isaiah fifty three

…the "crown jewel" of the Hebrew Scriptures…

19 May 2012

“The Servant Despised” ‘Isaiah 53:1-3 – Part #3′

“The Reception of The Servant!” Or should we say, “The Rejection of The Servant!” In this verse we have the pure, unadulterated aversion of the Jewish nation toward Jehovah’s Servant. Isaiah the prophet uses a series of verbs to provide a detailed description of the intense suffering of the assumed subject, Jehovah’s Servant, and His whole life would be characterized by suffering not royalty. “He was despised, and forsaken of men, A man of pains, and acquainted with disease, And as one from whom men hide their face: He was despised, and we esteemed him not.” J.P.S. Trans. 1966.

“He is despised and…” (ba-zah) to disdain, scorn, to be contemptible; Delitzsch says, “Despised connotes, bitter contempt and is translated ‘vile person’ in other places, referring to the most hated man in Jewish history, ‘Antiochus Epiphanes’ who is set forth as the foreshadow of the antichrist and the most hated person in all of Jewish history. Many Jewish people hate Yeshua/Jesus more than Satan himself. This gives you a slight glimpse into the Jewish feeling for Yeshua/Jesus. Twice this word despised (ba-zah) is used in v.3 to emphasize it’s intensity and severity. “He is despised” – present tense! “He was despised” – past tense! However, “He shall be despised” – future tense!

“Rejected of men…” (chadal) abandoned, refused, forsaken, forgotten, to be destitute, to desist or cease to exist. John 1:11 says, “He came unto His own, and His own received Him not!” By not accepting or receiving, you are in fact rejecting or refusing. ‘Rejected of men;’ Jews, Gentiles, Rich, Poor, Rank, Great, Learned, Religious, etc; No prophecy was ever more strikingly fulfilled than this one, “Rejected of men!” The Hebrew name for Jesus – Yeshua/Savior has been deliberately distorted to “Yeshu” or “Isschu” an acronym for “Immach Schemo Vezikro!” The letters of “Yeshu or Isschu” spell out a sentence, “Let his name and memory be blotted out forever.” (Forgotten, Destitute, Forsaken). This aversion to Him has even increased with the passing of time. His name is not even mentioned among Jewish people other than, ‘that man’ or ‘the hanged one’ or ‘the illegitimate one’ or in mockery or slang or as a cuss word.

Rejected by who? MEN! (ish-im) There are three words for man in Hebrew: 1- (enosh) used of man in his weakness; 2- (adam) used of man in general; 3- (ish) used of man in his strength. (ish) is used of man in his strength as lord’s of people (adam) in general. This is true of the only other usages of (ish-im) in: Ps. 141:4 and Prov. 8:4. It is used of men of Rank, men of Stature, and men of Standing. The Leaders; The Elders; The Kings, Isaiah 52:15, “kings shall shut their mouths at him.” So, this Servant is going to be ‘Rejected – (chadal) abandoned, refused, forsaken, by men of ‘Rank and Prestige’ with few exceptions like Nickodemus and Joseph of Arimathaea. Remember the words of the Jewish leaders in the Newer Testament in John 7:48, “Have any of the rulers or the Pharisees believed on Him?” Read I Corinthians 1:26-29 sometime for God’s view point! Listen to the touching cry of Psalm 69:12, a prophecy of scornful discussions of the elders or leaders, “They that sit in the gate speak against me, and I was the song of the drunkards.” The word ‘against’ is always used in Hebrew of a downward scorn. This is not a special few but it was universal. The nations rejected him! The fact that God said they would reject Him and the majority did reject Him is strong evidence for Who He is! Many who claim to revere Him today would also despise him if they knew what the Newer Testament really said about Him.

“A man of sorrows…” Note if you will the words; “Men & Man” (ish-im & ish).  Obviously if (ishim) is plural and is individual men, then (ish) is singular and must be an individual man and can not, (can not) be a nation! “A man of sorrows (mak’oboth) severe pains, plural.  This is a man whose chief distinction was, that His life was one of constant painful, endurance. What a contrast to Isaiah 52:13, “Behold, My Servant…exalted, extolled and elevated…” The root word for sorrows is to feel pain, to agonize, and to suffer torment. Yeshua/Jesus said in Matt. 26:38, “My soul is exceedingly sorrowful, even unto death.” He agonized in the garden; He sweat great drops of blood, (hematohidrosis). He cried for the cup to pass three times; He felt the bitterness of betrayal; He was tried by the people He came to save; He was crowned with two inch thorns, scourged with a cat of nine tails by the Romans, and hung on a cross stark naked. He was forsaken by God and His disciples and His heart ruptured and His sufferings ended only when His life did.  Such were the facts of history and the prophetic requirements. Scripture was fulfilled; The Messiahship was proven; and satisfaction for sin was made, Isaiah 53:11, “He shall see the travail of his soul and shall be satisfied (saba).”

“And acquainted with grief…” (or sickness) Not that He was diseased with viruses or bacteria but that the wrath instigated by sin and the zeal of self-sacrifice burned within Him like e fever. Psalm 69:9-10, “For the zeal of thine house has eaten me up; and the reproaches of those who reproached thee are fallen on me.” We are not talking about physical sickness here, these are the result of sin and this Servant was absolutely sinless. What is implied here, is that the wrath of Almighty God instigated by sin was poured out upon this Servant. The word for ‘grief or sickness’ stands for, ‘SIN!’ Isaiah uses this same figure in Isaiah 1:4-6, (read it). He drank that bitter cup of God’s wrath to the very dregs after thanking Him for it and then was made SIN for you and me in II Corinthians 5:21, “For He God has made Him Messiah, who knew no sin, to be sin for us, that we might be made the righteousness of God in Him.” That’s why He cried from the tree, (“Eli, Eli lama sabachthani,”) “My God, My God why have You forsaken Me?” Ps. 22:1 Hab. 1:13; Why?  Ps. 22:3, He is Holy and Holiness demands Holiness! This word can be translated sickness, disease, anxiety, affliction, but the context will determine the proper translation, not the translator’s opinion. Many suppose the figure is ‘Leprosy’ the most severe sickness known to man at that time and many times imposed by God on man. The ancient Rabbis refer to this Servant as one who was shunned like a Leper. The word ‘acquainted’ (yada) means to know intimately by personal experience. Adam (yada’d ) knew, Eve and she conceived, that’s personal, that’s intimate! The word literally means, ‘Introduced!’  Servant meet pain, grief, sorrow, torment, SIN! Pain, grief, sorrow, torment, SIN meet the Servant, the Messiah! To become ‘acquainted’ with something in Hebrew (yada) means to become intimate with it.  Listen, we endure pain, we tolerate grief and sorrow, we put up with it, we don’t become intimate with it, do we? He did, and He did it for you and for me!

“And we (plural) hid as it were our (plural) faces from him (sing)…” He is like a thing from which a man turns away his face, Isaiah 49:7 says, “Thus saith the LORD, the Redeemer of Israel, and his Holy One, to him whom man despiseth (bazah) to him whom the nation abhorreth (ta-ab – to loathe, detest, to be abominable) to a servant of rulers;” The natural mind is all to ready to construe meekness for weakness and to waste it’s praise on the proud and the self-seeking. There are several thoughts and possibilities on this phrase. They turned their faces from Him in horror, they turned from the suffering, they turned from contempt, or they turned in scorn because He was so unlike what they expected and they hid their faces in real contempt. But you never hide your face, your testimony, your convictions from Him, do you?

“He was despised (bazah) and we esteemed (chasab) him not.” Now we hit the bottom of the pit with this dreary repetition, “So, we despised Him and deemed Him insignificant and unimportant.” We did not reckon Him and we did not evaluate Him properly. So, it is with the human race, they acknowledge but do not evaluate Him correctly. Luther said, “We estimated Him as nothing!” ‘NOTHING!’   Psalm 69:12, “I am the songs of the drunkards.” Nothing more than spiritual derision. People loathe to look at a man whom they hate immensely. In all of the history of Israel no one was more intensely hated or despised than this ‘Servant of God.’ “NO ONE!” “We (plural) hid our faces from Him.” We shunned Him like a leper, we turned away in contempt, in scorn. The word means, ‘to have an aversion to someone or something.’ Psalm 22:6-7. We did not reckon Him! We did not value Him! We did not esteem Him! We did not elevate Him! Who is the ‘WE’ in v.3? It must be the Nation of Israel, but it does not exclude the Goi’im!  Who can estimate the guilt of the self righteous religious leaders who sneer at the precious blood of our Servant, our Messiah and tear it from their hymnals and Scriptures? There is a lesson for us to learn from all this. Why should we seek the approval of a world which despises our LORD? Or why should we desire acceptance from men who reject Him?

So, it is with the whole human race today, they acknowledge the Servant the Messiah but they don’t value Him or esteem Him correctly. A good man, a prophet, a teacher, but not the Messiah, not the Savior of mankind. We must bring Him down to our level and say, “He is a man just like us and He would probably flunk mathematics.” Or as one writer put it, “We estimated him as nothing!” Listen to that touching cry one more time, “They sit in the gate (Elders, Rulers, Leaders) and speak against Me, I an the songs (pl) of the drunkards.” Is that all He is, this Servant/Messiah? The song of drunkards, the topic of scorn, a derogatory remark or joke, an occasional cuss word when something goes wrong? Or when you slam your finger in the door? You say, ‘I have never despised Him, I have never rejected Him, I have never shunned Him, I have never turned my back on Him, I have never not exalted Him! Really Peter! Though all those others forsake Him, you never will! Why, you will even die for Him! Listen, this Servant this Messiah, Yeshua/Jesus doesn’t want you to die for Him, He wants you to live for Him, one day at a time! Peter denied Him three times and he was only 30 feet away from Him when he did it, a stone’s throw, and their eyes met and he turned as it were and “hid his face from him.” In fact Peter denied the Faith, he denied the Brotherhood and he denied the Lord. Matt. 26:69-75; and Mark 22:54-62.

