ISAIAH 53 SERIES: VALUE OF SILENCE
ISAIAH 53:7 | #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… TIMES WHEN YOU SHOULD KEEP YOUR MOUTH SHUT
There are some times when it is absolutely good to keep your mouth shut. And by “keep your mouth shut” I mean the ability to refrain from saying something stupid or even trying to change someone’s mind because they won’t change. Most of the time we want to say something to defend ourselves, share our opinion, or set the record straight with facts as we see them. It is not always good to do that. There are other times when not answering is perhaps a good thing to spare someone’s feelings. Sometimes we want to tell the truth, but the truth won’t be heard or we realize that we cannot share the truth in a loving way. When are times you and I should keep your mouth shut?
* Any time any woman asks a man if an outfit “makes her look fat.”
* If you are the keeper of nuclear launch codes and someone asks you for them.
* Any time your in-laws want to talk about politics at Thanksgiving Dinner
* Any time zombies are on the other side of the door and you say they can’t pick locks.
* If you are ever tempted to say “We will fight in the shade!”
* Whenever you are at a silent auction.
* Anytime you are at an event and you want to say “at least it’s not raining.”
* Whenever a person says they will see their cat in heaven.
* Any time someone wants to ask “how bad can it get.”
* Whenever someone wants to comment “that was easy and we have no problems”
There are many times when we should just keep our mouths shut. We often do not. We answer the woman asking about an outfit or blurt the launch codes or shout our love at Thanksgiving for Vermin Supreme when he runs for President.
My attempt at some humor this morning is because we have a passage in Isaiah 53 that predicts that the Suffering Servant will be one that mostly keeps His mouth shut. That feels quite serious given the context of the verse and the overall framework of the passage. We are looking at Isaiah 53:7.
RE-READ ISAIAH 53:7 (ESV)
“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.”
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.
RE-READ ISAIAH 53:7 (ESV)
“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.”
WHAT DOES VERSE 7 SAY?
Verse 7 begins with the idea that the Suffering Servant was “oppressed.” That word is actually used in verse 7 and in verse 8. The picture we get of this word is that “a person or an animal is driven forward in a distressing and tyrannical manner making them hurt.” I imagine the picture in movies or TV shows when a prisoner has hands tied and their captor is riding a horse and they are stumbling and fumbling behind walking and falling and being drug by the enemy. There is physical exhaustion that can be brought on by mistreatment. This same word is used elsewhere in the Bible to refer to “taskmasters” (Exodus) and being “hard pressed” (1 Samuel). That is this word… “oppressed.”
Verse 7 continues by describing the Suffering Servant as “afflicted.” This word is used twice in Isaiah 53, here, and in verse 4. The word means “to look down on someone,” “to browbeat a person by saying harsh words,” or “to hurt someone by force.” When I think of this word, I think of a schoolyard bully. A bully does their best to afflict a person by words or by actions and to make another person feel weak. Nowadays that can happen in person or online. There is abuse that happens from one person to another and breaks another down physically, mentally, and emotionally. The same word is used elsewhere in the Bible to refer to “dealing harshly” with someone (Genesis 16), “humiliation” (Genesis 34), and “violating” someone to “torment” them (Deuteronomy 22, Judges 16, 19). This is the word… “afflicted.”
Verse 7 also has the idea that this Suffering Servant is “like a lamb led to the slaughter.” I am not sure why, but the word “slaughter” caught my eye. The word means “to butcher.” I must admit that I have never butchered anything in my whole life. I know how to clean a fish, but that somehow seems much different. Those of you who hunt or own animals on a farm probably have a much better idea about this than the rest of us. I half-way know how to carve a turkey, but that seems different as well. We are presented with this idea that the Suffering Servant is much like a helpless lamb that is butchered or even a sheep that is shorn and has no ability to resist. “Slaughter” is a pretty serious word that has blood, death, and sacrifice attached to it.
The overall context of this verse is that the Suffering Servant, Whom we interpret and believe to be Jesus Christ, was predicted to be “oppressed,” and “afflicted” and “like a lamb led to the slaughter.” All of those words can and do describe Jesus Christ.
TRANSITION
The Suffering Servant is described as “oppressed” and “afflicted” and “like a lamb led to the slaughter” and all the while gives the silent treatment. Verse 7 says “He opened not His mouth.”
ILLUSTRATION… ministry127.com/resources/illustration/the-silent-treatment
A married couple had a quarrel and ended up giving each other the silent treatment. Two days into their mute argument, the man realized he needed his wife’s help. In order to catch a flight to Chicago for a business meeting, he had to get up at 5 a.m.
Not wanting to be the first to break the silence, he wrote on a piece of paper, “Please wake me at 5 a.m.”
The next morning the man woke up only to discover his wife was already out of bed, it was 9 a.m., and his flight had long since departed. He was about to find his wife and demand an answer for her failings when he noticed a piece of paper by the bed. He read, “It’s 5 a.m. Wake up.”
