But He was wounded for our transgressions,
He was bruised for our iniquities;
The chastisement for our peace was upon Him,
And by His stripes we are healed.
(Isaiah 53:5)
For the past few days, I have been captured by this verse, particularly the line about “chastisement” and “peace,” and how one was exchanged for the other.
This passage, from Isaiah 52:13 to Isaiah 53:12, is about the “Suffering Servant.” It is a portrait of the Messiah, a prophecy of what He would do — and of what would be done to Him. It is a picture of the Passion, of Good Friday and the Cross.
What happened there that day was a very peculiar thing. To onlookers, it might have appeared that He was suffering on His own behalf, because of His own sins: “Yet we esteemed Him stricken, smitten by God, and afflicted” (Isaiah 53:4). However, the opposite was true, as the “but” that begins verse 5 indicates: “But He was wounded for our transgressions, He was bruised for our iniquities.” The Innocent One suffered for the guilty, the Righteous One for the unrighteous.
- The transgressions were ours; the mortal wound belonged to us, but He was pierced instead.
- Ours were the iniquities, so also the crushing, disfiguring bruises, but He took them upon Himself.
- The stripes that fell on His back should rightfully have been laid on ours, but He let them be on His so we could be healed.
Consider, now, how chastisement became peace. The Hebrew word for “chastise” is musar. It may be corporal or verbal; it may be instruction, discipline, rebuke or punishment. A chastisement by words indicates that the purpose is to instruct, but what Isaiah speaks of is a chastisement of wounds, of bruises, of stripes, and the purpose is for peace.
The Hebrew word for “peace” is shalom. It is much more than the absence of conflict or the ceasing of hostilities. It is wholeness, what was once missing now restored, what was once broken now healed.
Jesus, the Son of God become flesh, had no lack. Nothing missing, nothing broken. The lack was ours — a broken relationship with God, with creation, with each other, even with our own selves. The chastisement should have been on us, but He let it come upon Himself so we could have His peace, His shalom, His wholeness.
This is speaking to me as I cope and struggle with mental illness, that my mushar was borne by Jesus and in exchange He gave me His Shalom. Thank you for these anointed words.
ReplyDeleteThank you, Dear Heavenly Father for our Savior Jesus Christ who exchanged our sins and gave us His stripes on his body while He suffered on the cross so that we could life in peace and reap eternity with him and the Father God.
ReplyDeleteThank you Lord, for by being wounded you removed my transgressions; for being bruised you removed my iniquities; by being chastised you made the peace of God available to enjoy in every area of my life. I am enjoying peace even when I sleep!!!🙏💕☀️😊👍🏿 Thanks you for receiving those stripes because I have walked in health , I am walking in health and I will continue to walk in divine health! May all my beloved family catch the revelation , grasp it by faith and begin to enjoy the reality of this! Amen.
ReplyDeleteThis phrase in the bible has become one of the most powerful to me. I was sexually molested by an older cousin when I was in 5th grade. He was killed in an airplane accident not long after molesting me and I buried that memory with his death and kept it hidden in shame for 40 years. But it didn't go away and through some counseling I brought it back out in the light and wrestled with how I had been affected by it and the hiding and shame for so many years. I went through a period of really questioning God about how He could have allowed that and why He could sit by and allow that when I was just a child. I had no peace. But one day I read this sentence in the Bible and it just jumped off the page and I realized that my peace had been chastised for so many years but that Jesus bore it for me that day on the cross. It really helped heal my heart and soul when I understood the depth of this line.
ReplyDeleteWow. Thanks you for sharing. I was blessed and strength by this. You are brave.
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