Don’t be quick to judge, how many times does the ‘Cock Crow’ every day in your life? In John 21, Yeshua/Jesus restored Peter three times! We may not reject Him! We may not despise Him! But do we shun Him or turn our back on Him when we pick up that magazine in the drug store, watch an ‘R’ rated movie or worse, the internet, or listen to an off color joke or music? Do you Exalt Him, Extoll Him, Elevate Him in all your conversations and business deals? Do you esteem Him in every area of your life, thoughts, words and deeds? He died for you, so you could live for Him! He took your Hell so you could take His Heaven! He drank your cup, so you didn’t have too! He took your sin, so you could take His righteousness! He took your whip, your nails, your thorns, your spit, your spear, your shame, your scorn; So you could have His love, His mercy, His grace, His forgiveness! What does it mean to suffer the infinite wrath of God? I don’t know and I never will! Because the Servant suffered it for you and for me! “He was despised (bazah) became a vile person, and we (you and I) esteemed Him not.”              “…Between The Lines…”

“The Servant Despised”  ‘Isiah 53:1-3 – Part #3′

Posted in Ancient Rabbinic Thoughts, Behold My Servant, Contact, Isaiah 52:13, Isaiah 53:1, Isaiah 53:2, Isaiah 53:3, isaiah fifty three, Isaiah The Prophet, Newer Testament, Older Testament, Prophecy, The Crown Jewel of The O.T., The Servant Exalted, The Servant in Isaiah 53, Yahweh is Salvation, Yesha'yahu | Leave a Comment
29 Apr 2012
1 Comment

“The Servant Despised” ‘Isaiah 53:1-3 – Part #2′

Men of Isaiah’s day as well as men of today look upon the prophetic idea of a suffering Servant/Messiah as not very credible, because it is not humanly possible to reconcile greatness with suffering. When people prosper we say, “They must be living right,” and when the opposite happens we have a tendency to say, “What’s wrong in your life, Job?” Neither evaluation is entirely correct. As someone once put it, ‘A Servant/Messiah without earthly splendor, humble and humiliated who is tormented and dies on a shameful cross as a vicarious and voluntary sacrifice, for the redemption of Israel and all mankind, has always been and still remains offensive to Jewish thinking!”

“For he shall grow up before him like a tender plant…” Isa. 53:2.  The word grow is the Hebrew word (alah) to ascend, mount, be high, to rise, to spring or shoot up. Referring to normal growth, not a sudden dazzling visit as expected by the Jewish people. He was born a King but He was born to peasants. The ‘Wise Men’ came asking, “Where is he that has been born, King of the Jews?” No one is born a King, you could be born a prince, and become a King, but Israel’s Messiah would assume King David’s throne and He would be born a King.  In fact this became a stumbling block to the Jewish leaders in, Matt. 13:54-58. That’s the reason for the rejection of their Servant/Messiah, he wasn’t what they were expecting. They were looking for a tall tree, a king on a white horse, not a tender plant on a donkey.

“For he shall grow up before Him…”  would be better translated, ‘He grew up…” this shows the force of the historical tense. It is prophetically spoken, of a future event as having been completed. God always looks at history as fact even though it may be 700 years in the future. “Before Him…” (pa-neh) means before the face of Jehovah, before the (YHVH), before the great ‘I AM’ under the scrutiny of the watchful eye of Almighty God, El Shaddai and in conformity to His perfect will and purpose. In the Newer Testament it states regarding Yeshua, “The child grew and became strong in spirit, filled with wisdom, and the grace of God was upon him. And He increased in wisdom and stature and in favor with God and man.” Luke 2:40; 52.

“…like a tender plant…” (yo-neq) a suckling, a twig, a sprout or a stalk indicating a sapling. The root of this word means to nurse or to ‘suck’ hence the word suckling, from which we get the English term ‘sucker’ which is applied to horticulture. So, Isaiah is thinking of a ‘shoot’ or ‘sucker’ from the stump of a tree that was recently cut down. Earlier he had spoken of the Servant/Messiah as a ‘shoot’ from the stump of Jesse in Isa. 11:1. Therefore, He is to grow up like a ‘sucker’ from a dead tree stump. The term, “like a tender plant” indicates ‘Servant-Hood’ and vulnerability. A young shoot can be broken, crushed, scorched, stepped on, or eaten up by an animal. The connection between the Messiah proclaimed in the first part of Isaiah and the Suffering Servant of God in the second part of Isaiah is very obvious to the student of the Scriptures. The J.P.S. translation of 1955 translates Isaiah 11:1, “And there shall come forth a shoot out of the stock of Jesse, And a twig shall grow forth out of his roots.”

“…and like a root out of a dry ground;” (eretz tziah) A parched, arid, barren, dry, waterless, desert. Interesting, Nazareth means a ‘dry-spot.’ I think there is more of a miraculous, supernatural growth here then meets the eye. A young, tender, sprout wouldn’t make it one day, stuck in a hot, arid, scorching, waterless desert. The term ‘tender plant’ indicates his servant-hood, remember they were looking for a tall tree (a king) not a tender plant (a servant). “A root out of a dry ground” also points to His deity indicating the miraculous and the supernatural. The burning bush was fueled supernaturally and this tender plant would also have to be nourished supernaturally, not from the parched ground. They were looking for the natural, a man to deliver them not the supernatural, for God to deliver them. There are three types of plants familiar to a gardener; 1 – A hardy native plant, almost impossible to kill; 2 – The half hardy plant that adapts to the soil and environment, you can kill it if you try real hard; and 3 – The exotic, tender plant that finds its environment, extremely hostile to life and it’s almost impossible to keep alive. (That is our metaphor for our ‘Tender Plant’).

“…a root out of a dry ground;” Has four possibilities; 1 – Israel degraded, enslaved, downtrodden, suppressed, over taxed, and beaten;    2 – The virgin birth, a barren, unfertilized womb, of a young, betrothed, Jewish woman; 3 – The dead spiritual life of Israel and its forgotten people; 4 – Springing from an ancient family decayed, but in whose roots there was still hope and life. (Or all four!)  As I said the terms ‘Tender Shoot’ and ‘Root’ have Messianic connotations both in Scripture and in Rabbinic literature. In fact in the prophetic writings the Messiah is often called a “Root” or a “Branch” as in Isaiah 11:1 & 10, “And there shall come forth a rod out of the stem of Jesse, and a Branch shall grow out of his roots.” “And in that day there shall be a root of Jesse, who shall stand for an ensign of the peoples; to him shall the Gentiles seek, and his rest shall be glorious.”

You have the, “Branch of the LORD,” in Isa. 4:2; You have the, “Branch of the house of David,” in Isa. 11:1: You have the, “Servant the Branch,” in Zech. 3:8; and Isa. 52:13-15; and 53:1-12; And you have the, “Man whose name is The Branch,” in Zech. 6:12. Each one showing a different character of the Servant/Messiah; Immanuel, Messiah, King of kings, Humiliation unto death, and the Son of man reigning as ‘Priest-King’ over the earth.

“He has no form nor comeliness…” No (to-ar) no outward beauty, no fair countenance, no majestic kingliness to attract human admiration. Nor comeliness (ha-dar) no magnificence, no splendor, no glory, there was nothing extraordinary about this Servant’s outward appearance, nothing! Nothing that would cause us to desire or delight in him or greatly love him. “And when we shall see Him, there is no beauty that we should desire Him.” No outward beauty (mar-eh), no splendor, no glory, no good looks, no handsomeness! Just a plain, ordinary man in a robe with sandals and a beard. ‘Just plain vanilla, no sprinkles!’ His appearance was not designed to attract the natural man, there is a difference between glamour and glory! In other words, “the form of beauty” they sought was not holiness, but military might and personal glory. We all want a ‘Military Messiah’ to lead us into political, religious and cultural supremacy, a ‘King Saul.’ However, we forget political restoration to supremacy is founded on ‘Spiritual Regeneration’ as pictured in Ezek. 37 and, ‘The Vision of The Dry Bones.” And that demanded the incarnation and the personal atonement of Israel’s Messiah. Note the masculine, singular, personal, pronouns in this verse pointing to the Servant, “He shall grow up…He has no form…we shall see Him…we should desire Him.” If the Servant is Israel, who is the ‘We?’ The natural mind is all to ready to interpret meekness for weakness and to waste its praise on the proud, pompous,  self-seeking class. “There is no beauty (mar-eh) that we should desire Him…” is the despicable but almost universal judgement of this world except for those whom El Shaddai has drawn toward His beloved through His grace. The world wants a ‘Sovereign Ruler’ they have to pay tax to, not a ‘Suffering Savior’ they have to bow the knee to. How strange and twisted man’s mind has become over time.     “…Between The Lines…”

“Father, it is hard for us to understand Your will and plan sometimes but our part is to just trust You and lean not unto our own understanding. For sometimes commonsense makes no sense and leads to nonsense. So please, give more to us faith today, to trust You more and our sense less. We don’t have to understand Your Word, we just have to read it and heed it because we need it. In ha shem Yeshua we pray. Amen!”

