1 PETER 2

The Leviticus Section 2:1-10
In this section the apostle establishes that believers are holy and royal priests, and they come into the good of the relationship God has extablished with them on the basis of the sacrifice of Christ, just as Israel came into great privileges on the basis of His covenant with them. The priestly house is built up on Christ the living stone, and His characteristics are enlarged upon in 6-8.

2:1
Wherefore laying aside all malice, and all guile, and hypocrisies, and envies, and all evil speakings,

Wherefore- a word that denotes a logical connection with what has gone before. The believer is born again, and because that new birth is of God he has become part of a generation or seed which is incorruptible. It follows that his behaviour should harmonise with his new nature.

Laying aside all malice- it is most inappropriate for one who is of the incorruptible seed of God to be marked by malice, or badness. The apostle has been speaking of believers loving one another with a pure heart fervently, 1:22, so the evils the apostle now lists must be laid aside as not fitting for the Christian life. The idea in “laying aside” is the same as the putting away of leaven on passover night and subsequently.

And all guile- all forms of deceit should be foreign to the child of God. He should follow the pattern set by his Saviour and Lord of whom it is said later in this chapter, “neither was guile found in his mouth”, verse 22.

And hypocrisies- this is the opposite of being sincere and transparent; it is play-acting, for a hypocritos was a mask worn by an actor so that he could appear on the stage as if he were someone other than himself.

And envies- jealousy is sorrow another has something; envy wants that something for itself. It is the opposite of selflessness.

And all evil speakings- note the comprehensive nature of these injunctions, “all malice…all guile…all evil speakings”, and the two without “all” in front of them are in the plural. We are to be thorough in our dealing with these matters. As the apostle Paul exhorted the Corinthians, “”For even Christ our passover was sacrificed for us: therefore let us keep the feast, not with old leaven, neither with the leaven of malice and wickedness; but with the unleavened bread of sincerity and truth”, 1 Corinthians 5:7,8.

The sins the apostle lists were all manifest by the chief priests who condemned Christ to death. They were marked by malice, for they were etermined to condemn Him whatever laws they broke in the process. They used guile, such as when they changed the charge against Him from that of bing the Son of God, the subject of their condemnation of Him in their council, to that of being a king, for that would interest Pilate more. They were marked by hypocrisy too, for they refused to enter Pilate’s house lest they be defiled with a speck of leaven, yet had no qualms in rejecting the spotless Son of God. Pilate assessed their attitude correctly, for we are told “he knew that for envy they had delivered him”, Matthew 27:18. They were guilty of evil speaking, too, for instance as they maligned Him before Pilate in Luke 23:5. It should be easy for Christian priests to be different to this.

2:2
As newborn babes, desire the sincere milk of the word, that ye may grow thereby:

As newborn babes, desire the sincere milk of the word- the apostle continues his theme of the new birth, and exhorts us to maintain the initial zeal for the word of God that we had when first we were born again through its agency. We should not confuse this exhortation to desire milk with Paul’s criticism of the carnal Corinthians because they were only capable of being fed with milk, and meat was too strong for them, 1 Corinthians 3:2. There the contrast is between milk and meat; here the contrast is between desiring milk and not desiring milk; the two illustrations each have their own and distinct lesson in their context, and should not be confused.

The first thing a newborn baby seeks for is milk; it is not interested in anything else. God has put this instinct into his creatures for their own physical good. He has put that desire into His children for their spiritual good. To have no desire for the word of God is a mark of unbelief. The apostle is not so much urging the believer to desire milk, but to desire it earnestly, such is the force of the word.

That ye may grow thereby- it is a tragedy if a baby does not grow in the natural sense; how much more so in the spiritual. The apostle John described the three stages of growth in the family of God, with little children developing into young men, and young men developing into fathers, 1 John 2:13-27. The reason the little children had grown into young men was that the word of God was abiding in them. It was not just that they read the Bible, but that they had allowed its truth to find a settled place in their hearts. This is the secret of progress in spiritual things.

2:3
If so be ye have tasted that the Lord is gracious.

If so be ye have tasted that the Lord is gracious- the word “if” does not mean that the apostle is casting doubt on their conversion, but rather that the initial tasting of the Lord as being gracious will encourage further and constant growing by the food of the word of God. So he is saying in effect, “If you have intially tasted that the Lord is good, you will wish to continue feeding on the word of God”.

The apostle alludes here to the experience of David when he and his followers were hungry, and they went to the priest who gave them bread that had been reserved for the priests, 1 Samuel 21:1-6. Later on David penned the psalm Peter references here, and exhorts his readers to taste and see that the Lord is good, Psalm 34:8. See also the title of the psalm, which indicates it was written just after David had eaten the shewbread.

By the Spirit Peter changes the psalmist’s word “good” to “gracious”, for he had been with the Lord when He had gone through the cornfields, Matthew 12:1-8. The Pharisees had criticised the disciples for plucking the ears of corn, for that infringed their man-made rule about harvesting. The Lord defends His disciples by reference to the incident with David, for he was not of the tribe of Levi, yet ate of the shewbread normally reserved for that family. The Lord went on to point out that the priests, Divinely instructed, had removed the previous set of loaves to replace them with new loaves. Those loaves were hot, telling us that although it was the Sabbath, they had baked bread, and then worked to renew the loaves. All this shewed that God had built into the commands of the law those things that showed He was the God of grace. The Lord Jesus claimed that right, too, being God manifest in flesh. As the disciples were protected from the legal demands of the Pharisees by the words of the Lord Jesus, they realised that God was gracious, and Peter affirms that here. It is significant that the apostle brings in the idea of the shewbread, for it was the food of the priests, and he would thus encourage us to feed on Christ to strengthen us in our priestly ministry.

2:4
To whom coming, as unto a living stone, disallowed indeed of men, but chosen of God, and precious,

To whom coming, as unto a living stone- Peter is drawing on his experience at Caesarea Philippi, where he confessed that Jesus was the Christ, the Son of the living God, Matthew 16:16. As a result, the Lord assured him that it was on this rock-solid doctrine of His Sonship that the church would be founded. Those who come to Christ confessing that He is the Son of the living God are built on this sure foundation.

Disallowed indeed of men- the apostle has in mind a word that the psalmist used when he foretold the rejection of the Messiah by the nation of Israel, for he wrote, “the stone which the builders refused”, Psalm 118:22. Peter himself had used a different thought when he confronted the rulers about their rejection of Christ, for he said they had set Him at nought, thinking Him to be of no importance, and of no use when it came to building up the nation of Israel, Acts 4:11. Sadly this is still the verdict of the majority in Israel today, for as Isaiah said, “He is despised and rejected of men”, Isaiah 53:3. It is said that Calvary was the site of a quarry outside the walls of Jerusalem, and even today the stones that were rejected when Herod was building his temple are lying around, unwanted. So also is Christ unwanted.

But chosen of God, and precious- the verdict of God about His Son is the polar opposite to that of men. They rejected Him, God deliberately chose Him; they set Him at nought and thought Him worthless, but God valued Him highly. He thinks Him precious in the same way that a particular stone is considered indispensable for the stability of a building.

2:5
Ye also, as lively stones, are built up a spiritual house, an holy priesthood, to offer up spiritual sacrifices, acceptable to God by Jesus Christ.

Ye also, as lively stones- because coming to Christ as the living stone involved believing on Him, and this resulted in them being given the gift of eternal life, the life of God, they can now be called lively or living stones, for they share the life of the one on whom they are built, even the Son of the living God.

Are built up a spiritual house- the Hebrew word for son is ben, which is connected with the verb to build, for a son is a stone in the building of his father’s house. So the believer, built up on Christ, forms part of a spiritual house, just as the sons of Aaron formed the priestly house.

