D. Scott Meadows

“All we like sheep have gone astray; we have turned every one to his own way; and the Lord hath laid on him the iniquity of us all.” —Isaiah 53.6

Here a confession of sin common to all the elect people of God. They have all fallen, and therefore, in common chorus, they all say, from the first who entered heaven to the last who shall enter there, “All we like sheep have gone astray.”

The confession, while thus unanimous, is also special and particular: “We have turned every one to his own way.” There is a peculiar sinfulness about every one of the individuals; all are sinful, but each one with some special aggravation not found in his fellow. It is the mark of genuine repentance that while it naturally associates itself with other penitents, it also takes up a position of loneliness. “We have turned every one to his own way,” is a confession that each man had sinned against light peculiar to himself, or sinned with an aggravation which he could not perceive in others.

This confession is unreserved; there is not a word to detract from its force, nor a syllable by way of excuse. The confession is a giving up of all pleas of self-righteousness. It is the declaration of men who are consciously guilty—guilty with aggravations, guilty without excuse: they stand with their weapons of rebellion broken in pieces, and cry, “All we like sheep have gone astray; we have turned every one to his own way.”

Yet we hear no dolorous wailings attending this confession of sin; for the next sentence makes it almost a song. “The Lord hath laid on him the iniquity of us all.” It is the most grievous sentence of the three, but it overflows with comfort. Strange is it that where misery was concentrated mercy reigned; where sorrow reached her climax weary souls find rest. The Saviour bruised is the healing of bruised hearts. See how the lowliest penitence gives place to assured confidence through simply gazing at Christ on the cross!

—C. H. Spurgeon, Morning and Evening, 3 April PM

On Isaiah 53.6

Found in the fourth “servant song” in Isaiah (42.1–4; 49.1–6; 50.4–7; 52.13–53.12), Isaiah 53.6 is part of an Old Testament passage that has been called “the fifth gospel,” so clear and compelling is the prophet’s testimony to the Person and work of Christ Jesus. Here our Lord is revealed in Isaiah as the suffering Servant of Jehovah. Language about His suffering is prevalent throughout Isaiah 53. The question of every thoughtful reader surely is, “Why must this holy Servant suffer?” He is the One in whom Jehovah delights, having the Spirit of God without measure and serving as God’s instrument of justice (Isa 42.1; cf. John 3.34). It would seem a travesty of justice that Providence should afflict Him so severely!

The answer Isaiah gives is that the Lord’s Servant suffers not for His own sins or faults, since He is righteousness itself, but for the sins and guilt of others. It is by His union and communion with them that He becomes their Savior. The previous verse, Isaiah 53.5, testifies to this very movingly by its graphic vocabulary, literary structure, and inherent pathos.

Having expressed holy wonder at such a legal arrangement whereby the innocent suffers for the guilty according to God’s sovereign plan announced centuries before the event, Isaiah becomes the contrite and hopeful spokesman for all who believe this good news. Spurgeon elaborates very pastorally with good insight in his devotional message on verse six, and so makes an excellent use of the text for our spiritual edification.

The structure of this devotional message

I. A common or universally-shared confession of sin
II. A special or individually-tailored confession of sin
III. An unreserved confession of sin, without excuse and mitigation
IV. The comforting hope of Jesus’ sacrifice for such humbled sinners

Points for further reflection

1. The church of believers as a whole confesses its sin. In fact, this is a distinguishing mark of Christ’s true church. Where else do you find people gathering to admit, enumerate, mourn, and repudiate their inherent sinfulness as an act of worship in prayer to God? Alleged churches where such confessions of sin are never heard are surely apostate counterfeits! In substance, the confession that “all we like sheep have gone astray” is essential to Christian worship, for this glorifies the Great Shepherd who finds and recovers us.

2. Individual Christians confess their sins in particular. To sit in a congregation confessing that we are all sinners is not the extent of a believer’s voluntary humiliation before God. Each one admits this sad reality about himself or herself, both in general and in particular. Private confession of specific sins to God is to be our daily discipline. “It is not enough to confess your sins in the lump, in the general; but in prayer you must take particular notice of your right-eye sin, your right-hand sin” (Puritan Sermons 1.64). “True penitential confession is full as well as free. That confession is not sincere that is not full. God loves neither halting nor mincing confessions. As penitential confessions are not extorted, so they are not [restricted]. Sin must be confessed in its particular species and parts; all known sins must be confessed fully, plainly, particularly” (Works of Thomas Brooks 3.403).

3. Christ alone, without any contribution from us, is our confidence for justification before God. Our thorough repudiation of any personal righteousness or merit in His sight illustrates this.

4. The message of Christ crucified for sinners frees us to be joyful and hopeful despite our moral pollution and fearful guilt apart from Christ. The conviction of God’s law must not quench our thorough enjoyment of His gospel! We are fully accepted in Christ (Eph 1.6). Ω