Friday, January 17, 2014

Borne Our Griefs

January 17, 2014 - Borne Our Griefs – Manna by Dorothy Callies

Isaiah 53:4 “Surely He hath borne our griefs, and carried our sorrows: yet we did esteem Him stricken, smitten of God, and afflicted.” (KJV)

The word, stricken means troubled with disease, misfortune, or sorrow; hit or wounded by; or to attack. The word, smitten means to strike sharply; to hurt or to kill. The word, afflicted means to cause the suffering or unhappiness to. The commentary explained the word translated “griefs” (Heb. choli) is literally “sickness” or “infirmities” or “pains.” 

The New Living Translation seems to give a clearer phrase: “Yet it was our weaknesses He carried; it was our sorrows that weighed Him down. And we thought His troubles were a punishment from God for His own sins!” (Isaiah 53:4) Actually, it was our sins upon Him! So the Messiah would endure punishment in order that we may be delivered from our diseases and sicknesses and pains as well as from our sins. As He bore our sins, He also takes the sickness and grief that belong to us, lifts them upon Himself, and carries them.

Isaiah 53:5 (KJV) “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.” (NLT) “But He was wounded and crushed for our sins. He was beaten that we might have peace. He was whipped, and we were healed!”

God was pulling aside the curtain of time to let the people of Isaiah's day look ahead to the suffering of the future Messiah and the resulting forgiveness made available to all people. Could they ever imagine that the “lamb” they sacrificed would represent “The Lamb of God,” the Messiah would hang on the cross for the forgiveness of their sins? Jesus said on the cross, “Father, forgive them for they know not what they do.”

This verse “borne our griefs” is quoted in Matthew 8:17 with reference to Jesus’ ministry of healing the sick. “That evening many demon-possessed people were brought to Jesus. All the spirits fled when He commanded them to leave; and He healed all the sick. This fulfilled the word of the Lord through Isaiah, who said, “He took our sicknesses and removed our diseases” (Mat.8:16-17 NLT). “For this purpose the Son of God was manifested, that He might destroy the works of the devil” (1Jn.3:8 KJV).

What this Manna means to me, are the words I typed in Italic. It opened my eyes to what Jesus went through, our suffering Messiah and finally, “we were healed.” Hold on to that promise of God. Oh, the depth of our suffering Messiah who loved us so much. Believe it!

Song: The Healer
On the cross crucified,
In great sorrow He died;
the Giver of Life is He.
Yet my Lord was despised
        and rejected of men,
This Jesus of Calvary.
Chorus:
He was wounded for our transgressions;
He was bruised for our iniquities;
Surely He bore our sorrows,
And by His stripes we are healed.
(Lois Irwin, Sing His Praise)

No comments: