Messiah

Suffering Servant

is Messiah

Clearly Israel is refurred to as God's servant far more than any other single person, and the Messiah only a few times. But this is not so difficult to understand since Israel was God's servant, and it was to Israel that the Prophet was sent. There is a relationship between Israel and the Messiah which is more interconnected than just a stairght choice between one or the other. 9 times others, including the Messiah (Chosen one) are called God's servant. 8 times leading up to the passage Israel is called God's servant. Such references after the passage (53) don't count because, if the anti-missionaires are right, that is end times and it is obvious Israel is under discussion. 5 times Messiah is explicitly called God's servant and Perhaps in one problem verse (marked with Red Asteric) I have excluded the use of the term in the passage under debate.

In terms of sheer numbers Israel is not called God's servant more times than others, although more than other single entitie. But of course this is really no way to decide the matter, it only gives us a general frame of reference.

1) Messiah servant of God.


We know that Messiah is in Isaiah. The figure in chapter 11 bears all the Messianic epithets, he is the branch form the stump of Jessey, from David. We know that the Messiah is is expressly said to be the light to the gentiles and to redeem Israel in that same chapter. So we know he's here, we know he's designated to redeem Israel.

Thoughout these other verses there is clearly a distinction between servants.Servant Israel is faithless and needs calling back, the "other servant" is the one to bring Israel back. This is not Isaiah himself, as he is sopken of in 3d person, and he is clearly linked to Messiah since in chapter 11 bringing Israel back and being a light to the nations is his function.

a) Is 42: 1-6

"Behold, My Servant, whom I uphold; My chosen one in whom My soul delights. I have put My Spirit upon Him; He will bring forth justice to the nations".This passage is attested in the Targum as applying to the Messiah. "Is applied in the Targum to mthe Messiah, as also in the Midrash of P ii, and Yalkut iip. 104" (Edersheim, 126).

That is actually multiple documentation for that point. He used Midrash but also Targum.Targum is Homoletic, but not figurative like Midrash and as Edershem says, it can be insutrcitve and used for teaching. Midrash of course the anti-Missionaries will say is "just figurative" but Ederhseim felt the opionion was expressed that this verse is of the Messiah, and we have it through several authorities. Edersheim knew Midrash, we have no good reason to assume that figurative or otherwise, they weren't of the opinion that this is the Messiah.

Moreover, the context itself establishes that this is the Messiah. It sepaks of "he will not shout or cry out or raise his voice in the streets, a brused reed he will not break and a smoldering wick he will not put out." Certainly sounds like an individual and not a nation. Of this same figure it goes on in v6 to distinguish this servant from the people, and to designate these same functions given Messiah in chapter 11. "...I will keep you and will make you to be a covenant for the people and a light for the gentiles to open the eyes that are blind, to free captives from prsion and tto free those set in dungeons." (this passage is attested in the Targum, Edersheim 726)

b) Is 43: 10


"You are My witnesses," declares the Lord, "And My servant whom I have chosen, In order that you may know and believe Me, And understand that I am He. Before Me there was no God formed, And there will be none after Me." The context of the chapter certainly begins with the Lord addresing Israel. But in course of the address there is a change. "Is 43:10 the Targum renders 'My servant' by 'My servant the Messiah.'(Edersheim 126). But how could it say "so that you may know and believe me and know that I am he?" if it is speaking of the Messiah wouldn't he know? Sure, but it isn't just Messiah, but Messiah and Israel, since he is part of Israel. That phrase speaks to Israel.

c) 49:6


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 make You a light of the nations So that My salvation may reach to the end of the earth."

The context clearly indicates it is the Messiah addressed. He is to redeem Israel and Jacob, and all the world. This is not Israel but the Messiah. The larger context of the chapter indicates an address to Israel, "you are my servant Israel in whom I will disply my splinder." But there is a distinction.The passage begins "before I was born the Lord called me" Israel is speaking. Israel personified goes to to procliam that he was unfaithful: "but I said 'I have labored to no purpose...yet what is due me is the Lord's hand and my reward is with God." The Servant Israel ceases dialogue for the moment at this point. Israel is no longer talking.

It goes on (v5)"and now the Lord says...he who formed me in the womb to bring Jacob back to him and gathered Israel to himself..." What's going on here? The Lord says this but is not speaking as the Lord, but as the servant, and the servant is not Israel, but is to redeem Israel. The servant than goes on to quote the Lord speaking to him and that is the quote above."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:

So clearly the Messiah is speaking at this point and the Messiah is the servant redeemer. Why Messiah and not Isaiah? Of 49:8 Edersheim writes "there is a remarkable in Yalkut on the passage, to the effect that the Messiah suffers in every age for the sins of that generation but aht god in the day of redemption will repair it all (Yalk ii p. 52b). (Ibid.) Moreover the words of freedom in 49:9 are attributed to Messiah."Is 49:9 is quoted as the words of the Messiah in Yalfut (vol. ii-p53b). We know this servant is Israel, he will do what Messiah is given to do.

