By His "Stripe" We Are Healed

Isaiah 53:5 "But He was wounded for our transgressions, He was bruised for our iniquities; The chastisement for our peace (shalom) was upon Him, And by His STRIPES we are healed."

(Isaiah writing writing the Scroll of Isaiah 

under the inspiration of the Holy Spirit)

By His "stripe?" Don't you mean "stripes?"  No, it's not a typo.  What you're seeing here is another of the many instances where the original Hebrew reveals something surprising, actually mind boggling, that you would never see in any definition or translation.

Most of you are, no doubt, familiar with this passage.  Examine the original text, however, and your understanding and appreciation of the price Jesus paid for our sins will rise to a whole new level.  I know because that's how I felt when I first understood.

Isaiah, like all of the Prophets of the Old Testament, were really just Jewish secretaries. They wrote down exactly what they were told by the Holy Spirit. In their writings are beautiful pictures of Jesus in both His first and second comings.  Though they faithfully recorded what He said, none of them fully understood that there would be two separate appearances.  They didn't realize that Messiah would suffer in His first coming and would to reign over the whole world in His 2nd coming, and event we are anxiously awaiting.

What they were expecting was a glorious, conquering King Who would restore the visible kingdom to Israel.  The suffering Messiah, though they wrote about it, didn't fit their narrative. They had no idea that between the "child born" and the "Government shall be upon His shoulder" in Isaiah 9:6, there would be a span of 2,000 years...and counting!

(For a more in depth discussion on this subject follow this link:  http://emmausrevelations.blogspot.com/2014/11/part-7-of-16-rightly-dividing-word-of.html)

The Hebrew word for stripes used here is "chabburah." It is translated in as plural, "STRIPES," because it flows better in English.  But it means "A stripe or A blow"--SINGULAR.  Stripes:  PLURAL, would have been written as "chabburim."  "Im" at the end, which functions like our English "s."  It would be more accurate to quote the verse this way:  "By His 'stripe' we are healed."

Why is that significant?  Because the singular of this word can only be used when there actually is only one wound OR THERE ARE SO MANY THEY ALL TOGETHER APPEAR AS ONE LARGE GAPING WOUND; no flesh left at all!

{Box of tissues, please!}.   

That paints quite a different picture, doesn't it?  But that is the visual the Holy Spirit meant to convey by using this word in the singular.  Jesus' back did not appear to have "marks" of a whip; there was ONE raw wound: muscle and even bones and sinew were visible.

Bear in mind two other things. Our precious Jesus was in the hands of the Romans who, unlike the Jews, had no law that told them "40 lashes minus one." We have NO idea how many times He was struck.  As if that weren't bad enough, after He was scourged, they put His robe back on Him, brought Him in front of the ENTIRE GARRISON and ripped His robe back off again!  

Ever rip off a bandaide that stuck to a scab?  Yeah....OUCH!  Well, Jesus' blood had dried after His unimaginably cruel beating and His clothing was stuck all over His body. When the soldiers ripped them back off.....I don't have to describe what happened.  I'm sure you can imagine what that did to Him.

(Crucifix Thorn)

Then the entire Roman garrison spat on Him, jammed a crown of thorns on His head and drove it deeper and deeper into His head with every blow of their sticks.

{Anorher box of tissues, please!!!}

I can't speak for anyone else but I will NEVER EVER again read or think of this passage again without trembling, awe and utter gratitude for what Jesus went through to redeem me.  It's a price I should have had to pay; but He took my place.  I'm reminded of it every time I partake of communion.  It brings tears to my eyes.  

But.....as horrific as all the above torture was, it was as NOTHING compared to the stripes laid upon Jesus by His own Father.  No doubt, with tear-srained face, our Father had to turn His back on His Beloved Son and unleash all the judgment and fiery wrath for every one of our sins, PAST-PRESENT-FUTURE, that we rightfully deserved.  Oh yes;  I am FOREVER GRATEFUL!

The work of redemption is COMPLETE.  Jesus did a perfect work!  IT IS FINISHED!!!

.....and, yes:  By His Stripe We Are Healed.