When I Survey
H. Hoeksema
Book 6, Chapter 5
Forsaken and Rejected

"He is despised and rejected of men..." (Isaiah 53:3)

Our theme in these lenten meditations is still the Suffering Servant of the Lord.

This time we wish to discuss this theme in the light of Isaiah 53:3: "He is despised and rejected of men; a man of sorrows, and acquainted with grief: and we hid as it were our faces from him; he was despised, and we esteemed him not."

Instead of the clause, "He is rejected of men", the Dutch translation has, "Hij was de onwaardigste onder de menschen", that is, "He was the most unworthy of men." This is possible as far as the meaning of the Hebrew word for "rejected" or "forsaken" is concerned. But the word for "men" in the text does not refer to the common people, but to men of rank and position and esteem among the nation. And if we would translate the clause, "He was rejected of men", by "He was the most unworthy of men", He would nevertheless still be classified with men of rank and position; and this certainly is not the meaning of the text. He was not the most unworthy of the men of importance and influence; but He was entirely outside of them. He could not be classified with them, and He had no position whatever among them. He does not take the last place among men of reputation and influence; but the text rather affirms that He had no place among them whatsoever. And therefore we prefer the English translation, presenting this Suffering Servant of the Lord as rejected or forsaken of men. Men of rank refused to have anything to do with Him, denied Him any assistance, left Him without help or support. The chief men of the Jewish nation, who towered far above the multitude, as well as the great men of the world, drew back from Him. None of the men of rank took His part and were on His side. Such is evidently the meaning of the text.

The text is a continuation of verses 1 and 2. There the prophet had asked the question, "Who hath believed our report? And to whom is the arm of the Lord revealed?" It was apparently so unbelievable, in fact, so humanly impossible, that the Man Whom the prophet saw in his prophetic vision could possibly be the arm of the Lord, Who was to redeem and deliver Israel. For the prophet saw Him in his prophetic vision as one who grew up before the face of God as a tender plant, as a sucker, as a parasite, and, as a root in a dry ground, from which there is no expectation whatsoever. He appeared without form or comeliness, and there was no beauty in Him that anyone could possibly desire Him. Who then could possibly believe the report concerning this Servant of Jehovah? Who of the children of men as such did ever believe it? Now in the words of verse 3 the result of this opinion of men concerning Him is expressed. Because there was no beauty, because there was no form nor comeliness in this Servant of the Lord, therefore He had no position in the world; therefore He was despised and forsaken; therefore, as well as because of the added fact that He was a man of sorrows and acquainted with grief, men hid their faces from Him, and He found no esteem among the children of men, particularly not among the men of rank.

And what is the attitude over against this Suffering Servant of the Lord today? Who believes the report of Isaiah?

Do you? If you do, this certainly cannot possibly be of yourself. No natural man will ever believe the report concerning this Suffering Servant of Jehovah. Do not be too certain that you will believe His preaching, that you will embrace Him, that you will put your trust in His name, that you will be willing to bear His cross and share with Him the suffering of this present time. Perhaps the Christ of your imagination may be entirely different from the Savior of the Scriptures. Do not weep over Him because He is the Man of Sorrows, and acquainted with grief. He certainly does not ask for and demand your sympathy. And do not be too hasty to shout your Hosannas. The tears you shed over Him may quickly dry up when you look at His real appearance. And the enthusiasm of your Hosannas soon dies away. For He is not a Jesus that is highly esteemed of men, especially not of the men of position and rank in this world, as we already said. He is not a man who readily adapts Himself to all classes of society, and becomes popular. He did not come to improve the world. He did not appear in the world as an example for all men to follow. He is not the ideal man who indeed failed to receive recognition by His contemporaries because the men of that day did not understand Him, but Who today in a more enlightened and civilized world, which aims at better things, will be acknowledged in His true worth and received with enthusiasm. That Jesus of your imagination is a mere dream. He never did exist, and certainly does not exist today.

The Servant of the Lord was in the world always despised, rejected, and forsaken; and He still is. Throughout the history of the world men always heaped contempt on Him. He was forsaken and rejected of men, One from Whom everyone hid his face, Who was a stranger even to His brethren. Whenever even a reflection of this Servant of the Lord appeared in history, there the world raved and raged, there men shook their heads in contempt, there they stuck out their tongue, there they whetted their swords and kindled the fires at the stake, there they filled the prison cells, and there they always raised the accursed tree, to annihilate, if possible, the Servant of the Lord.