“The Servant Despised”  ‘Isaiah 53:1-3 – Part #2′

Posted in Ancient Rabbinic Thoughts, Behold My Servant, Contact, Isaiah 53:2, isaiah fifty three, Isaiah The Prophet, Newer Testament, Older Testament, Prophecy, The Crown Jewel of The O.T., The Servant Exalted, The Servant in Isaiah 53, Yahweh is Salvation, Yesha'yahu
22 Apr 2012

“The Servant Despised” Isaiah 53:1-3 – Part #1

For hundreds of years now Isaiah 53 has been deliberately excluded from the weekly reading cycles of Scripture in the Jewish Synagogues. In August they end reading Isaiah 52:12 and begin the next Sabbath reading Isaiah 54:1. Why? Because ‘Evangelical Christians’ contend that Isaiah 53 reveals the Messiahship of Yeshua/Jesus and Jewish people follow the 11th century Talmudic commentator Rashi who said, “Since Christians interpret Isaiah 53 as being a prophecy concerning Jesus , we maintain that this is a a prophecy concerning the people of Israel.”  So that solves the problem, or does it? There is much more at stake here than debating different points of view. In fact, this is a matter of life or death! If this passage is speaking of a suffering individual, the Servant of God, then the Jewish people are wrong and have failed to recognize their Messiah almost 2,000 years ago and are dead in their trespasses and sins. However, if it is speaking of the suffering nation of Israel, then Christians who have laid claim to God’s forgiveness through faith in Yeshua/Jesus as their Messiah are in fact wrong and still, ‘dead in their trespasses and sins,’ Eph. 2:15; I Cor. 15:17. However, the answer is not found in sectarian name calling but; 1 – In a rational examination of the Biblical text; 2 – In the history of it’s interpretation; and 3 – In it’s relation to other Messianic Prophecies whose Messianic meaning is beyond dispute. In Isaiah 52:13-15 we saw in capsule form what Isaiah 53 contains. There we saw, “The Servant” greatly exalted after being deeply humiliated. Now as we turn to Isaiah 53 to draw some ‘Principles for Living’ from the ‘Servant Despised’ the first thing we note in verse one is, “The Challenge To Believe,” and this opening statement is very strong in the Hebrew language!

“Who has believed our report?” The emphasis in this verse is on Israel’s unbelief! Only a remnant would believe, and a very small remnant at that, Isa. 1:9, a tithe, a holy stump, a (mas-seveth) Isa. 6:13. Isaiah I believe is also calling attention to the world’s lack of faith in general. This is more of an exclamation than an interrogation! Isaiah is speaking for all the prophets, not just for himself, ‘Our Report!’ The message or report is that, the Jewish Messiah would suffer and die. This is the first time in all of the Scriptures that this was taught, “Israel’ s Messiah would suffer and die!” The word report is the Hebrew word (semua) and means something heard, an announcement, a doctrine, a report, news or tidings. This word in Hebrew literally means, ‘that which we have heard’ or ‘our message.’ It refers to the cumulative witness of all the prophets who for generations prophesied of a coming Savior to deliver His people from their sin. The reply to this rhetorical question is, ‘No One!’ However, it raises an exegetical question, awaiting an answer! The words, ‘Our report’ simply mean, ‘The thing heard,’ but is it a message we have heard or is it a message we proclaim? Most scholars take the later and translate it ‘Our Preaching’ and it fits much better into the context. This is also seen in the Newer Testament in John 12:37-48 and especially in Romans 10:14-21. So it is, “Who has believed our preaching?” Answer, very few! In v.1 we see the Servant or the Messiah who can alone atone for our sin. His message is rejected in v.1, His person is rejected in v.2, and His mission is rejected in v.3. However, His suffering in v.4-6; His death & burial in v. 7-9; and His exaltation in v. 10-12, provides atonement for all of our sins. To miss the fact that the Servant of the LORD is our Messiah, the central figure in this passage is to stumble in unbelief over the cornerstone and the foundation of the good tidings seen Isaiah 52:7.

“And to whom is the arm of the LORD revealed?” The word revealed (galah) means to denude, to strip, to be bare naked. The word arm is (zeroah) the arm stretched out, meaning force, power and strength. It is also the foreleg of an animal. Zeroah is the shank bone of a lamb on a ‘Passover Plate.’ Who are the only people who have a shank bone on a plate every year for a celebration? The nation of Israel! So we have the bare arm of the LORD, an emblem of God’s power, ‘Always’ connected with salvation, Always! In the Newer Testament the Gospel of God itself is the ‘Power of God’ unto salvation, Rom. 1:16; I Cor. 1:18. The LORD rolled up His sleeves and revealed His bare, naked arm of salvation. In Isa. 52:10 we see the Lord’s arm in more detail and in it’s ultimate purpose, “The LORD has made bare His holy arm in the eyes of all the nations, and all the ends of the earth shall see the salvation of our God.” (all the nations) (all the ends of the earth) (shall see the salvation – the Yeshua of our God). I have been told by Rabbi’s that nowhere in the Older Testament is the word salvation (Yeshua) ever used of a person. Really, Isa. 62:11 says, “Behold, the LORD has proclaimed unto the end of the earth; Say ye to the daughter of Zion, Behold thy salvation (thy Yeshua) cometh; behold, his reward is with him, and his work before him.” I guess in that verse it is a real person! I was sharing this with a man once, who was married to an Egyptian woman who had an Arabic translation and said look mine says, “Here comes your Savior!”

One of the keys to interpreting Isaiah 53 is the phrase “The arm of the LORD” and it is extremely important! Rabbi Alexander Harkavy said, “This phrase is used throughout the Scriptures to signify God’s personal intervention in Jewish history and particularly in the book of Isaiah, where it is used as a name for the promised Messiah.” Isaiah uses it over ten times from Isa. 33:2 where He reigns over Israel in peace to Isa. 63:5 where He delivers Israel out of Bozrah at the end of, ‘Jacob’s Trouble’ His garments red with blood. In Isaiah 40 God foretells a visit which He Himself will make to planet earth for the sole purpose of cleansing Israel of their sins. Isa. 40:2-3 says, “Speak ye tenderly to Jerusalem, and cry unto her, that her warfare is accomplished, that her iniquity is pardoned; for she has received double for all her sins. The voice of him that cries in the wilderness, Prepare ye the way of the LORD, make straight in the desert a highway for our God.” Why would you have to do this? Because He is coming for a visit!

Again in Isaiah 51:5 the LORD’s arm is seen as the instrument of His deliverance from evil, “My righteousness is near; My salvation is gone forth, and Mine arms shall judge the peoples; the isles shall wait upon Me, and on Mine arm shall they trust.” Then again to His promise Israel cries out in v.9, “Awake, awake, put on strength, O arm of the LORD; awake, as in the ancient days, in the generations of old. Was it not thou who hast cut Rahab and wounded the dragon?” It is clear by the time we get to Isiah 52 that God is speaking about an act of deliverance and cleansing which He Himself is going to perform through His ‘Holy Arm,‘ in v. 10, “The LORD has made bare His ‘Holy Arm’ in the eyes of all the nations; and all the ends of the earth shall see the salvation (the Yeshua) of our God.”

An outline of Isaiah 52 will help us to bring the figure of God’s promised Messiah/Servant into focus and serves as an introduction to this controversial chapter, the ‘Crown Jewel’ of the Older Testament, Isaiah 52: v.1-6, The call to holiness; v.7-8, The promise of One who will bring ‘Good Tidings;’ v.9-10, God’s salvation to be manifested in His ‘Holy Arm;’ v.11-12, The second call to holiness; v.13-15, The suffering Servant whose blood shall sprinkle many nations. You see it is in this wider context of Israel’s need for cleansing and God’s promise for a sin-bearing Servant that Isaiah 53 must be understood. Isa. 59:16 says, “And he saw that there was no man, and wondered that there was no intercessor; therefore, his arm brought salvation unto him, and his righteousness sustained him.” The ‘Arm of the LORD’ is Israel’s Messiah, who brings salvation to what, Isa. 52:10, all the nations and all the ends of the earth. Interesting, they executed Yeshua/Jesus stark naked before the whole world, between two criminals, and buried him in a rich man’s tomb, “And they made his grave with the wicked, And with the rich his tomb,” Isa. 53:9a, JPS translation, 1917. As my favorite Rabbi says, “Coincidence is not a kosher word.”   “…Between The Lines…”

“Lord, help us to read between the lines and to search your word diligently, for the truth that leads to eternal life. Or as our Jewish friends pray, ‘Blessed art Thou O Lord our God King of the universe Who has given us the Torah of truth and life eternal implanted within us.’ Help us Lord as we search Your word for truth, and life eternal.” In the name of the blessed Messiah we pray. Amen!

“The Servant Despised”  Isaiah 53:1-3 – Part #1

Posted in Ancient Rabbinic Thoughts, Behold My Servant, Contact, Isaiah 52:13, Isaiah 53:1, isaiah fifty three, Isaiah The Prophet, Newer Testament, Older Testament, Prophecy, The Servant Exalted, The Servant in Isaiah 53, Yahweh is Salvation, Yesha'yahu | Leave a Comment
15 Apr 2012
1 Comment

“The Servant Exalted” Isaiah 52:13-15 – Part #3

We examined the Servant’s, ‘Triumphal Entry’ in v.13; His ‘Terrifying Exit’ in v.14; and now we examine his ‘Tremendous Eulogy’ in v.15, “So shall he sprinkle many nations.” The amazement at His disfigurement is turned into wonder at His grace. In v.14 many individuals were astonished and in v.15 many nations shall be sprinkled. Here Isaiah compares the previous distorted, marred appearance of the Servant, to the high priestly position of the one who cleanses mankind from sin’s defilement. Many see His disfigurement as punishment for His sins but it was a condition that would bring cleansing to the nations, it was a punishment for all mankind’s sins, the suffering now becomes the pathway to glory!

