Isaiah 50

But even though the Lord’s servant suffers, he is not ultimately disgraced (verse 7); the Lord vindicates him (verse 8). We are not told here how the servant is to be vindicated, but we know from the New Testament that the servant—Jesus—was vindicated by being resurrected from the dead (Acts 2:23–24; 3:15). If the Lord vindicates His servant, who then will bring charges against him? (verse 8). No one. Neither can anyone bring charges against the sinless Jesus—nor, for that matter, against His followers, who have been justified through faith in Him (John 8:46; Romans 8:3134). Those who seek to condemn the servant (and his followers) will be destroyed like a garment eaten by moths (verse 9).

10–11 In verse 10, Isaiah says that hearing the Lord and obeying His servant go together; faith and action must be joined (Matthew 7:21; James 2:14,17). Furthermore, to obey the servant—the Servant Jesus—is the same as obeying the Lord, for the Lord and His Servant are one (John 10:30).

Isaiah then says to those who walk in spiritual darkness: . . . trust in the name of the LORD—that is, in the Lord Himself. But to those who choose to trust in themselves—to those who walk according to their own light and not according to God’s word—to them Isaiah says: You will lie down in torment. You will reap what you sow; you who light the fires of evil will end up suffering the fires of judgment.