He was despised and forsaken of men.

To be despised and forsaken refers to one's reputation. And without a reputation no one can have a place and influence in the world. To be sure, to gain a position in the midst of society it is of significance that one has ability and power, and that his appearance makes an impression upon men. But public opinion, one's name and honor of men, one's reputation, is almost of still greater significance. When one has not any special power and ability, but knows how to maintain a good reputation with men, one can gain and preserve one's position in the midst of the world. But in the last analysis it becomes impossible to stand over against public opinion, no matter how much ability and power, and no matter how many gifts and talents one may have. Hence, it is of the greatest significance what men say of you, and especially men of position and rank and influence in the world.

With them the Servant of the Lord was despised. Men hid their faces from Him.

And this, as was said before, and as the text indicates, was especially true of the great men in the church and in the world. The text does not refer so much to the common people. With them the Lord was not despised, at least not for a long time. As the Lord Himself expresses it in Matt. 11:25: "At that time Jesus answered and said, I thank thee, O Father, Lord of heaven and earth, because thou hast hid these things from the wise and prudent, and hast revealed them unto babes." The babes heard Him gladly, and followed Him. To the Galilean fishermen the Father revealed indeed that this Servant of the Lord was the Christ, the Son of the living God. But these babes were not men of importance and of influence in the church and the world. When they would say something about the Christ of God, the Pharisees and scribes characterized them in these words: "This people that know not the law are cursed." But the text refers to people who were leaders in church and state, people with knowledge, who understood the law and the prophets, and who could teach the common people. The text refers to men of influence, who assumed leadership, who occupied important positions in the world, men whom the common people respected highly. They were members of the Sanhedrin, Pharisees, scribes, and priests. They were men to whom the majority of the people looked for leadership, and whom they followed.

With these the Servant of the Lord was despised, and He was forsaken of them.

The text uses the strongest terms to express this. He was despised and forsaken of men. And therefore we, who belonged to the common people, esteemed Him not. He was not only refused a place in society and in the world and in the church, but He had a very evil reputation. Everyone hid his face from Him. He was so horribly bad that when people passed Him on the street, they turned away their heads and refused to speak to Him. That is the meaning of the text. And such was the case with the Servant of the Lord in reality.

This was the history of the Servant of the Lord under the old dispensation. We must remember, as I said before, that this Servant of the Lord, Whom Isaiah describes in his prophecy, is centrally indeed the Messiah, the Christ of God. But nevertheless it is also the nation of Israel and the people of God throughout the ages. And O, how it was always despised and rejected, and hated by all men! Egypt intended to choke Him in the waters of the Nile. In the terrible desert the enemy from within and from without attempted to annihilate Him. Moab and Edom, Amalek and Midian, Philistia and Assyria wanted to obliterate Him from the face of the earth. As I said before, in Haman's time the mighty empire of Persia made plans to extinguish Him. And Antiochus Epiphanes scourged His back even unto death. A plaything of the nations was the Servant of the Lord. Even His own ungodly brethren according to the flesh despised Him utterly. Well indeed might Israel complain in the words of Psalm 129:1-3: "Many a time they afflicted me from my youth, let Israel now say: Many a time have they afflicted me from my youth: yet they have not prevailed against me. The plowers plowed upon my back: they made long their furrows." And there was indeed reason for the prayer of Psalm 123:3,4: "Have mercy upon us, O Lord, have mercy upon us: for we are exceedingly filled with contempt. Our soul is exceedingly filled with the scorning of those that are at ease, and with the contempt of the proud."

Thus it was with the Servant of the Lord throughout the old dispensation.

