"The Lord GOD hath given
me the tongue of the learned, that I should know how to speak a
word in season to him that is weary: he wakeneth morning by
morning, he wakeneth mine ear to hear as the learned. The
Lord GOD hath opened mine ear, and I was not rebellious, neither
turned away back. I gave my back to the smiters, and my
cheeks to them that plucked off the hair: I hid not my face from
shame and spitting. For the Lord GOD will help me;
therefore shall I not be confounded: therefore have I set my
face like a flint, and I know that I shall not be ashamed.
He is near that justifieth me; who will contend with me? let us
stand together: who is mine adversary? let him come near to me.
Behold, the Lord GOD will help me; who is he that shall condemn
me? lo, they all shall wax old as a garment; the moth shall eat
them up." Isaiah 50:4-9
Isaiah 50 is a great chapter! In it,
through the prophetic Voice of Inspiration, all Three Members of
The Godhead speak! Verses 1-3 record God the
Father! then Verses 4 - 9 quote word for word God
the Son as He gives us His Life Philosophy!
finally in verses 10-11 the Holy
Spirit promises some things!
Now in this particular series of studies we
shall concentrate on God the Son's "Testimony" in verses 4-9!
Let's get started ...
THERE ARE
A TOTAL OF TWELVE BIBLE
STUDY INSTALLMENTS ON THIS PAGE FOR YOUR SPIRITUAL PROFIT.
JUST SCROLL DOWNWARD AS YOU READ.
LESSON 1:
We just might learn as much about Jesus (as
far as His inner thoughts and attitudes and purposes are
concerned) in this short paragraph than we ever imagined!
This is especially astounding when we realize that we're in the
middle of the Old Testament Scriptures! (Announcement: The Same
God Who wrote the New Testament also wrote the Old Testament!)
First we are told by the Saviour that His
Father, the "Lord God, "awakeneth"
Jesus every single morning! Jesus says ...
"He (the father) wakeneth
(me) morning by morning, he wakeneth mine ear to hear ...."
The verb here is spelled in Hebrew "ur!"
That's all! Just "ur." It means (hiphil stem) to
cause one to awake, or to incite to awake. Jesus' Father
(God Himself) woke His Darling Son every morning ... to hear
words of instruction! (To hear the very WORD OF GOD!)
The first use of the verb in Scripture (in
this precise form) is in Deuteronomy 32:11 where an eagle "stirreth
up" her nest to arouse her young ones! We find it again in
Job 8:6 where Bildad sarcastically says to Job: "If thou
wert pure and upright; surely now He (God) would
awake for thee, and make the habitation of thy
righteousness prosperous." Wow! And in Psalm 78:38
God did not "stir up" (awake) all His wrath! And in Isaiah
42:13 God "stirs up" (awakens) jealousy or zeal or fury!
What a thought!
The Father awakening the Son day by day to
teach Him the things of Truth. To teach Him the Word of
God!
I find that fact especially lovely!
Friend, ask the Father to wake YOU in the
morning! Ask Him to teach you Truth from His precious Word
before you to off to work or school or wherever.
What a way to begin a day!
Of that day it might truly be said:
"This is the day which
the LORD hath made; we will rejoice and be glad in it."
Psalm 118:24
--- Dr. Mike Bagwell
LESSON 2 ... FROM
NEWAYGO, MICHIGAN ... NOVEMBER 22, 2004:
This precise word ("learned" in English ... "limmud"
in Hebrew) occurs only twice in all the Bible! And both
times are in Isaiah 50:4!
Here's the verse: "The
Lord GOD hath given me the tongue of the
learned, that I
should know how to speak a word in season to him that is
weary: he wakeneth morning by morning, he wakeneth mine ear to
hear as the learned."
These are the very words of Jesus! He is
telling us that His Father taught Him every morning during His
time on earth!
In one sense this Knowledge was "given" (verb
in Hebrew = "nathan" ... to bestow a gift freely) to Jesus.
In another sense He had to acquire it by
learning! Proof is found in Luke 2:52 ---
"And Jesus increased in wisdom and
stature, and in favour with God and man."
The "root" picture behind our word "learned"
is derived from the noun "lamed." It means a "goad!"
(Like an ox goad, a sharp pointed stick used to "persuade"
stubborn animals to go where their owner chooses!)
This became the Hebrew concept of teaching
and learning and acquiring practical knowledge! As an
animal was "goaded" into obedience ... so would Christians be
"persuasively" taught! (As the "goad" has to be used
repeatedly ... so do lessons have to be given repeatedly!
As goads represent "on the job" training ... so does Bible
teaching require "shoe-leather" application! As goads are
unpleasant ... so God's instruction in our lives can be sharp
and painful! And as goads save the lives of oxen or other
livestock ... so do the precepts of God spare us His children!)
Jesus learned, Paul says in Hebrews, by means
of "suffering!" By means of constant "goads" in His life!
"Though he were a
Son, yet
learned he obedience by
the things which he suffered; and being made perfect, he
became the author of eternal salvation unto all them that obey
him; called of God an high priest after the order of Melchisedec."
Hebrews 5:8-10 (Wow!)
Jesus in school!
(Not in reference to His Deity. As God
He knew everything. He was omniscient! But as man
Jesus learned and grew in wisdom and knowledge. Keep in mind
however that Jesus was perfect Man! He was sinless!)
How many today are in God's "school?"
Let me answer that.
If you are saved and right with the Lord ...
growing in God's marvelous Grace, you ARE in school!
Want proof?
Again listen to Paul in Hebrews 12:8 ---
"But if ye be without chastisement,
whereof all are partakers, then are ye bastards, and not sons."
That noun chastisement means "child-training" or instruction!
If you are saved ... a real "child" of God
... you are being trained and chastened and goaded and
taught regularly! (If you are not in school ... not being
"child-trained" ... not being chastened ... you are NOT God's
son! That's plainly what Hebrews 12:8 is saying!)
Attention, class!
Come to order please!
--- Dr. Mike Bagwell
LESSON 3:
Jesus loved the
word "Comforter." He used it four times to describe the Holy
Spirit of God!
The Greek noun for
"Comforter" is "parakeltos" and means one called
("kaleo") alongside ("para") a person to help him and
encourage him and strengthen him for the battles of tomorrow!
But in Isaiah 50:4
God the Father is said to wake Jesus each morning and teach Him
"how to speak a word in season to him that is weary."
Here's the whole verse. (Actually it is
Jesus doing the talking!) "The Lord GOD
hath given me the tongue of the learned,
that I should know how
to speak a word in season to him that is weary: he
wakeneth morning by morning, he wakeneth mine ear to hear as the
learned." Wow!
It
sounds to me like Jesus is a Comforter too!
That verb "know" (in Hebrew = "yada") means
to know intimately or thoroughly. Of course Jesus mastered His
subject here. If He is being prepared to encourage those who
are weary ... He will be the BEST Exhorter the world has ever
seen!
The verb "speak in season" is unusual. It
translates "uth," a word meaning initially "to hasten!" It
means to help someone hurriedly, immediately or without delay!
It is only used here in the whole Bible, making it even more
unique. (It is an infinitive suggesting that the "action" is
constant and progressive too!) Jesus habitually spoke kind
words to the weary!
So Jesus, long before Paul, knew how to speak
"in season and out of season" the
precious Word of God! (See 2 Timothy 4:2!)
The noun "word" is "dabar" and means "that
which is arranged orderly" (and when used of words it implies
forethought)! It emphasizes the "words" themselves ... NOT the
act of communicating them. (Knowing exactly what to say!)
And the condition of the needy soul here ...
he is "weary!" In Hebrew it is spelled "yaeph" and means faint
or fatigued or exhausted! It's from a root verb that means "to
tire."
The first Bible use of this word "weary" is
in Judges 8:15 where it is said in Gideon's day:
"... That we should give bread unto thy
men that are
weary?" BREAD to the WEARY! Is That not
precisely What Jesus is? BREAD to the weary! (What
foreshadowing the Bible uses here!)
When King David, fleeing the Throne in front
of murderous Absalom, grew "weary" or "faint," the Lord provided
him bread and fruit and wine! (2 Samuel 16:2)
And the word occurs 4 times in Isaiah 40
alone! The chapter that begins: "Comfort
ye, comfort ye my people, saith your God." (Verses 28,
29, 30 and 31!) Here's a sample: "But
they that wait upon the LORD shall renew their strength;
they shall mount up with wings as eagles; they shall run, and
not be weary; and they shall walk, and not
faint."
Isaiah 40:31
And the Lord not only calms the weariness of
people. To the wicked He can bring weariness! Listen to
Jeremiah 51:64 where God commands His Prophet:
"And thou shalt say, Thus shall Babylon
sink, and shall not rise from the evil that I will bring upon
her: and they shall be
weary. Thus far are the words of Jeremiah."
Amazing!
Jesus is an Expert at dispelling weariness
and discouragement!
Dear friend, why don't you TODAY just get
down on your knees ... and bring all your burdens to the dear
Lord.
HE can handle them!
He can remove them!
1 Peter 5:7 says we are to obey these
words: "Casting all your care upon him;
for he careth for you."
If you will try Him ... He will not disappoint
you!
The old songs says: Take your burdens to the
Lord ... and leave them there!"
He is a Comforter!