An holy priesthood- the living sons in the house constitute a holy priesthood in a far better sense than Aaron’s sons did, for they were not necessarily believers, but all who form part of the Christian priesthood are believers built on Christ.

The apostle has been emphasising the new birth all along in his epistle thus far, and this reminds us that all those who are born of God are priests before God. The priesthood now is not made up of a select few, who inherit the title by natural birth. Christian priests, whether male or female, newly-saved or long-ago-saved are such by spiritual birth.

To offer up spiritual sacrifices- it was said of Aaron that he was to minister unto God in the priest’s office, Exodus 29:1, so the primary purpose of the priesthood was to minister to the heart of God, for every time the priest functioned at the altar, or inside the sanctuary, he was reminding God of what His Son would be to Him when He came. It is the great privilege of the Christian priest to remind his God of what His Son was to Him when He was on earth.

The days are gone when God required His people to bring animals for sacrifice. Now, worship is in Spirit and in truth, so the worship being “in Spirit” does not mean it is not in truth. The Lord Jesus came to “take away the first”, that is, the initial system of sacrifices that God gave formally to Israel, to “establish the second”, meaning the spiritual counterpart of the Old Testament that is found in His comprehensive work of sacrifice at Calvary, Hebrews 10:9. As God’s people function as holy priests, whether met together or not, they are able to speak in the Father’s ear of the wonder of the sacrificial work of His Son, and this gives Him pleasure, in contrast to the Old Testament sacrifices which did not in any final sense, for they were “offered by the law”, Hebrews 10:8.

Acceptable to God by Jesus Christ- the Israelite, when he came to the priest as he stood at the altar, must wait to see if his sacrifice meets the requirements as to freedom from blemish. The Christian is a priest himself, so does not need an intermediary to act for him before God, and he is confident that his sacrifice of praise and worship is acceptable to God because it is offered by Jesus Christ, for He is the High Priest of His people, and brings the praises of His people to God. The writer to the Hebrews made it clear that, “every high priest is ordained to offer gifts and sacrifices; wherefore it is of necessity that this man have somewhat also to offer”, Hebrews 8:3. In other words, as He functions in the heavenly sanctuary, our high priest presents to God the sacrifices of praise that we offer.

The mention of the word acceptable reminds us that this was the character of the burnt offering, for we read that when a burnt offering was approved, then “it shall be accepted for him”, Leviticus 1:4. Furthermore, the words “he shall offer it of his own voluntary will”, verse 3, could be translated “offer it for his acceptance”. The Christian priest, therefore, may be confident that his sacrifce is acceptable if it reminds God of His Son and His sacrifice, as the burnt offering also did in old time.

2:6
Wherefore also it is contained in the scripture, Behold, I lay in Sion a chief corner stone, elect, precious: and he that believeth on him shall not be confounded.

Wherefore also it is contained in the scripture- the apostle now proceeds to quote from the prophecy of Isaiah. He does not do so to assert that the prophecy is fulfilled in his day, but simply to use the language of the prophet to illustrate his point about the character of Christ as the living stone. He will be this for the nation of Israel in a coming day when the enemy is oppressing them, but Peter is only interested in the adjectives Isaiah uses to describe Christ, and also to point out that in a time of upheaval He is solid and dependable.

Behold, I lay in Sion a chief corner stone, elect, precious- so the prophet is setting out certain truths here regarding the sort of foundation God lays. First, that it is God who lays this stone in place, for God has highly exalted His Son. Second, that it is laid in Sion, the heavenly Jerusalem, Hebrews 12:22. Third, that it is the chief corner stone, for in all things He must have the preeminence, Colossians 1:18. Fourth, that it is elect, for He is “chosen of God”, verse 4, despite having been rejected so cruelly by men. Fifth, that it is precious, as Peter has already said, for he is the only one that can function as the chief corner stone. All these descriptions have relevance to what the apostle is teaching.

And he that believeth on him shall not be confounded- Isaiah was speaking of a time when the enemies of Israel were dominant, and about to carry them away into captivity, but he assures those who believe that God will not forsake His people, nor allow them to be embarrassed by the defeat of the nation they belong to.

2:7
Unto you therefore which believe he is precious: but unto them which be disobedient, the stone which the builders disallowed, the same is made the head of the corner,

Unto you therefore which believe he is precious- the apostle links the idea of the stone being precious to God, and the idea of people believing on Him, which justifies the statement that those who believe find Him precious also, because by their faith they have sided with God in His verdict about the stone, realising that he is foundational to all God’s purpose.

But unto them which be disobedient- there were those in Isaiah’s day who had no intention on believing on the one God called precious, and by being like this they were being disobedient, for faith and obedience go together. In fact the apostle Paul spoke of “the obedience of faith”, Romans 16:26. They saw no preciousness in Him at all.

The stone which the builders disallowed- this expression is variously rendered in the New Testament. In Psalm 118:22, from which the quotation comes, the words are “the stone which the builders refused”, with the word refused meaning “to reject, to loathe, to despise, to reject”. In Matthew 21:42 the Lord Himself quotes it as “the stone which the builders rejected”. In Acts 4:11 the apostle Peter quotes it as “this is the stone that was set at nought of you builders”. Now we have Peter using the word “disallowed”, which means to disapprove or reject, so is the equivalent of the word the psalmist used.

The same is made the head of the corner- the foundation stone which gave alignment and stability to the whole building was laid first at the corner. All other stones must be laid in relation to it. So Christ has been given the vital place of prominence “in Sion”, (meaning the heavenly Sion at the present time, see Romans 11:26), and He gives the building its character.

2:8
And a stone of stumbling, and a rock of offence, even to them which stumble at the word, being disobedient: whereunto also they were appointed.

And a stone of stumbling- now the apostle thinks of those who reject God’s stone, and details the consequences. As they turn away from God’s choice of stone, they find that because it is at the corner, they stumble over it, striking against it.

And a rock of offence- so it is not by accident that they stumble, because the stone is not only designed to give those who believe confidence and stability in difficult times, but is also the test for unbelief. The Lord Jesus said, “this is the condemnation, that light is come into the world, and men loved darkness rather than light, because their deeds were evil”, John 3:19. So He, as the light that exposes and reproves in righteousness, is the test for men. Their reaction to Him determines where they are in relation to God, whether they are built on the stone or whether they stumble over it. The question that the Lord left with the rulers of the nation before He went to the cross was, “What think ye of Christ?” Matthew 22:42. This is still the critical question for men.

Even to them which stumble at the word, being disobedient- the great test is the soul’s reaction to the word of God as it comes to them with truth concerning Christ. Men are either obedient to that word or disobedient, for there is no middle ground.

Whereunto also they were appointed- men are not appointed to disobedience, as if it is their predestined fate. What they are appointed to is to stumble at the word if they reject it, for the rock on which they could have been built is also a rock of offence, designed to be the test whether they will accept God’s verdict about His Son or not.

2:9
But ye are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, an holy nation, a peculiar people; that ye should shew forth the praises of him who hath called you out of darkness into his marvellous light;

But ye are a chosen generation- the word “but” signals a contrast between those who stumble at the word, and believers. The apostle is reverting back to his description of believers in verse 5. Instead of stumbling over Christ, they have a dignified position in and through Him. At this point the apostle is alluding to the words of God when He entered into covenant relationship with Israel. Those words were: “ye shall be a peculiar treasure unto me above all people: for all the earth is mine: and ye shall be unto me a kingdom of priests, and an holy nation”, Exodus 19:5,6. The expression “all the earth is mine” denotes that God could have chosen any nation of the earth to be brought to Himself, but He chose Israel. They are therefore a chosen generation.

A royal priesthood- instead of saying “kingdom of priests”, which is applicable to Israel as a nation, the apostle, by the Spirit, writes, royal priesthood. This in fact is a greater dignity than being a nation consisting of priests, for that does not make them individually royal. But the Christian priest is not only a holy priest, verse 5, but a royal one too. This anticipates the teaching of the Epistle to the Hebrews which establishes that Christ is High Priest after the order of Melchizedec, who was a king and a priest. So the priests who have Him as their High King-Priest must be king-priests too, so they are royal priests.

