ISAIAH 53 SERIES: SHEEPS FOR KEEPS
ISAIAH 53:6 | #Isaiah53
PERSON IN THE CONGREGATION READS ISAIAH 53
READ ISAIAH 53:1-12 (ESV)
“Who has believed what he has heard from us? And to whom has the arm of the Lord been revealed? 2 For He grew up before Him like a young plant, and like a root out of dry ground; He had no form or majesty that we should look at Him, and no beauty that we should desire Him. 3 He was despised and rejected by men, a Man of Sorrows and acquainted with grief; and as One from Whom men hide their faces He was despised, and we esteemed Him not. 4 Surely, He has borne our griefs and carried our sorrows; yet we esteemed Him stricken, smitten by God, and afflicted. 5 But He was pierced for our transgressions; He was crushed for our iniquities; upon Him was the chastisement that brought us peace, and with His wounds we are healed. 6 All we like sheep have gone astray; we have turned—every one—to his own way; and the Lord has laid on a Him the iniquity of us all. 7 He was oppressed, and He was afflicted, yet He opened not His mouth; like a lamb that is led to the slaughter, and like a sheep that before its shearers is silent, so He opened not His mouth. 8 By oppression and judgment He was taken away; and as for His generation, who considered that He was cut off out of the land of the living, stricken for the transgression of my people? 9 And they made His grave with the wicked and with a rich man in His death, although He had done no violence, and there was no deceit in His mouth. 10 Yet it was the will of the Lord to crush Him; He has put Him to grief; when His soul makes an offering for guilt, He shall see His offspring; He shall prolong his days; the will of the Lord shall prosper in His hand. 11 Out of the anguish of his soul he shall see and be satisfied; by His knowledge shall the Righteous One, My Servant, make many to be accounted righteous, and He shall bear their iniquities. 12 Therefore I will divide Him a portion with the many, and He shall divide the spoil with the strong, because He poured out His soul to death and was numbered with the transgressors; yet He bore the sin of many, and makes intercession for the transgressors.”
INTRODUCTION… FAMOUS SHEEP
Our topic today, based on Isaiah 53:6, is related to sheep. Sheep are fluffy domesticated mammals kept as livestock that eat plants and then re-eat the same plants over and over throughout the day. They typically weigh between 99-350 pounds. They live generally 10-12 years unless a wolf munches on them for lunch. A collective term for sheep is flock, fold, or herd. Baby sheep are called cosset, lamb, or lambkin.
I was thinking about sheep and wondered about some famous sheep of which you and I may have heard. Sheep aren’t like lions or bears or sharks that seem to have a lot of celebrities or movie deals, but there are a few famous sheep in history and pop culture. There are a few notable ones:
Dolly the Sheep: Perhaps the most famous sheep of all time, Dolly was the first mammal to be cloned. She was grown in 1996 in Scotland and became a major scientific breakthrough. Dolly lived from July 5, 1996 to February 14, 2003 and died of lung disease… I think because she was a chain smoker, but I couldn’t get confirmation of that.
Shrek the Sheep: Shrek was a merino sheep from New Zealand who became famous for hiding out in a cave for six years to avoid being shorn. When he was finally found in 2004, he had an enormous fleece weighing over 60 pounds. Shrek became a media sensation and a symbol of individuality and freedom. Shrek even went to parliament to meet the NZ prime minister.
Lamb Chop: Created by puppeteer Shari Lewis, Lamb Chop is a hand puppet sheep who became famous on television shows in the 1950s and 1960s. Lamb Chop was known for her charming and mischievous personality, and she became an iconic figure in children's entertainment. Lamb Chop first appeared on Captain Kangaroo in 1956 and now performs with Shari Lewis’ daughter who describes her as “a liberal Jewish democrat.”
Shaun the Sheep: The star of the British animated series Shaun the Sheep, created by Aardman Animations. Shaun is a clever and adventurous sheep who leads a flock of sheep on various escapades. The show, which is a spin-off from the Wallace and Gromit films, is known for its charming stop-motion animation and has won numerous awards. With over 170 episodes, Shaun the Sheep is one of the longest running animated series on British TV.
These sheeps have made their mark in different ways, from scientific achievements to internet icons to comedy gold. Again, as I read over Isaiah 53:6, the reference to sheep bubbled to the top for me and directs our attention in this verse to some major Truth.