We are told in Isaiah 53:7 that the Suffering Servant would endure and not really speak up in His defense, argue about His treatment, or change the course of His destiny by talking His way out of it. Did that happen?
I was praying over this passage and looking at the Gospels and if we look at the five times that Jesus is examined by authorities after His arrest: #1 before Annas, #2 before the Sanhedrin, #3 before Pilate, #4 before King Herod, and #5 before Pilate again… Jesus was remarkably silent. Jesus did speak, but He did not speak more than a few sentences. Sometimes people asked Him to speak and He did not. Many were frustrated because He did not speak.
Did Jesus defend Himself and argue that He should not be arrested, beaten, crucified, or killed? Did Jesus argue with the soldiers that He did not deserve to be beaten? Did Jesus have a long drawn out speech to Pilate and the crowds about how they were all sinners because they were condemning an innocent man? Did He protest His treatment? Was Jesus passive?
Let’s look in the Gospels for the answer.
WHAT DO THE GOSPELS SAY?
We will look briefly at three passages in the New Testament. One is in Luke 22, one is in Matthew 27, and one is in Luke 23.
First, in Luke 22 we find Jesus communicating without even saying a word. This passage is a little bit different from Matthew 27 and Luke 23, but I wanted to include it because Jesus absolutely communicates without even saying one single solitary word.
READ LUKE 22:54-62 (ESV)
“Then they seized Him and led Him away, bringing Him into the high priest's house, and Peter was following at a distance. 55 And when they had kindled a fire in the middle of the courtyard and sat down together, Peter sat down among them. 56 Then a servant girl, seeing him as he sat in the light and looking closely at him, said, “This man also was with Him.” 57 But he denied it, saying, “Woman, I do not know Him.” 58 And a little later someone else saw him and said, “You also are one of them.” But Peter said, “Man, I am not.” 59 And after an interval of about an hour still another insisted, saying, “Certainly this man also was with Him, for he too is a Galilean.” 60 But Peter said, “Man, I do not know what you are talking about.” And immediately, while he was still speaking, the rooster crowed. 61 And the Lord turned and looked at Peter. And Peter remembered the saying of the Lord, how He had said to him, “Before the rooster crows today, you will deny Me three times.” 62 And he went out and wept bitterly.”
Jesus is being questioned and accused illegally in the middle of the night. Simon Peter shows up to wait outside to see what would happen. He gets accused of being a follower of Jesus over those hours and Peter denies being a follower of Jesus three separate occasions. Verse 61 is very telling. At the third denial, Jesus just looked at Peter. No words. No sound. He just looked.
What I am not sure about is what Jesus communicated to Peter with His look. My human sinful nature wants to think that it was a “I told you so” look, but that does not exactly seem to fit with the personality of Jesus. I believe His look was probably one of acknowledgement and grace which made Simon Peter feel even worse. Jesus communicated with a look and did not say a word.
Second, in Matthew 27 we find Jesus further along in His trials and accusations as He is before Pontus Pilate. The priests are there accusing Jesus as well.
READ MATTHEW 27:11-14 (ESV)
“Now Jesus stood before the governor, and the governor asked Him, “Are You the King of the Jews?” Jesus said, “You have said so.” 12 But when He was accused by the chief priests and elders, He gave no answer. 13 Then Pilate said to Him, “Do You not hear how many things they testify against You?” 14 But He gave him no answer, not even to a single charge, so that the governor was greatly amazed.”
The Roman governor Pilate was amazed that Jesus was being accused over and over and that He did not speak to defend Himself. He did not reason with any of the priests or elders. He did not refute their wrong statements. He was silent. No words. No defense. No corrections.
Third, in Luke 23 we find Jesus being transferred from Pilate to King Herod.
READ LUKE 23:6-12 (ESV)
“When Pilate heard this, he asked whether the Man was a Galilean. 7 And when he learned that He belonged to Herod's jurisdiction, he sent Him over to Herod, who was himself in Jerusalem at that time. 8 When Herod saw Jesus, he was very glad, for he had long desired to see Him, because he had heard about Him, and he was hoping to see some sign done by Him. 9 So he questioned Him at some length, but He made no answer. 10 The chief priests and the scribes stood by, vehemently accusing Him. 11 And Herod with his soldiers treated Him with contempt and mocked Him. Then, arraying Him in splendid clothing, he sent Him back to Pilate. 12 And Herod and Pilate became friends with each other that very day, for before this they had been at enmity with each other.”
We see Jesus before this puppet king and He is silent before this king who just wanted Jesus to perform some miracle for his amusement. The priests stood by and accused Jesus just like they did before Pilate and Jesus did not argue.
What are we seeing in these three passages?
