Isaiah 53:1
Who has believed our message
and to whom has the arm of the Lord been revealed? (NIV)
Today’s Reading: Isaiah 53:1 and Romans 9:30 – 10:13
The word for “believed” is the Hebrew word āman which conveys confidence in something that is unshakable. The first time this word occurs is in Genesis 15:6:
“Abram believed the Lord, and he credited it to him as righteousness.”
The first time a word is used in Scripture often establishes the meaning of the word and this is true for āman. Abraham believed the promise of God that his descendants would outnumber the stars in the sky. God credited Abraham’s unshakable trust in Him as righteousness.
This word āman is also used in Isaiah 28:16:
“Therefore, this is what the Sovereign Lord says:
‘Look! I am placing a foundation stone in Jerusalem,
a firm and tested stone.
It is a precious cornerstone that is safe to build on.
Whoever believes need never be shaken.’” (NLT)
This is significant because Isaiah 28:16 is quoted three times in the New Testament. The word āman is translated in the Greek to the word pisteuō in these three verses:
- Romans 9:33
- Romans 10:11
- 1 Peter 2:6
The gist of these three scriptures is that the Jews didn’t believe but the Gentiles did. Paul explains this wonderfully in Romans 9:
“Even though the Gentiles were not trying to follow God’s standards, they were made right with God. And it was by faith that this took place. But the people of Israel, who tried so hard to get right with God by keeping the law, never succeeded. Why not? Because they were trying to get right with God by keeping the law instead of by trusting in him. They stumbled over the great rock in their path” (Rom 9:30-32, NLT).
The Jews had more faith in the law than they had in God Himself. They trust in the law above anything else. So when God came to earth in the person of Jesus, they rejected his message. Jesus came to fulfill the law and release the Jews from its requirements. He was their stumbling block because they just couldn’t let go of the law.
Paul continues:
“For they [Jews] don’t understand God’s way of making people right with himself. Refusing to accept God’s way, they cling to their own way of getting right with God by trying to keep the law. For Christ has already accomplished the purpose for which the law was given. As a result, all who believe in him are made right with God” (Rom 10:3-4, NLT).
So don’t miss this amazing truth: “Christ … accomplished the purpose for which the law was given. As a result, all who believe [pisteuō] in him are made right with God.”
The law was given to the Jews for a time and a purpose. When Jesus was crucified, he accomplished the law’s purpose. God created the law so that only one perfect man could fulfill it. And he did! The Jews can’t accept this right now, but they will.
“But not everyone welcomes the Good News, for Isaiah the prophet said, ‘Lord, who has believed our message?’” (Rom 10:16).
For now, the Jews don’t welcome the message of Jesus. But the amazing truth for us Gentiles is that all we have to do is believe [pisteuō] in order to be made right with God.
“If you openly declare that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved. For it is by believing in your heart that you are made right with God, and it is by openly declaring your faith that you are saved” (Rom 10:9-10).
The message is simple. Believe and openly confess it and you will be saved for all eternity. Praise Jesus!
“For this is how God loved the world: He gave his one and only Son, so that everyone who believes [pisteuō] in him will not perish but have eternal life” (John 3:16).
Christ in the Old Testament 
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