The Son’s Reward

Isaiah 53:10 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 pleased the LORD” – This is a hard phrase for me to digest. God the Father was pleased (desired and took delight) with the bruising (beating to pieces, crushing) and grief (pain, weakness, wounding) of His Son. I can hardly see through the tears even as I type this. It’s easier for me to put the focus of His pleasure on the obedience of His Son—His Son’s desire to do the will of His Father over His own will. The thing is—the Father would never have put such a plan into place were it not for my sin. I know my heart; I would never have chosen such a selfless act of unconditional love and sacrifice involving my son. His love is so amazing! The lengths to which He has gone to have a relationship with me as His child is totally beyond my understanding. I know how many times I have failed Him—sometimes ignorantly, but more often than not by willful choice. I am so unworthy, yet He considers me of great value, a special treasure. This is one truth I’m not sure I’ll ever understand—even in heaven.

Jesus was both our complete sin and trespass offering (described in Leviticus
4-6). Again, the Jewish people understood this far better than do we. The main difference being that the offering of Jesus was sufficient once for all.

“he shall see his seed, he shall prolong his days” – I had to stop and think about this phrase quite a while. I finally realized that the word his was throwing me; it is not in the original. It doesn’t matter so much with the first phrase as it does with the second. Jesus would see His seed, His offspring; that is a reference to His spiritual offspring—not physical. “He shall prolong days” I think is a reference to the time that the Father would allow for the offspring to be a great multitude. As I was reminded when reading through one commentary, to have many children was considered a special blessing to the Jews. The Father wants to greatly honor His Son.

The last clause of this verse is a declaration of victory and success; there is no doubt of the Father’s will being accomplished. No matter how deceptive Satan and his legions are and no matter how rebellious and denying mankind is, God’s plan will be carried out in every detail. I thought it was interesting that the Hebrew for prosper stated “to push forward.” Jesus is the One Who will accomplish the plans of the Father through His workings with and among people on this earth.

Isaiah 53:11 He shall see of the travail of his soul, and shall be satisfied: by his knowledge shall my righteous servant justify many; for he shall bear their iniquities.

“my righteous servant” = Jesus, the Son of God

When Jesus sees what He has accomplished through His very painful and sorrowful obedience to the Father, He will be satisfied (to the full, satiated). It’s only because the Savior was obedient in following the Father’s will to truly “know” such pain and sorrow that many will be justified (made righteous—just as if I’d never sinned). How? By becoming the final sin offering. (See 2Corinthians 5:21 as discussed in a previous post.)

Isaiah 53:12 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.

Frankly, I didn’t like any of the translations I read. Something doesn’t set right with me in understanding that the Father is giving the Son a portion or division of the spoils of victory. When I looked at the Hebrew for divide, it included “separate self.” No I don’t know Hebrew, but it makes more sense to me for it to read something like, “Therefore I will separate Him to receive great (multiplied by the myriad) reward, and He shall divide the spoil with the strong.” Maybe I’m wrong, but I see Christ as the Victor and as the One Who will divide His kingdom with the strong (those who by faith are overcomers). This seems to be the truth stated in Revelation

Revelation 3:21 To him that overcometh will I grant to sit with me in my throne, even as I also overcame, and am set down with my Father in his throne.

The Father shared His throne with the Son, and the Son will share His throne with those who follow Him in faith. That is the prophetic future of those who choose to accept Jesus as Savior and Lord.

Why will the Father reward His Son so magnificently? Because of His obedience. He willingly laid down His life despite being unjustly condemned and treated like a common criminal. He became my sin, our sin, the final sufficient sin offering for all who would come to Him in faith. Even as He was suffering on the cross, he prayed for those who had rejected Him.

Luke 23:34 Then said Jesus, Father, forgive them; for they know not what they do.

What an amazing Savior I strive to serve!