--- Dr. Mike Bagwell
LESSON 4 ... TUESDAY, NOVEMBER 23, 2004,
FROM MICHIGAN:
Jesus has told us that when He was on earth,
His Father woke Him every morning, teaching Him
"how to speak a word in season to him that
is weary!" Isaiah 50:4
I thought today that we would (reverently)
examine our Lord's Life and see how well He did at learning this
lesson from the Father!
"How to Speak a Word in Season to Those who
are Weary" It's a class! It met daily for three and a half
years! Encouragement 101! Encouragement 201!
Encouragement 301! And, amazingly, Encouragement 401!
Jesus beings early as one day (at age 12) He
encourages his distraught mother and Joseph too. They
thought Jesus was lost at the Temple. But, no ...
"And he said unto them, How is it that ye
sought me? wist ye not that I must be about my Father's
business?" Luke 2:49
How appropriate! What could uplift them
any more than knowing that He ... still so young ... was
tight on track with His Father's Will!
And He no sooner began His preaching Ministry
that He taught: "Blessed are
they that mourn: for they shall be comforted." Matthew
5:4 (That's encouraging too!)
And listen to Him by Matthew 11:28-30!
"Come unto me, all ye that
labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Take my
yoke upon you, and learn of me; for I am meek and lowly in
heart: and ye shall find rest unto your souls. For my yoke is
easy, and my burden is light." (He's doing
well, isn't He? In fact the Bible says:
"He hath done all things well." Mark
7:37)
And how many times did He say, "Fear not!"
(I have found 8 times!)
Or ... "Peace be unto you!" (Especially
in John's Gospel!)
He's the Perfect Student!
Even in Revelation Jesus is still the
Comforter to the weary and fearful! John tells us in
Revelation 1:17 --- "And when I saw him, I
fell at his feet as dead. And he laid his right hand upon me,
saying unto me, Fear not;
I am the first and the last ...."
But maybe the first Epistle of John is Jesus'
"Report Card" in this area of help and encouragement!
There we are told that Jesus was not just a
Comforter here on earth!
He, now in Heaven with a resurrected and
glorified and victorious Body, having obtained eternal
redemption for us ... is even now still the Constant Encourager!
He prays for us constantly! ("He
... ever liveth to make intercession!" Hebrews
7:25)
He is "touched with the
feeling of our infirmity!" (Hebrews 4:15)
And He defends us from the malicious
accusations of the devil! He is our Lawyer in Glory!
(Where's that verse, Preacher Bagwell?)
In 1st John 32:1 begins ---
"My little children, these things write I
unto you, that ye sin not. And if any man sin, we have an
advocate with the
Father, Jesus Christ the righteous: And he is the propitiation
for our sins: and not for ours only, but also for the sins of
the whole world." (1 John 2:1-2)
See the word I have capitalized?
ADVOCATE!
It is in Greek "parakletos" and is identical
to the word translated COMFORTER time and time again in the New
Testament!
Jesus is Our Comforter in Heaven! (The
Holy Spirit is our Comforter on earth!)
Did Jesus learn well His Lessons on "speaking
a word in season to the weary soul?"
YES!
YES, HE DID!
So well ... that He has never quit doing so!
What a Saviour!
Anyone today discouraged?
Come to the Counselor. He will help
you.
After all, He has trained for eternity!
Let's listen to just a little bit of class
today: "Thou (Lord) wilt keep him
in perfect peace, whose mind is stayed on
thee: because he trusteth in thee." Isaiah 26:3
Glory to God!
--- Dr. Mike Bagwell
LESSON 5:
Our Lord says that His Father "opened His
ear!"
What does that mean?
Isaiah 50:5 --- "The
Lord GOD hath opened mine ear, and I was not rebellious,
neither turned away back."
He is speaking of His future suffering on the
Cross I believe.
Some Preachers of past years believe that the
"opened" ears imply an action that was performed on a loving
servant (slave) in the days of Moses.
When, in Old Testament days, a slave had
served his obligated time and was due to be released, he could
refuse to be set free! He could, out of love and respect
for his Master, ask to be allowed to continue serving!
If the Master approved, the following act was
conducted: "Then thou shalt take an aul,
and thrust it through his ear unto the door, and he shall
be thy servant for ever. And also unto thy maidservant thou
shalt do likewise." Deuteronomy 15:17
Therefore a willing servant who loved his
Lord would be "marked" for life with a hole in his ear made by
its being pierced with a sharp "ice-pick" like aul! His
ear lobe had been "opened!"
Maybe Jesus is saying that He is gladly a
willing and loving Son and Servant of His dear father in heaven!
All Christian service, while definitely
commanded, is also to be rendered out of such a spirit of
submission and honor and love!
Our ears too should be so "opened" to our
Lord!
But as I noticed the places the Holy Spirit
has used this word for "opened" (in Hebrew = "pathach") I saw an
amazing truth unfold!