We see Jesus of Nazareth being in complete control. Never in any of these passages of betrayal, accusations, beatings, mocking, and wounds do we see Jesus losing self-control. From the moment Jesus entered into Jerusalem His final week, He was called to bear, endure, and suffer. That is it! He had to bear being lied about and just take it all in. He had to endure being betrayed, mocked, and slandered. He had to suffer torture and death.
TRANSITION
What do we learn from Jesus?
I think we learn, firstly, from Jesus that He allowed Himself to be arrested, mistreated, lied about, falsely accused, beaten, pierced, and eventually killed because it was what He wanted. He was following the will of God and He would not derail His death on the cross for any reason because we needed His salvation.
I think we learn, secondly, from Jesus the value of silence.
THE VALUE OF SILENCE
Keeping everything in mind that we have talked about this morning, what does the Bible say about silence? How is it valuable? Why should we emulate Jesus in His self-control in a situation that was unfair and oppressive? That is the basic premise I feel like Jesus’ example gives to us. Jesus maintained His self-control in an oppressive, afflicting, and lamb-led-to-the-slaughter situation and we need to follow His example. The Bible offers several reasons why staying silent can be considered wise or Godly. Silence has great value.
#1 Silence is valuable because silence helps us avoid sin.
READ PROVERBS 10:19 (ESV)
“When words are many, transgression is not lacking, but whoever restrains his lips is prudent.”
Excessive talking can lead to sin. Sometimes more communication does not fix an issue, but silence keeps us from digging into sinful holes or making a situation worse. Restraining our tongue is always wise. We do not always edit ourselves or filter out what we say and so silence is valuable in those instances.
#2 Silence is valuable because silence helps us maintain peace with each other.
READ PROVERBS 15:1 (ESV)
“A soft answer turns away wrath, but a harsh word stirs up anger.”
READ ROMANS 12:18 (ESV)
“If possible, so far as it depends on you, live peaceably with all.”
Staying silent can prevent conflicts and maintain peace. Limiting the amount we talk can prevent conflicts, maintain peace, and promote healing. Sometimes it is very difficult to obey Romans 12:18 and keep our self-control. In those times, silence is valuable.
#3 Silence is valuable in listening and understanding.
READ JAMES 1:19 (ESV)
“Know this, my beloved brothers: let every person be quick to hear, slow to speak, slow to anger”
This verse in James highlights the importance of listening and being deliberate with our words. Most of the time we need to seek first to understand and then to be understood. I cannot tell you how many times I needed to listen more to get the full picture before I weighed in with my words or my attitude. Silence is valuable because we will gain more understanding.
#4 Lastly, silence is valuable in helping us to outwardly not be judgmental.
READ MATTHEW 7:1-2 (ESV)
“Judge not, that you be not judged. 2 For with the judgment you pronounce you will be judged, and with the measure you use it will be measured to you.”
Silence can help us avoid rash judgments and the consequences of being overly critical. I am not so sure that silence fixes the internal judgments and thoughts that we have, but we can at least appear not overly critical and curb our tendencies to sinfully judge other people if we adopt silence.
CONCLUSION
Today, Isaiah 53:7 reminds us of 2 Truths:
#1 Jesus stayed silent so that nothing would derail His death on the cross.
#2 There may be occasions in our lives when silence best serves God.
PRAYER
INVITATION TIME TO REPENT AND COMMIT TO SILENCE IN AN AREA
I would like to extend a specific invitation time this morning if you feel like you do not practice silence enough in your life and you realize that your words have led you to sin. The Book of James tells us that controlling the tongue is pretty much impossible as our mouths are often a restless evil (James 3:8). Perhaps you are not at peace with someone because of your words. If everyone would please stand, I would like to invite you to pray with me as I lead us for a moment in a prayer of repentance and a prayer to be silent in the future to avoid sin, keep peace, understand more, and to judge less.
Prayer:
In the stillness of this moment, we gather in the presence of the Holy Spirit. We seek the strength to honor our commitment to silence, recognizing that words, when spoken in haste or anger, can wound and divide. We come together to offer ourselves in solemn promise.
God our Father, source of wisdom and peace, grant us the grace to embrace the power of silence. Guide our hearts to reflect deeply before speaking and inspire us to use words that uplift and heal. May our silence be a testament to our dedication to Your truth.
In silence, Lord lead us to clarity. In stillness of mouth, may we cultivate listening and understanding. Lord help us to be silent when our words would only tear down bridges and build walls. Lord lead us to choose words that build bridges rather than walls.
We ask this in humbleness. We vow to listen more than we speak. We seek peace.
Jesus, may our silence be filled with purpose just as Your silence was filled with purpose.
Jesus, may our silence be filled with purpose just as Your silence was filled with purpose.
Jesus, may our silence be filled with purpose just as Your silence was filled with purpose.
In Jesus’ Name. Amen.