“So shall he sprinkle many nations;”  The word sprinkle is the Hebrew word (nazah) and is a technical term in the Mosaic law for the sprinkling of blood, for ceremonial cleansing of sin. In Numbers 19, the clean shall sprinkle the unclean, making the unclean clean, and the clean unclean until evening. This is a picture of this Servant taking our punishment so we could take His reward, II Cor. 5:21. Wilson’s Old Testament Dictionary says, “The uniform use of this word is in the sense of sprinkling with blood in order to purify.” E.J. Young says, “The meaning of sprinkle here is atonement via the sprinkling of blood.”  Victor Buksbazen says, “This word is used to describe the ritual of a leper by means of sprinkling the blood of a sacrifice, Lev. 14:7; or by the priest before the veil, Lev. 4:6.” The Talmud refers to this Servant in Isa. 53:4, 8 as ‘The leprous one’  (nagua) which we will discuss in detail later.  Though shunned like a leper He now brings cleansing to the nations through His own blood atonement, not that of animals, but his own blood! This establishes the most important application of this passage to the virtue of the Messiah’s or Servant’s atonement.

Some Jewish interpreters translate (nazah) as startle, to cause to leap like a cat, to jump back suddenly which is probably an Arabic translation. However, in all 24 passages where the Hebrew word (nazah) appears in the Bible it is translated sprinkle 17x, and sprinkled 7 x. It is never translated in the Scriptures startled, once! Not one time. Sixteen times it refers to sprinkling blood, three times to oil, two times to water, two times to water with the ashes of the Red Heifer and only one time in all the Scriptures does it not specifically tell us what is being sprinkled. So the context must determine that and that is our text, Isa. 52:15, “So shall He sprinkle many nations.” The word (nazah) means to sprinkle in expiation or in the act of atonement, this has been proven throughout the Scriptures. So, to say the nations will be startled like a cat and jump back in shock is ludicrous. There were two kinds of sprinkling under the Mosaic law; the sprinkling of blood on and  toward the mercy-seat, God-ward; and the sprinkling of water or oil on or toward the Levite or leper, man-ward. So, the work of this Servant has this double aspect also. Gesenius believes the word sprinkle (nazah) universally in the Old Testament means either to sprinkle blood as the high priest makes expiation, Lev. 4:6; or with water for purification, Ezk. 36:25; both of which are appropriate to the Messiah, John 13:8; Heb. 9:13-14; 10:22; 12:24; I Pet. 1:2. He will sprinkle ‘many nations’ not just Israel but (rabah) great, many, much, abundant, a very large number of nations (Goyim) Gentiles, peoples, generations Gen. 10:1, not just many, but every nation. Muilenberg states, “It is best to retain ‘sprinkle’ here as this interpretation is supported by the Manuel of Discipline,  in the recently discovered ‘Dead Sea Scriptures.” Also sprinkle carries the idea of purification, hence Lamsa’s translation of the Peshitta, “he will purify many people from their sins.” Knox also translates this, “He will purify a multitude of nations.”

“…the kings shall shut their mouths at him;”  Kings (melek) royal rulers, human and divine; in v.14 you have ‘the many’ the people, the populace, but here you have the royalty, the rulers, the elite. You will see this again in Isa. 53:3 with the word men (yish) men of nobility, royalty, rulers, leaders, who despised and rejected this Servant, but here we have the Kings who, “shall shut their mouths at Him;” They shall cover their mouths, from the lowest of men to the highest of kings, men were dumb with awe and veneration with what they saw and heard of this Servant. The idea is that He would be honored by kings. To shut their mouths here indicates veneration and admiration. Like, Job 29:9-10, “The princes refrained from talking, and laid their hands on their mouth. The nobles held their peace, and their tongue cleaved to the roof of their mouth.” Where reverence and respect is indicated in the same way.

 ”For that which had not been told them shall they see…”  Told is the word (sapar) proclaimed or declared, and see is the word (ra’a) to  know, consider or realize.  So that which was declared will be realized. “…and that which they had not heard (sh’ma – hear, listen, obey) shall they consider.” (bine – understand, discern).” Shall they finally understand and obey! Albert Barnes explains that in this part of the verse a reason is given for the veneration of the kings. Here they receive intelligence of this wonderful Servant of God which had not been made known to them as it had been to the Jewish people, ‘they shall see what wasn’t told them.’ In other words the incarnation and redemption would contain truths and wonders they had not contemplated elsewhere. No such events would have occurred within the range of their observation and the wonders of redemption would stand by themselves as unparalleled in all that they had heard or ever seen. What is here predicted has been fulfilled. The mystery of the incarnation and the atonement; the sufferings and the death of the Redeemer; His exaltation and His glory, are events which are unparalleled in the history of the world. These are events fitted in their very nature to excite the profoundest admiration and to induce kings and nobles to lay their hands on their mouths in a token of veneration, and consider something they never heard before. Or as one writer put it, “That which they had not paid much attention to, shall they diligently and cunningly view and know.”

“He shall sprinkle many,” but not all. There is no universal salvation here, the tree on Calvary settled that! “Many were astonished,” but not all. “Many will be judged eternally,” but not all. Those that heave believed in the Servant of LORD and have repented of their sins and received Him into their hearts and lives; Those that have been and still are terrified at the vicious, torturous death of the Servant; Those that have been sprinkled with the blood of the Servant in v.14; Those are the ones that will receive Eternal Life, Psalm 23:6; But not all! Those are the ones who will experience fullness of joy and pleasure forever more. Psalm 16:11; But not all. Up to this point all the Messianic prophecies concerning salvation have been veiled! But now they are both perceived and understood. The Servant, Israel’s Messiah is going to ‘DIE’ to make atonement for the nations. This is the first time in all the Scriptures this is clearly revealed. “For since the beginning of the world men have not heard, nor perceived by the ear, neither has the eye seen, O God, beside thee, what He has prepared for him who waits for him.” Isa. 64:4   “…Between The Lines…”

“Abba, Father, how can we even begin to comprehend what Your Spirit has inspired Your prophet to write in this verse when brilliant men have struggled with it for centuries? We are just common, humble men who come to You and ask You to open our hearts and minds to Your infinite truths as we dip our tin cup in Your fathomless well for a sip. In ha shem Yeshua we pray. Amen!“

“The Servant Exalted”  Isaiah 52:13-15 – Part #3

Posted in Ancient Rabbinic Thoughts, Behold My Servant, Contact, Isaiah 52:13, isaiah fifty three, Isaiah The Prophet, Newer Testament, Older Testament, Prophecy, The Servant Exalted, The Servant in Isaiah 53, Yahweh is Salvation, Yesha'yahu
09 Apr 2012
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“The Servant Exalted” – ‘Isaiah 52:13-15 – Part #2′

Last time we dealt with the Servant’s, ‘Triumphal Entry,’ he was exalted, extolled and elevated. Lifted high, higher and finally highest above any being ever in all of existence. (Yalkut ii: 571, 13th c. “Who art thou, O great mountain?” Zech. 4:7. This refers to the King Messiah, and why does he call Him, “The Great Mountain?” Because He is greater than the patriarchs, as it is said, “My servant shall be high, and lifted up, and lofty exceedingly” – He will be higher than Abraham…lifted up above Moses,…loftier than the ministering angels.” Driver & Neubauer, pg. 9; This same passage is found in the Midrash Tanhuma to Genesis, 9th c. by John Townsend, Katav, 1989, pg. 166) Isaiah 52:14 will deal with his ‘Terrifying Exit’ and v.15 will deal with his ‘Tremendous Eulogy.’ What is interesting is, the word servant is used 22 times in Isaiah and the word servants 17 times. What’s unique is when the LORD refers to an individual as His servant, He gives us their name; Isaiah 20:3; Eliakim 22:20; David 37:35. When He refers to Israel being the servant, He clarifies it by adding the name Jacob/Israel, 41:8, 41:9, 42:19 & 24; 43:1 & 10; 44:1 & 2; 44:21 & 26; 48:20; 49:3 & 5; nine out of ten times! However, when the LORD refers to His individual Servant, the Messiah or Redeemer, He doesn’t add a name or a nation as in Isa. 42:1; 49:5, 6 & 7; 50:10; 52:13; 53:11.

In fact in Isaiah 42:1-7 we see a two-fold account of His Servant as weak, despised, rejected and slain but also as a mighty conqueror taking vengeance on the Gentile nations and restoring Israel. In fact Isa. 42:1 is quoted by Yeshua/Jesus in the Newer Covenant in Matt. 12:14-21 and applied to himself. This total divergence in Messianic prophecies has led ancient Rabbis to promote a two Messiah theory: A suffering Messiah Isa. 50:5-7 & 53, ‘Messiah ben Joseph’ who dies in battle; and a triumphant Messiah, Psalm 2 & 110, ‘Messiah ben David’ who will establish the ‘Kingdom of Righteousness’ after defeating the Gentile nations. While Christians see it as the Messiah’s two comings or two advents; The first as a ‘Suffering Servant’ and the second as the ‘Sovereign King.’ The first time He will come as a lowly servant, riding on a donkey, Zech. 9:9 to be executed; The second time He will come as the ‘King of kings’ riding on a white horse, Rev. 19:11-16 to execute judgement. Polycarp referred to this passage as, “The Golden Passional, or the Holy of Holies of the Older Testament.”