Isaiah, however, now beholds Him as He appears in the fulness of time, the Servant of the Lord par excellence, the very heart of the seed of the woman, as He appears in the Person of Immanuel. He beholds Him as He finally appears as a sort of parasite, as a tender plant, as a root out of a dry ground. He beholds Him as the One Who is more despised than anyone, Who is rejected and forsaken by all, from Whom all hid their faces. No, do not make a mistake. As Isaiah beholds Him, He is not the forgotten one, the unknown, Whom everyone passes without taking any notice. On the contrary, He stands in the midst of the world, where everyone must take note of Him. He appears in the public marketplace of life, where all come into contact with Him, especially men of renown, of power and authority, of position and learning. These scribes, the Pharisees, the high priests, and those that serve in the sanctuary, yet also the common people and His brethren according to the flesh, yea, even the powers of heathendom, come into contact with Him and take note of Him. The whole world beholds Him and forms an opinion of Him, and is compelled to express its inmost thoughts concerning Him. And all despise and reject Him, consider Him a fool, an impossible man, who cannot adapt Himself to the life of the world, a man with whom no one can do anything, an outcast.

Thus the prophet beholds Him in his prophetic vision.

And thus it was in reality.

O, how deeply He was despised, and how universally He was made an object of contempt! Among men in the world and among those who occupied a foremost place in society and in the church, He had no name and place. If you asked the scribes, the chief priests of Israel, the Pharisees, and the leaders of the people about Him, they answered that He was a deceiver of the people, who must scrupulously be avoided as a dangerous man. They answered that He was a glutton and a winebibber, and a friend of publicans and sinners. They said that He was an ally of Beelzebub, who performed His signs and wonders through the power of the prince of darkness. They said that He was not ashamed to utter the most awful blasphemies, making Himself the Son of God, that He was a rebel, a revolutionary, a man worthy of death. And although an enthusiasic crowd for a time followed Him and shouted their Hosannas, they too finally forsook Him and left Him alone. Literally He becomes rejected and forsaken of all, despised by everyone. No one ultimately takes His side. One of His own disciples offers Him for sale for the price of a slave. Another one denies Him publicly in the face of His enemies. All the others flee away, and leave Him alone, not being able to carry the load of His shame and contempt any more. And when He finally stands alone, forsaken by all, then men heap all the contempt upon Him that could possibly arise in the minds of ungodly men. They utter false testimony against Him. They condemn Him to death. They mock Him and spit in His face. They hit Him and scourge His back. They crown Him with the mock crown of thorns, put a mock scepter in His hands, put a robe of mock royalty about His shoulders, and offer Him mock obeisance. Thus they hang Him on the accursed tree, despised and rejected by all the world, forsaken by all men. Leaders of the people and Caiaphas, soldiers and officers -- the whole world despises Him. He is the reproach of all. Or, as the prophet has it, "we hid as it were our faces from him; he was despised, and we esteemed him not."

The question may be asked: why is He so despised? What may be the cause of this profound reproach? Why is all this contempt heaped upon Him? Why was He so universally the object of disdain and hatred? Was He, perhaps, a man who always stood in everyone's way? Did He always push Himself to the foreground in human life? Did He aim at greatness in the world, at glory and power and honor of men? Did He, perhaps, aspire to become king?

The very contrary is true. In the world as such He did not even attempt to take a place. He was born at the very edge of the world. His house was a stable, His cradle a manger. In His sojourn in the world He testifies Himself that foxes have holes, and birds of the air have nests, but the Son of Man has no place where to lay His head.

The cause of this contempt and hatred must undoubtedly be found in the very fact that He was the Man of Sorrows, acquainted with grief.

Such a man the world does not want. In Him they find no beauty that they should desire Him. The world looks for power and wisdom that is from below, looks for a man who is filled with majesty and glory, in whom they may put their trust instead of in the living God. But this Servant of the Lord is the Man of Sorrows. That is His very name. It is not that He merely suffered as every man suffers, and occasionally is steeped in sorrow as every man is. Such a man even the world does not despise. He is the object of pity and sympathy. Also in the world men shed a tear at the bed of one who is sick, mourn over the dead, and place flowers on the graves. But of such pity and manifestation of sympathy the Servant of the Lord never was an object. Even when He is finally hanging on the accursed tree, when He is literally cursed and crushed in body and soul, when He hangs on the cross with a bloody back, and the blood slowly trickling from His hands and feet, even when the world would shed a tear over the suffering of its most bitter enemy and the most hardened criminal -- even then there is no pity for the Man of Sorrows, even then they continue to mock Him and to heap contempt upon His head with a hatred that can never be satiated.

