IF there is one chapter in the Old Testament that has more attraction for the conscience of an awakened sinner than another it is Isaiah 53. It is there the blessed God, by His inspired prophet, dwells on the atoning sufferings of the sinless Substitute. It is there He tells us why He thus suffered; why He, Who had done no violence and in Whose mouth was no deceit, should take the place of those who had utterly disregarded God’s way, and willfully and defiantly followed their own. “He was wounded for our transgressions, He was bruised for our iniquities: the chastisement of our peace was upon Him (that is, the chastisement by which our peace was effected); and with His stripes we are healed” (vs. 5). Notice how simply those twice three words tell the gracious story:
“HE WAS WOUNDED”: “WE ARE HEALED.”
But in verse 11 There are two other significant words: “He shall see of the travail of His soul, and shall be satisfied ... He shall justify many; for He shall bear their iniquities.”
On our side we have the word JUSTIFIED; on His, the word SATISFIED as telling the result of His sufferings on the cross.
What a marvelous study in these few words!
“HEALED” AND “JUSTIFIED”;
“WOUNDED” AND “SATISFIED.”
He shall see the fruit of His sufferings and shall be satisfied. In other words, such the blessing flowing to the objects of His love from His sorrow and suffering as sin-bearer, on their account, that He proclaims Himself as abundantly compensated for all He endured. Here is love indeed! Oh, my soul, consider! Who can tell us all that is involved in that word “satisfied”? Who can reckon up the full yield of that redemption harvest? He only, Who for the joy that was set before Him endured the cross, can answer.
But surely there is one thing we may safely say. The first-fruit of that untold travail is to be found in the responsive love of those for whom He suffered.
It was after “Calvary’s depth of woe” that He said to Peter, “Lovest thou Me?” And our own answer to that, thrice-repeated question forms part of His present satisfaction. How jealous this should make us over ourselves!
In South Wales, recently, a little boy of six or seven had strayed away from home. While playing near a deep pond, which was separated from the high road by a wall, he fell into it.
A cabman was driving past at the critical moment. Hearing the cry of distress, he jumped off his seat and looked over the wall. Seeing a child helplessly struggling in the water, he got over the wall to effect, if possible, a rescue.
His first thought was to wade into the pond, but finding the depth of the mud at the bottom he had to go out again. Nothing could at that moment be seen of the drowning boy. Had he already sunk for the last time? No. Once more he saw him rise to the surface and throw up his arms.
Instantly he dived after him, and caught hold of him; and with the assistance of two young men, who came up at the time, got him safely out of the pond He was in an unconscious state, but they resorted at once to artificial respiration, and happily succeeded.
Then the kind cabman proposed to drive the rescued boy home to his mother in his own cab. As he was placing him in the conveyance, the grateful child stretched out his arms, and, putting them endearingly round the cabman’s neck, said, “I do love you!”
You ask, perhaps, was that all the recompense? Probably it was, save the inward satisfaction of having saved a boy’s life at the peril of his own. But you may be sure that those embracing arms, only just before thrown upward with feelings of utter despair, and that little sentence full of grateful affection, and tenderly expressed by lips well-nigh sealed forever, was a gratifying tribute to the heart of the kind cab-driver.
And shall not we, who owe our all for time and eternity to Jesus, devote our lips, our lives, our all to Him, Who for the love He bears to us will find eternal satisfaction in contemplating His own mighty sacrifice?
Is it possible that any reader of these pages has never yet had his heart touched by this great love? What hardness, what unbelief! And what shall the end be?
“How shall we escape if we neglect so great salvation?” Escape! Escape is impossible. But why sink in the depths of eternal despair? He waits to be gracious. He is able to save.
“For the love of God is broader
Than the measures of man’s mind;
And the Heart of the Eternal
Is most wonderfully kind.”
GEO. C.