Isaiah 53: The Gate to Shalom

The heart of Isaiah’s message of consolation

Isaiah 53 is surrounded by beautiful promises. Promises of divine intervention and a new exodus (Isaiah 52:7-12).

G-d’s redeemed won’t remain stuck in a desert. They will come home to an amazingly beautified Jerusalem full of peace, secure in G-d’s everlasting love (Isaiah 52:1-6; 54:1-17).

Sorrow and sighing flee away. Everlasting joy beckons us (Isaiah 51:11).

Exile comes to a definite end! The beautiful music of the message of consolation which begins this part of the book, “Comfort, comfort my people says your G-d. Speak tenderly to Jerusalem…” (Isaiah 40:1), intensifies gloriously preceding and following the 53rd chapter.

But these beautiful promises have their basis, their crucial core, in Isaiah 53. Here Isaiah describes an individual who embodies G-d’s arm, His personal intervention. It portrays someone who acquires the amazing shalom which surrounds Isaiah 53 (Isaiah 53:1, 53:5). This special person, called G-d’s Servant, will bring G-d’s good purpose to a guaranteed good end. (Isaiah 53:10).

A dramatic turn

Isaiah 53 describes a most dramatic and unexpected turn. It begins with initial misunderstanding about seeing things incorrectly. This is an echo of the beginning of the Book of Isaiah. In Isaiah 6:9-10 we read about a dreadful “hearing without understanding and seeing without perceiving.” This prevents Israel’s repentance and healing.

Happily, this sad situation radically changes in Isaiah 53. Eyes are being opened as the prophet leads Israel into confession.

Isaiah 53 is truly prophetic. As though it has already happened (for it certainly will come true) Isaiah describes Israel’s future confession. The recognition and confession of the truth will usher in the final redemption.

Recognizing the Messiah

Who has believed what we have heard and to whom has the arm of the LORD been revealed? (Isaiah 53:1).

At its core, Isaiah 53 is about recognizing the Messiah. At first, the majority of his people will misunderstand, even reject and despise him as somebody smitten by G-d.

For he grew up before him like the young plant and the 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.

He was despised and rejected by men, a man of sorrows and acquainted with sickness;
and as one from whom men hide their faces he was despised, and we esteemed him not. (Isaiah 53:2-3)

But the servant is not what he seems to be. He is pictured as weak, suffering and dying. But, almost unbelievably, what really takes place is the most dramatic intervention by G-d ever! This suffering servant embodies G-d’s arm of redemption.

Surely he has borne our sickness
and carried our sorrows;
yet we esteemed him stricken,
smitten by God, and afflicted.

But he was pierced through for our transgressions; he was crushed for our iniquities; upon him was the chastisement that brought us peace, and with his stripes we are healed.

All of us like sheep have gone astray;
each of us has turned to his own way;
But the L-RD has caused the iniquity of us to fall on Him. (Isaiah 53:4-6)

The key to recognizing the truth is to see that this servant who dies a violent death is actually atoning for our sins. “The LORD has laid on him the iniquity of us all.” He takes upon himself the punishment that gives us peace, the peace described in Isaiah 52 and 54.

We might not recognize it, but our sins, our innate rebellion against G-d, is our greatest problem. Sin got Adam and Eve kicked out of Gan Eden (the Garden of Eden). Sin destroys our relationship with our Creator. As Isaiah describes it, “but your iniquities have made a separation between you and your God, and your sins have hidden his face from you so that he does not hear” (Isaiah 59:2).

Isaiah 53 describes not only the atoning death of the Messiah, it also tells us that he will after that, prolong his days and be greatly exalted. (Isaiah 53:10)