40. Let us examine our ways and test them, and let us return to the LORD.
41. Let us lift up our hearts and our hands to God in heaven, and say:
42. "We have sinned and rebelled and you have not forgiven.
43. "You have covered yourself with anger and pursued us; you have slain without pity.
44. You have covered yourself with a cloud so that no prayer can get through.
45. You have made us scum and refuse among the nations.
46. "All our enemies have opened their mouths wide against us.
47. We have suffered terror and pitfalls, ruin and destruction."
48. Streams of tears flow from my eyes because my people are destroyed.
49. My eyes will flow unceasingly, without relief,
50. until the LORD looks down from heaven and sees.
51. What I see brings grief to my soul because of all the women of my city.
52. Those who were my enemies without cause hunted me like a bird.
53. They tried to end my life in a pit and threw stones at me;
54. the waters closed over my head, and I thought I was about to be cut off.
|
|
|
|
|
Reflection |
|
Representing God’s People (3:40–48)
The suffering servant has been expressing his personal thoughts and emotions for the first thirty-nine verses, but now he speaks on behalf of a group of people. He identifies himself as part of this group and calls them and challenges them to turn from their sin and return to the LORD. His prayer has important features that we should note. He starts off with where they are, not where they want to be or should be. He acknowledges the sin and rebellion of the people against God, and because of that, how God seems to have separated and hidden Himself from them in judgment. He also states that God’s judgment has made the people “scum and refuse among the nations” (v. 45). He is brutally honest and does not sugarcoat anything in his prayer.
Compassion for God’s People (3:49–54)
In these verses, we really see the heart that the suffering servant has for the group he is representing. He sees the destruction, torment, and sorrow that these people are enduring, so he pleads and cries out to God on their behalf in order that He may hear his prayer. Similarly, Jesus, the true Suffering Servant, constantly prays for us (Heb. 7:25) and represents us in the presence of the Father. His heart breaks and has compassion for God’s people. He was willing to be hunted like a bird, placed in a pit, and covered by stones (crucifixion and death) so that anyone who believes in Him would not have to be.
|
|
Application |
- Praying—especially interceding—for others is a privilege and something that we should do more often. How often do you pray or intercede for others or lead others in prayer and intercession before God?
- Have you ever doubted whether Jesus truly cares about you? Take encouragement from this passage and note the heart that Jesus has for His people—He prays for us fervently and passionately.
|
|
|
|
|
A Letter to
God |
|
Jesus, the true Suffering Servant, thank you for being my Intercessor and empathizing with me. I do not deserve the love and grace that You shower upon me daily. Please continue to transform and realign my attitude and heart to You. In Your mighty name. Amen.
|
|
|
|
|
|