The verb means "to loosen" or "to plow" or
"to open wide!" In our King James Bibles it is translated
"engraved" several times too.
Let me show you what I mean.
Because Jesus accepted the Father's Will and
allowed His ears to be "opened" ... other things have been now
"opened" too.
All these instances use the verb "pathach" in
the very same form as is in Isaiah 50:5, our verse
for today. (That's the Qal Perfect 3rd Person Singular.)
Psalm 105:41 tells us of the Lord:
"He
opened the rock,
and the waters gushed out; they ran in the dry places like
a river." (When Israel was in the dry desert
wilderness.) The Lord created a
fissure in the Rock (allowing life giving water to flow freely
to a thirsty people), Which is a type of Jesus being pierced on
the Cross, giving by Grace the everlasting water of life too!
There's more than just a "hint" of the Gospel
in this.
And because Jesus was pierced and "opened,"
shedding His precious saving Blood ... something else is opened
to us Believers!
2 Chronicles 29:3 ---
"He (good King Hezekiah) in the first year of his reign, in the
first month, opened
the doors of the house of the LORD, and repaired them."
Because Jesus' ears were opened ... and His
side was opened (the cleft in the Rock) ... the House of the
Lord is also opened! We can come into our Father's
Presence and worship and pray and commune!
But something else also has been opened.
Psalm 78 tells us: "Though he had
commanded the clouds from above, and
opened the doors
of heaven, and had rained down manna upon them to eat, and had
given them of the corn of heaven." The doors of
Heaven are open! (Because of Jesus!)
This is getting better and better!
Yet I'd like to show you one more thing.
Jeremiah 50:25 --- "The
LORD hath opened
his armoury, and hath brought forth the weapons of his
indignation: for this is the work of the Lord GOD of
hosts in the land of the Chaldeans."
God's weapons house is opened. We have
all we need to fight the fight of faith!
Also His wrath is opened. ("The
weapons of His indignation!") Jesus was "opened" to
give salvation to lost mankind. But if man rebelliously
rejects year after year, God's wrath will some day be "opened"
upon his lost soul! (John 3:18 --- "He
that believeth on him is not condemned: but he that believeth
not is condemned already, because he hath not believed in the
name of the only begotten Son of God." And John 3:36 ---
"He that believeth on the Son hath
everlasting life: and he that believeth not the Son shall not
see life; but the wrath of God abideth on him.")
And, add this, the Hebrew word for "opened"
("pathach") is derived from a root that means "door" ("pethach")!
See the similarity?
Jesus, Who willingly was "opened,"
is the (open) Door!
I point you to John 10:7 and 9.
"Then said Jesus unto them again,
Verily, verily, I say unto you, I am the door of the sheep."
Amen! And "I am the
door: by me if any man enter in, he shall be saved, and shall go
in and out, and find pasture."
All this from an "opened" ear!
And we are the beneficiaries!
--- Dr. Mike Bagwell
LESSON 6:
Jesus, by means of
Bible prophecy, said something in Isaiah 50:5 that helps me
greatly.
He has been talking
about His Father's Will for His Life ... and He remarks:
"AND I WAS NOT
REBELLIOUS!" Isaiah 50:4
What a thought!
This short statement is loaded with meaning.
Each word in our sentence is clearly
represented in the Hebrew text.
The pronoun "I" is spelled "anokiy" and is
placed first in this little clause. That grammatically places
great emphasis on the Speaker! Jesus, and Jesus alone ... is
the One Who can make such a statement! He is the uniquely
non-rebellious One! (The rest of us have sinned. We are all
rebels!)
Even the particle "not" (in Hebrew = "lo") is
distinct in meaning. It indicates the absolute
negation of the thought at hand! Jesus is definitely NOT
rebellious!
And the verb "was rebellious" translates "marah"
which means "to be bitter, to be unpleasant, to resist or to
provoke" ... hence, to rebel!
The word is found 44 times in the Bible.
The word is used to describe Israel again and
again (a grumbling, stiff-necked people who constantly rejected
God's Word) throughout the Old Testament. Things got so bad
that in Deuteronomy 9:24 God says of them:
"Ye have been rebellious against the LORD
from the day that I knew you."
Yet what Israel was ... Jesus came and
refused to be!
We Gentiles were sinners (rebels) too ...
Jesus came and refused to be what we were as well!
He remained sinless, spotless, undefiled!
He rebelled not!
An interesting Bible study would be to survey
the whole history of Israel and analyze the times she rebelled!
(Then preach the results in the average Bible believing Church!)
Friend, Jesus was so non-rebellious
... so "obedient"
that He died on the Cross for you and me!
