Sermon
Series:
Five Words You Must Understand
1 Corinthians 14:19
Yet in the church I had rather speak five words with
my understanding,
that by my voice I might teach others also,
than ten thousand words in an unknown tongue.
Part Seventeen: Isaiah 53:10
“He
shall see His seed.”
Introduction:
On the old Daniels
and Webster program on ROCK107 we often heard from one Walter Nepasky. He would begin his commentary with either,
“I'm Walter Nepasky and today I wanna talk
about three things.”,
or “Hi. My name is Walter Nepasky. How you
doin? Today I want to talk to you about tree tings.”
What if we had a modern Christian radio station (“The
Rock of Ages 316”) with a program that began, “Hi, I’m Paul of Tarsus, and
today I want to talk about five words.”
1 Corinthians 14:19 - Yet in the church I had rather speak five
words with my understanding,
that by my voice I might teach others also, than
ten thousand words in an unknown tongue.
Here Paul follows up his extreme personal example with an
extreme preference framed as a mathematical proportion: 5 versus 10,000. This
is Paul’s “druthers”! This is when 5 is
better than 10,000!
If Paul were here, and you could pin him down to a literal
selection of five words, what do you think he would choose? “Gimme Five Paul!”
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.
Here are “Five Words” that
you need to understand! “He shall see
his seed”.
Outline:
I. The Security of the Seed
II. The Certainty of the Seed
III. The Identity of the Seed
Transition:
Have you noticed that the entire verse that it sets in is
a descending and then ascending chiasm or parallelism with six parts divided
into two triplets?
[A] Yet it pleased the LORD to
bruise him;
[B]
he hath put him to grief:
[C]
when thou shalt make his soul an offering for sin,
[C’]
he shall see his seed,
[B’]
he shall prolong his days,
[A’] and the pleasure of the
LORD shall prosper in his hand.
These five words must not be disconnected from those
that proceed, and those that follow!
I. The Security
of the Seed
The securing of
the see is explicitly grounded in the preceding three clauses in this verse.
Yet
it pleased the LORD to bruise him; he hath put him to grief: when thou shalt
make his soul an offering for sin,
“Thus it may be seen that the results described occur only
because the servant himself brings an expiatory sacrifice. The first of these
results is that he will see a seed, i.e. his own seed, those whom he by his
vicarious suffering and expiatory sacrifice has redeemed from the guilt and the
power of their sins, a great multitude that no man can number. These are the
ones for whom he offers his soul as an oblation, the many nations that he
sprinkles, the many (v. 11) whom he justifies, whose sins he bears (v. 5), who
are assigned to him and for whom he makes intercession. The term seed is obviously used in a spiritual
sense, such as sons of God in Genesis
6:2; Proverbs 4:20; 19:27 and Ecclesiastes 12:12. Note also Matthew 9:2; John
13:33; 1 Corinthians 4:17; 1 Timothy 1:2; 1 Peter 5:13.” [1]
Jn 12:24 - Verily, verily, I say unto you, Except a corn of wheat fall into
the ground and die, it abideth alone: but if it die, it bringeth forth much
fruit.
Jn. 17:4-5, 18-19 - 4 I have glorified thee on the
earth: I have finished the work which thou gavest me to do. 5 And now, O Father, glorify thou
me with thine own self with the glory which I had with thee before the world
was….18 As thou hast sent me into the
world, even so have I also sent them into the world. 19 And for their sakes I sanctify
myself, that they also might be sanctified through the truth.
Heb. 2:10 - For it became him, for whom are all things,
and by whom are all things, in bringing many sons unto glory, to make the
captain of their salvation perfect through sufferings.
Heb. 12:2 - Looking unto Jesus the author and finisher of
our faith; who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising
the shame, and is set down at the right hand of the throne of God.
1 Jn. 4:9 - In
this was manifested the love of God toward us, because that God sent his only
begotten Son into the world, that we might live through him.
II. The Certainty
of the Seed
This is the central affirmation of these five words!
“In the 53d chapter of the same prophecy, the Lord is
more express and punctual in these promises to his Son, assuring him that when
he “made his soul an offering for sin, he should see his seed, and prolong his
days, and the pleasure of the Lord should prosper in his 171
hand; that he should see of the travail of his soul, and be satisfied; by his
knowledge he should justify many; that, he should divide a portion with the
great, and the spoil with the strong,”
verses
10–12. He was, you see, to see his seed by covenant, and to raise up a
spiritual seed unto God, a faithful people, to be prolonged and preserved
throughout all generations….”
