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atonement for sin, Awake, guilt offering in Jesus, Isaiah 53 is about Jesus not Israel, Israel and redemption, Israel needs redeemer and salvation, Israel restored in the future, jesus a servant of Israel, Jesus the redeemer, Jewish people denying Jesus, Lamb of God, my servant Israel, O Jerusalem, stand up, suffering Israel, suffering servants in Isaiah, the servant of God will bring forth justice to the nations, we are notjustified by law, who does Isaiah 53 talk about, why Isaiah is about Jesus
Is it about the nation of Israel in the book of Isaiah 53? Is it about Jesus?
No matter whom you see as the suffering servant ( Jews- their nation, Christians- Jesus) Isaiah 53, justifies the fact that there is a NEED FOR REDEMPTION and, ATONEMENT FOR SIN!!! A great testimony that the law can’t justify anybody!
Isaiah 53 v.10 says that the servant “shalt make his soul an offering for sin” is a very IMPORTANT statement. Jewish people would deny – Jesus to be the Lamb of God – but would accept the idea of themselves being in the role of the Lamb saying it is the nation ( will justify many) that Isaiah 53 is talking about!
No matter whom you see here as a servant, verse 10 speaks for the NEED to atone for others, to make a guilt offering for sin in order to justify others. It is believed by Jews that their nation can justify others ( although Israel is not called innocent) yet, but the idea that one of their own people -Jesus- called innocent servant to make a guilt offering for others- is not accepted. The question is why? I am sure` God would accept only a perfect ‘sacrifice’. Of course not in a sense of a human sacrifice is Jesus given for us but he offered himself alone by giving up his life. That makes Him the true Lamb of God.
You would think God introduced the sacrifices and atonement in the Old Testament as a past time? No! The need for the atonement was and still there will be!
I heard a saying, oh, it is because Isa 52 talks about Israel. It is right, the nation is also mentioned as a servant. But have you ever tried to notice that Isaiah is talking about two servants? Instead of writing about who is right -Jews or Christians – it is good to open the eyes and see both servants presented. It is not so because Christians decided to ‘add up’ one extra to justify their believes. The simple truth is; THERE ARE 2 SERVANTS ISAIAH IS TALKING ABOUT! By the way, talking about Christians… the first Christians were Jews who noticed that Jesus was their Lamb of God.
I am really excited to talk about suffering servant as God is revealing so much about who he is and it is not possible I would be keeping just for myself.
I know that most Jewish people are taught that suffering servant in Isaiah 53 is talking about their whole nation, because Isaiah 52 mentioned Israel to be God’s servant. I would rather start a few chapters earlier from Isaiah 49 , that would leave a better field of understanding with all the details to avoid the confusion.
I am not denying that Israel is God’s servant , he it is mentioned in the book of Isaiah but there is one thing overlooked that Isaiah is ALSO clearly talking about a specific servant- the one who is part of that nation, who is presented in a different light comparing to the whole nation.
Both Is 53, 42, 49 are showing the unique qualities and the mission of one servant , which can’t be a nation. You can see it so clearly;
Is 49. is an example where God is talking about two servants ; one is Israel by whom Go will be glorified in the future and also talks about one special servant with the important mission which is ;
“To bring Jacob back to Him” ( to God) and “To raise up the tribes of Jacob,
And to restore the preserved ones of Israel.” v.5-6
Isaiah 49; 3 says “Thou art my servant, O Israel, in whom I will be glorified.”
Isaiah 49;5-6 explain how will Israel be glorified by the mission of the servant who will restore the nation;
( the tribes of Jacob) and also will be a light to the Gentiles,
Isaiah 49;6 says ;
5)“And now the Lord says,
Who formed Me from the womb to be His Servant,
To bring Jacob back to Him,
So that Israel is gathered to Him
(For I shall be glorious in the eyes of the Lord,
And My God shall be My strength),
6 )Indeed He says,
‘It is too small a thing that You should be My Servant
To raise up the tribes of Jacob,
And to restore the preserved ones of Israel;
I will also give You as a light to the Gentiles,
That You should be My salvation to the ends of the earth.’”
So that ‘servant’ can’t be Israel as his mission is to “raise up the tribes of Jacob,
and to restore the preserved ones of Israel!!!!”
Another very important fact that speakes for the servant who is not the nation of Israel – is chapter 53 , with words of Isaiah in v.8.
Looking closely at the verse 8 we see that the prophet Isaiah is explaining that his people are the ones for whom ‘the servant’ was punished:,
v. 8” (…)for the transgression of MY PEOPLE he was punished “
look closely at the following words;
(…) OF MY PEOPLE (…)
If the prophet is saying that the servant is punished for the sin ‘of his people’
that means he is punished for the people to whom Isaiah belonged.
You can see clearly that the servant is not the nation of Israel! Israel is also a nation for whom the servant -from Isaiah 53 -suffered!
The third important fact speaking for 2 servants in the prophets is; that one
is presented as the righteous one and innocent , while the other disobeying God.