Here's how Paul puts it:
"Let this mind be in you, which was also
in Christ Jesus: Who, being in the form of God, thought it not
robbery to be equal with God: but made himself of no
reputation, and took upon him the form of a servant, and was
made in the likeness of men: and being found in fashion as a
man, he humbled himself,
and became obedient unto death, even the death of the
cross." Philippians 2:5-8
This "non-rebellion" is important in living a
godly spiritual life. If you don't think so listen to what
Samuel told Saul one dark day:
"For
rebellion is as the sin of witchcraft, and stubbornness
is as iniquity and idolatry. Because thou hast rejected the word
of the LORD, he hath also rejected thee from being king."
That's in 1st Samuel 15:23
Now let's listen to Jesus one more time!
Psalm 40:8 --- "I delight to do thy will,
O my God: yea, thy law is within my heart." These
words are repeated in Hebrews 10:7-9. That's submission!
And in Gethsemane He prayed:
"Father, if thou be willing, remove this
cup from me: nevertheless not my will, but thine, be done."
Luke 22:42
This Thanksgiving ... reverence and adore and
worship Him Who "was not rebellious!"
Then ask the Lord to show you a way in which
you can be more obedient!
--- Dr. Mike Bagwell
LESSON 7 ... FRIDAY, NOVEMBER 26, 2004:
Jesus is described in Isaiah 50:5 as the
obedient Son of God ... Who
"neither turned away back!"
Here is the whole verse:
"The Lord GOD hath opened mine ear, and I
was not rebellious, neither turned away back."
Jesus was no quitter!
I believe I'll go this far. Jesus was
NEVER discouraged! Not one single minute of one day is His
earthly life!
Here's why I say that. Isaiah 42:4
tells us that ... "He (Jesus) shall not
fail nor be discouraged, till he have set judgment in the earth:
and the isles shall wait for his law."
Aren't you glad He didn't quit ... when He
learned of his manner of birth? (Born in abject poverty!)
And He didn't quit when the devil accosted
Him in the wilderness (40 days of temptation)!
He didn't quit when folks called Him names
either!
He didn't even quit during that long illegal
trial before wicked "puppet" judges!
And He didn't quit on the Cross!
Praises be unto Him!
The verb "turned away" is in Hebrew spelled "sug"
and means to backslide or turn back or move away from something!
It has a thought similar to the little Greek
word "apostasy" (or the verb "apostasize").
Jesus never stepped away from the Faith!
He remained faithful!
Paul tells us of Jesus in 2 Timothy 2:13 ---
"If we believe not, yet he (Jesus) abideth faithful."
The first two Bible occurrences of our verb
are in association with removing a neighbor's landmarks!
(Deuteronomy 19:14 and 27:17)
The wicked have "turned back" ... but not the
godly! Psalm 53:3 --- "Every one of
them is gone back: they are altogether become filthy; there
is none that doeth good, no, not one." Wow!
The word "sug" also can mean the "dross"
(waste material) that is removed from silver when it is refined!
Here's the Bible proof. "Son of man,
the house of Israel is to me become
dross ("sug")
: all they are brass, and tin, and iron, and lead,
in the midst of the furnace; they are even the dross of
silver." Ezekiel 22:18
There's nothing in Jesus that is like dross!
He is genuine and pure and Holy!
Once during Jesus' earthly ministry some of
His friends warned Him about Herod's deceit and wrath.
They felt it too dangerous for Jesus to linger in a certain
territory. Jesus responded boldly. Here's that account:
"The same day there came certain of
the Pharisees, saying unto him, Get thee out, and depart hence:
for Herod will kill thee. And he said unto them, Go ye, and tell
that fox, Behold, I cast out devils, and I do cures to day and
to morrow, and the third day I shall be perfected.
Nevertheless I must walk to day, and to morrow, and the day
following: for it cannot be that a prophet perish out of
Jerusalem." Luke 13:31-33
Let me say it again ... He never "turned
back!"
In fact, and this scared the devil immensely
... Jesus did not run from His Hour (the Cross) ... He
instead ran toward it! Luke 12:50 records Jesus
saying: "But I have a baptism (the
Cross) to be baptized with; and how am I straitened till it be
accomplished!"
What courage!
What determination!
What faithfulness!
What a Saviour!
(So dear Preacher friend. the next time some
bossy gossiping woman gets mad at you, what are you going to do?
Or some backslidden deacon disagrees with you and call for you
to resign? Follow Jesus! Do
not turn back! Fight! Defeat the Devil!
Be a man! Let God be true and every man a liar! See
Romans 3:4.)
--- Dr. Mike Bagwell
LESSON 8:
In a real way the
prophecies of Scripture are a miracle!
How can the Bible,
700 years before an event, predict and describe it with such
accuracy?
Only God knows the
end of an issue at its very beginning!