2) Messiah as servant leading up to 53

a) 50: 10 possibility is prophet or Messiah


This verse at first glance appears to be the prophet or even Israel speaking. But let's look again. "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 rely on his God"

Again the chapter starts out with servant Israel. By now we should see a patter here, because once again it shifts gears to someone else.. Sevant Israel has been unfaithful. "This is what the Lord says....'because of your sins you were sold...' And the Lord continues to speak in this vein, that Israel should trust him becaue he is powerful enough to deliver them from anything.

Then in v4 another voice says "the sorvign Lord has given me an instructed tounge, to know the word that sustains the weary..." This sounds as though it could be Isaiah, but it is not Israel for this voice is faithful "...I have not been rebellious, I have not drawn back, I offered my back to those who beat me, my cheacks to those who pulled out my beard..." (why does that sound familiar?) "I did not hide my face from mocking and spitting, because the soverign Lord helps me, I will not be disgraced"

The next verse is 50: 10 quoted above. Wheather this is Isaiah or the Messiah it is still not Israel. This is curical because it means that there is a dialectical reationship going on here. There is a jumping back and forth form Israel as the Servant to Messiah (and perhaps at times others such as Isiah).And we see this criss corss throguhout the book.

b) 52: 13


Behold, My servant will prosper, He will be high and lifted up, and greatly exalted.


Above I leave this one as a guess. But it must be the Messiah. In the interim between the last servant verse and this one, a lot is said. But by whom? Throughout chapter 51 the Prophet speaks the words of the Lord so interchangeably that it is impossible to tell who is talking most of the time, but the message is clear, God is the strenth of his people Israel if they will only trust in him and turn to him. v17 "Awake, Awake, rise up O Jersusalem you who have drunk from the hand of the Lord the cup of his wrath." Clearly, as throughout the book, and thoughout most of their history Israel is going astray and needs calling back. God comforts Israel "see I have taken out of your hand the cup that made you stagger" (v22).

It continues on this way to Chapter 53. below is a table charting the flow of the dialogue.

starting with Chapter 50

50: 1-3	God scolds unfaithful Israel	Starting with "Where is your mother's cirtificate of diverse...?"Do I lack the strength to resue you?"
50:4-11	the faithful servant contrasts with unfaithful Israel	starting with "the Soverign Lord has given me an instructed tounge....I have not been rebellious I have not drawn back.
51:1-4	Prophet encourages Israel to follow and trust God.	starting "listen to me, you who pursue righteousness and who seek the Lord; look to the rock..."
51:4-8	God speaks as an example of the prophet's message to Israel	starts "LIsten tome my people,...
51:v9-11	Prophet evokes God	"Awake, Awake,Clothe yourself with strength O arm of the Lord...Was it not you who dired up the sea...?"
51:12-16	God scolds Israel gently and offers comfort	starts "I, even I am he who comforts you. Who are you that you fearmortal men...?"
51:17-22	rebukes Israel for their sin and ehorts them to turn to God	"Awake, awke! Rise O Jerusalem, you who have sdrunk from the hnd of the Lord the cup of this wrath you hae drained to its dreggs the boglet that makes men stagger..."
51:22-23	God reiterates the message and offers encouragement, redeemption	"See I have taken out of your hand the cup that made you stagger...you will never drink again..."
52: 1-4	Prophet exhorts again	Awake, awake, O Zion, clothe yourself with strength.Put on your garments of splendor, O Jerusalem...."
52:4-6	God reiterates	"At first my people went down to Egypt to live....my people have been taken away for nothing and those who rule them mock...therefore my people will know my name.
52:7-12	the prophet speaks of the messenger (Elijah?)	"How beuatiful on the mountins are the feet of those that bring good news....but you will not leave in hates or go in flight; fort he Lord of Israel will be your rear guard."
52:14-15	God boasts of his servant	"see my servant will act wisely he will re braisedup and lifted up and highly ealted. Just as there many who were appalled at him--...for what they were not told they will see, and what they have not heard they will understand."