An holy nation- the apostle leaves this phrase unaltered, because the idea of a nation is a company of people joined together in a common interest, and under a common ruler. Whilst it would not be correct to call the church a nation, (for nations have to do with earth, and the church is heavenly), nevertheless the principles of corporateness and common recognition of authority do apply to the church.

A peculiar people- the word peculiar has altered in meaning since the days when the Authorised Version was produced. But we need not despair, for the passage from which Peter is quoting makes it plain that the idea is of a peculiar treasure, Exodus 19:5. They were a treasure especially for God. Such is the valuation that God makes of His people.

That ye should shew forth the praises of him who hath called you out of darkness into his marvellous light- God’s primary purpose in calling men to Himself is so that they may be a testimony to Him and His praise-worthy glories. Before, they were in the dark, having no notion of the greatness of His person, but now they have been brought into the light through the coming of Christ and His revelation of the Father. As the apostle Paul indicated, “the light of the knowledge of the glory of God” is seen in “the face of Jesus Christ”, 2 Corinthians 4:6. So, as often has been noted, we are holy priests to offer up, and royal priests to shew forth.

2:10
Which in time past were not a people, but are now the people of God: which had not obtained mercy, but now have obtained mercy.

Which in time past were not a people, but are now the people of God- this is an allusion to Hosea’s words regarding the the nation, just prior to them going into captivity. God warned them that He would disown them for their idolatry, and not reckon them to be His people, Hosea 1:9. This was symbolised by Hosea being instructed to call his newborn son Lo-ammi, which means “not my people”. We should remember that the recipients of this letter were the descendants of the ones God dispossessed, so Peter’s reference is especially relevant, and indeed, painful. But it was not all pain, for in his second chapter Hosea records God’s further words to them, after they have been gathered to Himself, “And I will say to them which were not my people,Thou art my people”, Hosea 2:23. In response they will say, “Thou art my God”, for their idolatry will be over.

Now Peter uses God’s dealings with this people nationally to illustrate what the gospel has done to believers individually. As unbelievers, they were not the people of God, but by the new birth they had been made the “sons of the living God”, to quote Hosea’s words again.

Which had not obtained mercy, but now have obtained mercy- Hosea also had a daughter, and God instructed him to call her Lo-ruhamah, which means “not having obtained mercy”, Hosea 1:6. But whereas the “not my people” judgement seems to be relevant to both the divisions of the nation, Israel, (the ten tribes), and Judah, (the two tribes), the withdrawal of mercy only relates to the ten tribes, for God pledges, at least for the time being, to have mercy on Judah, verse 7. So this part of God’s judgement is specific to the ten tribes, the very ones that Peter is writing to, as he tells us in the first verse of his epistle. But the promise through Hosea was that God would “have mercy upon her that had not obtained mercy”, and whereas that is a promise to the nation, the blessing of it has been entered into by those to whom the apostle is writing.

The Numbers Section 2:11
This section is very small, perhaps because it reflects the fact that the journey across the wilderness should have been very short. (See Moses’ very pointed remark in Deuteronomy 1:2, where he says, “There are eleven days’ journey from Horeb by the way of mount Seir unto Kadesh-barnea”). As soon as Israel had begun their “strangers and pilgrims” experience, they were assailed by a powerful enemy, for as soon as they reached the wilderness, we read, “then came Amelek, and fought against Israel”). So believers have an enemy within, and should be on guard. We will consider this section with the Deuteronomy Section.

Deuteronomy Section 2:13-5:14
Just as Moses exhorted the people as they prepared to enter the land of Canaa, and told them of the sort of dangers to expect, so the apostle Peter warns us of the pitfalls of living amongst the Gentiles. Whereas the Israelites were to drive out the tribes in Canaan, we are not called to drive out anybody, but live amongst them as a testimony to Christ.

The apostle next deals with various practical matters. First of all, personal behaviour in general, verses 11-17. Then advice for servants, especially those who have difficult masters, verses 18-25. He then turns to relationship between husbands and wives, especially where one is not saved, 3:1-7.

The apostle has detailed some of the privileges that being a believer brings, but he now warns against the wrong attitude which can so easily overcome us. So we may look at the following passage as a series of warnings, as follows:

(a) Verses 11,12
The believer is a holy priest

Warning against complacency

The fact that he is holy himself by standing, and a part of a holy nation by Divine positioning, does not mean he should not be alert to the uprising of the flesh within. He should be on guard, and aware of the danger of the flesh asserting itself.

(b) Verses 13-17
The believer is a royal priest

Warning against arrogancy.

The fact that he is a royal priest should not make the believer indifferent to and dismissive of the demands the state makes upon him. He should be compliant.

(c) Verses 18-25
The believer is part of a chosen generation.

Warning against delinquency

The fact that he is one of God’s chosen does not make him exempt from the trials of everyday life, even if he is a slave. He should not rebel.

(d) Verses 3:1-7
Warning against despondency.

The believing wife should not despair if her husband is not yet saved, but should seek to live before him so that the gospel is commended. She should trust in God, as Sarah did.

The Numbers Section
Verse 11

Warning against complacency

2:11
Dearly beloved, I beseech you as strangers and pilgrims, abstain from fleshly lusts, which war against the soul;

Dearly beloved- before he begins to challenge his readers as to their behaviour in the world, (which world hates them), he assures them of his affection for them. But this affection is the outcome of the love of the Lord Jesus for him, and Peter is obeying the command of Christ in the upper room, to “love one another as I have loved you”, John 15:12. That chapter is about the true vine, of which true believers are the branches, and the only way those branches can be fruitful in a hostile environment is to have what gardeners call a micro-climate around them. In other words, they should remember the statement Christ made on that occasion, “As the Father hath loved me, so have I loved you: continue ye in my love”, John 15:9. As we consciously bask in the love of Christ as expressed to us by fellow-believers, we shall be better able to endure the harsh conditions in the world around.

I beseech you as strangers and pilgrims- as soon as Israel had begun their “strangers and pilgrims” experience, they were assailed by a powerful enemy, for as soon as they reached the wilderness, we read, “then came Amelek, and fought against Israel”. So believers have an enemy within, and should be on guard. Although the reference to Amelek is found in the book of Exodus, still it is true that the event happened in the wilderness.

Peter’s readers were scattered historically, for their ancestors had been carried into Assyria in Old Testament times. They had become scattered gradually, as we see from the various districts the apostle lists in 1:1. Given this situation, they might have felt that their situation was hopeless, and they had nothing to live for. The apostle has already pointed them to the heavenly inheritance that is theirs, and now he motivates them by reminding them that they are strangers, for they have been cut off from the world just as really as their ancestors had been cut off from Egypt. But they were not to wander aimlessly, as, alas, their forefathers did, but to be pilgrims, resolute, purposeful, and knowing their destination.

Abstain from fleshly lusts, which war against the soul- they must not think that because they are in this world, which is like a barren wilderness, there are no dangers to threaten them. They have within them still the flesh, which is unchanged from the flesh they had before they were converted. When a person gets saved their flesh is not saved, but their soul is, and they are born again as to the spirit. The body is unchanged, however, and it is in the body that the flesh, or sinful self, finds its home. This represents an inner danger. The apostle Paul found this, for we may think of him in his Arabia experience, cut off from all material things, yet the command that came home to him with full force, and slew him as to effective Christian living, was “Thou shalt not covet”, see Romans 7:7-11.

The fleshly lusts that assail us “war against the soul”, for they do not attack us physically, but morally, and seek to defeat us, hindering our Christian progress as we make our way home to heaven.

