The Suffering Servant (Isa 52-53)

Isaiah 41-48 spoke of the restoration from Babylon. Cyrus of Persia would be God's instrument in restoring the people of God to Jerusalem. But at the end of chapter 48 we saw that the restoration from exile would not change anything. Israel, the Servant of the LORD, is still blind and deaf.

And so chapters 49-55 speak of a restoration beyond Babylon. There must be a Servant who will redeem the Servant - a righteous remnant that will bring salvation to Israel.

The problem is that Zion's sons have fainted in the streets. God has called Jerusalem to wake up and stand – but "there is none to guide her among all the sons she has borne." Even the house of David has failed (as we saw in chapters 1-37). Israel is so pathetic that they needed a foreign king (Cyrus) to deliver them (41-48).

But Isaiah promises that there will be one to whom the arm of the LORD will be revealed!