at a glance
author: Isaiah.
date: Between 701 and 681 BC.
setting: Isaiah spoke to the people during a rough time in Judah when the Assyrians were becoming more of a threat to them.
verse to remember: We all, like sheep, have gone astray, each of us has turned to our own way; and the LORD has laid on him the iniquity of us all (53:6).
theme to consider: God, who is holy, must punish his people for their sin. But God is also compassionate, and he’ll provide a way to save his people from condemnation through Jesus Christ, the Messiah.
unchanging truth
Sometimes we are lucky enough to be forgiven even when we don’t deserve it. Maybe you hurt a friend with an unkind comment. Then your friend tells you how badly your comment hurt. Once you realize what you did, you rush to tell her you’re sorry. When she smiles and says, “It’s okay, forget about it,” what a relief that is! You didn’t deserve forgiveness, but when you apologized, your friend was gracious and forgave you.
The people of Judah did not deserve forgiveness, and they didn’t think they needed it. They had turned from God and worshiped idols, so God sent special messengers—prophets—to speak his truth and turn the people back to him. Isaiah was one such prophet. He warned the people that if they did not change their ways, God would punish them. And that’s exactly what happened. The people continued to ignore God, and eventually, they were carried off into captivity.
But the story does not end there. Because God is just, he must punish sin. But because he is also compassionate and merciful, he promises forgiveness and restoration. Isaiah saw not only the coming punishment of the people but also the eventual restoration of the people to their land. He saw many centuries into the future when God would invite all people to himself by mercifully sending his Son, Jesus Christ, to take the punishment we deserve for our sin through his death on the cross.
You have been forgiven. That’s the ultimate gift in life.
1. No matter how deep the stain of our sin, Jesus’ sacrifice is able to cleanse and purify us. We’re never beyond God’s forgiveness (1:18).
2. God longs to be gracious to us. All we have to do is call out to him and ask for his forgiveness. He’ll gladly give it (30:15, 18–19).
3. Even though we deserve punishment, Jesus Christ took the punishment for our sins upon himself (53:1–12).