Why? Once more, because He was the Man of Sorrows. That was His very name. For the very purpose of suffering sorrow and grief He came into the world. To bear sorrows was the choice of His life. Intentionally, willingly He chose the way of suffering. They offered His a scepter and a crown, but He declined the honor, and chose the cross. All the kingdoms of the world were offered Him, but instead He steadfastly set His face to Jerusalem, in order to walk the way of sorrow and suffering and death. He came into the world in order to be the Man of Sorrows. Despising all the honor of men and all the glory of the world, He steadfastly chose the cup of suffering and agony, in order to empty that cup even to the dregs. And as such, as the Man of Sorrows and acquainted with grief, He stood before the face of the Father, and became obedient in the way of suffering even unto death, yea, the death of the cross. And again, as such, as the Man of Sorrows, He proclaimed loudly to all that could hear: "I am the arm of Jehovah." He proclaimed and still proclaims to all the world: "In my sorrows and sufferings there is salvation and bliss eternal." To all He proclaimed and still proclaims: "Only when you eat my flesh, can your hunger be satisfied forever; only when you drink my blood, can your thirst eternally be quenched. For your misery is your sin, and the basis of your death is the guilt of sin. In my blood there is reconciliation and forgiveness. In my sorrows lies the secret of your redemption. In my death is your deliverance. Therefore I, the Man of Sorrows, am the arm of the Lord." Thus we can understand that exactly because He was the Man of Sorrows, He was despised and forsaken of men.

Who hath believed our report? And to whom is the arm of the Lord revealed?

Certainly, this Suffering Servant of the Lord, this Man of Sorrows, is not and cannot be revealed to the wise and prudent. The world does not and never will and never can believe the report of Isaiah about the Christ of God. The natural man can never recognize the arm of the Lord in the Man of Sorrows. For the Jews require a sign, and the Greeks seek after wisdom. The world wants power and glory, wisdom, and an arm of flesh. Of the Man of Sorrows, Who always stands for the cause of God in the midst of a sinful and corrupt world, they will have nothing. In One Who proclaims that the deepest misery of the world is its guilt and sin, and Who proclaims that in His blood there is redemption and remission, and therefore deliverance from sin and death, they will never confide. In such a One they will never seek their salvation. For the world does not know its sin and iniquity in the true, spiritual sense of the word. It does not know the sorrow over sin. For that reason the natural man despises this Man of Sorrows, Who came as the light of the world.

Yet, even through the means of this reproach and shame, heaped upon the Suffering Servant of the Lord, the God of heaven and earth executes His counsel of redemption. The blood of reconciliation was shed upon the altar of God's righteousness and justice. And through that blood the people of God are redeemed forever.

Who hath believed our report?

Only he who knows his sin and misery as they are revealed to him by the Spirit of God in Jesus Christ our Lord through the Word of the gospel, only he who in contrition of heart and brokenness of spirit is filled with the sorrow after God, knows and understands that this Man of Sorrows, without form or comeliness, despised and forsaken of men, and even forsaken of God, is the arm of the Lord.

It is indeed the Man of Sorrows Who always speaks of God and Who always stands for the cause of God and His covenant in the midst of the world, Who is the powerful, mighty arm of Jehovah whereby the guilt of sin was obliterated, the powers of death and hell are crushed, death is forever overcome, righteousness and life are revealed, the covenant of God is maintained and established forever.

To whom is the arm of the Lord revealed? Who hath believed the report of Isaiah?

Only the babes, to whom the Christ of God is revealed by His Spirit and Word.

Through that Spirit and by the Word of the gospel they become broken-hearted, filled with sorrow after God, and mourn over their sin. Their minds God enlightens. For them the wisdom of the world becomes foolishness, the foolishness of God. They seek the cause of God's covenant. They hunger and thirst after righteousness. They receive a place in their hearts for the Man of Sorrows. And they behold in Him His true form and comeliness. And they desire His beauty.

And in the midst of the world that still heaps contempt upon the Man of Sorrows they confess with joy of heart: "Thou art my Savior and Redeemer, my God, in Whom I trust, my only comfort in life and death."

May God give us grace to believe on His name!