Deuteronomy Section 2:13-5:14

2:12
Having your conversation honest among the Gentiles: that, whereas they speak against you as evildoers, they may by your good works, which they shall behold, glorify God in the day of visitation.

Having your conversation honest among the Gentiles- just prior to his death, Moses found it necessary to warn the nation of Israel of the dangers that would confront them when they went into the land of promise. It was full of nations that were godless, and, moreover, they were godless to the limit, for the iniquity of the Amorites, which was not full in Abraham’s day, Genesis 15:16, had become full in Moses’ day. But whereas the Israelites were instructed of God to destroy the seven nations of Canaan, no such word comes to believers of this age. Now the response to the wickedness in the world is to bear a good and honest testimony against it whilst living amongst it. We have the example of the way the Lord Jesus lived for many years in Nazareth. The word honest has the idea of excellence about it; the behaviour of the believer should be exemplary.

That, whereas they speak against you as evildoers- the men of the world are condemned by the righteous lifestyle of godly believers, as they seek to shine as lights in the world. In this they follow their Saviour, for He could say, “This is the condemnation, that light is come into the world, and men loved darkness rather than light, because their deeds were evil”, John 3:19. Light exposes, and as the Lord Jesus went on to say, “For every one that doeth evil hateth the light, neither cometh to the light, lest his deeds should be reproved”, verse 20. As a result, the believer is vulnerable to the unjust accusations of men who have a bad conscience, and who try to justify their sinfulness by accusing believers of being the same.

They may by your good works, which they shall behold, glorify God in the day of visitation- how should a believer react to this situation? The apostle’s inspired solution is to meet the bad works of false accusation, with the good works of Christian conduct. We must ensure that those good works are in place before the accusations come, or else it will look as if we are trying to atone for our faults.

So when is the day of visitation? It can be when the unbeliever, convicted of his sin by the good behaviour of the Christian, is visited with God’s salvation. But if that is not the outcome, and unbelief is persisted in, the day of visitation will be one of judgement, at the “judgement of the great day”, Jude 6. So good works both commend the gospel and condemn the sinner.

(b) Verses 13-17
The believer is a royal priest

Warning against arrogancy.

2:13
Submit yourselves to every ordinance of man for the Lord’s sake: whether it be to the king, as supreme;

Submit yourselves to every ordinance of man for the Lord’s sake- despite being a royal priest, the believer must not think himself to be above the demands of the kings of the earth. Contrary to what some regimes think, Christians are no threat to the stability of the government, and faith in Christ enables a person to be a model citizen. The word ordinance means a creation, and refers to that which human law-makers bring in.

Of course, this submission to the ordinances of man has a limit, for Peter himself said, “We ought to obey God rather than men”, Acts 5:29. If there is a conflict between the command of God and the law of man, the believer must abide by the law of God, and accept the consequences if the authorities take punitive action. This is why the apostle adds, “for the Lord’s sake”, for we cannot obey the laws of men for His sake if they are wicked laws, for to do that would not be for the sake of advancing His cause.

Whether it be to the king, as supreme- we are reminded by the apostle Paul that “the powers that be are ordained of God”, Romans 13:1, and to resist the power is to “resist the ordinance of God. There is also the fact that as an assembly meets for prayer, it should intercede for those who govern, for they have a great influence on our everyday lives, for good or ill, 1 Timothy 2:1,2.

2:14
Or unto governors, as unto them that are sent by him for the punishment of evildoers, and for the praise of them that do well.

Or unto governors, as unto them that are sent by him for the punishment of evildoers, and for the praise of them that do well- the apostle distinguishes between a king who reigns, representing stability and order, and those who rule, dealing with the detailed affairs of civic life and government. Note that the governors are sent by God, so they must be respected for the task they do for Him, even though in many cases they are unaware that they are acting for God. There is to be punishment for evil doers, so that they may be curbed, but also so that others may take note and not follow their example. There is to be a balance kept, so that those who do not engage in evil are rewarded in some way for their good behaviour. That side of things does not seem to be attended to as it might. If good was rewarded more, perhaps evil would be committed less.

2:15
For so is the will of God, that with well doing ye may put to silence the ignorance of foolish men:

For so is the will of God, that with well doing ye may put to silence the ignorance of foolish men- the question “What is the will of God?” is often asked, and seems to be answered by three things. Here, the will of God is to engage in well doing. In 1 Thessalonians 4:3 it is our sanctification. In 1 Peter 3:17 it is that we suffer. Those who foolishly criticise believers falsely will have to acknowledge their good deeds, and be silent.

2:16
As free, and not using your liberty for a cloke of maliciousness, but as the servants of God.

As free, and not using your liberty for a cloke of maliciousness- the believer is free from the obligation to obey the wicked laws of men; free, also, to do good works that will confound hostile men. But this freedom is not to be used as a cover for secret sins. It is the freedom of God’s children to behave well, not the freedom to rebel against Him.

But as the servants of God- so the believer is indeed free, but not to serve himself and his desires, but only to serve God. Sometimes this will take the form of obeying the laws of men; at other times it will manifest itself in refusing to obey those laws, if they are unrighteous.

2:17
Honour all men. Love the brotherhood. Fear God. Honour the king.

Honour all men- the apostle summarises what the servants of God are able to do and must do. As a servant of God the believer sees potential in every man, for each is made in the image of God, and that image, though distorted by sin, is still present. Every man has the potential to become a son of God, and the servant of God will bear that in mind.

Love the brotherhood- the servant of God has a special duty to love all who form part of the company that shares the life of God through the new birth. That love is not to be merely in word and tongue, but in deed and truth, 1 John 3:18. We express our love to God by loving those who are begotten of Him, 1 John 5:1. After all, we have already learnt from Peter that we purified our souls in obeying the truth through the Spirit unto unfeigned love of the brethren, 1 Peter 1:22, so believers are born again to love.

Fear God- in the light of the possibility that the laws of men will conflict with the law of God, we must obey the latter in reverential fear of Him.

Honour the king- notwithstanding the previous remark, the king must be honoured as the means God uses for the regulation of life upon the earth. Nationhood, with a king at the head, is the best safeguard from anarchy and tyranny. When nations lose their identity in favour of political associations, then they are on the high road to disaster. The institution of the monarchy is one of the things the Holy Spirit uses to hinder the emergence of the Antichrist.

(c) Verses 18-25
The believer is part of a chosen generation.

Warning against delinquency

The apostle deals in this section with the relationship of servants to their masters, and encourages them with the example of Christ which He has left them to follow. The apostle utilises one of Isaiah’s Servant Songs, in which he contrasts the faithful service of Christ with the failing service of Israel.

Note that Christian doctrine affects our everyday lives as well as when we come together; our secular life as well as our service for the Lord. In fact, everyday work is service for the Lord, “servants…ye serve the Lord Christ”, Colossians 3:24.

Structure of the passage

Verses 18-20
Exhortation to servants suffering at work

Verses 21-23
Example of the Saviour as He suffered in life and in death

Verse 24(a)
Encouragement because our Saviour bare our sins

Verses 24(b)-25
End-result of responding to His example and His sin-bearing

 

Verses 18-20
Exhortation to servants suffering at work

2:18
Servants, be subject to your masters with all fear; not only to the good and gentle, but also to the froward.

Servants, be subject to your masters- the word for servant is household servant, so does not denote the lowest grade. Even so, this epistle was written to dispersed Jews, so it shows their low state. “The stranger that is within thee shall get up above thee very high; and thou shalt come down very low”, Deuteronomy 28:43. “Because thou servedst not the Lord thy God with joyfulness…thou shalt serve thine enemies,” Deuteronomy 28:47,48. This was prophesied of those who would be scattered or dispersed, and who would become the Diaspora, 1 Peter 1:1. They were disliked because they were Jews, now doubly so as Christians.

