Chapter XIII.—Isaiah teaches that sins are forgiven through Christ’s blood.
“For Isaiah did not send you to a bath, there to wash away murder and other sins, which
not even all the water of the sea were sufficient to purge; but, as might have been expected,
this was that saving bath of the olden time which followed209 those who repented, and who
no longer were purified by the blood of goats and of sheep, or by the ashes of an heifer, or
by the offerings of fine flour, but by faith through the blood of Christ, and through His
death, who died for this very reason, as Isaiah himself said, when he spake thus: ‘The Lord
shall make bare His holy arm in the eyes of all the nations, and all the nations and the ends
of the earth shall see the salvation of God. Depart ye, depart ye, depart ye,210 go ye out from
thence, and touch no unclean thing; go ye out of the midst of her, be ye clean that bear the
vessels of the Lord, for211 ye go not with haste. For the Lord shall go before you; and the
Lord, the God of Israel, shall gather you together. Behold, my servant shall deal prudently;
and He shall be exalted, and be greatly glorified. As many were astonished at Thee, so Thy
form and Thy glory shall be marred more than men. So shall many nations be astonished
at Him, and the kings shall shut their mouths; for that which had not been told them con-
201
cerning Him shall they see, and that which they had not heard shall they consider. Lord,
who hath believed our report? and to whom is the arm of the Lord revealed? We have an-
nounced Him as a child before Him, as a root in a dry ground. He hath no form or comeli-
ness, and when we saw Him He had no form or beauty; but His form is dishonoured, and
fails more than the sons of men. He is a man in affliction, and acquainted with bearing
sickness, because His face has been turned away; He was despised, and we esteemed Him
not. He bears our sins, and is distressed for us; and we esteemed Him to be in toil and in
affliction, and in evil treatment. But He was wounded for our transgressions, He was bruised
for our iniquities; the chastisement of our peace was upon Him. With His stripes we are
healed. All we, like sheep, have gone astray. Every man has turned to his own way; and the
Lord laid on Him our iniquities, and by reason of His oppression He opens not His mouth.
He was brought as a sheep to the slaughter; and as a lamb before her shearer is dumb, so
He openeth not His mouth. In His humiliation His judgment was taken away. And who
shall declare His generation? For His life is taken from the earth. Because of the transgressions
of my people He came unto death. And I will give the wicked for His grave, and the rich for
His death, because He committed no iniquity, and deceit was not found in His mouth. And
the Lord wills to purify Him from affliction. If he has been given for sin, your soul shall see
a long-lived seed. And the Lord wills to take His soul away from trouble, to show Him light,
and to form Him in understanding, to justify the righteous One who serves many well. And
209 1 Cor. x. 4. Otto reads: which he mentioned and which was for those who repented.
210 Three times in Justin, not in LXX.
211 Deviating slightly from LXX., omitting a clause.
Chapter XIII.—Isaiah teaches that sins are forgiven through Christ’s blood.
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Chapter XIII.—Isaiah teaches that sins are forgiven through Christ’s bl…