Who is identified by Isaiah as G-d's servant? It is not Jesus. The Christian bible never refers to Jesus as G-d's servant. Not once. Neither Matthew 17:5 or Philippians 2:5-8 call Jesus G-d's servant. No one in the Christian bible ever calls Jesus "my servant." The words "my servant" only appear once in the Christian bible and that is Matthew 12:17 - 18 which alludes to Jesus. Jesus is being followed by a crowd -- he warns them not to tell anyone about him and Matthew 12 then says "this was to fulfill what was spoken through the prophet (Isaiah) "Here is my servant whom I have chosen. . ." The author of Matthew is referencing (quoting from) Y'shayahu / Isaiah 42:1-4 which says: "Behold My servant, I will support him, My chosen one, whom My soul desires; I have placed My spirit upon him, he shall promulgate justice to the nations. He shall neither cry nor shall he raise [his voice]; and he shall not make his voice heard outside.A breaking reed he shall not break; and a flickering flaxen wick he shall not quench; with truth shall he execute justice. Neither shall he weaken nor shall he be broken, until he establishes justice in the land, and for his instruction, islands shall long." The only problem with Matthew 12 saying that Jesus "fulfilled" the words of this passage is that Isaiah goes on to say that he is speaking of the Jewish people -- not one individual, and certainly not Jesus (who lived 700 years after Isaiah was dead). How do we know this is about the Jews? Read the chapter! "So said the L-rd, "In a time of favor I answered you, and on a day of salvation I helped you; and I will watch you, and I will make you for a people of a covenant, to establish a land, to cause to inherit the desolate heritages." Y'shayahu / Isaiah 42:8. Matthew 12 may say that the servant in is Jesus -- but along with Isaiah stating that the servant is Israel (the Jewish people) Isaiah goes on to say that the servant is blind and deaf to the words of G-d: "Who is blind but My servant, and deaf as My messenger whom I will send? He who was blind is as the one who received his payment, and he who was blind is as the servant of the L-rd." Y'shayahu / Isaiah 42:19. The list maker is not tying this claim to Y'shayahu / Isaiah 42. Neither is the list maker tying this claim to Matthew 12. Yet the only inference of Jesus as G-d's servant in the Christian bible is Matthew's assertion that Y'shayahu / Isaiah 42 is about Jesus -- even though Matthew would not say that Jesus was blind or deaf! Ergo the Christian bible never asserts that Jesus is the servant in Y'shayahu / Isaiah 53. What about Isaiah the prophet? Does Isaiah ever mention the messiah and call him the servant? No. In the T'nach (bible) the messiah is never called "the messiah" or even "messiah." Isaiah does call quite a few people G-d's servant including Himself (Isaiah). Y'shayahu / Isaiah 20:3; Eliakim Y'shayahu / Isaiah 22:20; King David Y'shayahu / Isaiah 37:37; Not specified Israel / the Jewish nation / Jacob / Jeshrun:
Israel is called, by Isaiah, "My servant" time and time and time again. Many a missionary will insist that Israel (the Jewish people) could not be Isaiah's servant (even though Isaiah himself calls the Jews G-d's servant) because not all Jews meet the criteria. Not all Jews have been (fill in the blank). Some missionaries, including Michael Brown, say the servant is depicted as completely righteous and Jews are not completely righteous, ergo the servant cannot be Israel (the Jews) even though Isaiah himself identifies the Jews as G-d's servant time and time again. Brown and the others are wrong. Isaiah does not say that the servant was never violent or never guilty of lying. Read it in context. Isaiah is saying that the suffering servant of Isaiah 53 is not guilty of the crimes of which his persecutors accuse him. Y'shayahu / Isaiah 42:1-4,, Y'shayahu / Isaiah 49:1-6, and Y'shayahu / Isaiah 52:13 - 53:12 explicitly use the Hebrew עַבְדִּ֖י / avdi (my servant). Isaiah does not say that the servant was never violent or never guilty of lying. Read it in context. Isaiah is saying that the suffering servant of Isaiah 53 is not guilty of the crimes of which his persecutors accuse him. Also, Isaiah tells us that this servant is despised until his exaltation. Jesus was not despised in his lifetime. Quite the contrary -- Jesus had (the Christian bible states) thousands of followers who adored him. Isaiah does tell us repeatedly that the Jews are despised. Y'shayahu / Isaiah 49:7 "to him (my servant Israel) who was despised and abhorred by the nations" Y'shayahu / Isaiah 53:3 "Despised and rejected by men." and from Jeremiah: Y'rmiyahu / Jeremiah 30:10 " 'So do not fear, O Jacob my servant; do not be dismayed, O Israel,' declares HaShem." Also see Isaiah 42:19-20; 43:10 to see that Israel is the servant, nowhere