SERIES REMINDER
We are currently in a sermon series focusing on Isaiah 53. Isaiah 52-53 focus on Someone called “the Suffering Servant” and based on normal interpretation of this passage; we see this Person being Jesus Christ. Isaiah 53 records for us a dynamic and important prophecy of prediction about Jesus and what He would do and endure. We should not overlook that 700 years before Jesus was born, lived, ministered, and died; a prophet of God looked forward inspired by the Holy Spirit and predicted some of what He would accomplish.
Isaiah is counted in the Major Prophets of the Old Testament with 66 chapters. We are just looking at chapter 53. Chapter 53 has solid teaching, reproof, correction, and training in righteousness (2 Timothy 3:16) because Isaiah 53 is God’s Word. Let’s look further into Isaiah 53 today as we focus on verse 6.
RE-READ ISAIAH 53:6 (ESV)
“All we like sheep have gone astray; we have turned—every one—to his own way; and the Lord has laid on a Him the iniquity of us all.”
As we dig into the meaning about verse 6, we first have to understand sheep and perhaps why God through Isaiah puts salvation and the Suffering Servant in terms of these domesticated-puffy-pillow-animals. To understand the basics, we will talk about sheep using the acrostic S-H-E-E-P.
WE NEED TO KNOW ABOUT S-H-E-E-P
S is for SOCIAL. Sheep are highly social animals that form strong bonds with other sheep, especially those in their flock. The flock is a place of safety and connection. I read from one veterinarian that sheep can be stressed if isolated from their flock. When sheep experience stress or isolation, they show signs of depression similar to those that humans by hanging their heads and avoiding positive actions like eating or moving away from danger. I can imagine that a sheep isolated from its herd might just plop down and die because they don’t know where to go or how to be by themselves.
H is for HEARING. Sheep have a well-developed sense of hearing and can detect a wide range of sounds. That makes sense given the size I’ve seen of most sheep’s ears in pictures. Sheep have excellent hearing. They can amplify and pinpoint sound with their ears. In fact, sound arrives at each ear at a different time, which sounds weird to me (pun intended). Sheep are often frightened by sudden loud noises, such as yelling or loud barking dogs. In response to loud noises and other unnatural baaahd sounds, sheep become nervous and more difficult to handle and go a little crazy. This is due to the release of stress hormones. To minimize stress, the shepherd should speak in a quiet, calm, soothing voice.
E is for EMOTIONS. I don’t know how we know this, but sheep can experience a range of emotions, including: fear, anger, rage, despair, boredom, disgust, and happiness. I guess someone interviewed a whole bunch of sheep about their emotional health and that is how we know. Like various other species including humans, sheep make different vocalizations to communicate different emotions. That means some baaahs are baaahd and some baaahs are good. They also display and recognize emotion by facial expressions of those people who tend them. A vet commented that sheep respond positively to smiling faces. Who knew!?
E is for EXCEPTIONAL FOLLOWERS. Sheep are exceptionally good followers. When one sheep moves, the rest will follow, even if it does not seem to be a good idea. This is where sheep get the reputation of being stupid. For example: The flocking and following instinct of sheep is so strong that it caused the death of 400 sheep in 2006 in eastern Turkey. The sheep plunged to their death after one of the sheep tried to cross a 50-foot deep ravine, and the rest of the flock followed. Even from birth, lambs learn to follow the older members of the flock without fail. The more dominant members of the flock usually lead, followed by the submissive ones. If there is a ram in the flock, he usually leads. The bigger the horns the better probably.
P is for PERIPHERAL VISION. Sheep, lambs, and rams and other sheep-type animals have amazing peripheral vision. Their large, rectangular pupils allow them to see almost 360 degrees. In fact, they can see behind themselves without turning their heads! That sounds strange. In humans, only mothers have eyes in the back of their heads, but apparently it is a run-of-the-mill skill for sheeps.
TRANSITION
As we dig into the meaning about verse 6, we also have to understand how sheep and shepherds are often a metaphor used in the Bible.
SHEEP IN THE BIBLE
The Bible frequently uses sheep as a metaphor to convey various spiritual and moral truths. Often, the people of Israel are called sheep. Leaders are called shepherds. It was an agrarian society so sheep and shepherds were important to them; using sheep as a metaphor just makes sense.
In the Old Testament, in Exodus, Leviticus, and Deuteronomy as well as the historical books, sheep were used in sacrificial offerings to God symbolizing atonement and purification. The sheep was the stand in substitute for the person and the sheep died because the person sinned. Think of the sheep’s death as a spiritual band-aid. We also see most significantly, in Exodus 12, where lambs were sacrificed and the blood of those lambs was used to mark the homes of the Israelites to protect the Israelites from the final plague in Egypt. Also, sheep and goats were part of the Day of Atonement when the whole nation as one asked God for forgiveness (Leviticus 16). Keep this in mind as we will come back to the Day of Atonement later.
