Class Notes on Isa 52:13-53:3

The Lifeway Explore the Bible series, which we are following, has chosen to do the next section out of order due to the proximity of Easter.

Isa 52:13-15 See, my servant will act wisely; // he will be raised and lifted up and highly exalted. // 14 Just as there were many who were appalled at him — // his appearance was so disfigured beyond that of any man // and his form marred beyond human likeness — // 15 so will he sprinkle many nations, // and kings will shut their mouths because of him. // For what they were not told, they will see, // and what they have not heard, they will understand. NIV

• This is the last of four servant songs in Isaiah. How would have Jews in Jesus' time viewed this messianic servant passages?
  • The Jews held to a two messiah view for centuries
  • "The Messiah who was to come, suffer, and die was termed Mashiach ben Yosef or Messiah, the Son of Joseph. The second Messiah who wold then come following the first was termed Mashiach ben David or Messiah, the Son of David. This One would raise the first Messiah back to life and establish the Messianic Kingdom of peace on earth." (Fruchtenbaum, The Suffering Messiah of Isaiah 53, 2005, pg 4)
    • Note that the OT does not teach a two Messiah theory, but this was the best solution the scholars could determine
    • Also, some passages put the description of a suffering Messiah, side to side, with the picture of a conquering Messiah

• First proposed in 1100, and adopted by the majority of Jews since 1800, is the argument "that Isaiah is speaking about the people of Israel, the Jewish people suffering in the Gentile world, and it does not speak of the Messiah at all." (ibid, pg 5)
  • What is the logical problem with the current Jewish interpretation?
    • The use of the pronouns and meaning of we, us, and our versus the meaning he, him and his

• What does the passage tell us about the Messiah?
  1. He will gain attention (vs 13)
  2. He will suffer to the point of terrible disfigurement (vs 14)
  3. He will sprinkle many nations (vs 15). The word sprinkle, hebrew yazeh, is translated sprinkle or startle. If it means startle, then it fits with the following phrase, of astonishing leaders of the world. If it means sprinkle, then it still fits but in the sense of removing sin. The altar was sprinkled with the blood of the sacrifice to make atonement for the sins of the people

Isa 53:1-3 Who has believed our message // and to whom has the arm of the Lord been revealed? // 2 He grew up before him like a tender shoot, // and like a root out of dry ground. // He had no beauty or majesty to attract us to him, // nothing in his appearance that we should desire him. // 3 He was despised and rejected by men, // a man of sorrows, and familiar with suffering. // Like one from whom men hide their faces // he was despised, and we esteemed him not. NIV

• What is the implication of the two questions in verse one?
  • People (in retrospect, Israel) will not believe the message
  • Fruchtenbaum argues that the "arm of the Lord" is a motif developed in previous sections that identifies the person as God the Son, and not the God the Father

• What do we learn about the Messiah in verses 2 and 3?
  • He would grow up (humanity)
  • He was not special in his appearance (beauty) or his status (majesty) that would draw people to him. He grew up in a poor home (as evidenced by the type of sacrifice offered at circumcision). Scripturally, you might even argue that he was ugly (like one from whom men hide their faces)
  • He was despised and rejected by men. That is still true today. It also prophesies the leaders of Israel's rejection of Jesus as the Messiah (Matt 11)

• At the end of verse 3 is an example of the difficult of interpreting the servant as Israel, "we esteemed him not." The "we" clearly includes Israel, as Isaiah is the prophet, so "Israel esteemed Israel not" doesn't make senses
• APPLICATION: I believe that Jesus was unspectacular, possibly ugly. And I can't prove it from scripture, but I also like to think that in his eyes one could see the love and compassion of God. We don't need riches or good looks to be used by God, we need a transformed soul that is drenched in the word of God