The Person who is the subject of Isa. 53 is referred to more than forty times in the chapter. He is brought before us in various ways—One that grew up "as a root out of a dry ground."
Of this One, spoken of so many times in these various ways, there is one thing said that is very striking: "When we shall see Him, there is no beauty that we should desire Him."
Who is that One? Oh it is that One that grew up in this world before God as "a root out of a dry ground"—"as a tender plant." In Him, God saw every beauty; He was the One in whom, from first to last, God had delight, and from whom continually a sweet savor rose up. What was that savor? It was a savor of obedience—not a savor of legal obedience; that was not the kind of obedience the Lord rendered, but the obedience of love. "But that the world may know that I love the Father; and as the Father gave Me commandment, even so I do."
How is it that in this poor, vast world there are here and there a few (though when gathered together there are a good many) that do see beauty in Him, and that do desire Him?—those whom the beauty of the Lord attracts. What has made it to be thus with you and with me and with every other believer far and near? Who gave us the anointed eye, the opened ear? Who gave us the receiving and under, standing heart? We sometimes sing:
"To Thee our all we owe;
The, precious Savior, and the power
That makes Him precious too."
How precious that sovereign grace becomes to us as we go on and learn more of its sovereignty, its righteousness. Through that sovereign grace, it is no longer true of us that we see no beauty in Him that we should desire Him, but we learn how little we see! Perhaps we see little beyond the fact that He is our Savior, but that is beauty, and God gives us in some measure to share His joys and thoughts of Him who grew up "before Him... as a root out of a dry ground."
What an object there was on earth for God when Christ was here! On that object His eye rested, and to that object now His sovereign grace attracts.
There are several things among the many things said about Him in this short chapter, to which really the last few verses of the preceding chapter belong, which tell out His glory in an especial way. One is in those words: "The LORD hath laid on Him the iniquity of us all." How that 'tells out the infinite glory of that blessed One. Here is One, sinless in Himself, this "root out of a dry ground" upon whom God can lay the iniquity of us all.
It is in that way that the memorials of His death bring Him before us, as the bearer of our sins in love to us, and in love and obedience to God His Father. What a theme for praise is Christ, when the eye beholds His beauty, or a little of it; when He becomes not simply an object of faith (that is first), but when He becomes an object of love!
It says in Peter, "Whom having not seen, ye love; in whom, though now ye see Him not, yet believing, ye rejoice with joy unspeakable and full of glory." As we sing in one of our hymns,
"Perfect soon in joy before Thee,
We shall see Thee face to face."
How those words refresh and strengthen one. Who can conceive what the perfection of joy and glory will be in His presence! We shall see Him face to face.
May God in His grace make Isa. 53 exceedingly precious to us all.