Isa 50 | TNotes | STEP | Summary for Isa 50:1-3: 50:1-3 This disputation shows that God was not forced to give Israel up, and therefore he could take the nation back as his people if he desired. 50:1 God was not at fault for the people’s problems; it was their sin that brought about their exile (see also 59:1-15 ). • Jerusalem—the mother city of Judah (Ps 87:5-6 )—was destroyed, and the people of Judah were taken into exile in 586 BC .

Summary for Isa 50:1-3: 50:1-3 ^a This disputation shows that God was not forced to give Israel up, and therefore he could take the nation back as his people if he desired. 50:1 ^b God was not at fault for the people’s problems; it was their sin that brought about their exile (see also 59:1-15 ^c).

• Jerusalem—the mother city of Judah (Ps 87:5-6 ^d)—was destroyed, and the people of Judah were taken into exile in 586 BC.
50:2 ^e Why didn’t anyone answer: The people had not responded to God’s repeated call to trust in him and repent of their sins. They were deaf and stubborn (see 6:9-10 ^f; 29:18 ^g; 35:5 ^h; 42:18-19 ⁱ).

• The Lord came and called the people through the prophets (see also 65:1-3 ^j).

• Is it because I have no power to rescue? God was fully able to rescue Israel and Judah from the Assyrians and Babylonians, but he first had to deal justly with his people’s sinfulness (see 59:1 ^k).

• speak to the sea and make it dry: This was an allusion to the parting of the Red Sea during the exodus from Egypt (Exod 14:21-22 ^l).
50:3 ^m Phenomena such as darkness and the wearing of clothes of mourning were associated with the day of the Lord (13:10 ⁿ; see study note on 2:5-22). The mention of darkness might allude to the plague of darkness in Egypt (Exod 10:21 ^o).
Summary for Isa 50:4-11: 50:4-11 ^p This is the third of four servant songs (see study note on 42:1-4). The faithful and suffering servant portrays an ideal Israel; the image was realized in Jesus Christ. 50:4 ^q The Lord, who never grows weary (40:28 ^r), sends the servant with good news (see 40:28-31 ^s) to comfort those who are weary (see study note on 40:1-31).
50:6 ^t beat me ... pulled out my beard ... mockery and spitting: These connections with the experience of Jesus at his crucifixion are too close to be coincidental—Jesus is the true suffering servant (see Matt 27:27-31 ^u).
50:7 ^v Externally, the servant would be disgraced and put to shame, but within himself he would calmly await God’s vindication (see 29:22 ^w; 54:4 ^x; 61:7 ^y).

• set my face like a stone: The servant would be determined to do God’s will (see Luke 9:51 ^z).
50:8 ^aa He who gives me justice is near: God vindicates those who suffer for doing his will. Vindication is an act of God by which he exalts those who have been wrongly disgraced and strikes down the wicked, self-exalted, and arrogant (see also 2 Thes 1:6-9 ^ab).

• bring charges ... my accusers: Confidence in God’s vindication removes fear and bolsters faith (see Rom 8:31-34 ^ac).
50:9 ^ad Who will declare me guilty? The implied answer to this rhetorical question is, “No one!” This answer foreshadows the New Testament understanding of justification (see Rom 8:31-35 ^ae).
Summary for Isa 50:10-11: 50:10-11 ^af This is a call for response to the servant’s ministry. 50:10 ^ag The test of whether or not an individual fears the Lord is how he or she responds to God’s righteous servant. The same idea is present in Jesus’ claim that no one can come to the Father except through him (John 14:6 ^ah).

• Those who trust in the Lord have great hope for the future (see Isa 12:2 ^ai).
50:11 ^aj warm yourselves by your own fires: Spiritually complacent people are unresponsive toward God. Though they have comfort and security now, they will soon fall down in great torment (see 66:24 ^ak).