I cannot help but think of Psalm 23 where David describes God as the Shepherd. If He’s the Shepherd then we are the sheep. David was trying to communicate God’s careful care and guidance for His people in all the places we go and wherever we are. We are the sheep in His Hand.
In the New Testament, Jesus describes Himself as the Good Shepherd in John 10. Jesus is emphasizing His role in caring for His followers and laying down His life for them. This metaphor highlights the sacrificial and protective nature of Jesus' ministry and His purpose. This then makes believers in Jesus… sheep. We are the sheep in His pasture; we belong to His flock. We look to God for guidance and protection. There is also another great example in Matthew 18, where Jesus tells a parable about a shepherd who leaves 99 sheep to find one that is lost. This illustrates God's care for each individual and His love for us.
In the New Testament, there is a shocking passage in Matthew 25 when Jesus teaches about Judgment Day by using a metaphor about sheep and goats. In Jesus’ parable, the sheep represent those who have lived righteously; while the goats represent those who have not. There is a difference for the eternal destiny of each group is vastly different.
The point I am trying to make is that the Bible often uses sheep, shepherds, goats, lambs, and other related cattle animals to make spiritual truth known to us. It was used before Isaiah and it was used after Isaiah. This is metaphor and symbolism that the people Isaiah was writing to would have understood. We need to understand all of this for verse 6 to make sense.
RE-READ ISAIAH 53:6 (ESV)
“All we like sheep have gone astray; we have turned—every one—to his own way; and the Lord has laid on a Him the iniquity of us all.”
So now… how is the metaphor of sheep specifically used in verse 6?
SHEEP IN VERSE 6
Verse 6 in Isaiah 53 uses sheep in two ways.
The first way, sheep are used in Isaiah 53:6 is in describing us (me and you). The sheep are described as “gone astray” and “turn[ing] [their] own way.” If you did not catch it, Isaiah is talking about sin. He is talking about us… the sheep… wandering away and doing life the way we want and getting into a heap of sin. We turn away from God’s way and do things our way. This means we need a Savior, Deliverer, and Good Shepherd to call us back to God all the while providing forgiveness. If you did not know, Jesus is the Good Shepherd. He is the Suffering Servant Who makes a way for us to rejoin the flock of the Father. Often we act like S-H-E-E-P.
* We, like social sheep, can isolate ourselves from our flock of faith which in turn brings stress and isolation and we end up in a heap of trouble. We want to be social outside the bounds of what the Shepherd has for us and we go astray our own way. It is part of our nature.
* We, like sheep with great hearing, often live in a loud-barking stress-inducing pasture and our lives feel chaotic and uncontrolled. When life gets crazy, sometimes we go a little crazy. Crazy is as crazy does. Mistakes are made. Sin happens. In the loud chaos of life, we lose God and we think He has abandoned us to the wolves which pounce and we end up hurt.
* We, like emotional sheep, have feelings that get the better of us. We follow our heart. Our deceptive heart leads us right into a den of wild hounds that have us for lunch. Emotions are not always our friend because we can follow our desires away from God’s will and away from His flock
* We, like sheep that love to follow, are exceptional followers and many times we follow the wrong voice. We forget God’s voice for we go our own way and made decisions opposite of what God has for us. We hear something or someone we like better than God. God calls out, but we ignore Him because we are listening to other voices that influence us.
* We, like sheep with good peripheral vision, are looking around at everything on the periphery of life and we are not paying attention to our Shepherd Who we should keep front and center. We seem to see everything except what God is doing. We seem to focus on everything, but Jesus. Our eyes are always on useless things that draw us away from the fold and feed us to the jaws of unfaithfulness.
Isaiah tell us in verse 6 that you and I are sheep that go astray and go our own way. We need a Savior to come to save us. If we are honest, we will admit that we often go astray and turn away from God. That is step 1 towards God by the way… we must admit that we are sinners in need of a savior. That is the beginning of the Gospel. Need. Brokenness. Waywardness. Lostness. Sinfulness. It is in the last phrase of verse 6 that Isaiah hints at how the Suffering Servant will help us with our need, brokenness, waywardness, lostness, and sinfulness.
The second way, sheep are used in Isaiah 53:6 is to describe the Suffering Servant… Whom we interpret to be Jesus Christ. The last part of verse 6 says: “and the Lord has laid on a Him the iniquity of us all.” That is a strange phrase… “laid… on… Him.” To what is God through the Prophet Isaiah referring? Earlier I mentioned we would come back to the Day of Atonement in Leviticus 16 and here is where we come back to it because it is extremely important.