 ”As many were astounded (shaw-mem) at thee…” Isa. 52:14 a, astonished, appalled, awestruck, horrified; this word means to stun, to grow numb, to be devastated, to stupefy; to tremble from fear or horror, to be terrified! As one author put it, “This word expresses deep, bewildered amazement caused by the transformation of the marred, distorted, beyond human resemblance of the servant’s visage!” This isn’t a few people that are in shock, frozen from fear or horror, by an incredible, unbelievable, devastation; the word many (ra-bah) means abundant, numerous, great, multitudes. His appearance was such as to excite universal astonishment and produce universal disgust. Or as one translation puts it, “Many individuals were petrified by paralyzing astonishment, “At Thee!”  The Servant, but why?

“his visage was so marred more than any man… ” v. 14b. In Isaiah 52:13 we have the good news about the servant, “He was Exalted, Extolled and Elevated…”  But in v.14 we have the bad news, the ugly news, the news that will, stun you, devastate you and leave you numb and speechless. “His visage (mar-eh) was so marred…” His appearance, his shape, his looks, his comeliness, his face, “was sooo marred…” Not just marred or distorted, but sooo marred! This word marred (mishat or moshat) means deformity, defect, corruption, disfigurement, implying ugliness and repulsion. More than any man ever in history! Why, because any other man would have died early into this horrible, tortuous beating. He did not even look human, this was the effect of the brutalities mentioned in Matt. 26:67; 27:27-30; Mk. 14:65 where he was ‘buffeted’ to rap with the fist over and over and over; and Luke 22:63-66; In John 19:1 you have the scourging with the ‘cat of nine tails’ 39 stripes save one was only for Roman citizens which if this is Yeshua/Jesus he was not a Roman citizen. Oh the awesome cost of our redemption!

“…and his form more than the sons of men–”  The word marred is used of a blemished animal unfit for sacrifice, disfigured, ruined, battered or decaying. The reason for the brutal beating was to make him unfit for sacrifice or to kill him before his time. Even his beard was ripped out by the roots, Isaiah 50:6-7. Not only was his visage, his face so distorted but his form, (to-ar) his outline, his figure, his shape, his frame or likeness was distorted “more than the sons of men…” so as not to belong to men or to be one of the human family.  Keil & Delitzsch stated, “His appearance and his form were altogether distorted away from man, out beyond men.” E.J. Young said, “His disfigurement was so great that he no longer appeared as a man.” That is a distortion that destroys all likeness to a man, think about that for a moment! He didn’t even look human! So if, ‘IF’ Yeshua/Jesus was the Servant and he went through this horrible execution and did not look human, what was up there? A slab of meat, and the slab talked seven times and one of those times it said, “Father forgive them for they know not what they do!” How could an innocent human being utter those ten words? Unthinkable, unimaginable, inconceivable, incogitable!

Now how anyone, anyone; Jew, Gentile, Christian, Agnostic, Atheist, Muslim, Buddhist, Hindu, New Age, anyone can read the torture inflicted upon this ‘holy, harmless, undefiled, servant of God’ without pathos, without being moved to tears is beyond me. My Jewish grandmother’s entire family was butchered in a Pogrom in southern Poland and some how she managed to escape at 11 years old and was smuggled to America by two Roman Catholic Nuns and as horrible as that was, it doesn’t even begin to compare to this image.  Maybe, just maybe that’s why he cried from the tree, “Woman, behold thy son!” Because, as she looked up there she said, “That’s not my son, in fact that’s not even a human being hanging there.” The world was in shock with what they witnessed, horrified, dumbstruck, frozen in terror. Why, because a man was beaten and nailed to a tree, because an innocent man was striped naked and executed without a fair trial, that stuff happens every day in this godless world!

No, this Servant took the cup of Almighty God’s wrath and judgement and lifted it up with both hands to God, and thanked Him for it and with one mighty gulp drank damnation dry for every man, woman and child that would ever be born. Then He climbed up on our tree and with all the strength He had left He stretched one hand up to God and the other out to man and said, “Father forgive them for they know not what they do!” This Servant didn’t go to the tree because it was fun, he went because it had to be done! Don’t you think if there was some other way possible for God to take care of our redemption He would have done it? Don’t you? Don’t you………….     “…Between The Lines…”

“Abba, Father, we can’t even begin to comprehend, begin to wrap our minds around, what it means to suffer Your infinite wrath, neither do we want to. Thank You for sending Your Servant to do it for us, to pay the price, to pave the way, to open the door, to stretch out His ever loving arms and bid us come to Thee.” For this we praise Your Holy name. Amen!”

“The Servant Exalted”  ‘Isaiah 52:13-15 – Part #2′

Posted in Ancient Rabbinic Thoughts, Behold My Servant, Contact, Isaiah 52:13, isaiah fifty three, Isaiah The Prophet, Newer Testament, Older Testament, Prophecy, The Servant Exalted, The Servant in Isaiah 53, Yahweh is Salvation, Yesha'yahu
26 Mar 2012
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“The Servant Exalted” Isaiah 52:13-15 – Part # 1

“Behold, My servant…”  the first word in this ‘crown jewel’ is a particle of interjection, ‘Look! Lo! See! Now!  It is a marker used to enliven a narrative, to change a scene, to emphasize an idea or to call attention to detail.  It’s a word demanding attention to something or to point to something.  Imagine a group of soldiers standing outside of a building and talking and a general steps out and someone yells, “ATTENTION!”  What do they do?  Stand around with their hands in their pockets and keep talking, only if they want to go to the brig for insubordination.  No, they snap to attention, face the general, look sharp and salute him properly.  Now, that’s the word we have here at the beginning of this crown jewel;  “Behold, ATTENTION, My servant…”

Anytime you come across this word in the Scriptures it would be wise to put a large X in the margin of your Bible with the letters R-R in it for rail/road crossing.  When you come to a rail-road crossing sign there are three words on it, “Stop, Look, Listen!”  For good reasons.  We need to heed that same warning in the Scriptures as we read God’s word, when we come upon the words, ‘Behold, Look, Lo, See, etc.  We need to ‘Stop’ and ‘Look’ all around at the context and get an idea of where we are at in the scriptures.  Then we need to ‘Listen’ to that still, small voice of the Holy Spirit as He speaks to us from His word.  The word ‘Behold’ is not there by coincidence or accident, it is there by ‘Divine Design’ to call our attention to something of importance.  “Behold My servant…” I want you to look at My servant, I want you to focus on My servant!  “BEHOLD!”

Now who is the My?  Well, it can’t be Isaiah the author, because he doesn’t have servants that we know of and the rule is, the closest antecedent in number, case and gender will identify it.  So, we go back to verse 12 where we find the word LORD (Jehovah).  Now, remember in the original scrolls there were no chapter and verse divisions.  The chapter divisions came in 1205  by Stephen Langton the Archbishop of Canterbury and the verse divisions came in 1551 by Robert Stephanus a printer.  Classically the Bible scrolls have always been divided by blank spaces at the end or in the middle.  So, the pronoun ‘My’ must refer to Jehovah because He is the One who is speaking in chapter 52:3, 4 & 5.  He is also mentioned by name in 52:9, 10, 11 & 12 and I don’t think we have any argument from either side of the river on that point anyway so we can keep on fishing and that leads us to the third word in the first phrase of the first verse, “servant.”

We have already spent a considerable amount of time on that subject and since the servant is not identified  as Isaiah, David, Eliakim, Israel, etc.  we will have to allow the context to identify just whom it is.  We can’t go back three chapters and find a verse we like and make an application, that is poor exegesis.  So, we will let scripture interpret scripture and let the word of God speak for itself.  I don’t believe God’s word needs defense attorneys and that is the whole purpose of this blog to take this passage apart word by word and let it speak to the common man from the common man.  What is interesting in this passage, which we will note is that sometimes ‘The Servant’ is spoken of, sometimes he is spoken to, and sometimes he speaks for himself and we will try to point these out.

“…shall deal prudently (sa-kal)…” behave wisely; guide wittingly; to have insight, wisdom and understanding; to be extremely wise in all decisions.  This servant would grow from childhood and become strong in spirit, filled with wisdom, and the grace of God.  Knowledge is the mere acquisition of facts, you get knowledge from college.  Wisdom is taking knowledge and applying it to life and making it work, putting feet on your diploma.  Without knowledge, college is a waste of time and money.  This servant would not only behave wisely, the Hebrew word (sa-kal) means he would teach others knowledge also.  It is one thing to teach academics but you have to be extremely wise to teach knowledge because you only learn knowledge from life, from experience, not from books.  My best teachers were those who spent 25 years in the jungles, on the streets and in the pulpits first!  This servant is experienced, seasoned, knowledgeable, accomplished, skillful and he is an expert in every field.  He will be so wise, so prudent, he will be teaching knowledge, not facts.  This word (sa-kal) portrays a word picture of a man crossing his arms and hands in an extended motion showing total contentment with his instruction, wisdom and insight to his disciples.

