This claim seems identical to the previous claim which was "266. Isaiah 53:12a...Exalted by God because of his sacrifice... Matthew 28:18." Luke 23:46 simply has Jesus dying -- it says nothing about him dying to "save mankind." Luke 23:46 does have Jesus' final words as "Jesus called out with a loud voice, “Father, into your hands I commit my spirit.” When he had said this, he breathed his last." Luke is the only one claiming these "last words" for Jesus. Matthew 27:46 and Mark 15:34 have "My G-d, my G-d, why hast thou forsaken me?” which is the OPPOSITE of "giving up one's life" to save mankind.. John 19:30 has "It is finished.” What is finished John leaves unsaid. . . Isaiah tells us that the servant died (multiple deaths, see line 9 which says "He ...submitted to his executions with the wealthy..." The servant suffers multiple executions (בְּמֹתָ֑יו / b'motav). Go back now and read verse 8, the line preceding this verse. . . "they (the Jews) were afflicted." The line ends with "they were" / לָֽמוֹ lamo" -- plural. Isaiah is speaking of multiple people and multiple deaths. . . The death of one man -- e.g. Jesus, does not "fit." Isaiah is speaking of multiple deaths and multiple people being afflicted. Thus בְּמֹתָ֑יו / b'motav (“in their deaths”) in line 9 is plural referring back to the phrase נֶ֥גַע לָֽמֹו / nĕga lamo ("they were afflicted") at the end of verse 8. Y'shayahu / Isaiah 53:12: says nothing about a sacrifice, let alone a human sacrifice (totally forbidden in the Torah). Isaiah is telling us that the servant will bring knowledge of G-d to the rest of the world -- praying for those who hurt and kill him -- interceding (praying to G-d) to forgive their sins. . . Y'shayahu / Isaiah 53:12 simply says that in the messianic age the servant, who was abused, considered subhuman and despised, murdered without cause, will be raised high -- even given the "spoils of war" of those who abused him prior to the messianic age. It says nothing about the servant "giving up his life to save mankind." Missionaries ignore the "bits" that Jesus did not fulfill. In this verse Isaiah tells us that because the servant bore the sins (mistakes, not willful wrongdoing) even to the point of being murdered G-d will eventually reward the servant for his pains -- G=d will give him a portion among the nations, dividing spoils (perhaps dividing THEM as spoils!). This is because this servant of G-d risked his own life to intercede on behalf of the sinners. Jesus did not receive any rewards from the nations. Missionaries may argue that Jesus was "exalted" in heaven as part of the trinity after his murder -- although how anyone knows what went on in heaven is an interesting question all unto itself! But even if this were the case -- Jesus exalted in heaven -- it does not fulfill Isaiah's prophecy that the servant will be rewarded with the spoils of war from the nations -- living, breathing human nations. . . Jesus simply "did not do it." This raises another interesting point. How does the missionary know that the servant gave up his life to save mankind? Y'shayahu / Isaiah 53 actually begins with the last verses of Read the last three lines of Y'shayahu / Isaiah 52: "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). The speaker in Y'shayahu / Isaiah 53: 1- 9 are these gentile nations -- saying how shocked they are that the one they thought was despised and subhuman is actually G-d's exalted servant. . . So -- in the last few verses of Y'shayahu / Isaiah 53 actually G-d is telling us that the servant died to bring the knowledge of G-d to the masses and bear the sins of the world on their shoulders (their own sins and the sins of those who mistreated them). G-d would therefore give him a portion among the nation, dividing spoils (perhaps dividing THEM as spoils!). This is because this servant of G-d risked his own life to intercede on behalf of the sinners. So what is the interesting point? Missionaries claim that the speaker in Y'shayahu / Isaiah 53: 1- 9 is the Jewish people who rejected Jesus, not the nations who mistreated the Jews. If that were the case (even though G-d and Isaiah identify the speakers as the gentile nations) -- wouldn't the death of the servant only "atone" for the sins of those Jews who rejected him? The fact is that no one can "give up his life" to remove the sins of another. Moses actually made this offer to G-d and G-d rejected it saying clearly that each of us is responsible for our own actions and must pay (or atone) for them. No one can do it for you. "the next day that Moses said to the people: "You have committed a grave sin. And now I will go up to the L-rd; perhaps I will obtain atonement for your sin." And Moses returned to the L-rd and said: "Please! This people has committed a grave sin. They have made themselves a god of gold. And now, if You forgive their sin But if not, erase me now from Your book, which You have written." And the L-rd said to Moses: "Whoever has sinned against Me, him I will erase from My book!"" Sh'mot / Exodus 32:30=34. No one can die for your sins. In the Talmud, Sotah 14a, the sages actually compare Moses' offer of atonement in Sh'mot / Exodus 32:30=34 to that of Isaiah's suffering servant -- but note that Moses' offer is soundly rejected by G-d. Repentance (being truly sorry for what you did) is at the heart of atonement. G-d forgives those who turn to Him and seek forgiveness (both from those they wrong and G-d) and to try to not repeat the sins. Atonement is an ongoing process throughout our lives -- and it is for a reason. Only through making mistakes, getting up and learning from them, do we grow in knowledge, wisdom and holiness. Read Isaiah verse 12 for yourself: "Therefore, I will assign him a portion from the multitudes and he will divide the mighty as spoils -- in return for having poured out his soul (not immortal soul -- but the life force) for death and being counted among the wicked, for