is this term used for the messiah. Y'rmiyahu / Jeremiah 30:10 also names Israel as the servant and Y'rmiyahu / Jeremiah 30:17 says that the servant Israel is regarded by the nations as an outcast, forsaken by G-d, just like in Y'shayahu / Isaiah 53:4. Since there are 43 claims tied to this chapter let's refocus on the claim presented here --"Behold, My servant will succeed; he will be exalted and become high and exceedingly lofty." Y'shayahu / Isaiah 52:13. Isaiah is telling us that the servant is exalted in the eyes of kings. Since the list maker claims that the servant mentioned in this passage is Jesus ask yourself: was Jesus exalted in the eyes of kings during his lifetime? Nope. We are told (in the Christian bible) that he went to Egypt as a child, but no other countries. What of the "three wise kings" who bring gifts to the baby Jesus? The Gospel of Matthew is the only gospel to mention the three magi -- a word which means magician, not king. Even if the three were kings their appearance does not fit the exaltation of the servant by the kings -- because prior to exalting the servant these same kings DESPISE him. The kings in Matthew come to bring gifts to a newborn baby. They never despised him. Ergo those kings do not "fit" the prophesied kings and nations mentioned by Isaiah here. Isaiah also says that the servant is exalted in the eyes of those who despised him -- not exalted to his followers. "Behold, My servant will succeed; he will be exalted and become high and exceedingly lofty. 14 Just as multitudes were astonished over you (saying) "His appearance is too marred to be a man's, and his visage to be human, 15 so will the many nations exclaim about him, and kings will shut their mouths (in amazement) for they will see that which had never been told to them, and will perceive things they had never heard. " Y'shayahu / Isaiah 52:13 - 15. (The quote is from the Artscroll Stone Edition translation, the link is to the Judaica Press translation). No, Jesus was not Isaiah's prophesied exalted servant. Acts 1 and Ephesians 1 both have Jesus ascending to heaven after his death, saying he will be glorified -- but this does not fit Isaiah's prophecy either. True, kings and nations later became Christian – but when did those same kings and nations say of Jesus “Just as multitudes were astonished over you (saying) "His appearance is too marred to be a man's, and his visage to be human, 15 so will the many nations exclaim about him, and kings will shut their mouths (in amazement) for they will see that which had never been told to them, and will perceive things they had never heard. " (Y'shayahu / Isaiah 53:14 - :15)? The key is the passage in red -- those kings and nations who today follow Jesus were TOLD about him. Those kings and nations heard about Jesus. They did not see for themselves Jesus becoming exalted. They certainly were not in heaven where both Acts 1 and Ephesians 1 claims Jesus' exaltation happened. Which brings up a good question: who was in heaven to witness Jesus' exaltation and report upon it in the Christian bible? How does a human know that this happened in heaven???? The kings and nations who are today Christian – were TOLD about Jesus. They were given the “good word” – the gospels and the Christian religion. Isaiah says the nations and kings were NEVER told, but perceived things they never heard. This does not fit Jesus. In a very real sense all human beings are G-d's servant. We are all His sons and daughters. The servant mentioned by Isaiah is identified in many ways -- as we continue through the 43 claims tied to this chapter we will explore each one by one. Use critical thinking -- read things in context. What of Matthew 17:5? It has G-d saying He is well pleased with His son. Many people in the T'nach (Jewish bible) are called G-d's son -- the term does not mean a literal son from G-d's body (G-d has no body). In T'hillim / Psalms 2:7 G-d refers to King David as His son just as He refers to King Solomon as His son in Shmuel Beit / 2 Samuel 7:14, and He even refers to King David as His firstborn in T'hillim / Psalms 89:28. What "new meaning" should there be implied? All these passages tell us that God declares the existence of a special relationship, a father-and-son relationship, between Himself and to whom He refers as a son or sons. There is not a word about Jesus being G-d's servant in Matthew 17:5, but it would be meaningless even if there were such a statement. What of Philippians 2? It speaks of Jesus "nature." The passage says Jesus took "the very nature of a servant, being made in human likeness." This would indicate Jesus was not human, but whether or not Jesus was "like" a servant (which would mean he was not actually a servant) or was a servant of G-d "so what"? As shown earlier in this blog post many are so identified -- but for the servant in Isaiah 53 Jesus simply fails to meet the criteria of being despised by kings and nations only to later be recognized and exalted by those same people without being told anything -- they "see" it for themselves. This was not true with Jesus. Funny enough I read a missionary post on Facebook which said that counter-missionaries (people who counter false missionary claims) are "hyper-literal." That is truly ironic -- being faulted for being literal, telling the truth! Here is a translation along with the Artscroll Stone Edition footnotes at the bottom of each response to aid in your understanding of the passage. Y'shayahu / Isaiah 52:13 Behold, My servant will succeed; he will be exalted and become high and exceedingly lofty. 14 Just as multitudes were astonished over you (saying) "His appearance is too marred to be a man's, and his visage to be human, 15 so will the many nations exclaim about him, and kings will shut their mouths (in amazement) for they will see that which had never been told to them, and will perceive things they had never heard. 53:1 Who would believe what we have heard! For whom has the arm of HaShem been revealed? 2 In the past he grew like a sapling or like the root from dry ground; he had neither form nor beauty. We saw him, but without a desirable appearance. 3 He was despised and rejected by men, a man of pains and accustomed to being sick. As one from whom we would hide our faces; he was despised and we had no regard for him. 4 But in truth it was our ills and he carried our pains -- but we had regarded him diseased, stricken by G-d and afflicted! 5 He was wounded as a result (because of) our rebellious transgressions, and oppressed as a result our iniquities. The chastisement upon him was for our benefit, and through his wounds we were healed. 6 We have all strayed like sheep each of us turning his own way and HaShem inflicted upon him the iniquity of us all. 7 He was persecuted and afflicted but did not open his mouth; like a sheep being led to the slaughter or a ewe that is silent before her shearers, he did not open his mouth. 8 he was removed far away from the land where they lived and a plague came upon them (לָֽמוֹ / lamo) through the transgression of my people (the gentile nations). He submitted to the grave with the wicked and joined with the wealthy in his executions (בְּמֹתָ֑יו / b'motav) 9 He submitted himself to his grave like evil men; and the wealthy (submitted) to his executions for committing no crime and with no deceit in his mouth. 10 HaShem desired to oppress him and He afflicted him; if his physical being would acknowledge guilt he would see offspring and live long days and the desire or HaShem would succeed in his hand. 11. He (he servant) would see (the purpose) and be satisfied with his life's (not immortal soul) distress. With his knowledge My servant will cause the multitudes to be righteous; it is their וַעֲוֹנתָם / iniquities (for impulsive, lustful wrongdoings) that he will carry. 12. Therefore, I will assign him a portion in public and he will divide the mighty as spoils -- in return for having poured out his life for death and being counted among the wicked, for he bore the sin of the many, and prayed for the wicked. Footnotes from Artscroll Stone Edition: Isaiah 52:13 i.e. G-d's servant the people of Israel (Rashi) 52:15 Just as Israel had once been astonishingly degraded, so it will astonish the nations by its exaltedness when the time of redemption arrives. 53:1-3 this is the prophecy foretelling what the nations and their kings will exclaim when they witness Israel's rejuvenation. The nations will contrast their former scornful attitude toward the Jews (vv. 1-3) with their new realization of Israel's grandeur (vv 4-7). 53:5 we brought suffering upon Israel for our own selfish purposes; it was not, as we had claimed, that G-d was punishing Israel for its own evil behavior. 53:6 We sinned by inflicting punishment upon Israel. Such oppression is often described as "Hashem's punishment" (see 10:5, Habakkuk 1:12), for He decreed that it should happen (Abarbanel). 53:8 When Israel's exile is finally ended the nations will marvel that such a generation could have survived the expulsion from "the land of the living, i.e. Israel, that the nations had sinfully inflicted upon it. 53:9 Ordinary Jews chose to die like common criminals, rather than renounce their faith; and wealthy Jews were killed for no reason other than to enable their wicked conquerors to confiscate their riches (Radak). 53:10 That is, Israel. G-d replies to the nations that Israel's suffering was a punishment for its own sins; and when the people realize this and repent, they will be redeemed and rewarded. 53:11 Israel will teach the nations of G-d's righteousness.
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