“He shall be exalted and extolled, and be very high.” Exalted (rum) noble, raised up, lifted up;”  Then he is going to go higher;  “he will be ‘extolled’ (nasa) lifted up higher and honored, extolled is a reflexive verb to lift or raise oneself (John 12:32);” (E. J. Young says, ‘It’s referring to the ascension, to raise Himself.’)  Yet this servant is still going to go higher, “He will be exalted, extolled and be ‘very high’ (me-od ga-bah) exceedingly, utterly high or elevated to honor.  These three verbs are used to convey the absolute height this servant shall attain, the highest of the highest!  When you put all three of these verbs together this is what you get. He will rise up; He will raise Himself still higher; He will stand as the highest possible being!  So, you have the commencement, the continuation and the climax of his exaltation.  Not only that, but this last word ‘very high’ is a perfect tense showing at last he has reached an immeasurable height, the pinnacle, the apex, the joy that was set before him.  What’s interesting is the Scriptures talk about the first, second and third heaven, the one where God dwells.  Isaiah also wrote in chapter 33:10, “Now will I rise, saith the LORD, now will I be exalted, now will I lift up myself.”  God is speaking of Himself, not Isaiah or David or Israel and He uses the same exact three words found in Isa. 52:13 used of the servant, but here they are used for Jehovah Himself the (YHVH).  In Isa. 6:1 you have similar language again speaking of the Lord (Adonai) “I saw also the Lord sitting upon a throne, high (rum) and lifted up (nasa)  and his train filled the temple.”  The exact same words used in Isa. 52:13 for the servant but here used for Lord (Adonai).  These words are not found anywhere else in the prophets in combination, except here.

Whoever this servant is in Isaiah 52:13-53:12 he is on equal footing with Adonai in Isaiah 6:1 and Jehovah in Isaiah 33:10 and he is going to be exalted, extolled and elevated.  Higher than any being, creature or creation that has ever been exalted in all of the universe.  It will be absolute and beyond comprehension and the writer uses three verbs to show the progress of this ascending exaltation higher and higher and higher!  Isaiah combines these verbs to show elevation of exaltation; the idea is that this servant would be elevated to the highest pitch of honor.  The word ‘exalted’ is often synonymous with praise but here it is used to elevate him to the highest conceivable position imaginable, ‘The right hand of God on high!’  Can you fathom that?  “Behold, My servant…”    “…Between The Lines…”

“Abba, Father, how little we know of Your infinite glory and Your fathomless word. We but threw a pebble in the pond today and the ripples will never end and I can’t even say we scratched the surface of this one verse. Adonai, there is no bottom to Your well, no end to Your road, no last morsel to Your loaf: I think I could spend a week meditating on this verse and never put the pen down but I must; I must send it out today, now. Thank You, Lord for time alone with You in the word. Now speak to us, in Your holy name, I ask.”

“The Servant Exalted”  Isaiah 52:13-15 – Part # 1

Posted in Ancient Rabbinic Thoughts, Behold My Servant, Contact, Isaiah 52:13, isaiah fifty three, Isaiah The Prophet, Newer Testament, Older Testament, Prophecy, The Servant Exalted, The Servant in Isaiah 53, Yahweh is Salvation, Yesha'yahu
18 Mar 2012
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“The Servant Explained” – ‘Isaiah Chapters 1-66′

(Make sure you read the 3 new ‘Ancient Rabbinic Thoughts’ just added)

Isaiah orYesha’yahu‘s theme is, “Israel’s Messiah” and he writes about the majestic glory of God. He foretells the Messiah’s; Birth 7:14; Deity 9:6-7; Ministry 42:1-7 & 61:1-2; Death 52:13-53:12; and Millennial Reign 2, 11, 65. He lived and ministered in Jerusalem with his wife a prophetess and his two sons Shear-jashub and Maher-shalal-hash-baz. We know nothing of his birth and death other than the Talmudic legend that wicked king Manasseh sawed him in half in a log at the pool of Siloam. He was a writer, a poet, a statesman, a reformer, a teacher, a theologian, and a prophet referred to as, “The Shakespeare of Prophets.”

His theme is found in his name, “Salvation is of the LORD.” The word salvation is found 26 times in Isaiah and only 7 times in all the other prophets combined. Isaiah is often referred to as ‘The Mini Bible.’ The Bible has 66 books, Isaiah has 66 chapters, the Bible has 39 books in the Older Testament and 27 books in the Newer Testament. Isaiah is divided into 39 chapters and 27 chapters and the middle chapter of the last 27 is chapter 53 and the central verse of that section in Isa. 53:5, “But He was wounded for our transgressions, He was bruised for our iniquities, the chastisement of our peace was upon Him, and with His stripes we are healed.” Isaiah has been referred to as the, ‘Fifth Gospel’ or ‘The Gospel According To Isaiah.’ Isaiah 54:2-3 was the text William Carey, the father of modern missions used, to launch the modern missionary movement.

Isaiah’s first message of condemnation is aimed at his own people Israel. In chapter one we have a capsulized message of Isaiah, the breach between Israel and Jehovah; The inefficiency of mere ritual; The call to national repentance; and The certainty of sweeping judgement. Chapter 6 is Isaiah’s call which is followed by chapters 7-12, ‘The Book of Immanuel.’ Then you have prophecies concerning Israel’s neighbors in chapters 13-23; Prophecies about Israel’s future in chapters 24-27; Prophecies of Israel’s sinful ‘WOES’ in chapters 28-35; An historical parenthesis of King Hezekiah’s life in chapters 36-39; Then you come to the prophecies concerning Israel’s comfort in chapters 40-66 and these break down into three sections: The process of peace chapters 40-48; The Prince of peace chapters 49-57; and The program of peace chapters 58-66.

This passage Isa. 52:13-53:13 breaks down into five three verse couplets or triplets which is a Hebraic form of writing, worship and study: The Servant Exalted/Venerated Isa. 52:13-15; The Servant Despised/Villainized, Isa. 53:1-3; The Servant Wounded/Victimized, Isa. 53:4-6; The Servant Cut-Off/Vicarious, Isa. 53:7-9; The Servant Satisfied/Victorious, Isa. 53:10-12.  You also have: The Mystery of The Servant, Isa. 52:13-15; The Rejection of The Servant, Isa. 53:1-3; The Atonement of The Servant, Isa. 53:4-6; The Submission of The Servant, Isa. 53:7-9; and, The Exaltation of The Servant, Isa. 53:10-12.  Then if you look real close you will also see the ‘Five Levitical Offerings;’ The Burnt Offering – The servant’s whole hearted sacrifice, Isa. 52:13-15; The Meal Offering – The servant’s perfect character, Isa. 53:1-3; The Peace Offering – The servant’s atonement that brought peace with God, Isa. 53:4-6; The Sin Offering – The servant’s payment for the transgression of his people, Isa. 53:7-9; The Trespass Offering – The servant’s death for the effects of sin, Isa. 53:10-12.  However, no matter how you look at it or cut it up, the central element, the apex of this messianic Prophecy is still, “The Servant!”  The ‘Suffering Servant’ of the LORD, and it is the most important subject in the book of Isaiah as a whole.  The Servant in this passage never speaks, nor does He ever appear.  He is the object of discussion and haunts this passage.  After Isaiah chapter 53 the word servant, singular never appears again!

In Exodus 3:5 as Moses approached the burning bush the Almighty spoke and said, “Draw not nigh, put off thy shoes from off thy feet, for the place whereon thou standest is holy ground.”  I believe we need that same attitude of reverence as we approach this ‘Crown Jewel’ and begin to examine its many facets.  Like Philip in Acts 8:26-39 with the Ethiopian Eunuch when he, “opened his mouth, and began at the same scripture (Isaiah 53:6-7) and preached unto him Jesus.”  Now let us lay this ‘Crown Jewel’ on a piece of black velvet under the jeweler’s bright lights, pick up our monocles, take a deep prayerful breath and look deep into this gem’s beauty for what Jehovah Elohim might have for each one of us.

Our main interest in Isaiah will be the ‘Crown Jewel’ of the Older Testament Isaiah 52:13 – Isaiah 53:13. One that is purposely skipped every summer in the synagogues during their Torah and Haftorah readings. They read Isaiah 51:12-52:12 and Deuteronomy 16:18-21:9. The next Sabbath they read Isaiah 54:1-10 and Deuteronomy 21:10-25:19, but they never read Isaiah 52:13-53:12, NEVER! Why, for two reasons; One, because evangelical Christians use Isaiah 53 as the cornerstone for their argument for the Messiahship of Yeshua/Jesus. While Orthodox Jewish people on the other hand, follow the 11th cen. Talmudic Rabbi Rashi who said, “Since Christians interpret Isaiah 53 as being a prophecy concerning Jesus, we maintain that this is a prophecy concerning the people of Israel:”  Second,  because Isaiah chapter 53 is probably the most amazing, mystifying, powerful, passage of scripture in the Older Testament. In fact it is so amazing and so mystifying and so powerful and so persuasive, that you need to be careful when approaching this passage that you don’t accept the fact the Yeshua/Jesus is Israel’s Messiah without accepting Him as your own personal Messiah too. Personal appropriation is critical, Joel 2:32, a head knowledge won’t give anyone eternal life. Most of the 80 plus references in the Newer Testament referring to Isaiah, refer to Isaiah 53.  This is however, a matter of life and death, not just a matter for debate, or who has more evidence, or more convincing points.  If Isaiah 53 is speaking of a suffering individual then the Jewish people failed to recognize their Messiah when Yeshua/Jesus of Nazareth came 2,000 years ago to save them. If however, it is speaking of a suffering Nation/Israel then Christians past, present and future who are laying claim to God’s forgiveness through faith in the blood of Jesus are still in fact, “dead in their sins.” Eph. 2:5. The answer to this question will not be found in sectarian name calling or in a lengthy theological debate but in a rational examination of the Biblical context of Isaiah chapter 53, the history of its interpretation and its relation to other prophecies whose messianic meaning is beyond dispute.  However, you must remember this is only a blog, not a theological journal or disputation. I am not here to argue, just share, as a common man to a common man…     “….Between The Lines…”

“Father, as we put on our monocles and peer into the depths of this ‘Crown Jewel’ would You please allow us to see things from Your perspective. We are looking for facets that will help us to achieve ‘principles for prayer’ in our prayer closets, that will draw us closer to You and to the truth. As we pray with David, “Open Thou mine eyes, that I may behold wondrous things out of Thy law.” Ps. 119:18.  In Your Blessed name we pray. Amen!

