Isaiah 53:1 “Who hath believed our report? and to whom is the arm of the LORD revealed?”
When used in this way, “the arm” is a timeless symbol of great power, strength, and valor in conflict. Speaking of the Lord, the Psalmist puts it this way, “Thou hast a mighty arm: strong is thy hand, and high is thy right hand.” (Psalms 89:13)! In this context, the “report” (Gospel) declares the Mighty Power of God to Sacrificially Justify and Eternally Save His people from their sins (Matthew 1:21). But, the question; “to whom is the arm of the LORD revealed?” makes it plain that all men do not believe and that some absolutely cannot believe this blessed “report”. Some people hear the words of the “report” spoken; but, they do not believe it (Romans 1:17-18). To some people it is summarily dismissed as “foolishness; but unto us which are saved it is the power of God” (I Corinthians 1:18) and “unto them which are called, both Jews and Greeks, Christ the power of God, and the wisdom of God” (I Corinthians 1:24). Many years ago, I heard a young man say that the Word of God is nothing more than ‘good literature’; if that were true, it wouldn’t be ‘good’ because it would be a book of untruths. Therefore, it is understood that those who are “called” to Spiritual Life and “saved” from death to Eternal Life are given “faith” to both know and surely believe this Blessed “report”. Paul put it this way: “The eyes of your understanding being enlightened; that ye may know what is the hope of his calling, and what the riches of the glory of his inheritance in the saints,” (Ephesians 1:18). Our Lord makes it very simple, He tells the unbelievers that “ye believe not, because ye are not of my sheep” (John 10:26)! Without God-given “faith” a person has no desire to know or to believe these things and cannot be made to lovingly believe them. This is what our Lord meant when He said, “No man can [believingly] come to me, except the Father which hath sent me draw him:” (John 6:44) and “no man can [believingly] come unto me, except it were given unto him of my Father” (John 6:65). These unbelievers are simply left in their depraved state and are not the recipients of our Lord’s Grace and Mercy; the Lord makes it plain, saying “will I profess unto them, I never knew you: depart from me, ye that work iniquity” (Matthew 7:23); that is, He never knew them in a loving way in which He would Eternally Save them (Ephesians 1:4)! But, “the preaching of the cross is to them that perish foolishness; but unto us which are saved it is the power of God” (I Corinthians 1:18)!