With all fear- this means fear looked at from every perspective, whether the fear of God, the fear of dishonouring Christ’s name, or the respectful fear that is due to an employer, whether he is a good or bad master. Slaves in Roman times were the property of their masters, who had absolute control over them, as is implied in the word for master.

Not only to the good and gentle, but also to the froward- the more enlightened amongst the slave owners would treat them properly, so that they would be fit to continue serving them. Subjection to men does not come easily, but it is most difficult to be subject to froward or crooked, difficult-to-please masters, who, being bad and cruel, are not restrained by considerations of righteousness. Some slaves were at the mercy of their master’s whim and fancy, yet they should submit even to these. At certain times in the Roman Empire slave-masters had the right to execute their slaves if they displeased them.

The apostle does not incite the slaves to rise up against their masters. This would probably not be in the best interests of the slaves anyway, since they would be left with no means of livelihood. The best way to improve society is to ensure the gospel is preached. Believers are expected to be known for good works, but should beware of turning Christianity into a social campaign. Abraham did more to save Sodom by praying for it from outside, than Lot did by living inside, even as a magistrate. There were plenty of just and deserving causes in the days of the apostles, but they refused to be side-tracked from the preaching of the gospel.

2:19
For this is thankworthy, if a man for conscience toward God endure grief, suffering wrongfully.

For this is thankworthy- literally, this is grace, that is, conduct which God finds pleasing and acceptable, whereas the behaviour described in verse 20 is not praiseworthy. The word for grace, “charis”, was used in Greek writings for the kindness masters showed to their servants. Good and gentle masters might praise them, but here the ultimate master is God. The pleasing attitude he goes on to speak of can only be the result of God’s grace working in their hearts.

If a man for conscience toward God endure grief- to make a stand for righteousness will mean arousing the enmity of crooked masters. The word grief is in the plural, indicating that physical, mental or spiritual pain, or a combination of all three, might await the faithful Christian servant. As Peter writes elsewhere in this epistle, “It is better, if the will of God be so, to suffer for well-doing, than for evil-doing”, 3:17.

Suffering wrongfully- a slave who had a sensitive Christian conscience, which would not allow him to do the wrong thing that his master demanded, would most likely be punished. “We must obey God rather than men” is a governing principle of the Christian life, as stated by Peter himself, Acts 5:29. The grief would involve physical and mental pain, and also the pain of the feeling of being unjustly treated. Christians should have a highly-developed sense of justice, having been made the righteousness of God in Christ, 2 Corinthians 5:21. They must expect that their patience will be tried by the unrighteous men of the world.

2:20
For what glory is it, if, when ye be buffeted for your faults, ye shall take it patiently? but if, when ye do well, and suffer for it, ye take it patiently, this is acceptable with God.

For what glory is it if, when ye be buffeted for your faults, ye take it patiently? Glory means a word of praise. There will not be this from God in this situation. There is no credit for being buffeted for faults, not even if you accept the punishment patiently, for this might be an admission that you know you have done wrong. Buffeted translated literally means to be given a blow with the fist. To “take it patiently” is to endure like Him who “endured the cross, despising the shame”. The suffering servants would be helped if they “consider him that endured such contradiction of sinners against himself, lest ye be wearied and faint in your minds”, Hebrews 12:2,3.

But if, when ye do well, and suffer for it, ye take it patiently, this is acceptable with God- acceptable is the same word as thankworthy. Praise from God is what matters. This attitude is contrary to nature, for “common justice” reckons that good should be rewarded with glory, not grief. The Jew was used to the idea that suffering was the result of God’s displeasure, whereas now God’s favour was upon those that suffered. Isaiah wrote of Christ beforehand in these terms, “His visage was so marred more than any man, and his form more than the sons of men”, for His body was battered beyond recognition as a man. The Jews will eventually realise that their Messiah can sympathise with them in their Holocaust experience.

The doing well might involve refusing to do something, but if the master punishes for this refusal for conscience sake, and the slave takes it patiently, accepting that this is the will of God, then he does well as far as God is concerned. So two things are commendable, the refusal to do evil, and the patient acceptance of the consequences.

Verses 21-23
Example of the Saviour as He suffered in life and in death

2:21
For even hereunto were ye called: because Christ also suffered for us, leaving us an example, that ye should follow his steps:

For even hereunto were ye called- compare Peter’s words in 3:17, “if the will of God be so…that ye suffer”. The calling of God does not just involve justification and glorification, as declared in Romans 8:30, but also the circumstances of everyday. The gospel not only fits us for heaven, but equips us to live on earth to God’s glory. Since we live in a world that is hostile to God, this will involve suffering of one sort or another.

Peter knew the call to follow Christ, and also said he would follow to prison and to death. Sadly, he followed afar off to avoid suffering, and then denied his Lord whilst He was being buffeted.

Because Christ also suffered for us- His life-sufferings, including even His martyr-sufferings on the cross, were for us in the sense that He was leaving us an example. He was giving the example, so that we might copy it, so in that sense was suffering for us. If we say this includes what He suffered from God, (and only this is for us in the sense of “for our sins”), then we cannot follow His example fully, since we shall not know God’s forsaking, and the suffering it entails.

Leaving us an example- “leaving” implies He is not doing it now; the example is complete. The word “example” means a model, a writing-copy, defined as “all the letters of the alphabet given to beginners as an aid to learning to draw them”, Grimm. So it is not just a question of knowing letters, but drawing them. We are not simply to know what Christ suffered, but copy Him in the suffering. The letters are not simply for our recognition, nor even just for admiration, but imitation. Note all the letters of the alphabet are involved, confirming that the example is complete. He is the Alpha and Omega of suffering, the author and finisher of our faith.

That ye should follow his steps- the word “should” is not emphasising moral obligation in the “ought to” sense, (although that comes out in the next verses), but that the opportunity and possibility is there since He has left the example. It is there for us to respond to the call to it. Follow His steps means to tread in His footsteps. Sheep in the East follow their shepherd, whereas left to themselves they go astray. Note the “that ye”, and then in verse 24, “that we”.

The word “follow” implies a following closely. Peter no doubt remembered that, at the trial of Christ, he had “followed afar off”, Luke 22:54. We are called to a life of closely following in the steps of the Lord Jesus, even to the extent of suffering for His name’s sake.

Peter says “ye” because he is writing to a particular set of believers who were clearly enduring persecution, and they would be encouraged by the thought that the way had been trodden beforehand by the Lord Jesus. Perhaps he also alludes to the fact that whilst he was privileged to follow the Lord when He was on earth, those to whom he writes were not in that position, but they still could, and should, follow His example.

Peter seems to parallel the words of the Servant Song in Isaiah 53, so we shall quote the relevant statement before each verse in the remainder of the chapter.

“Because he had done no violence, neither was any deceit in his mouth”

2:22
Who did no sin, neither was guile found in his mouth:

Who did no sin- Peter now begins to quote from one of the “Songs of the Servant” in Isaiah 52:13-53:12. This passage suits his purpose admirably, prophesying as it does of the way the Lord Jesus would suffer in life and death as God’s servant. He would know grief, sorrow, misunderstanding, suffering for righteousness’ sake, stripes, oppression, affliction, bruising, and finally, the experience of being judged for sins that were not His own. Maltreated servants will find great comfort and strength as they follow in His steps. Despite being treated like this, the Lord Jesus did not react in a sinful way. Nor should those who seek to follow His example.

The words in Isaiah 53:9 were “because he had done no violence”. The same Spirit that inspired Isaiah to write those words, also inspired Peter to fill out and extend their meaning to include all sins, not just violent ones. Again, Peter may have been reminded of his own experience in the Garden of Gethsemane, when he had sought to use physical violence to defend his Lord, John 18:10,11.