1. Consider the
end of the prophecy of Isaiah!
Is. 66:22 - For as the new heavens and the new earth, which I will make, shall
remain before me, saith the LORD, so shall your seed and your name remain.
2. Consider the
prophetic content of the Messianic Psalms!
Ps. 22:30-31 - 30
A seed shall serve him; it shall be accounted to the Lord for a generation.
31 They shall come, and shall declare his
righteousness unto a people that shall be born, that he hath done this.
Ps. 45:16-17 - 16 Instead of thy fathers shall be thy children,
whom thou mayest make princes in all the earth. 17 I will make thy
name to be remembered in all generations: therefore shall the people praise
thee for ever and ever.
Ps. 89:4, 29, 36 - 4 Thy
seed will I establish for ever, and build up thy throne to all generations.
Selah.
29 His
seed also will I make to endure for ever, and his throne as the days of
heaven.
36 His seed shall endure for ever, and his throne
as the sun before me.
Ps. 110:3 - Thy people shall be willing in the day of thy power, in the beauties
of holiness from the womb of the morning: thou hast the dew of thy youth.
Even Psalms not properly or
usually considered Messianic have relevance for what Christ had in view in
enduring His humiliation for His people!
Ps. 128:6 - Yea, thou shalt see thy children's children, and
peace upon Israel.
III. The Identity
of the Seed
1. The Seed of Adam - Gen. 3:15 - And I will put
enmity between thee and the woman, and between thy seed and her seed; it shall bruise
thy head, and thou shalt bruise his heel.
2. The Seed of Abraham - Gen. 15:5 - And he brought him
forth abroad, and said, Look now toward heaven, and tell the stars, if thou be
able to number them: and he said unto him, So shall thy seed be.
3. The Seed of David’s Greater Son - Ps. 89:4, 29, 36 -
4
Thy seed will I establish for ever, and build up thy throne to all
generations. Selah.
29 His seed also will I make to endure for ever, and
his throne as the days of heaven.
36 His seed shall endure for
ever, and his throne as the sun before me.
4. The
Seed of Israel -
Is 54:3 - For thou shalt break forth
on the right hand and on the left; and thy seed shall inherit the
Gentiles, and make the desolate cities to be inhabited.
Is. 59:20-21 - 20 And
the Redeemer shall come to Zion, and unto them that turn from transgression in
Jacob, saith the LORD. 21 As for me, this is my covenant with them, saith the LORD; My spirit that is upon thee, and my words which I have
put in thy mouth, shall not depart out of thy mouth, nor out of the mouth of thy seed, nor out of
the mouth of thy seed's seed, saith the LORD, from henceforth and
for ever.
Is. 61:9 - And their seed
shall be known among the Gentiles, and their offspring among the people: all
that see them shall acknowledge them, that they are the seed which the LORD
hath blessed.
Lk. 1:54-55 (end of Mary’s Magnificat) - 54 He
hath holpen his servant Israel, in remembrance of his mercy; 55 As he spake to our fathers, to Abraham,
and to his seed
for ever.
5. The Seed of the Word, of Christ and of the
Kingdom
The Parable of the Sower - Mt. 13:1-23 - 18 Hear ye therefore
the parable of the sower.
19 When any one heareth the word of the kingdom, and
understandeth it not, then cometh the
wicked one, and catcheth away that
which was sown in his heart. This is he which received seed by the way side. 20 But he that
received the seed into stony places, the same is he that heareth the word, and
anon with joy receiveth it; 21 Yet hath he not root in
himself, but dureth for a while: for when tribulation or persecution ariseth
because of the word, by and by he is offended. 22 He also that
received seed among the thorns is he that heareth the word; and the care of
this world, and the deceitfulness of riches, choke the word, and he becometh
unfruitful. 23 But he that received seed
into the good ground is he that heareth the word, and understandeth it; which also beareth fruit, and
bringeth forth, some an hundredfold, some sixty, some thirty.
The
Parable of the Tares of the Field - Mt. 13:24-30, 36-43 -
36 Then Jesus sent
the multitude away, and went into the house: and his disciples came unto him, saying,
Declare unto us the parable of the tares of the field. 37 He answered and
said unto them, He that soweth the good seed is the Son of man; 38 The field is the world; the good seed are the
children of the kingdom; but the tares are the children of the wicked one; 39 The enemy that sowed them is the devil; the
harvest is the end of the world; and the reapers are the angels. 40 As therefore the
tares are gathered and burned in the fire; so shall it be in the end of this
world. 41 The Son of man shall send forth his angels, and they
shall gather out of his kingdom all things that offend, and them which do
iniquity; 42 And shall cast them into a furnace of fire: there
shall be wailing and gnashing of teeth. 43 Then shall the righteous
shine forth as the sun in the kingdom of their Father. Who hath ears to hear,
let him hear.