“The Servant Explained – Isaiah Chapters 1-66″

Posted in Ancient Rabbinic Thoughts, Behold My Servant, Contact, isaiah fifty three, Isaiah The Prophet, Newer Testament, Older Testament, Prophecy, The Servant in Isaiah 53, Yahweh is Salvation, Yesha'yahu
14 Mar 2012
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“Who is The Servant in Isaiah – Part # 2″

(Make sure you read the 2 new Ancient Rabbinic Thoughts on Isaiah 53)

However, Isaiah 49:5 takes on a different tone, “And now, saith the LORD who formed me from the womb to be His servant, to bring Jacob again to Him, Though Israel be not gathered, yet shall I be glorious in the eyes of the LORD, and my God shall be my strength.” Obviously this servant is not Israel because this servant is going to bring Jacob/Israel to the LORD, and even though Israel is not gathered this servant shall be glorious in the eyes of the LORD. Also v.6 goes on to embellish this servant, “And he said, It is a light thing that thou should be my servant to raise up the tribes of Jacob, and to restore the preserved of Israel; I will also give thee for a light to the Gentiles that thou may be my salvation (yeshua) unto the end of the earth.” How could Israel raise up Israel and restore Israel and be a light to the Gentiles and salvation to all mankind? They simply are not, have not, and will not be doing that until the time of ‘Jacob’s Trouble’ known as the ‘Great Tribulation’ when 144,000 male, virgin, Jewish, men from the twelve tribes of Israel will be commissioned to do exactly that! Rev. 7&14. So, Israel can not be the servant in v.5 and v.6, how about v.7, “Thus saith the LORD, the Redeemer of Israel, and His Holy One, to Him whom man despiseth, to him whom the nation abhorreth, to a servant of rulers: Kings shall see and arise, princes shall worship, because of the LORD who is faithful, and the Holy One of Israel, and he shall choose thee.” This servant can’t be Israel if Israel as a nation is going to abhor this servant.

In Isaiah 50 we see the humiliation of the ‘Servant,’ in v.6, “I gave my back to the smiters, and my cheeks to them that plucked off the hair, I hid not my face from shame and spitting. For the Lord GOD will help me; therefore shall I not be confounded; therefore have I set my face like a flint, and I know that I shall not be ashamed.” This is not Israel, this is a person who has been beaten, had his beard ripped out, been spit upon, humiliated, and disgraced and then v.10 says, “Who is among you that fears the LORD, that obeys the voice of His servant, that walks in darkness, and has no light? Let him trust in the name of the LORD, and stay upon his God.” The LORD is asking Israel a question, who among them fears the LORD, obeys the servants voice, walks in darkness, etc. If Israel is the servant then how can they answer these questions or even obey the servant’s voice?

Then we come to Isaiah 52:13, “Behold My Servant” again he is not identified, but we shall see that he is made a sin offering and here he is exalted, extolled and elevated. Three words lifting him higher and higher and higher, the only other time these three words are used together in Scripture are in Isaiah 30:10 and they are used of the LORD, “Now will I rise, saith the LORD, now will I be exalted, now will I lift up Myself.” Another incident that comes close is Isa. 6:1, “In the year that King Uzziah died, I saw also the LORD sitting on a throne, high and lifted up, and His train filled the temple.” If these words are applied to the LORD, the YHWH, then this servant must be on an equal plane with the LORD. Then the final servant passage is in Isaiah 53:11, “He shall see the travail of his soul, and shall be satisfied (saba); by his knowledge shall my righteous servant justify many; for he shall bear their iniquities.” Behold My servant exalted, extolled, elevated; My righteous servant, how on earth can this refer to any group of people no matter how honorable we think they might be. My own grandmother is not worthy of this accolade. Read chapter one of Isaiah for a graphic description of Israel and then tell me if they fit into Isaiah 52:13 and 53:11. “I have nourished and brought up children and they have rebelled against Me. From the sole of your foot, even unto the head there is no soundness in it, but wounds, and bruises, and putrefying sores. They have not been closed, neither bound up, neither mollified with ointment. And the daughter of Zion is left as a booth in a vineyard, as a lodge in a garden of cucumbers, as a besieged city. Except the LORD of Hosts had left unto us a very small remnant, we should have been like Sodom, and we should have been like Gomorrah.” Does that sound like the (tsadik ehbed) the righteous servant of Isa. 53:11 or the servant extolled, exalted and elevated, one who could redeem, ransom and return Israel to the LORD?

“…Between The Lines…”

“Who is The Servant in Isaiah – Part # 2″

Posted in Ancient Rabbinic Thoughts, Behold My Servant, Contact, isaiah fifty three, Isaiah The Prophet, Newer Testament, Older Testament, Prophecy, The Servant in Isaiah 53, Yahweh is Salvation, Yesha'yahu
12 Mar 2012
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“Who Is The Servant In Isaiah?”

(Make sure you read the 4 new Ancient Rabbinic Thoughts just added)

Before we can properly examine the ‘Crown Jewel’ of the prophet Isaiah, we must identify the ‘Servant’ Isaiah is referring to in chapter 53:12 and 53:11. Modern Jewish writers would lead us to believe it is Israel and modern Christian writers would lead us to believe it is Israel’s Messiah. The word ‘Servant’ is found 23 times in Isaiah and it is the Hebrew word (eh-bed) for servant, attendant, indentured or owned servant. In ‘Paleo-Hebrew’ ancient Hebrew before the Babylonian captivity, the three Hebrew letters that make up the root of this word are (ayin-bet-dalet) and form a picto-gram, “To see/experience – your household/family – through the front door.” This indentured ‘Servant’ was part of the family and had access and privileges to the family by the front door not the back door. This is a servant of privilege, status and rank and he has the privilege to enter the home like a son would and he sees everything.

Now this word appears 23 times in the book of Isaiah and it would be to our advantage to do a quick survey of those 23 occurrences. The first time the word ‘Servant’ appears it is referring to the author Isaiah himself in chapter 20:3, “And the LORD said, As My servant Isaiah, has walked naked and barefoot three years for a sign and a wonder upon Egypt and upon Ethiopia;” as a sign against Egypt and Ethiopia. The next occurrence is in Isa. 22:20 when God replaces Shebna with Eliakim, “And it shall come to pass in that day, that I will call My servant, Eliakim, the son of Hilkiah;” Then you have the word servant used in Isaiah 24:2 in a comparison of terms; the people with the priest; the servant with the master; the maid with her mistress; the buyer with the seller, etc. Then you have a reference to King David as the servant in Isaiah 37:35, “For I will defend this city to save it for Mine own sake, and for My servant David’s sake.” Next Israel is named as the servant in Isaiah 41:8-9, “But thou Israel, art My servant, Jacob whom I have chosen, the seed of Abraham My friend; Thou, whom I have taken from the ends of the earth, and called thee from the chief men thereof, and said unto thee, Thou art My servant; I have chosen thee, and not cast thee away.”

The next time we find the word ‘Servant’ is in Isaiah 42:1-4, “Behold My servant, whom I uphold; Mine elect, in whom My soul delights; I have put My Spirit upon him; he shall bring forth judgment to the Gentiles. He shall not cry, nor lift up, nor cause his voice to be heard in the street. A bruised reed shall he not break, and the smoking flax shall he not quench; he shall bring forth judgement in truth. He shall not fail nor be discouraged, till he have set judgement in the earth; and the isles shall wait for his law.” There is a twofold account of this servant, first as a weak, despised, rejected, and slain servant and then as a mighty conqueror taking vengeance on the nations and restoring Israel. To resolve this problem Rabbis adopted the theory of two Messiahs,’Messiah ben Joseph’ the suffering Messiah who dies in a battle against Edom/Rome followed by ‘Messiah ben David’ the triumphant messiah who establishes his Kingdom of righteousness after defeating the Gentile nations. Another attempt to deal with this seeming contradiction is mentioned in Pesikta Rabbathi, where Messiah ben David suffers in every generation for every generation’s sins. Many Rabbis are just awaiting the coming of Elijah who will make all things clear. One thing is clear however, Isa. 42:1 is not referring to Israel as the servant, that’s for sure because as chapter 42 goes on we see Israel chosen, sinning and chastened and then in chapter 43, redeemed and restored by the ‘Servant’ in 42:1. Also this is not referring to Israel because it is quoted in the Newer Testament in Matthew 12:14-21 as referring to Yeshua/Jesus in total.

