Behold, my servant shall deal prudently, he shall be exalted and extolled, and be very high.
The servant foretold is Jesus Christ, the servant of God and the Lord. To deal prudently is to act wisely and prudently, and to be exalted and extolled and be very high is to be exalted and lifted high to the highest honor. The immediate setting joins severe humiliation to exaltation: though His appearance is marred, He will sprinkle and affect many nations, kings will be astonished and silenced, and people will learn what they had not known.
That humiliation and suffering came at the hands of the priests and rulers, including the marred appearance under the mock trial and scourging, with later exaltation to follow. Together with chapter 53 the word points to Christ's first appearing and mission as the Messiah, showing that the first advent would involve humiliation unlike the glory of the second coming, and thereby correcting expectations of personal and national exaltation at His appearing. The prophecy was fulfilled in the events surrounding the crucifixion, when those who witnessed His treatment and those who heard of His death remembered the words.
As the cruelty of Satan's rule was exposed they were convicted, were moved to conversion and to search the Scriptures, came to recognize Him, and shared what they had learned, so that His suffering spread His message among many nations. As part of the message of chapters 51-53, this shows that God has furnished fallen, sinful humanity with a life-giving Saviour who is the only hope of a life that measures with the life of God. He gave Himself to stand at the head of humanity to enable men and women to become sons and daughters of God, clothing His divinity with humanity to encircle the race with His human arm while grasping the throne of the Infinite with His divine arm, placing humanity on vantage ground as Mediator between God and man.
His exaltation includes the conversion of souls in many nations, which calls for missionary work with no money needlessly spent since all means have a place in reaching souls, and with earnest labor in cities close at hand so people come to the knowledge of the truth. Those who yield themselves to God and obey Him are also His servants, and when they seek His wisdom He promises to guide them in every detail so they can know what is right. The prophecy belongs to the prophecies of Christ's work in chapters 52-54 that are to be studied for help and blessing to His people, especially when the liberty of the church is endangered, to stir true missionary work in public ministry and house-to-house labor, to keep courage under oppression, and to arouse God's people to do their God-given work. Such study brings earnest faithfulness, separation from selfishness, unity, restored confidence, and revelation of the arm of the Lord whose power was seen in the life of Christ.
The servant foretold is Jesus Christ, the servant of God and the Lord. To deal prudently is to act wisely and prudently, and to be exalted and extolled and be very high is to be exalted and lifted high to the highest honor. The immediate setting joins severe humiliation to exaltation: though His appearance is marred, He will sprinkle and affect many nations, kings will be astonished and silenced, and people will learn what they had not known.
That humiliation and suffering came at the hands of the priests and rulers, including the marred appearance under the mock trial and scourging, with later exaltation to follow. Together with chapter 53 the word points to Christ's first appearing and mission as the Messiah, showing that the first advent would involve humiliation unlike the glory of the second coming, and thereby correcting expectations of personal and national exaltation at His appearing. The prophecy was fulfilled in the events surrounding the crucifixion, when those who witnessed His treatment and those who heard of His death remembered the words.
As the cruelty of Satan's rule was exposed they were convicted, were moved to conversion and to search the Scriptures, came to recognize Him, and shared what they had learned, so that His suffering spread His message among many nations. As part of the message of chapters 51-53, this shows that God has furnished fallen, sinful humanity with a life-giving Saviour who is the only hope of a life that measures with the life of God. He gave Himself to stand at the head of humanity to enable men and women to become sons and daughters of God, clothing His divinity with humanity to encircle the race with His human arm while grasping the throne of the Infinite with His divine arm, placing humanity on vantage ground as Mediator between God and man.
His exaltation includes the conversion of souls in many nations, which calls for missionary work with no money needlessly spent since all means have a place in reaching souls, and with earnest labor in cities close at hand so people come to the knowledge of the truth. Those who yield themselves to God and obey Him are also His servants, and when they seek His wisdom He promises to guide them in every detail so they can know what is right. The prophecy belongs to the prophecies of Christ's work in chapters 52-54 that are to be studied for help and blessing to His people, especially when the liberty of the church is endangered, to stir true missionary work in public ministry and house-to-house labor, to keep courage under oppression, and to arouse God's people to do their God-given work. Such study brings earnest faithfulness, separation from selfishness, unity, restored confidence, and revelation of the arm of the Lord whose power was seen in the life of Christ.