Five Lives About Suffering | Isaiah 49:14-50:3
The Lord refutes five lies about suffering. They are summed up in the words: (1) forgotten, (2) alone, (3) hopeless, (4) unjust, and (5) innocent. This sermon is part 2 in "The Suffering Servant," Bryan Craddock's series of verse-by-verse sermons on Isaiah 49-55.
Each year when the slippery ice and snow of winter finally melt away in Michigan, the pothole season begins. That’s when we find out how much abuse our tires can endure. Even minor damage can become a major problem. Once a wheel gets out of balance, it stops rolling smoothly. It starts bouncing, slamming itself into the pavement over and over again.
Something similar can happen with our minds as we travel down the rough road of life. When we hit some kind of trial, our thinking can get knocked out of balance. Our thoughts can start bouncing around with lies and distortions, so that we end up inflicting more damage on ourselves than we suffered in the first place.
In Isaiah 49:14-50:3, the Lord refutes five lies about suffering. But that passage will not make much sense unless we understand its context. In chapter 39, Isaiah declares that the people of Judah (Israel’s southern kingdom) will be conquered and led into exile by the Babylonians. Even though that ordeal is still a hundred years in the future, his prophecies beginning in chapter 40 are intended to prepare people for it.
In chapters 49-55, Isaiah tells them of the coming of a Suffering Servant. He introduces him as a spokesman to heed, a light to follow, and a rescuer to trust, and I have shown how Jesus fulfills these roles. Chapter 50 tells us how well the Servant will respond to his suffering, and we will see the connection with Jesus even more clearly there. But by way of contrast, the prophet first reveals how poorly the people of Judah will respond to their difficulties.
They tell themselves the same lies that we tell ourselves when life is hard. Now I think that some of the details in the Lord’s refutation relate exclusively to the Jewish people, and I will explain those. But each of these lies are based in a distorted view of God. So, to find balance and peace in times of suffering, we need to cling to the truth about God.
Forgotten
Every once in a while, you hear a story of a young guy who expresses his commitment to his girlfriend by getting a tattoo of her name. Then the relationship sours, and they break up. He might feel bitter about the whole thing, but he cannot get away from that name, at least not easily. In those circumstances, it was not a wise choice. But the Lord uses a similar picture to refute the lie that he has forgotten his people.
Isaiah has revealed that the Servant will come and has called heaven earth to celebrate God’s comfort and compassion. But with the more immediate suffering that is coming upon them, the people of Judah draw no encouragement from his prophecy. In verse 14, Isaiah tells us,
But Zion said, “The LORD has forsaken me; my Lord has forgotten me.”
Zion is one of the mountains in Jerusalem. David captured a stronghold there, so it is often associated with the rule of his descendants. Here it seems to represent the entire nation. The news that they will be conquered has left them questioning the Lord’s commitment to them. They choose to believe the lie that he has permanently forsaken them and gives no thought to them. Do you ever think that way when times are hard?
The Lord gives three responses in verses 15-17. He says,
"Can a woman forget her nursing child, that she should have no compassion on the son of her womb? Even these may forget, yet I will not forget you. Behold, I have engraved you on the palms of my hands; your walls are continually before me. Your builders make haste; your destroyers and those who laid you waste go out from you.
First, he compares his commitment with that of a mother to her newborn child. Can she forget about her baby? Does she ever lack compassion? Most mothers do not, but there are some sad exceptions. The Lord, however, never forgets his commitment to his children.
Next, he says that they are engraved or written on the palms of his hands like a tattoo. We find several references throughout the Bible to the hand of God. His hand can be heavy in judgment, yet he also provides by his hand. The “palm” of his hand, however, is rarely mentioned. The reference here suggests that his people are always in his grasp. David uses the word this way in Psalm 139:5 to describe God’s protection. He says, “You hem me in, behind and before, and lay your hand upon me.”
The Lord’s third response in Isaiah 49 is more practical. He says that Zion’s walls are continually before him. Those walls around Jerusalem will be destroyed by the Babylonians, but not because God has forgotten them. He keeps watching and will even oversee their rebuilding. Some translations say, “sons” instead of “builders,” because the two Hebrew words are similar. But since walls and destroyers are mentioned before and after, translating the word as “builders” makes more sense.
