CHAPTER 50

(712 B.C.)

UNFAITHFUL ISRAEL DIVORCED BY GOD

¹Thus says the LORD, Where is the bill of your mothers divorcement, whom I have put away? or which of My creditors is it to whom I have sold you? Behold, for your iniquities have you sold yourselves, and for your transgressions is your mother put away. (In fact, the Lord had put away, written a bill of divorcement, concerning the Northern Kingdom of Israel; however, concerning Judah, He had not so done, and her children were wrong to suppose themselves altogether cast off.

They had, in fact, by their transgressions, especially their idolatries, willfully divorced themselves, or at any rate separated themselves, from God. But no sentence had gone forth from Him to bar reconciliation and return.

Neither had He sold them to a creditor. Consequently, the Babylonians are not thus their rightful owners they are still Gods Children, His Property, and the object of His Care.)

²Wherefore, when I came, was there no man? when I called, was there none to answer? Is My Hand shortened at all, that it cannot redeem? or have I no power to deliver? behold, at My rebuke I dry up the sea, I make the rivers a wilderness: their fish stink, because there is no water, and die for thirst. (The Prophecy now jumps from Judahs present difficulties to a future day when He Who is Himself the Mighty God came from Heaven to Earth to seek and bless her. But no one would receive Him or open the door to Him when He knocked [Jn. 1:11; Acts 13:46; 28:28]. His dignity as God is declared in this Verse. He proclaims that if Judah will only believe Him, He can redeem her from all the difficulties brought on by her sins. In fact, by using the words, Is My hand shortened at all, that it cannot redeem? He proclaims the Truth that He is able to deliver from any and all situations, if men will only believe Him.)

³I clothe the heavens with blackness, and I make sackcloth their covering. (The assertion here is that if He so chooses, He could leave all nature in absolute darkness a power necessarily belonging only to Him Who said, Let there be light; and there was light [Gen. 1:3].)

MESSIAH, THE OBEDIENT SERVANT

⁴The Lord GOD has given Me the tongue of the learned, that I should know how to speak a Word in season to him who is weary: He wakens morning by morning, He wakens My ear to hear as the learned. (The intent of the Holy Spirit in this Chapter is to portray to man the inexhaustible Power of God that could, if He so chose, use that Power in any capacity, but rather chose to send His Only Son to redeem not only Israel, but the entirety of mankind.

In this Verse, He is presented as the Perfect Disciple. He only spoke the Words which were given Him by God [that I should know how to speak]. He asserted this seven times when on Earth [Jn. 7:16; 8:28, 46-47;14:10, 24; 17:8].

The phrase, He wakens morning by morning, He wakens My ear to hear as the learned, refers to the fact that God held immediate and constant communication with the Servant not enlightening Him occasionally, as He did the Prophets by dreams and visions, but continually whispering in His Ear.

In fact, the phrase, Morning by morning, is not to be narrowed to the bare literal meaning, but to be taken in the sense of uninterruptedly. All of this was not necessarily for His Own benefit, but rather that He should know how to speak a Word in season to him who is weary.)

⁵The Lord GOD has opened My ear, and I was not rebellious, neither turned away back. (This Verse pertains to the entire willingness of Christ to hear the Father, and to do so as the True Servant, as contrasted with the professed servant, or Children of Israel.

The phrase, Neither turned away back, refers to Him being most tried. Even in the Garden of Gethsemane, His final Word was, Not My Will, but Thine, be done [Lk. 22:42].)

HIS SUFFERING AND HELP

⁶I gave My back to the smiters, and My cheeks to them who plucked off the hair: I hid not My face from shame and spitting. (This Verse addresses itself to the hours before the Crucifixion. Mat. 26:67 and 27:26 fulfill this Passage.

That our Lord, of such power as is described in Verse 3, could contain Himself, when His Own People would treat Him thusly, is beyond comprehension! Their response to His Love was their hate. They whipped Him, pulled His beard from His Face, and spit on Him.

Their doing it was no surprise. By His Omniscience, He knew before He came what the results would be. And yet, He came anyway!)

⁷For 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. (Lk. 9:31, 51 fulfill this Verse. The help that His Father gave Him was that He might finish the task of redeeming mankind. The idea of redeeming someone who responds only with hate cannot be comprehended by the mortal mind, especially when one considers what that Redemption costs!

The phrase, I set My face like a flint, refers to the resolve of accomplishing a certain thing despite all the scorn and hatred.)

⁸He is near Who justifies Me; who will contend with Me? let us stand together: who is My adversary? let him come near to Me. (The idea of this Verse is that those who contend with Me, i.e., accuse Me, will have to answer to the One Who justifies Me, namely The Lord GOD.)

⁹Behold, the Lord GOD will help Me; who is he who shall condemn Me? lo, they all shall wax old as a garment; the moth shall eat them up. (The only One Who can truly help is the Lord GOD.)

COMMAND TO TRUST THE LORD

¹⁰Who is among you who fears the LORD, who obeys the voice of His servant, who walks in darkness, and has no light? let him trust in the Name of the LORD, and stay upon His God. (There are times of darkness in every Believers experience; but light will surely be had if the Voice of Jehovahs Servant be obeyed. And the Servant is Christ.)

¹¹Behold, all you who kindle a fire, who compass yourselves about with sparks: walk in the light of your fire, and in the sparks that you have kindled. This shall you have of My Hand; you shall lie down in sorrow. (The idea of this Verse is that all enemies who kindle their own fires of accusation and judgment against the Messiah shall reap what they sow to their own sorrow.)