The righteous one, the innocent is mentioned to suffer for others to justify them ( also Isa 42 ;1-9; Isa 50; 4-10, Isa 52 v.13 till Isaiah 53), while the disobedient servant is suffering FOR THEIR OWN SIN. [ Isa 42;18-25, Isa 50;1, Isa 51;17-22, Isa 9;7, also Ezekiel 39;23 ]
examples;
Is 42;1-9 ( the servant God is pleased with)
“Behold my servant, whom I uphold,
my chosen, in whom my soul delights;
I have put my Spirit upon him;
he will bring forth justice to the nations.
2 He will not cry aloud or lift up his voice,
or make it heard in the street;
3 a bruised reed he will not break,
and a faintly burning wick he will not quench;
he will faithfully bring forth justice.
4 He will not grow faint or be discouraged
till he has established justice in the earth;
and the coastlands wait for his law.”
The servant In Isaiah 42;1-9 is the one whom God honors and esteems AND HE IS GOING TO BRING JUSTICE TO THE NATIONS, INCLUDING ISRAEL. (READ BELOW)
Examples from Isaiah and Ezekiel and other prophets; where God rebukes the other unfaithful servant and calls to repentance and gives reasons for the suffering
Isaiah 50;1
“Thus saith the Lord (…) Behold, for your iniquities have ye sold yourselves, and for your transgressions is your mother put away.”
Ezekiel 39; 23 ” And the heathen shall know that the house of Israel WENT INTO CAPTIVITY BECAUSE OF THEIR INIQUITY : because they trespassed against me, therefore hid I my face from them, and gave them into the hand of their enemies: so fell they all by the sword. 24 According to their uncleanness and according to their transgressions have I done unto them, and hid my face from them. ”
Isaiah 51;17 -22 KJV
17 Awake, awake, stand up, O Jerusalem, which hast drunk at the hand of the Lord the cup of his fury; thou hast drunken the dregs of the cup of trembling, and wrung them out. 18 There is none to guide her among all the sons whom she hath brought forth; neither is there any that taketh her by the hand of all the sons that she hath brought up. 19 These two things are come unto thee; who shall be sorry for thee? desolation, and destruction, and the famine, and the sword: by whom shall I comfort thee? 20 Thy sons have fainted, they lie at the head of all the streets, as a wild bull in a net: they are full of the fury of the Lord, the rebuke of thy God. 21 Therefore hear now this, thou afflicted, and drunken, but not with wine: 22 Thus saith thy Lord the Lord, and thy God that pleadeth the cause of his people, Behold, I have taken out of thine hand the cup of trembling, even the dregs of the cup of my fury; thou shalt no more drink it again”:
A clear conclusion is that Israel’s suffering has been as the result of their disobedience.
Isaiah 53 is not the only chapter that is showing completly different servant who is NOT suffering for his own sin because he is innocent.
MORE EXAMPLES;[Isa 42 ;1-9; Isa 50; 4-10, Isa 52 v.13 till Isaiah 53]
Isaiah 53
The servant who is suffering for others is innocent one;
v.9 “and they made his grave with the wicked…(…) ALTHOUGH HE HAD DONE NO VIOLENCE AND THERE WAS NO DECEIT IN HIS MOUTH .
v.8. Isaiah says; punished for transgressions “of MY PEOPLE “
v.5 “wounded for our transgressions”
Notice that no matter who would be speaking here, Isaiah himself or the nations, it still includes us ALL , transgressions THAT ARE OURS ” including the nation of Israel.
v.8 clearly states; the servant lost his life; he was “cut off out of the land of the living” and “he made his grave with the wicked, and with the rich in his death”
v.12 ” he poured out his life unto death”
v.11 ” He shall justify many (..) — means he will acquit them from the guilt of their sins, and all the dreadful consequences thereof.
Questions;
If you would still insist that it is a nation to justify others, the question is; who will be justified?
First off all how can the nation that needs the redemption themselves – justify others???
Isa 42;18-25 Why would be God saying that?
“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? 20 Seeing many things, but thou observest not; opening the ears, but he heareth not. 21 The Lord is well pleased for his righteousness’ sake; he will magnify the law, and make it honourable. 22 But this is a people robbed and spoiled; they are all of them snared in holes, and they are hid in prison houses: they are for a prey, and none delivereth; for a spoil, and none saith, Restore. 23 Who among you will give ear to this? who will hearken and hear for the time to come? 24 Who gave Jacob for a spoil, and Israel to the robbers? did not the Lord, he against whom we have sinned? for they would not walk in his ways, neither were they obedient unto his law. 25 Therefore he hath poured upon him the fury of his anger, and the strength of battle: and it hath set him on fire round about, yet he knew not; and it burned him, yet he laid it not to heart.”
I will finish with a question; Why is righteous Jesus still denied to atone for others ? Why is the righteous Jesus denied as a Redeemer but the nation allowed to be put in the role of the redeemer -if you believe Isaiah 53 to be about the nation- the nation that is also called to repentance along with Gentiles?
If Jesus wasn’t the Son of God , God would not restore Him back to life as Jesus would die for the false testimony according to the words ” the wages of sin is death”. Yet, He is risen!!!