So, the people of Judah are neither forsaken nor forgotten by their God, and the same is true of New Testament believers. It is not due to any inherent goodness in us, but because of God’s grace and because of his saving work in Christ. In the account of the crucifixion, Matthew 27:46 tells us,
And about the ninth hour Jesus cried out with a loud voice, saying, “Eli, Eli, lema sabachthani?” that is, “My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?”
The Holy Son of God suffered rejection in our place, so that all of us who trust in him will never be forsaken. Even in the hardest times, don’t believe the lie that the Lord has forgotten about you!
Alone
It is often said that ostriches stick their head in the sand when they feel threatened, but experts claim that this idea is entirely false. People, however, are much more likely to react this way. When we suffer, we turn inward. We fixate on our feelings and insist that no one understands. We tell ourselves the lie that we stand completely alone.
Isaiah 49:21 reveals that the people of Judah will respond this way to their suffering, and it is not entirely false. The Babylonians will lead them into exile in waves. They will experience division and isolation, not knowing where their fellow countrymen are at or if they are still alive.
The nation will seem decimated, but the Lord presents a very different vision of their future. In verses 18-20, he says,
Lift up your eyes around and see; they all gather, they come to you. As I live, declares the LORD, you shall put them all on as an ornament; you shall bind them on as a bride does. Surely your waste and your desolate places and your devastated land—surely now you will be too narrow for your inhabitants, and those who swallowed you up will be far away. The children of your bereavement will yet say in your ears: ‘The place is too narrow for me; make room for me to dwell in.’
Many centuries earlier the Lord told Abraham that his offspring would multiply to become like the stars in heaven and the grains of sand along the seashore (Gen 22:17). This passage describes the ultimate fulfillment of that promise. The devastated land of promise will overflow with people and seem too small. Some interpreters say that this is describing the grafting of Gentiles into Israel as Abraham’s spiritual offspring. But the Lord speaks about the nations in subsequent verses, so at this point it seems best to see these children as physical descendants of Abraham.
How does this prophecy help anyone overcome the feeling of being alone? He calls these inhabitants of the land, “children of your bereavement.” This name suggests that the Lord will use their lonely time of loss and struggle to bring about good as he had done throughout their history. He allowed Joseph’s brothers to sell him into slavery, so that Joseph could rescue the family during famine. He used Israel’s time of slavery in Egypt to multiply them. He will use the Babylonian conquest for his purpose as well.
In addition to this encouraging purpose, he also promises to stay with his people. Even when they feel alone, he is there. In Isaiah 41:10, he tells them,
Fear not, for I am with you; be not dismayed, for I am your God; I will strengthen you, I will help you, I will uphold you with my righteous right hand.
The most powerful example of God’s work through loneliness is the cross. Jesus faces death alone. When the Jews come to arrest him, his disciples flee. Even Peter denies knowing him. The soldiers and crowds scoff at him.
But through his suffering, Jesus draws us into a relationship with him. As he commissions his followers after his resurrection, he promises to be with us. Matthew 28:19-20 tells us that he says,
Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you. And behold, I am with you always, to the end of the age.
When Isaiah foretold the Virgin Birth in Isaiah 7:14, he called the child Immanuel, God with us. Jesus is Immanuel. As his followers, we have the assurance that even when we feel abandoned, he is always with us!
Hopeless
We live in a world that has been shattered by sin. We are all broken people. So, even when we try to put the pieces together on our own, we often end up causing more damage. It’s tempting to give up in times of suffering and say that things are hopeless, but that is another lie. There is always hope in the Lord. He puts things together in ways that we would never expect.
We see this brokenness displayed in the history of the kings of Judah. Some like Hezekiah are good. He leads a spiritual revival during Isaiah’s time, but his son, Manasseh, rebels against the Lord and engages in idolatry. In fact, tradition says that Manasseh orders Isaiah’s execution. His grandson, Josiah, leads another revival, but then Josiah’s sons waver, and the Lord brings the Babylonians to destroy the city and to scatter the people.
