Bible Commentaries
Isaiah 52

Verses 1-12

1. 17. REDEEMED! (52:1-10)
   18. Possibly see vss.1&2 as illustrating a slave bought out of slavery.
   19. Look at our part! (see verbs/in purple)
   20. (2) Loose yourself from the bonds of your neck – Take my yoke upon you!
       1. Q: What(or who’s) yoke are you sporting tonight?
   21. (7) A redeemed people should be a rejoicing people!
   22. The clarion call – “Your God reigns!”
       1. (A timeless cry!) (a message for the whole world)
   23. How did Paul use this in Rom.10:15?
       1. Shout the glorious gospel from the mountain tops!
   24. (8) Eye to eye – or, face to face. This is how they will see the Lord when he returns.
   25. (9) Even the ruins are urged to sing for joy! (And there’s many!)
   26. (10) Missionary document in Embryo!
   27. (12) I like putting together these 3 verses!
       1. Jer 18:6 “Look, as the clay is in the potter’s hand, so are you in My hand…”
       2. Is.51:16 “I have covered you with the shadow of My hand”
       3. Is.52:12a “the Lord will go before you.”
       4. Is.52:12b “the God of Israel will be your rear guard.”

Verses 13-15

1. Intro:
   1. Announce: Baptism class rm.133.
   2. Welcome to our 1^st Wednesday night B.S. in 20 years!
   3. Disaster Update:
   4. Prayer: No room in the Inn, but there was on a tree.
      1. Still no room in over-crowed hearts; Yet You still search!
   5. What a chapter!
      1. Is.53 is the most quoted of OT chapters in the NT. [at least 85 x’s]
      2. The Cross – the pivot of all history.
      3. There is no place in the OT where we are nearer to the heart of the gospel than here!
      4. Yet, this was the most perplexing “contradction” for the OT prophets & to the Jews today.
         1. They did not realize the “Gap” in between the 2 comings(The Suffering Servant to die & the Sovereign to reign).
         2. See 1 Pet.1:10,11 (esp. “sufferings & glory”)
   6. By current standards of success, Jesus might be considered a failure.
      Was he popular? No. He was not well-liked. In fact, after one of his sermons, all of his followers deserted him, except for the Twelve Apostles.
      Did he have political power? No. He was a political failure. All levels of government first rejected him. Then they conspired to kill him.
      Did he have lots of friends? No. His friends often hurt him, eventually abandoned him, and one of them betrayed him to death.
      Did he have money and possessions? No. No house, no "wheels", no world headquarters, no Christian amusement park.
      Was he respected by his peers? No. His professional peers (Pharisees) rejected his work.
      Despite his apparent failure by these standards, Jesus Christ has changed the lives of millions of men and women across the centuries.
      How could he, in light of his failures?
2. EXALTATION! (52:13)
3. 1. Exalted! (52:13)
      1. These last 3 verses are definitely attached to ch.53.

1. 2. He shall be(future) –
   3. See Is.6:1 “high & lifted up” (same term)
      1. Ascending phrases: exalted(raised), extolled(lifted up), very high.
         1. The Servant will ascend to the height of God Himself.
         2. Some say this refers to Christ’s res., ascension, & exaltation.
      2. Jn.3:14 “Just as Moses lifted up the snake in the desert, so the Son of Man must be lifted up.”
   4. Prior to the Servants Exaltation, is his Humiliation!
2. HUMILIATION! (52:14-53:12)
   1. Unrecognizable! (52:14,15)
   2. (15) Sprinkle – OT custom when priest dipped finger in blood & sprinkled on the veil (Lev.4) – Symbolizing cleansing from sin.