punishment of them exacted of him, which is the meritorious_...

WHO HATH BELIEVED OUR REPORT? - The main design of the prophet in all this portion of his prophecy is, undoubtedly, to state the fact that the Redeemer would be greatly exalted (see Isaiah 52:13; Isaiah 53:12). But in order to furnish a fair view of his exaltation, it was necessary also to exhibit the depth of his humiliation, and the intensity of his sorrows, and also the fact that he would be rejected by those to whom he was sent. He, therefore, in this verse, to use the language of Calvin, breaks in abruptly upon the order of his discourse, and exclaims that what he had said, and what he was about to say, would be scarcely credited by anyone. Prelimmary to his exaltation, and to the honors which would be conferred on him, he would be rejected and despised. The word ‘report’

EXPOSITION THE PASSIONAL, OR THE GREAT PROPHECY OF THE SUFFERINGS OF CHRIST, AND OF HIS LATER EXALTATION. Polycarp the Lysian calls this chapter "the golden passional of the Old Testament evangelist." Delitzsch says of it, "It is the centre of this wonderful book of consolation (ch. 40-66), and is the most central, the deepest, and the loftiest thing that the Old Testament prophecy, outstripping itself, has ever achieved". Mr. Urwick remarks on it, "Here we seem to enter the holy of holies of Old Testament prophecy—that sacred chamber wherein are pictured and foretold the sufferings of Christ and the glory which should follow". The Messianic interpretation of the chapter was universally

WHO HATH BELIEVED OUR REPORT?.... Or "hearing" a. Not what we hear, but others hear from us; the doctrine of the Gospel, which is a report of the love, grace, and mercy of God in Christ; of Christ himself, his person, offices, obedience, sufferings, and death, and of free and full salvation by him: it is a good report, a true and faithful one, and to be believed, and yet there are always but few that give credit to it; there were but few in the times of the Prophet Isaiah that believed what he had before reported, or was about to report, concerning the Messiah; and but few in the times of Christ and his apostles, whom the prophet here represented; for to those times are the words applied, John 12:38, the Jews had the report first made unto them, and saw the facts that were done, and yet believed not; when Gentile kings, and their subjects, listened with the most profound silence, an

Mr. Moody was once asked whether his creed was in print. In his own prompt way, he replied, «Yes, sir; you will find it in the fifty-third of Isaiah.» A condensed Bible is in this chapter. You have the whole gospel here. Isaiah 53:1. _Who hath believed our report? and to whom is the arm of the LORD revealed?_ Nobody ever does believe either prophets or preachers except through the work of God's Spirit and grace. The Lord's arm must be revealed, or else the truth proclaimed by his servants will never be accepted. All the prophets speak in these words of Isaiah, as if they all stood together, and lifted up this wail, «Who hath believed our report? and to whom is the arm of the Lord revealed?» Isaiah 53:2. For he shall grow up before him as a tender plant, and as a root out of

CHAPTER 53 The Sinbearer and His Victory 1. _The marred visage and His exaltation (Isaiah 52:13) _ 2. _His life and His rejection by the nation (Isaiah 53:1) _ 3. _The work of the Sinbearer: smitten, afflicted and bruised (Isaiah 53:4) _ 4. _His submission and His deliverance (Isaiah 53:7) _ 5. _His glorious reward (Isaiah 53:10) _ In “Messianic predictions,” at the close the reader will find hints on this great chapter. We do not repeat them here. The New Testament fully bears witness to this great vision of the c

ISAIAH 52:13- ISAIAH 53:12. THE VINDICATION OF THE SERVANT OF YAHWEH (the fourth of the Songs of the Servant of Yahweh). ISAIAH 52:13. Yahweh announces that His Servant Israel shall be raised to a position so glorious that, even as many were appalled at his pitiable plight, so nations shall do him homage and kings be reverently silent in his presence, beholding so wonderful, so unheard-of a transformation. ISAIAH 52:13. SHALL DEAL WISELY: translate prosper (_mg.),_ but probably the easy emendation Israel is to be accepted....