6.
The United Seed of God - Jn. 17:17-21 - 17
Sanctify them
through thy truth: thy word is truth. 18 As thou hast sent me into the world, even so have I also
sent them into the world. 19 And
for their sakes I sanctify myself, that they also might be sanctified through
the truth. 20 Neither
pray I for these alone, but for them also which shall believe on me through
their word; 21 That they
all may be one; as thou, Father, art
in me, and I in thee, that they also may be one in us: that the world may
believe that thou hast sent me.
7. The True Seed of Abraham -
Rom. 4:13-18 -
13 For the promise, that he should be
the heir of the world, was not to
Abraham, or to his seed, through the law, but through the righteousness of
faith. 14 For if they which are of the law be heirs, faith is made void, and the promise made of none effect:
15 Because the law worketh wrath: for where no law is, there is no transgression.
16 Therefore it is
of faith, that it might be by grace;
to the end the promise might be sure to all the seed; not to that only which is
of the law, but to that also which is of the faith of Abraham; who is the
father of us all, 17 (As it is written, I have made thee a father of many
nations,) before him whom he believed, even
God, who quickeneth the dead, and calleth those things which be not as though
they were. 18 Who against hope believed in hope, that he might
become the father of many nations; according to that which was spoken, So shall
thy seed be.
Gal. 3:16-19 - 16 Now to
Abraham and his seed were the promises made. He saith not, And to seeds, as of
many; but as of one, And to thy seed, which is Christ. 17 And this I
say, that the covenant, that was
confirmed before of God in Christ, the law, which was four hundred and thirty
years after, cannot disannul, that it should make the promise of none effect.
18 For if
the inheritance be of the law, it is no more of promise: but God gave it to Abraham by promise. 19 Wherefore then
serveth the law? It was added because
of transgressions, till the seed should come to whom the promise was made; and it was ordained by angels in the
hand of a mediator.
Gal. 3:29 -
And if ye be
Christ's, then are ye Abraham's seed, and heirs according to the promise.
8. The Seed of Christ - Heb.
2:13 - And again, I will put my
trust in him. And again, Behold I and the children which God
hath given me.
“He shall see his
seed. Isaiah means that the death of Christ not only can be no hinderance
to his having a seed, but will be the cause of his having offspring; that is,
because, by quickening the dead, he will procure a people for himself, whom he
will afterwards multiply more and more; and there is no absurdity in giving the
appellation of Christ’s seed to all believers, who are also brethren, because
they are descended from Christ.” [3]
“(1.)
That the Redeemer shall have a seed to serve him and to bear up his name, Ps.
22:30. True believers are the seed of Christ; the Father gave them to him to be
so, Jn. 17:6. He died to purchase and purify them to himself, fell to the
ground as a corn of wheat, that he might bring
forth much fruit, Jn. 12:24. The word, that incorruptible seed, of which
they are born again, is his word; the Spirit, the great author of their
regeneration, is his Spirit; and it is his image that is impressed upon them.
(2.)
That he shall live to see his seed. Christ’s children have a living Father, and
because he lives they shall live also, for he is their life. Though he died, he
rose again, and left not his children orphans, but took effectual care to
secure to them the spirit, the blessing, and the inheritance of sons. He shall
see a great increase of them; the word is plural, He shall see his seeds, multitudes of them, so many that they
cannot be numbered.” [4]
Conclusion:
Here are “Five Words” that you need to understand! He
shall see His seed
Is. 49:6-12 - 6 And he said, It is a light thing
that thou shouldest be my servant to raise up the tribes of Jacob, and to
restore the
preserved of Israel: I will also give thee for a light to the
Gentiles, that thou mayest be my salvation unto the end of the earth. 7 Thus saith the LORD, the
Redeemer of Israel, and his Holy One,
to him whom man despiseth, to him whom the nation abhorreth, to a servant of
rulers, Kings shall see and arise, princes also shall worship, because of the
LORD that is faithful, and the Holy
One of Israel, and he shall choose thee. 8 Thus saith the LORD, In an acceptable time have I heard
thee, and in a day of salvation have I helped thee: and I will preserve thee,
and give thee for a covenant of the people, to establish the earth, to cause to
inherit the desolate heritages; 9 That
thou mayest say to the prisoners, Go forth; to them that are in darkness, Shew yourselves. They shall feed in the ways, and
their pastures shall be in all high
places. 10 They
shall not hunger nor thirst; neither shall the heat nor sun smite them: for he
that hath mercy on them shall lead them, even by the springs of water shall he
guide them. 11 And I
will make all my mountains a way, and my highways shall be exalted. 12 Behold, these shall come from
far: and, lo, these from the north and from the west; and these from the land
of Sinim.