he bore the sin of the multitudes, and prayed for the wicked." Y'shayahu / Isaiah 53:12. The servant willingly prayed for the sinners -- and prayed to G-d to forgive them. Even though the servant was good, and did nothing to deserve execution, the gentile nations killed the servant violently time and again -- it is all found in this verse! Although Isaiah has spoken of evil actions in this chapter -- in this verse he speaks not of defiance of G-d or people doing evil things and being forgiven. . . No, here Isaiah speaks of people who try to do the right thing -- and mess up. The word in this verse is חֵטְא / cheit / sin is an unintentional sin through carelessness — a “missing of the mark.” The servant bore the mistakes of many. . . not the willful murders, thefts, etc. -- mistakes. It is important to note that only accidental mistakes by individuals and a few, fairly minor, wrongdoings by individuals could be atoned for with the few types of sacrifices that atoned for "sin" and "guilt." I doubt that the missionary thinks Jesus died for their mistakes. Making mistakes (trying to do the right thing and missing aka sin) is all about learning from your mistakes and making up for them via apology, repayment, etc. G-d tells Cain way back in B'reshit / Genesis 4 that he can over come sin (this is "after" Adam and Chava (Eve) sinned, so OOPS there goes the idea of "original sin"). "Is it not so that if you improve, it will be forgiven you? If you do not improve, however, at the entrance, sin is lying, and to you is its longing, but you can rule over it." B'reshit / Genesis 4:7. G-d clearly tells Cain that he can rise above sin! Neither definition is the Torah definition of sin. Let me give you an example from the T'nach. Shoftim / Judges 20:16 says that archers are so good with shooting arrows that they can "aim at a hair and not חֵטְא / cheit (miss)." When Y'shayahu / Isaiah 53:12 says the deaths (not human sacrifices -- but the loss of life of those considered evil and killed -- such as Holocaust victims, those killed in the Crusades, Inquisitions, Pogroms and so on died BECAUSE of (not "for") the sins of the gentile nations. This theme was previously explored in Y'shayahu / Isaiah 53. Now G-d says he recognizes that the deaths of these innocents will be reversed in the messianic age -- and the servant (the Jewish people) will be exalted and rewarded with the spoils of those who formerly wronged him. Not a word about sacrifices. Human sacrifice is forbidden -- and as already shown, Moses made this offer and was soundly corrected by G-d. No one dies as an atonement for another. The Christian concept of vicarious atonement is completely foreign to Judaism. Yet, it is at the very heart of Christianity which says there is no atonement without believing in Jesus. While some Christians think repentance is part of their atonement (not all do), the primary requirement is to "believe" in Jesus as dying for your sins. Jews say that repentance (being truly sorry for what you did) is at the heart of atonement. G-d forgives those who turn to Him and seek forgiveness (both from those they wrong and G-d) and to try to not repeat the sins. Atonement is an ongoing process througout our lives -- and it is for a reason. Only through making mistakes, getting up and learning from them, do we grow in knowledge, wisdom and holiness. Do you see why no one else can do it for you? When man repents, G-d forgives. Read Bamidbar / Numbers 35:33 "And you shall not corrupt the land in which you live, for the blood corrupts the land, and the blood which is shed in the land cannot be atoned for except through the blood of the one who shed it." Thus Jesus' blood could not atone for anything -- human blood corrupts the land! Verse 11 speaks of the knowledge of the servant leading the world to know G-d, not his blood or a human sacrifice. Knowledge. Not death. Isaiah never says that the servant is sacrificed. What does verse 12 say? "Therefore, I will assign him a portion from the multitudes and he will divide the mighty as spoils -- in return for having poured out his soul (not immortal soul -- but the life force) for death and being counted among the wicked, for he bore the sin of the multitudes, and prayed for the wicked." Y'shayahu / Isaiah 53:12 What does Isaiah mean when he says that the servant "he bore the sin of the multitudes"? It does not mean he took on their sins -- let alone died for their sins. To understand this verse we must consider the whole theme . To understand Y'shayahu / Isaiah 53 one must know "who is speaking?" as well as "who is the suffering servant?"
Context -- know who is speaking to understand who is being spoken about! In Y'shayahu / Isaiah 52:13 - 15 the subject is the gentile nations and the speaker is G-d. In Y'shayahu / Isaiah 53:1 -9 the gentile nations speak about their amazement that the servant they thought was abhorrent, disfigured, rejected is in fact G-d's servant. The last section, Y'shayahu / Isaiah 53:10 - 12, Isaiah tells us what will happen to the servant in the messianic age -- vindication and reward which includes a long life (did not happen to Jesus) and many children (did not happen to Jesus). This last verse is a reflection back on the previous ones. G-d is summarizing what He has already told us.
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.
0 Comments
Your comment will be posted after it is approved.
Leave a Reply. |
Photos used under Creative Commons from dionhinchcliffe, paulasenciogonzalez, paulasenciogonzalez, amy32080, petersbar, Aaron Stokes, amboo who?, Damian Gadal, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service - Midwest Region, SharonaGott, Udo Schröter, paulasenciogonzalez, Joybot, zeevveez, ianmunroe, freeqstyler, quinn.anya, Ivy Nichols, Groman123, UnknownNet Photography, torbakhopper, “Caveman Chuck” Coker, CarbonNYC [in SF!], dgoomany, Lion Multimedia Production U.S.A., oldandsolo, dbeck03