Thus says the LORD, the Redeemer of Israel, and his Holy One, to him whom man despises, to him whom the nation abhors, to a servant of rulers,
Kings shall see and arise, princes also shall worship, because of the LORD who is faithful, and the Holy One of Israel, and he has chosen you.
Read Chapter 49
Augustine of Hippo
AD 430
The Son of God assumed human nature, and in it he endured all that belongs to the human condition. This is a remedy for humanity of a power beyond our imagining. Could any pride be cured, if the humility of God’s Son does not cure it? Could any greed be cured, if the poverty of God’s Son does not cure it? Or any anger, if the patience of God’s Son does not cure it? Or any coldness, if the love of God’s Son does not cure it? Lastly, what fearfulness can be cured, if it is not cured by the resurrection of the body of Christ the Lord? Let humanity raise its hopes and recognize its own nature: let it observe how high a place it has in the works of God. Do not despise yourselves, you men: the Son of God assumed manhood. Do not despise yourselves, you women: God’s Son was born of a woman. But do not set your hearts on the satisfaction of the body, for in the Son of God we are “neither male nor female.” Do not set your heart on temporal rewards: if it were good to do so, that human nature whi...
For it is clear that Christ caused the salvation of the flesh for all those on the earth. Through his resurrection, death was destroyed and destruction was stamped out, and we are brought springing back to life, we who through Adam had been driven into opposition. So we do not say that the Savior prayed out of a sense of failure but rather on account of the plan [economy] that he carried out in order to inspire our following.… For he stands as an example for us in the way he showed courage before the cross. - "Commentary on Isaiah 4.4.49.8–12"
For any powers and rational beings and also human beings on the earth who are holy—only through participation in the holy One by nature and who alone is truly holy are they called holy … and he who is alone holy together with God the Father and God the Holy Spirit has given from his own fullness to those sharing the holiness with him. - "Commentary on Isaiah 4.4.49.7"
Theodotion translated, “To him who despises life, who is an abomination to the people, who is a servant of princes”—which clearly suits the person of Christ. For the good Shepherd gave his life for the sheep and despised it, he who was an abomination to the nation of the Jews …, one who was the servant of princes and so humble that he stood before Annas and Caiaphas and was sent to be crucified to Pilate and Herod.… The “peaceful and opportune time” and “the day of salvation” are the Savior’s passion and resurrection—when he prayed on the cross, “God, my God, why have you abandoned me?” And God kept him or formed him as death was overcome and gave him to be a covenant of the people of the Jews, or at least to those of them who believed, to waken the land that was lying in the errors of idolatry and to possess the lost or deserted inheritance that did not have God living there. - "Commentary on Isaiah 13.21–22"
