Isaiah 53--"He Was Wounded for Our Transgressions"

This marks my 50th post and it's appropriate to post my favorite Messianic prophecy from Isaiah 53. In beautiful, poetic language Isaiah looks forward in time to our Savior's mortal mission. With phrases like "tender plant" and "root out of a dry ground" he portrays Jesus as a vulnerable, normal-looking man springing up in apostate Israel. Yet in Him lies every hope imaginable. 

I want to highlight only three verses.

Pierced Bread

The ordinances of the gospel point our souls to Christ, and thus they are sanctified unto us for righteousness (see Jacob 4:5). The law of Moses had a "meat offering," which would more appropriately be called a "meal offering," since it was made with fine flour. The ordinance is described as follows:

"And if thou bring an oblation of a meat offering baken in the oven, it shall be unleavened cakes of fine flour mingled with oil, or unleavened wafers anointed with oil" (Leviticus 2:4; see also Exodus 29:2).

This one verse is loaded with Messianic imagery. Unleavened cakes were distinguished from unleavened bread by the small perforations in the cake. Bread has a smooth crust (think skin here), while cake has tiny holes in its texture. Thus, unleavened cake was called "pierced bread." We often sing a sacrament hymn with the words, "They pierce his hands and feet and side" ("Behold the Great Redeemer Die," Hymns #191). This offering, along with the shewbread, was a forerunner to the sacrament in ancient Israel. I have included a link to Strong's for the intent of the Hebrew word:

http://www.blbclassic.org/lang/lexicon/lexicon.cfm?Strongs=H2471&t=KJV

You will notice this is pierced cake or "pierced bread." You will notice the Hebrew word challah, and if you click on the "Root Word" (or etymology), you will notice that the root comes from the Hebrew word chalal, meaning "to wound, pierce" (see definition 2).

Remember, the unleavened wafers were "anointed with oil," symbolizing the Messiah, or Christ (anointed One), who would be wounded in the oil press. The name Gethsemane means "oil press." He would then be pierced and wounded again on the cross.

If you scroll down to "Continued Search Results" and click "4. (Psa 89:31 - Eze 20:14)," you will find Isaiah 53:5:

"But he was wounded for our transgressions, he was bruised for our iniquities: the chastisement of our peace was upon him; and with his stripes we are healed."

The word wounded is chalal, the root of challah, meaning "pierced bread." The Bread of Life was "wounded for our transgressions," and "bruised for our iniquities." But "with his stripes we are healed."

"Make His Soul an Offering for Sin"

Verse 10 reads:

"Yet it pleased the Lord to bruise him; he hath put him to grief: when thou shalt make his soul an offering for sin, he shall see his seed, he shall prolong his days, and the pleasure of the Lord shall prosper in his hand."

It sounds like, "It pleased the Father to bruise the Son." But a closer examination reveals "the Lord" is Jehovah in this case. You can click here to view it in Strong's. So it could be translated as, "It pleased Jehovah to bruise Jesus." This demonstrates the dual role of Jesus Christ as the Father and Son (see Mosiah 15:2-7).

So let's look at the pronouns in this passage. "He (Jehovah) hath put him (Jesus) to grief: when thou (you and me) shalt make his (Jesus') soul an offering for sin, he (Jesus Christ) shall see his (Jesus') seed" (spiritually begotten sons and daughters of Jesus Christ). Yes, it's up to you and me what becomes of His atoning sacrifice. It's what we make of it. Through covenants we can become "the children of Christ, his sons, and his daughters," and we are "born of him" (Mosiah 5:7).

By the way, the word for grief is chalah, the verb form (put him to grief) of challah. 

Jesus Gives Away the Victory Prize

The final verse of this beautiful prophecy reads:

"Therefore will I divide him a portion with the great, and he shall divide the spoil with the strong; because he hath poured out his soul unto death: and he was numbered with the transgressors; and he bare the sin of many, and made intercession for the transgressors" (Isaiah 53:12).

In both the Old and New Testaments, the word divide is more to share or assign. It's not like dividing a pie. The giver is not depleted of whatever he is giving away. The Lord said, "All that my Father hath shall be given unto him" (D&C 84:38). In fact, the Father and Son are made more glorious as Their works are continued (see D&C 132:31).

But it wasn't Jesus who needed redemption anyway. In this Isaiah chapter, "the strong" are His seed. The spoil would be the goods won in battle. In this battle against Satan, sin, and death, our Savior shares the victory prize with His seed, His spiritually begotten sons and daughters, handing over the victory prize of eternal life and exaltation.

Whatever glory was won, whatever credit was given, He gives away. Listen to Him:

"Listen to him who is the advocate with the Father, who is pleading your cause before him—

"Saying: Father, behold the sufferings and death of him who did no sin, in whom thou wast well pleased; behold the blood of thy Son which was shed, the blood of him whom thou gavest that thyself might be glorified;

"Wherefore, Father, spare these my brethren that believe on my name, that they may come unto me and have everlasting life" (D&C 45:3-5).