[Sermon preached 27
APR 2014 by Pastor John T. “Jack” Jeffery at Wayside Gospel Chapel, Greentown,
PA.]
Resources:
Willis J. Beecher, "The Servant", in The
Prophets and the Promise: Being For Substance the Lectures for 1902-1903 on the
L. P. Stone Foundation in the Princeton Theological Seminary (Grand Rapids:
Baker Book House, 1969 reprint of 1905 original by Thomas Y. Crowell &
Company Publishers, New York; reprinted in 2002 by Wipf & Stock,
Eugene, OR
), pp.
263-288; available as a free download on Google
Books at http://books.google.com/books?id=axsWAAAAYAAJ&printsec=frontcover#v=onepage&q&f=false
[accessed 8 APR 2014];
reprinted in Walter C. Kaiser, Jr., ed., Classical Evangelical Essays
in Old Testament Interpretation (Grand Rapids: Baker Book House, 1972; Portland, OR: Wipf & Stock,
2008), pp. 187-206, s.v. Ch. XII:
"Messianic Terms. The Servant".
Harry Bultema, Commentary
on Isaiah, trans. Cornelius Lambregtse (Grand Rapids: Kregel, 1981; from
Dutch orig., Practische Commentaar op Jesaja; Muskegon: Bereer
Publishing Co., 1923).
John Calvin, Isaiah,
in Calvin’s Commentaries, electronic
ed. (Albany, OR: Ages Software, 1998).
Matthew Henry, Matthew
Henry’s commentary on the whole Bible: Complete and unabridged in one volume
(Peabody, MA: Hendrickson, 1994).
F. Duane Lindsey, "Isaiah's Songs of the
Servant" (series of five articles), in Bibliotheca Sacra 139:553
(JAN-MAR 1982), pp. 12-27; 139:554 (APR-JUN 1982), pp. 129-143; 139:555
(JUL-SEP 1982), pp. 216-227; 139:556 (OCT-DEC 1982), pp. 312-325; and 140:557
(JAN-MAR 1983), pp. 21-36.
F. Duane Lindsey, The Servant Songs: A Study in Isaiah
(Chicago: Moody Press, 1985).
Allan A. MacRae, Studies
in Isaiah, ed. Stephen E. Michaels (Hatfield, PA: Interdisciplinary
Biblical Research Institute, 1995).
W. E. Vine, Isaiah:
Prophecies, Promises, Warnings (Grand Rapids: Zondervan Publishing
House, 1971).
E. J. Young, The
Book of Isaiah: The English Text, with Introduction, Exposition, and Notes,
3 vols., in The New International
Commentary on the Old Testament, series ed. R. K. Harrison (Grand Rapids:
William B. Eerdmans Publishing Co., 1965, 1969, 1972).
Appendix:
Here are “Five Words” that
you need to understand!
The Person of Christ – The Redeemer:
“Before Abraham was I am.” (Jn. 8:58) [7]
“I am Alpha and Omega.” (Rev. 1:8; 21:6; 22:13) [8]
“I am the Good Shepherd.” (Jn. 10:11) [9]
“I am the True Vine.” (Jn. 15:1) [10]
“He is Lord of all.” (Ac. 10:36) [“Jesus Christ
is the Lord.”]
“This is My Beloved Son.” (Mt. 3:17; 17:5)
“Behold the Lamb of God.” (Jn. 1:29, 36)
The Work of Christ (as Prophet, Priest and King) – Redemption
Accomplished:
“He called His Name Jesus.” (Mt. 1:25)
“He shall bear their iniquities.” (Is.
