The Person who is the subject of Isaiah 53 is referred to in various ways more than forty times in the chapter. He grew up before Him "as a root out of a dry ground."
There is one thing that is said about Him that is very striking. "When we shall see Him, there is no beauty that we should desire Him." That is the One who 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; in Him from first to last, God had delight, and from Him continually a sweet savor rose up. It was a savor of obedience- not a legal obedience, but the obedience of love.
How is it that in this poor world, this vast world, there are those who do see beauty in Him, and who do desire Him, whom the beauty of the Lord attracts? What has made it to be thus with you and with me and with every believer far and near? Who gave us the anointed eye, the opened ear? Who gave us the receiving and understanding heart? We sing it in a hymn:
"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 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 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 a special 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 same One! Sinless in Himself, this "root out of a dry ground," He is the One upon whom God can lay the iniquity of us all. How it tells out the glory of that One! In that way the memorials of His death bring Him before us in a special way 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. As Peter says, "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." 1 Pet. 1:88Whom having not seen, ye love; in whom, though now ye see him not, yet believing, ye rejoice with joy unspeakable and full of glory: (1 Peter 1:8).
"Perfect soon in joy before Thee,
We shall see Thee face to face."
How those words do refresh and strengthen our souls! 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 Isaiah 53 exceedingly precious to us all.