The plight of Judah will seem hopeless. The description that we just read of the land overflowing with people will seem impossible. The Lord even acknowledges that. In Isaiah 49:21, he says,
Then you will say in your heart: ‘Who has borne me these? I was bereaved and barren, exiled and put away, but who has brought up these? Behold, I was left alone; from where have these come?’”
How will he reassemble the nation? He reveals his plan in verses 22-23. It must seem ridiculously hopeful to both the people of Isaiah’s time and to the generation that experiences the exile. It seems just as wild today when you consider the way that the world treats the Jewish people. Isaiah tells us,
Thus says the Lord GOD: “Behold, I will lift up my hand to the nations, and raise my signal to the peoples; and they shall bring your sons in their arms, and your daughters shall be carried on their shoulders. Kings shall be your foster fathers, and their queens your nursing mothers. With their faces to the ground they shall bow down to you, and lick the dust of your feet. Then you will know that I am the LORD; those who wait for me shall not be put to shame.”
The Lord will do something so outlandish that it seems shameful to believe it, so incredible that it could only be his doing. He will demonstrate beyond a shadow of a doubt that he is the one true God. He will use the nations to gather the children of Zion. They will even care for them as their own children. But they will also humbly bow down and honor them.
Again, some interpreters say that the nations care for these people because they are simply Christians from those nations. Others see the establishment of modern Israel as the fulfillment of this prophecy. But both of those views make the details of this passage meaningless. It makes more sense to see this as a gathering of Jewish people in an end times event linked to the return of Christ.
So, the Lord calls his people to simply wait for him to put things back together. As New Testament believers we are still waiting not just for God to fix Israel, but for him to fix our broken world. In Romans 8:22-25, Paul says,
For we know that the whole creation has been groaning together in the pains of childbirth until now. And not only the creation, but we ourselves, who have the firstfruits of the Spirit, groan inwardly as we wait eagerly for adoption as sons, the redemption of our bodies. For in this hope we were saved. Now hope that is seen is not hope. For who hopes for what he sees? But if we hope for what we do not see, we wait for it with patience.
Many think it silly to shape your life around this hope. They would tell you to give up and pursue life on your own terms. Don’t accept the lie of hopelessness. The Lord promises that those who wait for him will not be put to shame.
Unjust
Stories of the Wild West have been popular for over a century. People love to hear about notorious outlaws and their showdowns with brave lawmen. But the thing that made it so wild was that there weren’t enough lawmen to keep the peace. As much as the period is romanticized, it must have been frustrating and frightening to live in a time and place with no guarantee of justice.
Of course, even with all our courts and law enforcement officers, many wrongs go unpunished. So, when you suffer because of that, you might be tempted to believe the bitter lie that life is always unjust. The ruthless rule and the wicked prosper. The people of Jerusalem must feel that same sense of bitterness about the Babylonian conquest, but the Lord insists that there will be ultimate justice. Isaiah 49:24-25 tells us,
Can the prey be taken from the mighty, or the captives of a tyrant be rescued? For thus says the LORD: “Even the captives of the mighty shall be taken, and the prey of the tyrant be rescued, for I will contend with those who contend with you, and I will save your children.
True justice comes from the Lord. He is the true contender. He can save captives both physically and spiritually. But he also goes farther. In his justice, he carries out punishment. In verse 26, he says,
I will make your oppressors eat their own flesh, and they shall be drunk with their own blood as with wine. Then all flesh shall know that I am the LORD your Savior, and your Redeemer, the Mighty One of Jacob."
I doubt that this gross punishment is meant to be taken literally, but the spiritual equivalent of it is even worse. Jesus speaks of weeping and gnashing of teeth in the fiery torment of hell forever. Many people today reject the Bible’s teaching on retributive justice. They think that God should just forgive and bless everyone. Why would God inflict such a punishment?
Here the Lord says that the expression of his wrath will demonstrate to every person that he is, “the LORD your Savior, and your Redeemer, the Mighty One of Jacob.” If there is no condemnation, then there is no need for salvation. Both are needed to display the character of God.
Furthermore, if there are no consequences for sin, then why would anyone bother to obey? In Psalm 73, Asaph confesses that he began to envy the prosperity of the wicked. In verses 12-14, he says,
Behold, these are the wicked; always at ease, they increase in riches. All in vain have I kept my heart clean and washed my hands in innocence. For all the day long I have been stricken and rebuked every morning.
