1Thus saith the LORD, Where is the bill of your mother's divorcement, whom I have put away? or which of my creditors is it to whom I have sold you? Behold, for your iniquities have ye sold yourselves, and for your transgressions is your mother put away.
2Wherefore, when I came, was there no man? when I called, was there none to answer? Is my hand shortened at all, that it cannot redeem? or have I no power to deliver? behold, at my rebuke I dry up the sea, I make the rivers a wilderness: their fish stinketh, because there is no water, and dieth for thirst.
3I clothe the heavens with blackness, and I make sackcloth their covering.
That is the opening lines of the King James Version of Isaiah chapter 50. It will be understood by the time the heavens are “clothed in blackness.” There are several mentions in various prophecies of this event, when the stars no longer shine, the sun is shrouded in darkness, and the moon no longer gives off its light.
Something else is given for us to understand. It says that God will “dry up the sea.” We know now that this is quite possible. We know it because scientists have been studying ice cores from glaciers around the world that indicate quiet clearly that during past “ice ages,” quite a lot of water was stored in the glaciers thus reducing the level of the oceans. That last major “ice age” was 12,000 years ago. We know that at that time, sea level was at least 500 feet less than it is now. We are being told that this will happen again. We know from science that it will begin to happen in just a matter of a few years from now. That is how we should know to expect the man who is being described in the next few lines.
4The Lord GOD hath given me the tongue of the learned, that I should know how to speak a word in season to him that is weary: he wakeneth morning by morning, he wakeneth mine ear to hear as the learned.
5The Lord GOD hath opened mine ear, and I was not rebellious, neither turned away back.
6I gave my back to the smiters, and my cheeks to them that plucked off the hair: I hid not my face from shame and spitting.
He is describing his self, and what he will have to deal with when he gets here. We are being told that he will be “learned,” and quite capable of understanding and also explaining what is going on, from a religious as well as a scientific viewpoint. He will come along “in season,” to explain all this to the “weary.” The “weary” is a description of people’s attitudes who will be present when it’s time for his arrival. They will be tired of waiting, and will have “sold their selves,” as described in the opening lines of this chapter.
He will have to take a lot of punishment from people when he arrives, and starts explaining to people what is going on. Those who were “tired of waiting,” and sold their selves will despise him. We are being told to expect that, and his reaction to that. He will NOT be accepted initially, as those who grew “weary” have taught us. He will do his “job” anyway, and take their abuse.
7For the Lord GOD will help me; therefore shall I not be confounded: therefore have I set my face like a flint, and I know that I shall not be ashamed.
8He is near that justifieth me; who will contend with me? let us stand together: who is mine adversary? let him come near to me.
9Behold, the Lord GOD will help me; who is he that shall condemn me? lo, they all shall wax old as a garment; the moth shall eat them up.
He will be “cocky,” and challenge those who think they should take him on. He will invite them to “bring it on,” and then watch them “deteriorate.” That doesn’t sound like the Messiah that is presented to us by those who grew “weary” of waiting, and created their own version of him, does it?
10Who is among you that feareth the LORD, that obeyeth the voice of his servant, that walketh in darkness, and hath no light? let him trust in the name of the LORD, and stay upon his God.
That line is telling us to NOT be ashamed because you have “no light.” It’s telling us to “trust in the name of the LORD,” our God, and “his servant.” In a round about way, it is telling us to ignore those who claim to possess the “light.”
11Behold, all ye that kindle a fire, that compass yourselves about with sparks: walk in the light of your fire, and in the sparks that ye have kindled. This shall ye have of mine hand; ye shall lie down in sorrow.
That is a warning to all those “weary” souls that tried to create their own “light.” They shall “lie down in sorrow,” because they will not listen to the “servant” of God, the true Messiah, when he arrives. Could that be because they tried to create their own version of the Messiah? Did they try to make a Messiah out of the wrong man, and then try to maintain their dignity after doing so?
Did the heavens turn black when their Messiah showed up? Did the seas dry up?
“This shall ye have of mine hand; ye shall lie down in sorrow.” The “servant of God” will let the ones who claim to “come in his name,” with their own “light” perish in “sorrow.”
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