Neither was guile found in his mouth- the Lord Jesus was guilty of neither sinful deed nor sinful word. Peter explains what he means in the next verse. The fact that guile was not found, indicates that men sought to find it and failed. They accused Him of many things, but their testimony did not agree together, showing it was fabricated, Mark 14:55-61.

This statement sets Christ apart from all others, for “all have sinned”. Note that Peter the man of intention, who was always ready for action, and ready to speak, highlights the fact that Christ is free of sinful acts, and sinful words, yet He bear our sins, that we might live unto righteousness as to practice. In 1 John 3:5, John the man of insight says “in him is not sin”, and yet “He was manifested to take away our sins”, so it could be said “whosoever abideth in him sinneth not”, as a matter of principle. Paul, the man of intelligence says “He knew no sin”, (that is, experimentally), but was “made sin, that we might be made the righteousness of God in him”, so we are to be experimentally righteous.

“As a sheep before her shearers is dumb, so he openeth not his mouth”

2:23
Who, when he was reviled, reviled not again; when he suffered, he threatened not; but committed himself to him that judgeth righteously:

Who, when he was reviled, reviled not again- Peter warns against rendering railing for railing in 3:9. He himself had denied the Lord with oaths and curses. When the two thieves railed on Him, then He only spoke words of salvation to them.

When he suffered, he threatened not- He could have threatened His tormentors with Divine judgement, but refrained. He did not return verbal abuse in kind, but rather sought that those who insulted Him should be forgiven, Matthew 27:38-44; Luke 23:34. So there was no guile in His mouth when there was guile in man’s mouth; there was no threat of violence when there was violence done to Him by men. So servants are not to pay back in kind, nor call upon God to do so. “Give place unto wrath; for it is written, Vengeance is mine; I will repay saith the Lord”, Romans 12:19.

But committed himself to him that judgeth righteously- the word “committed” indicates that He gave Himself up in surrender to the will of God. As a previous Servant Song in Isaiah says, “He is near that justifieth me….Behold the Lord God will help me”, Isaiah 50:8,9. And again, the psalmist said of Messiah, “He shall receive blessing from the Lord, and righteousness from the God of his salvation”, Psalm 24:5. Men judged unrighteously, but He was confident that His God would assess His life aright. “Reviled”, “threatened”, and “committed”, are all in the imperfect tense, speaking of continuance in the past; whilst men were reviling and causing Him to suffer, He was casting Himself upon God.

Verse 24(a)
Encouragement because our Saviour bare our sins

“Surely he hath borne our griefs, and carried our sorrows”

2:24
Who his own self bare our sins in his own body on the tree, that we, being dead to sins, should live unto righteousness: by whose stripes ye were healed.

Who his own self- Isaiah uses the pronoun “He” in its emphatic form several times in chapter 53, “He hath borne our griefs, verse 4; “He was wounded for our transgressions”, verse 5; “He was afflicted”, verse 7; “He shall bear their iniquities”, verse 11; “He bare the sin of many”, verse 12. The reference to bearing sin is in view here. By emphasising the personal pronoun “He”, the prophet seems to be expressing surprise that such an one as the Messiah should be in such a position. He alone was competent to deal with this matter, and He dealt with it without help from any other. The work was not delegated; He Himself in the glory of His sinlessness did the sin-bearing.

Bare our sins- to bare sins means to take responsibility for them. Sins are not material things that may be physically carried. Isaiah had written “He hath borne our griefs, and carried our sorrows”, 53:4, and Matthew had used these words in reference to the way Christ healed sickness and removed them as a cause of sorrow. He took the load from others, and bore it sympathetically Himself. Now the Spirit guides Peter to quote those words as to their fullest meaning, (for the formula Matthew used when quoting those words indicated that his application of them was only a partial fulfilment of the prophecy). By bearing sins the very root cause of sickness and sorrow was dealt with. How encouraging to injured slaves, that Christ not only sympathised with their griefs, as they suffered wrongfully, but had done the far greater and more painful thing of suffering for sins.

In his own body- a servant was kept simply for what his body was able to do. The servant of Jehovah used His body to do good in His life, and to bare on the tree the sins of those who were bad in their lives. He bare sins in His own body, not in any detached way. The Lord laid on Him the iniquity of us all, Isaiah 53:6, and this verse seems to suggest He took that to heart, so that the sins were, so to speak, within Him.

On the tree- note that He only bears sins on the tree, He did not do so during His earthly ministry, or else the Father would not have been with Him. Nor could we be exhorted to follow Him if He was bearing sins during His life, for His sin-bearing cannot be imitated. The scapegoat on the Day of Atonement bare sins into the “land not inhabited”, Leviticus 16:22, speaking of that place which the Lord Jesus took when He was forsaken of God. He went to the place not inhabited, so that heaven could be populated to capacity. He is not only the true scape-goat, but is also the counterpart of the fit man who led the goat away. Christ combines both functions in Himself. As the psalmist wrote, “As far as the east is from the west, so far hath he removed our transgressions from us”, Psalm 103:12.

A servant was only of use to his master while his body was able to bear burdens. Here we are told of the Supreme Burden-bearer, the only one who could bear up under the load of the sins of mankind.

The apostle says “our sins”, not to exclude the sins of others, but to emphasise that it is the language of the believer to say “my sins”. It is not correct to tell sinners that Christ bore their sins, not because He did not bare all sins, for He did, but because the personal possessive pronoun indicates that those who declare “He bare our sins” are in the good of Christ’s work, for they recognise that He bore their personal sins. This unbelievers do not recognise, and for this reason cannot take Peter’s words on their lips. Nor should preachers put them on their lips either, for it will give them a false sense of security.

Verses 24(b)-25
End-result of responding to His example and His sin-bearing

“And with his stripes we are healed”

“All we like sheep have gone astray; we have turned every one to his own way; And the Lord hath laid on him the iniquity of us all”

That we- note that just as there is a “that ye” after His example in life, verse 21, so there is a “that we” after His suffering on the tree. His action should be followed by a practical response from those whose sins He bore.

Being dead to sins- this is not quite the same thought as is expressed by Paul in Romans 6:11, (“likewise reckon ye also yourselves to be dead indeed unto sin”), and Colossians 3:3, (“for ye are dead”), for the idea of the word for dead that Peter uses is “to have done with”, or “to depart from”. That said, the word was often translated “die” in Greek writings, and the reference to living unto righteousness justifies the translation, “dead to sins”. Peter is dealing with the idea of having done with sins as actions, which of course fits in with his theme. Christ did no sin, therefore we should have done with sins; Christ bare our sins, so we should derive our thoughts about sins from what it cost Christ to deal with them.

Should live unto righteousness- God’s righteous servant justifies many, Isaiah 53:11, and those who are reckoned righteous by God are enabled to live righteous lives, not falling into the sin of doing wrong, or speaking with guile, reviling or threatening.

By whose stripes ye were healed- in the context in Isaiah 53, the wounding was for our transgressions, the bruising was for our iniquities, the chastisement (implying the rod of correction) was for our peace of conscience, and with His stripes we are healed, so the sufferings mentioned are spiritual, for they are inflicted because of our sins, and from God, not from men. The prophet makes it clear that “It pleased the Lord to bruise Him”. If we say the stripes were physical, then we have to say that there was bearing of sins before He hung on the tree, for He was ill-treated on several occasions and by different groups of people, before He was taken out to be crucified. If the stripes are spiritual, then so must the healing be. Note that the prophet immediately speaks of sheep going astray, and healing is for those who go astray, as we see from the following scriptures:

“And he went on frowardly (perversely) in the way of His heart. I have seen his ways, and will heal him”, Isaiah 57:17,18.

“For they have perverted their way…return, ye backsliding children, and I will heal your backslidings”, Jeremiah 3:21,22.

“O Israel, return unto the Lord…I will heal their backslidings, I will love them freely”, Hosea l4:1,4.

