Tuesday, December 4, 2012

Rejected and Despised

photo credit to: some sweet soul on pinterest
Tonight I am struck by Isaiah 53. 

I know we are in the season of preparation, expectation and waiting for the King of Kings to come and rescue us - to come and give us hope.  Indeed, it is a sweet time of waiting.  Waiting for our Humble King...

But, I am struck again and again at what it cost Him. 

I am reading in my NLT and I am seeing that “He was despised and rejected - a man of sorrows, acquainted with deepest grief... We turned our backs on Him and looked the other way.  He was despised and we did not care.” (Isa. 53:3)  Yet it was our weaknesses He carried; it was our sorrows that weighed Him down. (vs. 4)

It was me - it was my sin that weighed Him down.  It was because I was weak that He was rejected and despised.  I would have looked the other way - and He was suffering, not because of something He did, but because of the many things I would do that would keep me from God if He didn't take it upon Himself. 

Oh my heart is grieved at the thought of that!  Verse 5 says that “He was beaten so we could be whole.  He was whipped so we could be healed.” 
He desires for me to be whole and healed.  Oh the thought of that... whole and healed.  Beautiful!

He was unjustly condemned.  Then, this sentence holds such beauty... “When He sees all that is accomplished by His anguish, He will be satisfied.”  This reminds me of, “and for the joy set before Him, He endured the cross...” (Heb. 12:2).  He is satisfied, even rejoices in the accomplishment of that anguish - of that rejection, of that grief!! 

That is so contrary to man!  I know myself.  I know that I do not enjoy being despised and rejected - no matter what it accomplishes!  In fact, over the last few years the Lord has shown me how greatly I am disrupted not to have the approval of man - in any area of my life.  I love to love - and I love to be loved.  I do not love to be rejected.  I do not love to be unjustly condemned.  These are things that I fight with everything I have against.  This would not be something that brought me joy - or satisfaction.  But, He knew.  He knows...  There was no other way.  I could never have been enough.  I couldn’t do it.  (Isaiah 64:6, “...all our righteous acts are like filthy rags...” and Romans 3:10, “There is no one righteous... No not one.” and Ro 3:20 which says that,  “no one can ever be made right with God by doing what the law commands.  The law simply shows us how sinful we are.” 

Amen. 

I will never be righteous like the Pharisees.  I am just not that disciplined.  Seriously, I can't even "diet" very well.  I can’t follow all those rules.  It gets far too heavy.  I am not excusing my sin - merely pointing out the obvious.  I am sinful.  I need a Savior - both for salvation and for the daily walking out of my faith.  Desperately!  Sometimes I am still shocked at the depth of my own darkness.  Sometimes I am still so disappointed that I can not walk perfectly.  He is so worthy!  He is so very worthy!!!  But, Jesus knew I couldn’t - and you couldn’t either.  And, He counted it as joy - and declared his anguish as satisfactory because of what it accomplished.  I do not understand love like that.  I do not possess love like that apart from Christ.  Truly, He alone can stir our hearts to love in such a selfless way. 

“And because of His experience, my righteous servant will make it possible for many to be counted righteous, for He will bear all their sins.”  Because of His love.  Because He was willing to be rejected over and over and considered a rebel - I can know eternity with a perfect and Holy God.  That is stunning.  Simply stunning. 

He has captured my heart.  I am ravished in my heart for a love like that.  A love that is willing to endure so much pain and suffering - so that I could have peace.  Whew. 

What a Savior!  What a King!  “O Come let us adore Him.  O come let us adore Him. O come let us adore Him. Christ the Lord.”