Leviticus 16 is all about the Day of Atonement when the high priest of Israel would offer a sacrifice for his sins, those of his household, and then he would perform sacrifices for the nation. It was a huge day of repentance and forgiveness.
There were several animals involved actually. A bull was sacrificed for the sins of the priest and his family. Specifically, for the nation, there were two goats used. One was killed a sacrifice and one was kept alive for later.
Leviticus 16:16 instructs the high priest about the blood of the goat that was killed. He was to take the blood and sprinkle it all around the worship space.
READ LEVITICUS 16:16 (ESV)
“Thus he shall make atonement for the Holy Place, because of the uncleannesses of the people of Israel and because of their transgressions, all their sins. And so he shall do for the tent of meeting, which dwells with them in the midst of their uncleannesses.”
After the cleansing with the first goat’s blood, the other goat, still alive, was brought to the high priest. This goat is the “scapegoat.” Let us read carefully what the instructions were for the priest further down in Leviticus 16 in verses 20-22…
READ LEVITICUS 16:20-22
“And when he has made an end of atoning for the Holy Place and the tent of meeting and the altar, he shall present the live goat. 21 And Aaron shall lay both his hands on the head of the live goat, and confess over it all the iniquities of the people of Israel, and all their transgressions, all their sins. And he shall put them on the head of the goat and send it away into the wilderness by the hand of a man who is in readiness. 22 The goat shall bear all their iniquities on itself to a remote area, and he shall let the goat go free in the wilderness.”
Did you see what was to happen on the Day of Atonement? The high priest would “lay hands” on the scapegoat and confess the sins of the people, all the sin, and place the sin on the goat. The sin would be laid on the animal. The scapegoat would then be led away into the wilderness which is the abode of Satan. Satan would have the sin back. The goat will carry upon itself all the sin of the people to a remote place and the people would be free from sin. The goat would be eaten and tore to pieces and the sin would be gone because the sin was paid for by death.
Why do I mention Leviticus 16 when we are talking about Isaiah 53?
RE-READ ISAIAH 53:6 (ESV)
“All we like sheep have gone astray; we have turned—every one—to his own way; and the Lord has laid on a Him the iniquity of us all.”
The last part of verse 6 says: “the Lord has laid on a Him the iniquity of us all” which is absolutely a call back referencing the priest laying his hands on the goat and transferring sin to it. Sin is taken away. The Suffering Servant in Isaiah 53 would be the scapegoat.
We should not forget the context of verse 6 in Isaiah 53…
READ ISAIAH 53:4-5 (ESV)
“Surely He has borne our griefs and carried our sorrows; yet we esteemed Him stricken, smitten by God, and afflicted. 5 But He was pierced for our transgressions; He was crushed for our iniquities; upon Him was the chastisement that brought us peace, and with His wounds we are healed.”
For Christians, this is a foreshadowing of Jesus Christ the Son of God, our Savior. Jesus is our scapegoat. Christ is the complete atonement for our sins as God laid on Him our sin and transferred to Him all our guilt. Jesus takes away our sin.
READ JOHN 1:29 (ESV)
“The next day he saw Jesus coming toward him, and said, “Behold, the Lamb of God, Who takes away the sin of the world!”
READ 2 CORINTHIANS 5:21 (ESV)
“For our sake He made Him to be sin Who knew no sin, so that in Him we might become the righteousness of God.”
Our sins were laid on Christ. Isaiah 53:6 predicts that Jesus Christ would accept His role as the Sacrificed One because all of us go astray and go our own way. Jesus Christ embodies everything that the scapegoat represented because He ultimately removed all sins from us.
CONCLUSION
* Jesus is the sheeps that plays for keeps when sin creeps and heaven weeps
* Jesus is the goat about Whom Isaiah wrote for your sin banknote
* Jesus is the blood that gets rid of the crud when we are drug through the mud
* Jesus is the sacrifice that pays the precise price for our vice leading us to paradise
Please know that Isaiah 53 is directly predicting 700 years before He arrived that Jesus Christ is the way, truth, and life for us because we like sheep go our own way and we need a savior.
RE-READ ISAIAH 53:6 (ESV)
“All we like sheep have gone astray; we have turned—every one—to his own way; and the Lord has laid on a Him the iniquity of us all.”
Praise God the Father that Jesus Christ took on the role of High Priest, Good Shepherd, sacrificial lamb, the scapegoat, and everything needed for us to be made right with our Heavenly Father!
PRAYER
INVITATION
