Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1929-04-27
THE SUFFERING SERVANT
OF JEHOVAH.
Isaiah, lii.12,13.
Golden text-"With his stripes
we are healed. Isaiah. Ills.

Our lesson is taken from the very
heart of the Old Testament. The
prophet brings us into the very "holy
of holes of revelation that reaches
the elimination of prophecy in his
description of "the Suffering Servant
of jehovah" Isaiah's doctrines of suf-
fering sacrifice, duty and salvation
fully and clearly anticipates the New
Testament teachings.
When Philip met the Ethiopian
treasurer returning from worshiping in
Jerusalem. the Egyptian official asked
for an explanation of the meaning of
this lesson. He had difficulty in UNDER
standing the meaning of the suffering
servant. Sometimes in Isaiah the title
Servant of Jehovah refers TO
Israel, and sometimes 1t has been
used in reference to some choice spirit
in Israel In fact, some have suggested
that 1t had reference to the life of the
seer Others claim that it refers to an
ideal Israel. Modern Jewish Bible stu
dents follow, as rule, the interpreta-
ton of the celebrated Aben Ezra, who
in the twelfth century denied its per-
sonal application and insisted that 1t
applied to the Jews as people. When
the prophet spoke he may have sought
to inspire the nation to realize that
their degradation in their exile was. to
quote Philippson, necessary for the ac-
complishment of their mission, because
the exaltation of the depressed, the
glorious uprising of this despised people,
will prove so clearly, SO surprisingly, to
other nations the saving power of the
sole God, whom the Israelites adore,
that they will become converted to this
only One" Yet when we study this
lesson and compare its prediction with
the life of the Lord Jesus we are COM
PEELED to say that Philip was right when
he commenced at this lesson and
preached unto the Ethiopian treasurer
that the Suffering Servant Of Jehovah
was Jesus Christ ...
The New Testament writer's taught
that our lesson applied to the Lord
Jesus. This cleaning page of prophecy
contains such a vivid description of the
Masters life, and Is so infinitely accu-
rate, that it could not have been writ
ten better even after His crfcifxion and
resurrection. Although the prophet
spoke at least 700 years before His ad-
vent, we look back over 1900 years and
see that every one of Isaiah's predic-
tons made in this lesson we're fulfilled
in the life Of Jesus Christ, who, though
divine, was deSpised and though re-
jected was redeenaipg" not only Israel
but the whole world by His supreme
sacrifice as the Suffering Servant OF
Jehovah"
In our day. we have witnessed the
nations of the earth being forced by
the failure of commerce, culture and
force to make the world free from war
commencing to find in the rejected
Redeemer the one and Only hope for
the worlds future. Our President
championed the principles Of the Mas
ter in his great speech last Monday. It
furnished the principles that were the
basis Of our country's offer the same
day in reference to disarmament. The
hope for the correction of the spirit OF
animosity and hate Is found in Christ
His program contains the way out OF
our present lawlesSness as a Nation.
Suffered to Save.
Multitudes still fail to recognize Him
as they did in His day, as their Lord
They loathed Him then as If He were
a leper, because their>sin had destroyed
their vision and power Of appreciation
of the best In life. They could not u1-
derstand how the mystery of the Cos
pei, the gift of eternal life and power
to live new life, was result of His
suffering for us,s the. just for the I'M
just. The world did not understand
His attitude toward publicans and sim
ners. They looked on the outward ap-
pearance and failed to see the glory OF
His suHerings. The Masters success
came as result of His being man of
sorrows. The glory of His character
was produced by His struggles. With
out the suferings of Gethsemane, the
Lee ~ GnJr IT.
OF the grave there. would have been no
Saviour. Without the shedding OF
blood there was no remission.
Jesus, whose soul beat with sympathy
for men in their STRUGGLES to overcome
sin, whose heart was filed with love
for men, whose life was marked by I'M
selfish devotion to those in trouble and
need, was degpised and rejected OF
men" His early days In Nazareth as
"a tender plant and root out Of dry
ground" raised 3 question about His
Messiahship. Could any good thing
come out OF Nazareth2" The sorrows
Of life moved Him, but to be misjudged
and misunderstood by those He sought
to save filled His life with grief so that
He was "a man of sorrows and ac-
quainted with grief"
He came in the form of man so that
men could understand His revelations
Of Gods love, that they might have
life abundantly and enjoy the liberty
wherewith He promised to make them
free. They thought that the cause of
His suffering was due to Gods attitude
toward Him when He had willingly en-
dured the burden of mems sins Instead
OF their being compelled to pay the
penalty OF their sin. HE was stricken,
smitten of God and afflicted" because
He was willing to go through that suf-
fering SO that we could be saved with
out being forced to suffer. "He was
wounded for our transgressions. He
was bruised for our iniquitieS, the chas-
tisement Of our peace was upon Him,
and with His stripes we are healed
At least 700 years passed by after
Isaiah spoke, before Jesus fulfilled the
prophecy of this lesson by His, life
among men. Just as the shepherd
risked his life to save any one Of his
flock, so the Lord endured suffering for
us to save us, so that we, being dead
to sins, should live unto Righteousness. !"
Sometimes it needs suffering on the
part Of men for. them tor understand
the fruits of our lords victory. The
4 tear lenses have often been the means
whereby We have seen the Heavns open.
Not until we have endured theGsuffer-
ings and agony of the soul produced by
sin can we fully understand the Mas