Today's verse
illustrates my point.
By means of prophecy Jesus says
in Isaiah 50:6 ---
"I gave my back to the smiters, and my
cheeks to them that plucked off the hair: I hid not my face from
shame and spitting."
This is a precise depiction of
the Lord's ordeal on the Cross of Calvary!
The verb "give" (in Hebrew = "nathan")
means to yield or to deliver or to grant! (It's a "perfect"
verb, telling us that this event is now completed. Jesus will
NEVER give Himself to be beaten by the devil's crowd again!) It
also shows us that Jesus' sufferings were voluntary!
The noun "back" (only used 7
times in the Bible) is once translated "body" in the King James
Bible. See Isaiah 51:23. The Hebrew word is "gev." Here's a
brief Bible "history" of our little word: In Nehemiah 9:26
Israel has thrown God's Law behind her back! And in 1 Kings
4:19 and Ezekiel 23:35 Israel has put God Himself behind her
back! BUT because Jesus went to the Cross and suffered,
shedding His precious Blood ... and allowing His back to be
beaten too, God can save repentant sinners! He can do what
Isaiah 38:17 says and place our sins behind His back! (That's
the Gospel in this word for "back!")
A rod for the "back" seems to be
a "proverb" in Israel. For example see these verses. Proverbs
10:13 --- "In the lips of him that hath
understanding wisdom is found: but a rod is for the back
of him that is void of understanding." Proverbs 19:29
--- "Judgments are prepared for scorners,
and stripes for the back of fools." Proverbs 26:3 ---
"A whip for the horse, a bridle for the
ass, and a rod for the fool's back." But Jesus was
neither void of understanding nor a fool! But He took the place
of silly foolish sinners and died on their behalf!
The word for "smiters" carries
the idea of those who beat, strike, wound, slay, kill or
slaughter! It is a strong word! (Used 500 times in the
Bible!) What God would not let happen to Cain (one to "kill"
him) ... He allowed to happen to His only Son! What Grace!
Genesis 4:15, to which I have just alluded, is the first time in
Scripture this word "nakah" is used. The last time it is used
(Malachi 3:24) God is trying to avoid smiting the earth with a
curse! So ... the first, the last and the present (Isaiah 50:6)
uses of our word are all painted heavily with Grace!
(Multi-colored, "manifold" Grace ... Peter says! 1st Peter
4:10)
Jesus also gave His "cheeks" to
His enemies during His Passion! The word can also mean jaw or
jawbone. (Yet Samson took the "jawbone" of an animal and slew a
thousand Philistines! And he did so in a place called "Lehi,"
the place of the cheek!) Jesus too went to the place of beaten
cheeks ... and slew the enemy called the devil!
And in lovely Bible typology, the
Church describes the Bridegroom (Jesus) in the following manner
... "His cheeks are as a bed of
spices, as sweet flowers!" See Song of Solomon
5:13.
"Plucked
off the hair" is a verb that means to peel! Or to make
bald! (And one recurring word picture for this word in the Old
Testament is that of a polished sword, ready to use any moment!
Ezekiel 21:14 and 15 and 16 and 33 speak of the "furbished"
sword! Those who rebelliously reject Jesus' suffering and death
and Blood atonement, will some day face the terrible sword of
God's wrath!)
Then ... at the Cross Jesus' face
is One exposed to shame and spitting! (However the next time
His face is seen that will not be the case! John on Patmos
describes Christ's glorious face in these terms:
"His head and his hairs were
white like wool, as white as snow; and his eyes were
as a flame of fire." And ... "His
countenance was as the sun shineth in his strength."
Revelation 1:14 and 16) What a change!
The noun for shame means insult
or disgrace or dishonour! Psalm 4:2 talks about wicked men
turning God's Glory into shame! That's exactly what happened at
the Cross! The root of the word is: to taunt, to mock, to
insult!
And
"spitting" (in Hebrew = "roq") is a despicable act to the
Jew. Yet Jesus endured the indignity ... to save us from Hell!
(Jesus knew this was coming too! He told His disciples of it in
advance. See Luke 18:30.) Matthew 27:30 describes the
fulfillment in these words: "And they
spit upon him, and took the reed, and smote him on the head."
Oh, how He loved you and me!
To endure this for old sinners is
one thing!
To know for eternity that you
were going to endure it (and then do so) is quite another!
No wonder Paul says we need to
learn the breadth and length and height and depth of such love!
(Ephesians 3:17-19)
It just may be "measureless!"
Again, here's Paul:
"And to know the love of Christ, which passeth knowledge!"
Ephesians 4:19
Jeremiah called it:
"an everlasting love!" Jeremiah
31:3 --- "The LORD hath appeared of old
unto me, saying, Yea, I have loved thee with an
everlasting love: therefore with lovingkindness have I drawn
thee."
