53:1 Who has believed our message, and to whom has the arm of the Lord been revealed?
There is a song by Rich Mullins which contains only line, and that line comes from a single verse of the Bible, Isaiah 52:10. It is on the 1993 album “A Liturgy, a Legacy, & a Ragamuffin Band.” “The Lord has bared his holy arm in the sight of all the nations, that all the ends of the earth may see the Lord’s salvation.” The image of the arm of the Lord is a powerful concept which expresses God’s activity in the world. The first two references in our passage of study indicate a contrast of different aspects of God’s presence in consecutive verses: (40:10) “See, the Sovereign Lord comes with power, and his arm rules for him. See, his reward is with him and his recompense accompanies him. Like a shepherd He will tend his flock. In His arm He will gather the lambs, and carry them in His bosom (close to his heart); He will gently lead the nursing ewes.” (40:11)
The arm of the Lord carries the lamb next to his heart; the arm of the Lord judges the peoples and rules the nations; the coastlands wait expectantly for the arm of the Lord.
It is a beautiful and powerful image. Note that 51:5 combines many of the concepts we have studied …”My righteousness is near, My salvation has gone forth, and My arms will judge the peoples; the coastlands will wait for Me, and for My arm they will wait expectantly.”
I am pondering why the prophet used this image to open Isaiah 53, what some have called “The Mount Everest of Old Testament Prophecy.” As the prophet begins the awesome passage in which we learn that the future Messiah will be “a man of sorrows, and acquainted with grief … pierced through for our transgressions, crushed for our iniquities,” he opens with the question “ Who has believed our message, and to whom has the arm of the Lord been revealed?”
I pray that we can live in light of the truth that to us the arm of the Lord has been revealed.
Arm – 11 occurrences
53:1 Who has believed our message, and to whom has the arm of the Lord been revealed?
40:10 See, the Sovereign Lord comes with power, and his arm rules for him. See, his reward is with him and his recompense accompanies him.
40:11 Like a shepherd He will tend his flock. In His arm He will gather the lambs, and carry them in His bosom (close to his heart); He will gently lead the nursing ewes.
51:5 My righteousness is near, My salvation has gone forth, and My arms will judge the peoples; the coastlands will wait for Me, and for My arm they will wait expectantly.
52:10 The Lord has bared his holy arm in the sight of all the nations, that all the ends of the earth may see the salvation of our God
53:1 Who has believed our message, and to whom has the arm of the Lord been revealed?
59:16 His own arm brought salvation to him; and His righteousness upheld Him.
62:8 The Lord has sworn by His right hand and by His strong arm, I will never again give your grain as food for your enemies ..
63:5 I looked, and there was no one to help, and I was astonished and there was no one to uphold; So my own arm brought salvation to Me; and My wrath upheld me.
63:12 Who caused His glorious arm to go at the right hand of Moses, Who divided the waters before them to make for Himself an everlasting name, Who led them through the depths? … The Spirit of the Lord gave them rest.
There is a song by Rich Mullins which contains only line, and that line comes from a single verse of the Bible, Isaiah 52:10. It is on the 1993 album “A Liturgy, a Legacy, & a Ragamuffin Band.” “The Lord has bared his holy arm in the sight of all the nations, that all the ends of the earth may see the Lord’s salvation.” The image of the arm of the Lord is a powerful concept which expresses God’s activity in the world. The first two references in our passage of study indicate a contrast of different aspects of God’s presence in consecutive verses: (40:10) “See, the Sovereign Lord comes with power, and his arm rules for him. See, his reward is with him and his recompense accompanies him. Like a shepherd He will tend his flock. In His arm He will gather the lambs, and carry them in His bosom (close to his heart); He will gently lead the nursing ewes.” (40:11)
The arm of the Lord carries the lamb next to his heart; the arm of the Lord judges the peoples and rules the nations; the coastlands wait expectantly for the arm of the Lord.
It is a beautiful and powerful image. Note that 51:5 combines many of the concepts we have studied …”My righteousness is near, My salvation has gone forth, and My arms will judge the peoples; the coastlands will wait for Me, and for My arm they will wait expectantly.”
I am pondering why the prophet used this image to open Isaiah 53, what some have called “The Mount Everest of Old Testament Prophecy.” As the prophet begins the awesome passage in which we learn that the future Messiah will be “a man of sorrows, and acquainted with grief … pierced through for our transgressions, crushed for our iniquities,” he opens with the question “ Who has believed our message, and to whom has the arm of the Lord been revealed?”
I pray that we can live in light of the truth that to us the arm of the Lord has been revealed.
Arm – 11 occurrences
53:1 Who has believed our message, and to whom has the arm of the Lord been revealed?
40:10 See, the Sovereign Lord comes with power, and his arm rules for him. See, his reward is with him and his recompense accompanies him.
40:11 Like a shepherd He will tend his flock. In His arm He will gather the lambs, and carry them in His bosom (close to his heart); He will gently lead the nursing ewes.
51:5 My righteousness is near, My salvation has gone forth, and My arms will judge the peoples; the coastlands will wait for Me, and for My arm they will wait expectantly.
52:10 The Lord has bared his holy arm in the sight of all the nations, that all the ends of the earth may see the salvation of our God
53:1 Who has believed our message, and to whom has the arm of the Lord been revealed?
59:16 His own arm brought salvation to him; and His righteousness upheld Him.
62:8 The Lord has sworn by His right hand and by His strong arm, I will never again give your grain as food for your enemies ..
63:5 I looked, and there was no one to help, and I was astonished and there was no one to uphold; So my own arm brought salvation to Me; and My wrath upheld me.
63:12 Who caused His glorious arm to go at the right hand of Moses, Who divided the waters before them to make for Himself an everlasting name, Who led them through the depths? … The Spirit of the Lord gave them rest.