53:11)
“Christ died for our sins.” (1 Cor. 15:3)
“And that He was buried” (1 Cor. 15:4)
“He shall prolong His days.” (Is. 53:10)
“He rose from the dead.” (1 Cor. 15:12)
“I have overcome the world.” (Jn. 16:33)
“Sanctify them through the truth.” (Jn. 17:17)
“He shall see His seed.” (Is. 53:10)
The Salvation of Christ – Redemption Applied:
“He shall save His people.” (Mt. 1:21)
“Ye have not chosen Me.” (Jn. 15:16)
“Peace I leave with you.” (Jn. 14:27)
“By grace ye are saved.” (Eph. 2:5)
“Ye must be born again.” (Jn. 3:7)
“We have peace with God.” (Rom. 5:1)
“My sheep hear My voice.” (Jn. 10:27)
“Continue ye in My love.” (Jn. 15:9)
“I am crucified with Christ.” (Gal. 2:20)
“Buried with Him in baptism” (Rom. 6:4; Col. 2:12)
“Ye are risen with Him” (Col. 2:12)
“Get thee behind me, Satan” (Mt. 16:23; Mk.
8:33; Lk. 4:8)
The Return of Christ – Redemption Revealed:
“We look for the Savior.” (Phil. 3:20) [“Jesus Christ is
coming again.”]
“Blessed is he that readeth.” (Rev. 1:3)
“The time is at hand.” (Rev. 1:3; 22:10)
“Behold, He cometh with clouds.” (Rev. 1:7)
“I make all things new.” (Rev. 21:5) [“God wins in the
end!”]
“Even so, come, Lord Jesus.” (Rev. 22:20)
As of: 23 APR 2014
KEY:
Red = preached
Green = Incarnation
Blue = Resurrection
Purple = Revelation
Green/Blue/Purple and footnoted = preached
Review of the first 20 messages:
All 7 texts on "The Person of Christ - the
Redeemer", including:
1) four statements
Christ makes about Himself,
2) one Apostolic
testimony to His Lordship,
3) one testimony
of God the Father to His Sonship, and
4) one testimony
of John the Baptist to Him as the Lamb of God
Part One: John 8:58 - Before Abraham was, I am.
Part Two: Revelation 1:8 - I am Alpha and Omega
Part Three: John 10:11 - I am the Good Shepherd
Part Four: John 15:1 - I am the true vine
Part Five: Acts 10:36 - He is Lord of all
Part Six: Matthew 3:17; 17:5 - This is My Beloved Son
Part Eleven: John
1:29, 36 – Behold, the Lamb of God
6 of the 9 texts on "The Work of Christ (as Prophet,
Priest and King) – Redemption Accomplished" including:
1) Christ’s
substitutionary death on the Cross
2) Christ’s burial
3) Christ’s
resurrection
4) Christ's
intercession
Part Seven: 1 Corinthians
15:3 - Christ died for our sins
Part Eight: 1 Corinthians 15:4 - And that He was buried
Part Ten: 1 Cor. 15:12 - He rose from the dead.
Part
Twelve: John 17:17 - Sanctify them
through the truth
Part
Thirteen: John 16:33 - I have overcome
the world
Part Fifteen: Isaiah 53:11 - He shall bear their iniquities
1 of the 12 texts
on "The Salvation of Christ – Redemption Applied"
Part Nine: Mt. 16:23; Mk. 8:33; Lk. 4:8 - Get thee behind me, Satan
All 6 texts on "The Return of Christ – Redemption
Revealed" including:
Part Fourteen: Philippians 3:20 - we
look for the Saviour
5 messsages in the series on the Revelation:
Revelation 1:3 - Blessed
is he that readeth
Revelation 1:3; 22:10 - The time is at hand
Revelation 1:7 - Behold,
He cometh with clouds
Revelation 21:5 - I
make all things new (“God wins in the end!”)
Revelation 22:20 - Even
so, come, Lord Jesus
[1] E. J.
Young, The Book of Isaiah: The English Text, with Introduction,
Exposition, and Notes, 3 vols., in The
New International Commentary on the Old Testament, series ed. R. K.
Harrison (Grand Rapids: William B. Eerdmans Publishing Co., 1965, 1969, 1972),
3:355.
[3] John Calvin, Isaiah, in Calvin’s Commentaries, electronic ed. (Albany, OR: Ages Software, 1998),
s.v. Isaiah 53:10.
[4] Matthew Henry, Matthew Henry’s commentary on the
whole Bible: Complete and unabridged in one volume (Peabody, MA:
Hendrickson, 1994), pg. 1184.
Note: the pages numbers from the articles as posted
to Galaxie Software's Theological Journal Library do not correspond to those
listed by the author himself in his footnotes.