Glory to God!
--- Dr. Mike Bagwell
LESSON 9 ... VERSE 7:
Today's world is
saturated with "How to do it" books of all kinds.
Then add to those
the "Self-help" books and you nearly have a contemporary
bookstore!
But now we are
being flooded with what I call "Success" books as well.
Yesterday I saw a
book that discussed 28 attitudes guaranteed to bring success!
I thought of this world's foolish
philosophies and how hopelessly inadequate they really are as I
read today's verse.
Isaiah 50:7, talking about Jesus
(in fact, putting these very words into the mouth of Jesus),
says: "For the Lord GOD will help me;
therefore shall I not be confounded: therefore have I set my
face like a flint, and I know that I shall not be ashamed."
What a verse!
When we preach about our Lord,
how do we ignore such verses as this one?
Of course, the "liberals" and
Bible haters (maybe I should say the Jesus haters) will not
admit that Isaiah 50 (or any other Old Testament chapter for
that matter) has Jesus in view.
But this preacher says that none
but Jesus can be the literal fulfillment of these words!
Jesus is absolutely sure as He
faces life on earth (in general) and the Cross of Calvary (in
particular) that He says: "The Lord God
will help me."
That Title of our great God, "the
Lord God," translates "Adonai Jehovah!" The God Who is Master
and Boss and Ruler of my life (Adonai) and the God Who is
eternal and self-existent and triune and burdened with the
salvation of sinners (Jehovah) will aid My Mission! So thinks
and declares our Lord Jesus!
The verb "help" is "azar" in
Hebrew and means "to surround, to protect or to aid!" The time
action of this word is "incomplete." That means it describes
on-going constant help from God! This conviction (of God's
help) is so strong in Jesus' mind and heart that He repeats it
word-for-word again in verse 9 of Isaiah 50! For its first use
in the Bible see Genesis 2:18 where Eve is created to be a
help
MEET to Adam! Wow! Jesus just said that the Father is His
Companion, His Help Meet!
As a result of God's help, Jesus
is assured that He will not be "confounded!" This word is "kalam"
and means "to be ashamed or to blush!" (To be put to
confusion!) Twice in the Old Testament however this word is
rendered "hurt!" See 1st Samuel 25:8 and 15 for those two
occasions. The "root" of the verb means "to be wounded!" Jesus
may be saying something like this: Although the Cross will be
physically and spiritually excruciating, it will not truly HURT
Me permanently because I am fulfilling my Father's Will! It has
no harm for Me spiritually!
Now ... here comes Jesus'
"motivation" for success! "Therefore I
have set My Face like a flint." This is amazing! He is
talking about His resolve and determination to go to the Cross
where He will die for sinners! He never ran from the Cross ...
not even in Gethsemane, no matter what any preachers say! He
ran toward the Cross! He set His Face to go there and obey His
Father's Plan to save the lost! You can hear His determination
in the verb "have set" (in Hebrew = "sum") which means
"ordained, appointed, marked, disposed, turned and put!" In a
holy sinless manner, Jesus was stubbornly resolved to die on
Calvary! There was just no other way to redeem the lost!
The noun for face (as always) is
here plural. In the Old Testament this is a plural that is
always used ... even when just one face is meant! If you really
wanted to press this fact, Jesus and the Father and the Holy
Spirit (a plurality in One, the very Trinity) set their Face
(Faces) to perform the sacrificial death at the old rugged Cross
that day 2,000 years ago!
The word for "flint" just means
rock! It's first Bible use is in Deuteronomy 8:15 where water
came out of the flint! (Water out of a rock! And Living Water
came out of Jesus too!) Its second Bible occurrence is in
Deuteronomy 32:13 where oil came out of the rock! (The Holy
Spirit came because Jesus was crucified and glorified!) And Job
28:9 shows us God's Hand upon the rock! And in Psalm 114:8 the
rock has been turned into a fountain of waters! (That's a
survey of every time the word is used in Scripture! They ALL
depict Jesus and His Mission on earth in some way!)
Lastly Jesus "knows" something.
"Yada," this verb, can mean anything from casual acquaintance to
intimate positive assurance. I believe Jesus here is positive
about it all! He is the omniscient Son of God!
And "ashamed" translates "bush"
which means initially "to pale!" It's first Bible use is in
Genesis 2:25 where Adam and Eve are not ashamed because of their
nakedness. They had not yet sinned of course. In its second
Bible use (Exodus 32:1) it is translated "delayed!" This is an
implied meaning for our word, according to one
concordance. Well, on the authority of the Holy Spirit, Who
wrote the Bible, it is a permissible meaning too! Jesus could
be saying here that He will not be delayed one second in His
Mission to Calvary! He wants to be the Sacrifice for sinners
and wants to do so right on time! Was He successful? Yes! (A
thousand times, Yes!) Paul said: "In
due time Christ died for the ungodly." Romans 5:6
What a Saviour!