B. The Proper fit--Suffering servant is Messiah!


The theme throughout the book is drawing Israel into trusting the Lord and turning form a state of oppression to one of triumph. This three stage dialectic continues throughout the book. The Prophet speaking for God, quoting God to demonstrate his points, calling Israel back to God, to trust and to righteousness, and the Messiah intersperssed. Messiah will redeem Israel, will be a covenant for Israel, will be a light to the nations, he is the covenant for Israel, but first he is a stumbling block to Israel and a contrast to their unfaithfulness.

So the skpetics would have us believe that suddenly, after this same patterns runs through the book, suddenly Israel is the righteous servant, even though the righteous one (Messiah) has already been contrasted with unfaithful Israel and is it bring Israel back, and instead Israel is the righteous one who will suffer for its own sins and those of humanity, and the Gentiles are saying "surely he took up our ifrimaty, ect." This view simpley does not fit. What is in keeping with the context of the whole book, espeicially leading to the context of chp.53 is that the Messiah is the redeemer and Israel is in need of redeemption.

1) Form what has been seen already
we know the servant is Messiah in chapter 53

a) Messiah appears many times.

b) Messiah chilhood to adult 9-11.

c) Messiah is servant

contrasted with Israel.

d) Messiah is Israel's redeemer

2) Rabbincal authorities recognized

the Messenger of 52: 7-12 as Elijha.


The importance of this point being that it is not servant Israel who bring good news, nor the messiah but Elijha. which is significant since Elijah was thought to herald the Messiah, as John the Baptist heralded Chrsit and was thought to be Elijha.

3) The servant of 52: 12-16

could be Israel or Messiah


It could be Israel having gotten its act togather, but is probably the Messiah. The announcement of the servant's final vindication is discussed before the actual work of the servant is described in chapter 53. If it is Israel in 52 this could simpley be due to the fact that as a result of the suffering servant, servant Israel will eventually triumph. But it makes more sense if it is all one servant, and since the contrast between the redeeming Messiah servant and servant Israel who stands in need of redeeption, it makes more sense to see this as the Messiah.

4) Objections to Messiah hypothosis


It will be objected that may phrases in these verses indicate that the Messiah servant is merely a man in need of God's help. For example 50: 7 "Because the soverign Lord helps me," the servant says "I will not be disgraced." If Jesus is truely the second person of the Godhead, how could he refur to a soverign Lord? How could he worry about disgrace? The answer is clear, The Logos became flesh; Jesus was a man. As such he was subordinate to God and required God's help. He "considered not equality with God a thing to be grasped but emptied himself, taking the form of a servant he became obident..." He became a man and as such was subject to God and possessed of human frailty and nee for God's strength.

C. Conclusion: Suffering servant

is Messiah and not Israel.

1) Following the dialogue patter it is time for the Messiah to again puncuate the message already developed by the Prophet speaking through God.


God and the prophet have woven a tapestry of the message, one which always brings in the Messiah as focual point of God's plan after the alternating waves of scolding, encouragement, and hope. Messiah is instrument of hope for Israel and for the Gentiles. At this point in the dialouge it is his time to be the focus.

2) The Role of Messiah fits the Role of the servant


Messiah is stumbling block and contrasted with fathless Israel, he suffers, (see above) before 53, and is the focus of God's plan of redeemption for Israel. Israle is never spoken of as it's own redeemption anywhere in the book, but is always the object of God's redeemping activity through Messiah. And here in 53 he is redeeming Israel despite their sense of him as smitten by God.

3) Messiah faithful servant


Messiah is the faithful servant in contrast to unfaithful Israel. But suddenly, they would have us believe, Israel is the redeemer of all mankind, faithful and strong and able to suffer on behalf of humanity. Now this is consistant with the promises of chapters 50-52 that they will be made so, but it is clear though those chapters that Messiah is pivitol in the plan to make Israel faithful and able to work for God, Israel is never seen as ready to fulfill this role already.

4) That Israel would fulfill it's destiny without the redeemption of Messiah is contrary to the theme of the whole book.


Despite the fact that eventual strength and triumph is promised for Israel this is accomplished through Messiah who is the covenant for Israel. Messiah brings Israel back to the Lord, Israel does not come back on its own. "And now says the Lord, who formed Me from the womb to be His Servant, To bring Jacob back to Him, in order that Israel might be gathered to Him (For I am honored in the sight of the Lord, And My God is My strength)" (49:5). The whole theme of the book is to trust God and not to trust in one's own strength. The attitudes, it will be seen, of the narrator of chapter 53 are much more consistant with Israel's attitude, and the role of the Servant of 53 with that of the Messiah thoughout the book.


Therefore, from the context of the book and the roles of Israel and Messiah, not to mention the order of dialogue patterns, the suffering servant is the Messiah!