What Jesus Does for Israel Is. 50:1-11 CLICK TITLE FOR AUDIO

In the first three verses of Is 50, Israel is in a mess.  They have put themselves away from the Lord, they have cut off fellowship with him and they have forgotten his great power to help them.  As a result, the Lord Jesus Christ provides himself for them so that they can trust him to help them.  First we will see Israel’s separation from God [Is 50:1-3] and then we will see what Jesus does for Israel [Is 50:4-11].

Israel’s separation from God

In Is 50:1-3 Israel is put away from God – in v.1, the Lord asks where the bill of divorcement is [Deut 24:1-2; Jer 3:8] and he asks where the creditors are to whom he sold her [similar to 2 Ki 4:1] – the truth is that the Lord did put her away; but, in essence, she put herself away with her transgressions, “her whoredom” [Hos 2:1-5, Jer 3:1-5] – he didn’t sell her; she sold herself for her iniquities [Is 52:3, Ezek 16:33-34].

So, the Lord asks Israel four questions.

• Wherefore, when I came, was there no man? When I called, was there none to answer? They were like Adam and Eve hiding from the voice of God [Gen 3:8]
• Is my hand shortened at all, that it cannot redeem? Or have I no power to deliver? No

He then testifies to his great power.

• He dried up the sea [Ex 14:21]
• He made the rivers a wilderness [Ps 107:33-34] and he makes rivers in the wilderness [Ex 17:6; Ps 107:35]
• He killed fish by drying up the waters [Ex 7:18, 21]
• He clothes the heavens with blackness [Ex 10:21]
• He makes sackcloth their covering [Rev 6:12]

Jesus’ Provision for Israel

Jesus learned from his Father so he could speak to them – Is 50:4 – morning by morning Jesus awoke to hear from his Father and to speak those things he learned [Jn 7:15-16; Jn 8:26-27].

Jesus became a servant so that he could minister to them – Is 50:5 – the opening of his ear is similar to the boring of a hole in the ear of a bondservant who desires to stay with his master beyond the allotted time of his service [Ex 21:5-6; Matt 20:27].

Jesus offered himself as a sacrifice so that he could save them – Is 50:6 – these things happened at his trial before his crucifixion [Matt 27:26, 26:67].

Jesus faced his adversary at the cross so he could deliver them – Is 50:7-9 – the Lord God helped him, therefore, he was not confounded, he set his face like flint [Lk 9:51, nothing would stop him], he was not ashamed, he was justified, and he faced his adversaries who could not condemn him [Jn 8:46, Jn 19:4].  Jesus triumphed over them [Col 2:14-15; Eph 1:20-21; 1 Cor 15:57].  They will wax old as a garment and the moth shall eat them up.

Conclusion: As a result of what Jesus did for Israel he does the following:

He helps the righteous – Is 50:10 – those who fear the Lord and obey his voice can trust in the name of the Lord and stay upon him [Is 26:3; Phil 2:9-11].

He condemns the wicked – Is 50:11 – those who trust in the sparks of their own idolatrous fires will lie down in sorrow [contrast Zech 2:4-5].