No wonder Luke 12:50 quotes Him
on earth as saying: "But
I have a baptism to be baptized with; and how am I straitened
till it be accomplished!"
His "baptism" was the Cross! "Straitened" ("sunecho") means to
be possessed by something! To be taken by it ... to be held by
it! And "accomplished" ("teleo") means to reach the goal! To
be mature, to be fully furnished! To have arrived!
Glory to God!
Talk about faithfulness!
In fact, according to Revelation
19:11 that's Jesus' Name: Faithful!
"And I saw heaven opened, and behold a
white horse; and he that sat upon him was called
Faithful and
True, and in righteousness he doth judge and make war."
Calvary was for sure!
And we are the beneficiaries!
Don't you just love Him today?
Go to Church and worship Him this
Sunday!
--- Dr. Mike Bagwell
LESSON 10 ... VERSE 8:
In Isaiah 50:8 we
come across some of Jesus' most startling words ever!
He is speaking by
means of Bible prophecy.
Listen to Him as He
challenges the enemy, the devil!
"He is near
that justifieth me; who will contend with me? let us stand
together: who is mine adversary? let him come near to me."
Here our Lord
makes two statements, asks two questions, then issues a
challenge!
The "context" of
Isaiah 50:8 is the Cross of Calvary! Let me prove it. In Verse
6 Jesus states: "I gave my back to the
smiters, and my cheeks to them that plucked off the hair: I hid
not my face from shame and spitting." All occurred at
one of Jesus' trials or at His Crucifixion!
Jesus says:
"He is near that justifieth Me."
He is speaking of His Father! The verb "justify" means to
declare clear or right (in a legal courtroom sense)! Jesus can
face the Cross if He knows His Father sees Him to be perfect and
holy! He draws strength from His Father's approval! (Paul says
once that Jesus was "Justified in the
Spirit." 1st Timothy 3:16)
Then the
question: "Who will contend with Me?"
That verb "contend" means to strive or to chide. It comes from
a root verb that means to "to toss about!" (Remember Jesus
telling Peter that satan wanted to sift him like wheat? Luke
22:31) This "contention" is first mentioned in Genesis 3:15 ---
"And I will put enmity between thee and
the woman, and between thy seed and her seed; it shall bruise
thy head, and thou shalt bruise his heel." Wow!
Then Jesus
asserts: "Let Us stand together."
He is speaking to His Father I believe! The word "together"
means as "one!" The Cross is a joint venture! The Father, Son
and Holy Spirit cooperate for the salvation of the lost! This
"imperfect" sense of timing means that they are still so
standing too!
Then comes the
question: "Who is My adversary?"
The word "adversary" is "baal!" It means "archer" once in the
King James Bible! (That's its first use in Scripture!
"The
archers have
sorely grieved him, and shot at him, and hated him."
Genesis 49:23) The devil is shooting at Jesus! It's
the Old Testament word "baal!" He's a false god or idol of the
heathen! But the Hebrew text clearly indicates that this
adversary is a legal one! It supplies the word "misphat" to
modify "adversary!" He is a prosecuting attorney attacking the
sacrificial Saviour! But this adversary, the devil, lost the
case!
Then comes the
challenge!
It's astounding!
Jesus says:
"Let him come near to Me." Wow!
Jesus looks at the
the devil and says: "Bring it on, foe!"
"We shall do
battle!"
"I will defeat you
righteously!"
God can now
forgive sins and still be faithful and JUST! All because of
Calvary!
Again I say it!
Jesus did not run
from the Cross!
He ran toward
the Cross!
Devil, let's do
battle! So says our Lord!
(Sounds like David
challenging Goliath! Or Elijah the false prophets of baal! Get
it? "baal!" Or Habakkuk the problems of life!)
And Jesus came to
earth and lived 33 years ... waiting for the battle. Waiting
for "His Hour" to come!
The "Hour" in
which He "bought" with His Own precious Blood the souls of lost
men and women! We've been "redeemed!"
I've said this so
much during these verses ... but here it is again: WHAT A
SAVIOUR! WHAT A SAVIOUR! WHAT A SAVIOUR!
--- Dr. Mike Bagwell
LESSON 11 ... VERSE 9:
Scripture at times
just gives us an overwhelming look into the very heart of Jesus!
Isaiah, the Old
Testament prophet, is a "specialist" in this area!
In his 50th chapter
this great preacher seems to describe our Lord's whole earthly
life in a six verse paragraph (verses 4-9).
I would like to
print those verses for you here. Keep Christ Jesus in mind as
you read them. He is the One talking!
