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 1 Corinthians 1:18-31
We come to another interesting question that the Jews look back and ask, “To whom was the Messiah revealed?” The word translated “arm” is Hebrew word zᵉrôaʽ which is literally translated as “outstretched arm” but in this context symbolizes strength and power. Most notably, God used this same symbology when He said to the Israelites in Exodus:
“I am the Lord, and I will bring you out from under the yoke of the Egyptians. I will free you from being slaves to them, and I will redeem you with an outstretched arm [zᵉrôaʽ] and with mighty acts of judgment” (Ex 6:6)
In Isaiah 53, the arm of the Lord is the Messiah. However, Israel did not recognize Jesus as the arm of the Lord. He came to earth as the Suffering Servant so this metonymy seems out of place. But Jesus came to deliver Israel (as well as all the nations) from the bondage of sin just as God delivered Israel from the bondage of Egyptian slavery. The gospel that Jesus preached is the power of God:
“For I am not ashamed of the gospel, because it is the power of God that brings salvation to everyone who believes: first to the Jew, then to the Gentile” (Rom 1:16).
And Israel was crying out to God to deliver them:
“Awake, awake, arm of the Lord,
clothe yourself with strength!
Awake, as in days gone by,
as in generations of old” (Isa 51:9).
But when the Arm came, they didn’t recognize him:
“He was in the world, and though the world was made through him, the world did not recognize him. He came to that which was his own, but his own did not receive him” (John 1:10-11).
The word translated “revealed” is the Hebrew word gālâ which carries with it the action of removing a covering so that whatever is hidden becomes visible. This word portrays God revealing Himself by lifting His veil. Paul explains the revelation of the gospel that Jesus brought like this:
“We declare God’s wisdom, a mystery that has been hidden and that God destined for our glory before time began. None of the rulers of this age understood it, for if they had, they would not have crucified the Lord of glory. However, as it is written:
‘What no eye has seen,
what no ear has heard,
and what no human mind has conceived’—
the things God has prepared for those who love him—
these are the things God has revealed to us by his Spirit” (1 Cor 2:7-10).
If you are a believer in Jesus, please understand the blessing you have been given. None of the rulers of this age understood what has been revealed to you. The wisdom of Jesus, his gospel of salvation was so incredible that no human mind could have possibly conceived of it. But yet here we are over two millennia later, walking through the Word of God, believing it and understanding it.
This is not anything we have earned. This is only by the grace of God that He has revealed this wisdom to us by His Spirit.
“At that time Jesus said, ‘I praise you, Father, Lord of heaven and earth, because you have hidden these things from the wise and learned, and revealed them to little children. Yes, Father, for this is what you were pleased to do’” (Matt 11:25-26).
God was pleased to reveal to us what was kept hidden from the “wise and learned.” When we come to Jesus with the humility of a child, he will give us the rich wisdom of his kingdom. His wisdom is powerful like the arm of the Lord. It has the power to save us for all eternity.
“For the message of the cross is foolishness to those who are perishing, but to us who are being saved it is the power of God” (1 Cor 1:18).
Thank God that we are saved! It is only because of His grace and mercy that shines on us that we can see what He revealed through Jesus.
“It is because of him that you are in Christ Jesus, who has become for us wisdom from God—that is, our righteousness, holiness and redemption. Therefore, as it is written: ‘Let the one who boasts boast in the Lord’” (1 Cor 1:30-31).
Christ in the Old Testament 
Leave a comment