“And make straight paths for your feet, lest that which is lame be turned out of the way; but let it rather be healed”, Hebrews 12:13.

So we see the connection the prophets make between going astray, and being healed. This is why the apostle, having quoted Isaiah’s words about healing, goes on to quote his words about going astray.

The remembrance of the way the Lord Jesus suffered when “it pleased the Lord to bruise him”, Isaiah 53:10, would be a great encouragement to slaves who were perhaps smarting under the lash of their cruel masters. Their physical sufferings from men were as nothing compared to His suffering that they might be healed in soul.

For ye were as sheep going astray- having seen the connection between backsliding and healing, we realise that Peter is implying that servants who have to suffer for evil-doing, and those who revile their tormentors, are in a backsliding condition. So had he been, but he had been converted from his waywardness, and had returned to the shepherd of his soul, who said, “Feed my sheep”, John 21:16, at the fire of coals. Charcoal can be revived, even after it has grown cold and dull. Peter had burned brightly when the Lord was by His side, but had grown cold of heart in the High Priest’s Palace, (despite standing by a fire, John 18:18), and denied Him. His experience by the Lord’s fire of charcoal warms him again. This could be the experience of these backsliding ones too.

But are now returned to the shepherd and bishop of your souls- as the shepherd, the Lord Jesus cares for our souls, as Peter heard Him say in John 10. As bishop, the Lord Jesus watches over us and our interests, as Peter saw Him do in John 18:8,9; see also John 17:12. Note that the welfare of the soul is His major concern, without which health of the body is valueless. On the other hand, if as slaves they were battered in body, then they could bear this since they were restored in soul. As the Shepherd He goes before the flock, setting them the example, and leading them in a right path. As the Bishop, (the word gives the idea of looking or watching over), He watches over the flock from a watchtower, so to speak, so that all His sheep are under His eye.

Special note: Is healing in the Atonement?
We need to note the following considerations:

First, was there physical healing for the people of Israel on the Day of Atonement, in Leviticus 16?

Second, every cell in the believer’s body is subject to decay and replacement, for the redemption of the body has not yet taken place, Romans 8:23. We should not expect to have bodies free from any decay before the resurrection has taken place.

Third, believers should not expect ever to be ill, if the healing is physical, for the word is “were ye healed”, so it is complete, and in the past. The prophet is not talking about an ongoing process.

Fourth, when Paul’s “thorn”, (whatever it was), was not removed, he was told that the Lord’s grace was sufficient, enabling him to bear the burden. He was not told to claim healing.

Fifth, those who had the gift of healing were never instructed to only heal unbelievers; so it is envisaged that believers would be ill.

Sixth, the apostle does not cite “By whose stripes ye were healed” as an incentive, as if it is something to be gained subsequent to conversion. The exhortations to live as those dead to sins, and live to righteousness are followed by the mention of healing, for the fact they had been restored to the right path is seen in what follows, they had returned to their shepherd.

Special note on “because he had done no violence”.
Isaiah tells us that the grave of the Lord Jesus was with the rich because He had done no violence. So we need to enquire what the connection between the two is. The relevant verse in Isaiah reads as follows:

Isaiah 53:9 And he made his grave with the wicked, and with the rich in his death; because he had done no violence, neither was any deceit in his mouth.

And he made his grave with the wicked- verses 7 and 8 have described the way men treated the Lord Jesus. They oppressed and afflicted Him, sought to destroy His character, and at last took Him and slaughtered Him on a cross. In all this it seemed as if they were in control, and that He was the helpless victim of circumstances, but this verse tells us it was not so. The apostle Peter emphasised this on the day of Pentecost when he declared that the nation of Israel had by means of the wicked hands of the Gentiles crucified Him, and allowed that crucifixion process to continue until He was slain, Acts 2:23; they callously allowed Him to suffer, and only planned to curtail His sufferings because the feast day was near.

There was another dimension to this, however, as Peter points out at the same time. The fact is that He was delivered by the determinate counsel and foreknowledge of God. Men were only allowed to do what they did because it was part of God’s plan. Indeed, the basis of God’s plan. Now Isaiah 53:10 tells us that the pleasure of the Lord prospers in the hand of the Lord Jesus. As God’s Firstborn Son, as well as His Only begotten Son, He was charged with the task of administering God’s affairs. Not in any dispassionate way, but personally, and a major part of those affairs involved Him in suffering of different sorts. He suffered in life, as earlier verses of the chapter have told us; He suffered in the three hours of darkness, as verse 5 has told us; He suffered injustice and cruelty at the hands of men, as verses 7 and 8 clearly show. But He not only suffered in these ways, as He carried out the will of His Father, He was in control as He did so. So, for instance, we find verses 7-9 alternate between passive and active. He was oppressed…He was afflicted, yet He opened not His mouth. Passive in oppression and affliction, but active in not opening His mouth. He is brought…He is dumb. Men bring Him, and He passively allows this, but He actively remained as dumb. So also in verse 8. He is taken…He was cut off…stricken. But then the active, He made. Each time the active is the answer to the passive. So when He made His grave with the wicked, He was responding to something that He had passively allowed, but during which He was totally in control.

The question is, of course, in what way was He in control so that He made His grave with the wicked? And if He was in control in this matter, why did it not happen? And how can He make His grave with the wicked and with the rich at the same time? So tightly interwoven is this prophecy that it can be fulfilled in the experience of only one man.

We need to notice that the word wicked is in the plural, and the word rich is in the singular. So there are wicked men, and there is a rich man. The word for wicked used here is an actively bad person. We know that all have sinned, but not all set out to be actively bad. We are told in verse 12 that the Lord Jesus was “numbered with the transgressors”, and the word transgressors means persons who have broken away in revolt against just authority. The words are quoted by Mark when he describes the Lord Jesus being crucified between two thieves. So we begin to see a picture building up of Christ in some way making His grave with wicked men by being crucified. He submitted Himself to arrest, trial and execution, knowing that normally the end result of that process was to be flung unceremoniously, (and in company with the others crucified with Him), into a pit dug at the foot of the cross. But even though it is true that He submitted Himself to the process of arrest and all that followed, nonetheless He was in complete control of the situation. He did not call for the legions of angels that were at His disposal, Matthew 26:53. He did not allow His followers to try to prevent His arrest, and rebuked Peter for attempting it, and remedied the damage he had done with his sword. He could have any moment passed through the midst of them and gone His way, as He had done several times during His ministry when the crowds were hostile. He did none of these things. And by thus not resisting He ensured that His grave would be with the others crucified with Him, even though this was a distasteful prospect, and normally to be avoided at all costs.

It is interesting to notice that the words “He was numbered with the transgressors” are quoted twice in the gospel records. Once by Mark as he records the crucifixion, as we have noted, but prior to that by the Lord Jesus as He is about to leave the Upper Room and make His way to Gethsemane, Luke 22:37. So these words bracket together the whole series of events from the arrest in Gethsemane, to the crucifixion at Golgotha.

There is a big problem, however, with this situation, and it is this. It is vitally important that the Lord Jesus be put in an easily identified and publicly-known grave, and, moreover, is put there on His own. If He is buried at the foot of the cross with the two thieves, who is to know whether He has risen from the dead? In theory those near of kin to the thieves could even come to the place, remove the body of their relative, and claim he had risen from the dead! And even if this is unlikely to be attempted, the followers of the Lord could be accused of doing the same, and pretending that He had risen.

There is also the consideration that the psalmist prophesied by the Spirit that God would not suffer His Holy One, meaning the Messiah, to see corruption, Psalm 16:10. There would certainly be corruption in a grave at the foot of the cross, with the remains of many criminals mingling together there. Now of course whilst the whole of creation is in the bondage of corruption, nonetheless only humans are morally corrupt. So the requirement is that the Lord Jesus must be buried in a marked grave, which has had no-one else in it before, and has no-one else in it whilst He is there. Only in this way can it be sure that the One who was put into it is the One who came out of it.

