A Study of Isaiah 53:4-6
For many months I have wondered if there was something wrong with my refrigerator that was purchased in June 2024.
It seemed louder than I recalled, but it was still working fine.
The internet research basically said refrigerators can make loud noises randomly and that if it was working properly otherwise, there was nothing wrong with the appliance.
But I still felt something was wrong.
So, I asked the opinion of every person who came to my home who I knew was mechanically minded about it.
None of them seemed overly concerned about it since it was such a new appliance.
In July 2025, my in-laws vacuumed the coils for me and agreed it might be wise to have it checked out if it continued to sound loud to me. But they too felt it wasn’t an urgent issue.
What does this have to do with a study of Isaiah 53:4-6 and God rescuing a rebellious people?
I’ll explain after we review the passage.
God Rescues a Rebellious People
A Study of Isaiah 53:4-6
Today we dip into three verses from one of the four “servant” songs in the book of Isaiah.
These three verses describe how God rescues a rebellious people.
4 Surely he has borne our griefs
and carried our sorrows;
yet we esteemed him stricken,
smitten by God, and afflicted. [1]
Who is the “he” in this verse? (See 1 Peter 2:18-24)
The second part of the verse reveals that many believe that when people suffer, they believe God is punishing them for disobeying Him.
Describe Jesus’ response to this same type of thinking in John 9:1-3.
Has our response to suffering, either in our own lives or in others, changed today? Why or why not?
Is Isaiah and the other passages referring just to consequences in our immediate physical life or our future spiritually? Why or why not?
Keep in mind, this isn’t saying we won’t experience consequences when we are disobedient in this temporal life.
Isaiah is clear early in his book that Israel was disciplined for its rebellious ways against God. And we can be too.
Yet he also shares incredibly good news with them and us today.
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. [2]
What else does Isaiah foretell about Christ in this verse?
Look up the following verses and note how they compare to the verse above.
What is our reward from Christ’s suffering on our behalf?
6 All we like sheep have gone astray;
we have turned—every one—to his own way;
and the Lord has laid on him
the iniquity of us all. [3]
I came across a fact sheet and a Sheep 101 site on understanding sheep behavior.
Some highlights I gleaned include:
- Sheep prefer to be in groups and are highly social.
- Sheep will follow a leader easily, even if the leader makes a poor choice.
- Sheep run away when frightened and begin bleating for help when isolated, putting them at risk of predators.
How do these highlights of typical sheep behavior help you understand Isaiah’s phrase, “All we like sheep have gone astray”?
What specifically is Isaiah saying we have strayed from?
How did the Lord rescue us from our disobedience? (See 1 Peter 2:24-25)
What does this tell you about how much the Lord cares for us?
God Rescues a Rebellious People
Back to My Refrigerator Story
From September 17-20, I was blessed with the installation of new LVP flooring throughout my home.
If you’ve ever lived in a home while this is happening, you know about the copious amount of dust that is created.
As I was finishing up breakfast on Sunday, September 21st, the refrigerator ramped up in noise to what I described as having a running lawnmower in the room.
I quickly started calling around to find a repairman, but most were closed, and the two that were open didn’t have room to come to me that day.
Adding to the challenge, I was heading out of town for a work conference the next morning. So, I scheduled an appointment for one to come out on September 29th once I was back in town.
After making this appointment, the refrigerator kept working quietly for the rest of the day.
It was still working fine when the repairman came on the 29th.
Until 6:00pm that evening, when it stopped cooling. Of course, the business was already closed for the day.
At 8:00am on the 30th of September, I called the repair place back to let them know the refrigerator had stopped cooling.
I had already tried to reset the fridge by unplugging it from the wall for five minutes.
Since that had not reset it, the scheduler suggested I turn off the breaker for the fridge for an hour. I was also told that the earliest they could get someone out again was October 1st.
When I turned the breaker back on, the fridge began beeping every thirty seconds to show it had a high temperature. Aside from that, it was quiet again.
Around 3:00pm I noticed the unit felt cold and the beeping had stopped.
Around 6:00pm I turned on the ice maker to see what would happen. Ice dropped for the first time around 8:00pm.
I still didn’t trust it even though it was quiet, so I kept the food in the coolers.
On the morning of the second appliance repair appointment, the repairman ran a diagnostic and found nothing wrong. After expressing frustration that they couldn’t give me a clear explanation for what I had reported, they suggested that maybe the control board had “dementia”. He further said that the fridge may run fine for another six months or could die that night and not come back on.
I told them I’d sleep on the quote they gave me to replace the control board.
Thursday mid-morning, my niece called to tell me she could hear the fridge in her bedroom on the third floor where she had an air cleaner running.
I called the repair company a third time. They asked me to send them a recording so they could hear what was happening since the two times their tech had been on premises it showed no issues.
Parts are now ordered with a repair scheduled for the 8th of October.
So why this long story about my refrigerator woes?
And more importantly, what does it have to do with Isaiah 53:4-6?
Isaiah 53 foretells what Jesus would do to save us spiritually.
Before Jesus was betrayed and crucified, he said this to his disciples in response to their expressing belief that he came from God:
31 Jesus answered them, “Do you now believe? 32 Behold, the hour is coming, indeed it has come, when you will be scattered, each to his own home, and will leave me alone. Yet I am not alone, for the Father is with me. 33 I have said these things to you, that in me you may have peace. In the world you will have tribulation. But take heart; I have overcome the world.” [4]
My refrigerator woes are not spiritual woes.
They are just temporal earthly woes.
Things and our bodies will break down and get sick.
But if we keep things in perspective, we can still live graciously through these times of earthly woes if we know our spiritual destiny is secure in Jesus Christ’s sacrifice.
God Rescues a Rebellious People
Personal Application
As you reflect on your past week or month, how did you respond to the “troubles” that you encountered?
How can the assurance of God’s provision of Christ’s sacrifice equip you to handle the “troubles” you face with generosity and grace?
Beyond overcoming temporal “troubles” with grace, how can this assurance help you be a faithful witness to others of God’s incredible forgiveness and love for them?
Warmly,
Barbara Lynn
[1] The Holy Bible: English Standard Version (Wheaton, IL: Crossway Bibles, 2016), Is 53:4.
[2] The Holy Bible: English Standard Version (Wheaton, IL: Crossway Bibles, 2016), Is 53:5.
[3] The Holy Bible: English Standard Version (Wheaton, IL: Crossway Bibles, 2016), Is 53:6.
[4] The Holy Bible: English Standard Version (Wheaton, IL: Crossway Bibles, 2016), Jn 16:31–33.