Do you ever feel that way? Asaph was starting to believe the lie that life is unjust. But in verses 16-18, he tells us what changed his mind. He says,
But when I thought how to understand this, it seemed to me a wearisome task, until I went into the sanctuary of God; then I discerned their end. Truly you set them in slippery places; you make them fall to ruin.
To maintain his faith and devotion, Asaph needed to remember God’s justice. He needed to see that there is more to the story than what we see and experience in this life. He concludes in verses 27 and 28, by saying,
For behold, those who are far from you shall perish; you put an end to everyone who is unfaithful to you. But for me it is good to be near God; I have made the Lord GOD my refuge, that I may tell of all your works.
Don’t accept the lie that life is unjust. Believe in the justice of God. If you have been wounded by someone, entrust it to him. Look to him as your refuge and your goodness.
Innocent
Each of the lies we have considered thus far points the finger at the Lord. You forgot me. You left me alone and hopeless. You let me experience injustice. But when you point your finger at someone, there are three pointing back at you. Beneath all the other lies is the idea that I am innocent and do not deserve to suffer at all. But in many cases that is another lie.
The Lord refutes this presumption of innocence for the people of Jerusalem in Isaiah 50:1, by saying,
Thus says the LORD: “Where is your mother's certificate of divorce, with which I sent her away? Or which of my creditors is it to whom I have sold you? Behold, for your iniquities you were sold, and for your transgressions your mother was sent away.
It seems clear from chapter 49 that the Lord does not abandon his covenant relationship with the Jewish people when they are conquered and led into exile. So, the point of his question here is probably to say that even though there is a separation, there is no divine certificate of divorce. The people will experience consequences of their iniquities and transgressions.
But even as those consequences unfold, the people could still look to the Lord. In verses 2 and 3, he says,
Why, when I came, was there no man; why, when I called, was there no one to answer? Is my hand shortened, that it cannot redeem? Or have I no power to deliver? Behold, by my rebuke I dry up the sea, I make the rivers a desert; their fish stink for lack of water and die of thirst. I clothe the heavens with blackness and make sackcloth their covering.”
The Lord sends prophets like Isaiah to call them, but they do not listen. He is fully able to save them. He can dry up the sea as he did in the Exodus. He is the all-powerful Creator of the heavens, but they will not cry out to him, and he will hold them responsible for their willful negligence.
So, when we suffer, we should examine ourselves and confess any sin. But suffering is not always a direct consequence of sin. Sometimes we suffer to a far greater degree than our actions warrant. Sometimes suffering even comes upon those who are relatively innocent. The story of Job highlights this. He experiences suffering through a Satanic attack, because he is actively trusting the Lord.
Job’s wife seems to have bought into the lie of hopelessness. Job 2:9-10 tells us,
Then his wife said to him, “Do you still hold fast your integrity? Curse God and die.” But he said to her, “You speak as one of the foolish women would speak. Shall we receive good from God, and shall we not receive evil?” In all this Job did not sin with his lips.
That should be our goal in suffering. We should not point the finger at God or assume that we are innocent. But we should pursue innocence in response to our trials. Of course, the Suffering Servant is the ultimate example of this. The sinless Son of God suffered for our sins to save us. We will learn more about him as we continue in Isaiah 50 next time.
__________
So, we must reject the lies that we are forgotten, alone, hopeless, abandoned to injustice, and innocent of all guilt. The Lord remembers us. He is with us to give hope, to bring justice, and to rescue us from sin and temptation. Are you trusting him? If not, I encourage you to start today. If you would like to learn more about his powerful commitment to believers, Romans 8 would be a great place to read.
If you trust him, do you struggle with one of these lies? If you find that your mind tends to go there in times of suffering, then prepare yourself. Find passages of Scripture that will reinforce the truth about God’s character and learn them well. Perhaps you have a friend who is suffering, and you detect these lies in things that they are saying. Speak the truth in love. Encourage them with gentle correction. May we walk by faith!
Reflect
Which of these lies do you most often tell yourself? Why do you think that you are drawn to that one?
How could you prepare yourself to counteract that lie in times of suffering?
What could you do to encourage a friend in their time of suffering?