How is this situation going to come about? It will be necessary for this grave to be more than a marked grave in the ground. It will need to be secure and unused. This involves expense, and the Lord Jesus had not the material resources to arrange for this to happen. Yet our passage says “He made his grave…with the rich in his death.” It is certainly not that He had influential friends who could rise to the occasion in this matter. His followers were poor, as He was. And yet in a real sense He does arrange this matter, for our passage says “He made his grave…with the rich”.

In the event, the rich individual pinpointed in this passage was Joseph of Arimathea. He was not a prominent member of the disciples that followed the Lord. In fact, he was only a disciple secretly, because he feared the Jews, and what they would think of him. For he was a counsellor, meaning that he was a member of the Sanhedrin, and as such was one of those spoken of in John 12:42,43, which reads, “Nevertheless among the chief rulers also many believed on Him; but because of the Pharisees they did not confess Him, lest they should be put out of the synagogue: for they loved the praise of men more than the praise of God”. Luke records that “the same had not consented to the counsel and the deed of them”, Luke 23:51. The “them” referring to his fellow-members of the Sanhedrin.

He was assisted by a Pharisee, Nicodemus, who also was a secret disciple, and who is designated by John as “he that came to Jesus by night”, reminding us of his conversation with the Lord Jesus in John 3. He presumably was a member of the Sanhedrin since he is described as a ruler of the Jews, John 3:1. He seems to have had great influence amongst them as we see from John 7:45-53. The chief priests and Pharisees had sent officers to arrest the Lord Jesus, no doubt on the pretence that He had interrupted the temple services by crying out, “If any man thirst, let him come unto me and drink”, verse 37. The officers returned without Him, and when the Pharisees protested at this, Nicodemus said, “Doth our law judge any man, before it hear him, and know what he doeth? Thus he showed himself to be prepared to defend the interests of Christ in a small way, and to appeal for justice to be done. Things have changed, now, however, for he has to make a decision. He cannot be neutral about Christ any longer, and something makes him side with Christ publicly, like Joseph of Arimathea.

We might well ask ourselves what it is that convinced them of the genuineness of Christ’s claims. Remember, our answer must be in line with what the prophet said, which was, “He made His grave…with the rich in His death. We notice that the words “in His death” are only applicable to His grave with the rich. The prophet did not say “He made His grave with the wicked in His death”. So to all intents and purposes He was destined for a grave with the wicked; but in the event, and by His own ordering, His grave was actually with the rich in His death.

We are told several things about the character of Joseph. First, that he was a good man, the direct opposite of the wicked men between whom the Lord Jesus was crucified. Second, that he was just man, meaning he was diligent in trying to keep the law, in direct contrast to the transgressors, who rebelled against all law. Third, he waited for the kingdom of God, showing that he had a longing for the fulfilment of the Old Testament prophecies about the Messiah. Fourth, he was a rich man, so is a candidate for the role marked out in Isaiah 53. Fifth, he was an honourable counsellor, which implies that, (as indeed was the case), there were members of the Sanhedrin who were not honourable. Sixth, he was prepared to make sacrifices, for he gave up his own tomb in favour of the carpenter from Nazareth. And seventh, he came from secret discipleship to open and bold discipleship at last.

It is the first three qualities that we need to focus on. Now a reading of the gospel records will show that the whole council, meaning the Sanhedrin, of which Joseph was a member, were present at the first trial before Caiaphas. Matthew 26:59 reads, “Now the chief priests, and elders, and all the council, sought false witness against Jesus, to put Him to death”. Here is the first test for Joseph. He is a just man, and he must ask himself whether justice is being done here. He is a good man, and must ask himself if the prisoner is being treated respectfully.

The following rules governed the arrest of prisoners, and Joseph must know that already those rules have been broken.

1. The arrest should have been done voluntarily by those who were witnesses to the crime. It was illegal for the temple guard acting for the High Priest to make the arrest.

2. The arrest should not have been at night, and constituted an act of violence. This is why the disciples were preparing to prevent it. Malchus was probably one of those foremost in the arrest. If Peter had been preventing a legal arrest, he himself should have been arrested. The fact he was not, showed the authorities knew they were in the wrong.

3. The prisoner was bound, which was unnecessary violence, since he was surrounded by only a few men, and the arrest party consisted of many.

4. The prisoner was taken to Annas first, but he was not the proper magistrate.

5. He was interrogated at night, which was prohibited by law.

6. He was detained in a private house.

7. He was struck gratuitously before any charges had been brought, John 18:22.

And now the first trial before Caiaphas is taking place, and Joseph has further questions to answer, for he is a member of the body that is conducting this trial. Consider the following:

1. The trial was conducted at night, which was illegal. All proceedings of law were prohibited at night.

2. No trial was allowed on a feast day, under penalty of being null and void.

3. He was ill-treated in a private house, (Matthew 26:67,68), with Caiaphas not preventing it, and before a proper hearing had taken place. This was against Jewish law.

4. The trial was conducted by Caiaphas, who was prejudiced, because he had already said that it was expedient for one man (meaning Christ), to die for the nation, John 11:49-52.

5. Caiaphas acted as judge and accuser.

6. He allowed the prisoner to be ill-treated, even though no sentence had been passed, Luke 22:63-65.

And then, the morning comes, and Mark tells us “the chief priests held a consultation with the elders and scribes and the whole council“. So Joseph must be present at this meeting also. Now further rules are broken, as follows:

1. Witnesses should come forward voluntarily, but these were “sought”, after the attempt to find honest witnesses against Christ was unsuccessful, Matthew 26:59,60.

2. Witnesses who did not speak the truth were to be stoned to death.

3. If witnesses did not agree, the case was to be dismissed immediately. This did not happen.

4. To put a prisoner on oath, and therefore, in effect, to force him to incriminate himself, was illegal.

5. The confession of an individual against himself should not decide a condemnation.

6. If the accused wished to speak, he was to be given the most profound attention.

Now at some time during these proceedings Joseph made a stand. We read that he “had not consented to the counsel and deed of them”, Luke 23:51, the “them” meaning the other members of the Sanhedrin. Their deliberations, and what they had done, both by sins of omission and by commission, he disagreed with strongly. But there was more than the breaking of rules involved here. The prisoner is special, and is making dramatic claims. There was something about the way those claims were made that convinced Joseph. What that was is told us in the next phrases in Isaiah 53:9. “He made His grave with the wicked, and with the rich in His death, because he had done no violence, neither was any deceit in his mouth”. The reason why Joseph came forward to offer his tomb, is because there was no violence with Christ, and because he came to believe that when He testified as to His person, there was no deceit in His mouth.

Peter tells us that “when he was reviled, he reviled not again; when he suffered he threatened not”, 1 Peter 2:23. There was something about the way Christ presented Himself, His poise, His calm, His answers, and His restraint under the most intense provocation that so impressed Joseph, that he was resolved to distance himself from the decision of the Sanhedrin. It is too late to resign membership, but he can “bring forth works unto repentance” by honouring Christ in His death, in contrast to the dishonour done to Him in His life by the Sanhedrin of which he had formed a part.

The testimony of the Lord Jesus revolved around His claim to be the Son of God, and the Messiah, and the Son of Man. Joseph comes to believe that His claims were true, and resolves to act accordingly. His mind is made up, he must absolve himself from complicity in the crime of murdering the Son of God, by repentance and faith in Him, as Peter exhorted the rest of the nation to do at Pentecost, six weeks later.

Now this is very powerful testimony from within the council-chamber itself, and from one who was present as a member of that council. It is also a powerful rebuke for those who remained steadfast in their hostility towards Christ after His resurrection.

So it is that after the Lord Jesus had died Joseph steps boldly forward, and fulfils the work that the prophecy had allotted to him some seven centuries before.