As we just said from Isaiah 42:8ff we have the nation of Israel in focus, chosen, sinning and chastened; so in 42:19 the servant is obviously Israel, “Who is blind, but My servant? Or deaf as My messenger that I sent? Who is blind as he that is perfect, and blind as the LORD’s servant?” We see this question answered in v. 22-24 and then in chapter 43 we see Israel is to be redeemed and restored and to be not only His servant but His witnesses, “Ye are My witnesses, saith the LORD, and My servant whom I have chosen, that you may know and believe Me, and understand that I am He; before Me there was no God formed, neither shall there be after me. I, even I am the LORD, and beside Me there is no Savior.” Isa. 43:10-11. Isaiah Chapter 44 is chuck full of promises to Israel, in 44:1-2, the servant is definitely Israel, “Yet now hear, O Jacob, My servant, and Israel whom I have chosen. Thus saith the LORD that made thee from the womb, who will help thee; Fear not, O Jacob, My servant, and thou, Jeshurun, whom I have chosen.” (Jeshurun is a poetical name for Israel). He promises to pour out His Spirit upon their seed and His blessings upon their offspring and then in v. 21-27 He promises to forgive their sins and return them to their land, “Remember these, O Jacob and Israel; for thou art My servant; I have formed thee, thou art My servant, O Israel, thou shalt not be forgotten by Me. I have blotted out like a thick cloud thy transgressions and like a cloud thy sins; return unto Me, for I have redeemed thee.” There is no doubt this servant is Israel, however in v. 26 after much study I believe, the servant is either Isaiah or God’s prophets; “Who confirms the word of His servant, and performs the counsel of His messengers;”

Then again Israel is reminded of God’s promises to them in chapter 48 and in v.20 the servant is identified as Israel, “Go forth from Babylon, flee from the Chaldeans; with a voice of singing declare, tell this, utter it even to the end of the earth; say: The LORD has redeemed His servant Jacob.” Now, starting in Isaiah 49-57 we have what is referred to as the “Suffering Servant Section” of Isaiah and it starts off with Israel being identified as the servant in v.3, “And said unto me, Thou art my servant, O Israel, in whom I will be glorified.” Because of this verse Rashi an 11th century, non-Messianic, French Jewish scholar, whose initials stand for Rabbi Shlomo Itzhaki said, that the servant in Isaiah 53 is Israel. By the way Rashi lived between the first and second crusades and his stand was a reaction to Christian scholars who proposed that Isaiah chapter 53 was a fulfillment of Yeshua/Jesus. Then Joseph Kimchi and his son David in 1105-1235 followed Rashi as did Don Isaac Abarbanel of Spain in 1437-1508.

Lets stop here, for now, take a few minutes to meditate on what you’ve just read. You’ll find the rest of this devotional available on Wednesday.

“…Between The Lines…”

“Who is The Servant in Isaiah – Part 1″

Posted in Ancient Rabbinic Thoughts, Behold My Servant, Contact, isaiah fifty three, Isaiah The Prophet, Newer Testament, Older Testament, Prophecy, The Servant in Isaiah 53, Yahweh is Salvation, Yesha'yahu
04 Mar 2012
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“Who Was The Prophet Isaiah?”

Make sure you read the 5 new ‘Ancient Rabbinic Thoughts’ we just added.

“The vision (cha-zone, revelation from God) of Isaiah, the son of Amoz, which he saw concerning Judah and Jerusalem in the days of Uzziah, Jotham, Ahaz and Hezekiah, kings of Judah.” Isaiah 1:1. Twelve times in the Older Testament, Isaiah is introduced as, “the son of Amoz.” Not the prophet Amos, who was a shepherd and a fig-picker but Amoz (the strong one) who according to Jewish tradition was the brother of Amaziah, King of Judah and the father of King Uzziah which would make Isaiah and Uzziah cousins. However, whoever he was, he was well known by the readers of the Older Testament, of that day because just mentioning his son was all the introduction Isaiah needed.

In the book of Isaiah we find the form of his name as Yesha’yahu meaning, ‘Salvation is of Yahweh’ or ‘Yahweh is Salvation,’ a name which to an extent epitomizes the message of Isaiah. His name is obviously significant but it is never explained nor elaborated on in Scripture. He was clearly raised in a well to do family and received a very good education. H.C. Leupold comments on Isaiah, “Hardly anyone would question the claim that Isaiah is a prince among prophets. His eloquence is very evident. He has at his command a vocabulary richer than that of any prophet, even more comprehensive than that of the book of Psalms.” He was not a sheepherder like Amos or a priest like Ezekiel. He was a prophet of kings and a prince among prophets. His preaching on ‘personal holiness’ did not come without a price-tag though, the same as it does in today’s pulpits, the price, ‘personal loneliness!’

Isaiah made his home in Jerusalem and his home was a godly one. His wife was one of the four women referred to in the Scriptures as a prophetess. His two sons were named prophetically; ‘Shear-Jashub’ (a remnant shall return) a pledge referring to the nation of Judah if captured, would always return to Jerusalem and would never become extinct, even today! ‘Maher-Shalal-Hash-Baz’ (haste to the spoil; haste to the prey) a prophecy that the Assyrians would ravage and subdue the land or soon plunder the kingdom of Judea. Isaiah lived about 100 years and ministered for about 60-70 years. The testimony of the Jewish people, the Talmud, tradition, and the early Church Fathers along with several other sources was that, wicked king Manasseh had Isaiah sawed in two in a log at the pool of Siloam, with a wood saw. Even Hebrews 11:37 speaks of those, “They were stoned, they were sawn asunder…”

The book of Isaiah has been called the ‘Fifth Gospel’ because of its emphasis on salvation and the coming Messiah. For centuries Isaiah has been known as the ‘Older Testament Evangelist.’  His prophecies were described as, ‘The Gospel According to Isaiah,’ (check out some of the Ancient Rabbinic Thoughts). There are over 333 predictive, precise prophecies concerning the first coming of Israel’s Messiah; some scholars say, “There are over 456.” The Newer Testament presents the Messiah in all of His fullness, whereas Isaiah presents the fullness of the Messiah. Isaiah is quoted over 100 times in the Newer Testament, more than all the other Older Testament prophecies combined.

One of the problems people have today with the book of Isaiah is authorship due to, ‘Higher Criticism’ which rejects the Bible as being historically accurate because they don’t believe the Scriptures contain, ‘Predictive Prophecy.’ In essence they deny super-naturalism and a favorite target of theirs is the book of Isaiah. They believe the book of Isaiah was written by two or even three authors over several hundred years with several editors who lived in different time periods. The belief that one man, the son of Amoz, in the 8th century b.c.e. was inspired by God and wrote the whole book and predicted events and people hundreds of years before they occurred is preposterous and a dishonest presentation. Only if you do not believe in the doctrine of verbal, plenary inspiration and predictive, precise prophecy. In other words they don’t believe in an omnipotent, omnipresent, omniscient, omnificent, God!

The higher critics divide Isaiah into three parts Trito-Isaiah, chapters 1-39 written by Isaiah; chapters 40-55 written by another person after the Babylonian captivity; and chapters 56-66 written by yet another person sometime around the time of Christ. Most hold to a two-fold view of Isaiah or what is called ‘Deutero-Isaiah’ dividing it between chapters 1-39 and 40-66 for the same reasons. The higher critics reject Isaiah because he predicts the future in many places and yet many of those predictions have already been fulfilled. However, the critics don’t present a scientific study of the Bible or prophecy they just assume super-naturalism is impossible. There is no indication that the Septuagint, a Greek translation of the Older Testament dated around 250 b.c.e. sees any part of the book of Isaiah being written over a period of time. In the ‘Dead Sea Isaiah Scroll’ which contains all 66 chapters of Isaiah, there is no division between chapters 39 and 40. In fact chapter 40 begins on the same scroll and on the same column as chapter 39. Also ancient Rabbinic Jewish tradition never once mentions two or three authors for Isaiah; Another evidence of the book’s unity is the common themes or topics that flow throughout the entire book, these pose a real problem for the higher critics. Then you have phrases like, “Holy One of Israel” used 25 times in Isaiah, 12 times in chapters 1-39, 11 times in chapters 40-55, and 2 times in chapters 56-66, this consistency lends itself to the conclusion that one author wrote one harmonious book.

The strongest theological reason for accepting the unity and the reliability of Isaiah as the one and only author of the book of Isaiah is that the Newer Testament understands it to be so. In John 12:38-41, John the apostle put together Isaiah 53:1 and Isiah 6:9-10 citing both as from one Isaiah not two. In fact Yeshua/Jesus Himself read from Isaiah 61:1-2, a section the higher critics deny Isaiah wrote, Luke 4:17-21, and He never said anything to the contrary. Both John and Jesus saw the passages as predictions of Isaiah so we can be assured of the divinely provided unity and the historical reliability of the book of Isaiah. “God said it, and I believe it, and that settles it, for me!” How about you? Need more evidence? There is more, Ecclesiasticus 48:22-25; Josephus, Antiquities 11:1-2; Literary style and more repetitious words; Internal evidence matching Isaiah 40-66 with the Newer Testament, Matt. 3:3; 12:17-21; Luke 3:3-6; Acts 8:28; Romans 10:16, 20. The same phrase, “The mouth of the LORD has spoken it,” repeated in, Isaiah 1:20; 40:5; 58:14, all three divisions. “The vision of Isaiah, the son of Amoz, which he saw concerning Judah and Jerusalem…”     “Between The Lines…”  Are you with me or did I go to fast? I am going to be discussing the prophecy of Isaiah, the son of Amoz, in chapter 52:13 – 53:12 in detail over the next year. So, it’s important for you to stay with me and it’s not important for you to remember or even understand everything I am about to say. What is important is, “What you think, as a result of what I am about to say!”  Shalom my friend!!

“Abba, Father, as we begin this study of your prophet Yesha’yahu  on the ‘crown jewel’ of the “Older Testament,” open the eyes of our hearts that we may behold wondrous things in Your Word; and as we examine the many facets of this precious gem of Yours would You reveal to us Your treasures hidden in its depths.” In ha shem Yeshua we ask. Amen!

“Who Was The Prophet Isaiah?”  (3-4-12)

Posted in Ancient Rabbinic Thoughts, Behold My Servant, Contact, isaiah fifty three, Isaiah The Prophet, Newer Testament, Older Testament, Prophecy, Yahweh is Salvation, Yesha'yahu

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