Eclectic Topics in no Particular Order
Various Topics Discussed
/>
Revisiting a missionary favorite: line by line, today Y'shayahu / Isaiah verses 52:13 - 155/16/2021 As we discussed chapters are a Christian invention and to understand what is happening you must understand the context. Isaiah has been talking about the fact that the Jewish people are G-d's servant (there are actually four servant songs in the Book of Isaiah). The Jewish people would be exiled because of idolatry and wrongdoing -- but there would come a time when the people would be redeemed and returned to the land of Israel. When this redemption happens the world, who thought G-d had deserted the Jews and because of this feeling of superiority demeaned us, scorned us... G-d is speaking: "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..." Y'shayahu / Isaiah 52:13 - 14. Again -- context. Read chapter 52 verses 1 - 12. It all speaks about how the Jews should rejoice because their redemption is at hand... The subject is the Jewish people -- and this continues in verses 13 - 14. Isaiah calls 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 / Jeshurun (Jeshurun is a poetic name for the Jews): "But you, Israel My servant, Jacob whom I have chosen, the seed of Abraham, who loved Me, Whom I grasped from the ends of the earth, and from its nobles I called you, and I said to you, "You are My servant"; I chose you and I did not despise you." Y'shayahu / Isaiah 41:8-9. "And now, so said the L-rd, your Creator, O Jacob, and the One Who formed you, O Israel, "Do not fear, for I have redeemed you, and I called by your name, you are Mine. . . "You are My witnesses," says the L-rd, "and My servant whom I chose," in order that you know and believe Me, and understand that I am He; before Me no god was formed and after Me none shall be." Y'shayahu / Isaiah 43:1 - 10. "And now, hearken, Jacob My servant, and Israel whom I have chosen. So said the Lord your Maker, and He Who formed you from the womb shall aid you. Fear not, My servant Jacob, and Jeshurun whom I have chosen." Y'shayahu / Isaiah 44:1-2. "Remember these, O Jacob; and Israel, for you are My servant; I formed you that you be a servant to Me, Israel, do not forget Me." Y'shayahu / Isaiah 44:1-21. "For the sake of My servant Jacob, and Israel My chosen one, and I called to you by your name; I surnamed you, yet you have not known Me." Y'shayahu / Isaiah 45:4. "And He said to me, "You are My servant, Israel, about whom I will boast." Y'shayahu / Isaiah 49:3. Israel is called, by Isaiah, "My servant" time and time and time again. And we can know with a certainty that the servant in verses 13 - 14 are the Jewish people because we have been the subject of the entire chapter prior to these 2 verses... G-d is saying in the last 3 verses of chapter 52 that the nations will be shocked to realize that Israel, we Jews, have always been G-d's servant. Read all three: "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." The quotes are from Y'shayahu / Isaiah 52:13 - 15. The context is that the nations formerly saw the servant as less than human and are now shocked to see that things are very different indeed -- the servant is beloved of G-d and will become exalted. Notice too that it says that kings and nations will see all of this for themselves -- and ask yourselves... What kings saw Jesus? None. What nations saw Jesus (other than the Jews and the Romans in Judah or the Galilee)? None. No kings or nations were amazed by seeing Jesus (none saw him!). What kings "shut their mouths in amazement" at seeing Jesus do something -- something they had NOT been told, but something they saw for themselves? Not a one. Which nations saw Jesus do something and were amazed that the servant whom they thought was subhuman -- who saw that Jesus' "appearance is too marred to be a man's, and his visage to be human" who were then amazed at his exaltation that they themselves saw. . . not that someone told them about? Again, no one. Again -- how could this be Jesus? For 2000 years we constantly "heard" from missionaries that Jesus is the servant in Isaiah 53 -- so how can this be the Jews who "never heard" if this is about Jesus???? Remember -- Isaiah is saying the nations / kings SAW THIS FOR THEMSELVES. Y'shayahu / Isaiah 52:15: "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." Re-read the last part so it sinks in: - FOR THEY WILL SEE. - THAT WHICH HAD NEVER BEEN TOLD TO THEM. This isn't interpretation or opinion -- these are the words of the prophet Isaiah... This did NOT happen with Jesus. The issue here -- the bit that Jesus failed to fulfill -- is that those who are amazed at the rise of the servant, first perceived that servant as someone they thought to be subhuman. Jesus did not "go" from seeming to be less than human IN THE EYES OF THE WORLD -- THE NATIONS THE KINGS -- to being exalted in their eyes. In his lifetime very few leaders ever heard of Jesus -- and outside of the Christian bible there is no mention of Jesus at all (meaning the leaders would never have heard of him if he even existed). The kings and nations who are amazed at the rise of the servant from a lowly, subhuman, position is something they witness for themselves. Not something they are told about. Christianity spread from the exact opposite -- Christians "spread the good word" converting country after country with the "gospel" (good news). People did not become Christian based on what they themselves witnessed. . . the opposite of Isaiah's prophecy in this passage. 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 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. Fake argument. 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 Y'shayahu / 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). Also, Isaiah tells us that this servant is despised until his exaltation. Jesus was not despised in his lifetime, he was (the Christian bible says) idolized and followed by thousands. It is only at the "end" of his life that Jesus is taunted and mistreated -- a few hours at most. This does not fit the prophet's description! 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." Yes, they will most definitely be shocked when we are shown to be His servant! I realize this is long! There are many directions we can go and probably discuss just these three verses for quite a few days!
0 Comments
Your comment will be posted after it is approved.
Leave a Reply. |
Categories
All
|