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hearts joys

Monday, September 24, 2018

Context speaks loudly when dealing with Isaiah 53

Mat 8:16  And when evening had come, they brought to Him many who were demon-possessed. And He cast out the spirits with a word, and healed all who were sick,
Mat 8:17  that it might be filled what was spoken by Yeshayahu the prophet, saying, “He Himself took our weaknesses and bore our sicknesses.”

Isa 53:4  Surely he hath borne our griefs, and carried our sorrows: yet we did esteem him stricken, smitten of God, and afflicted.
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.


The context of Isaiah 53: does not support the premise that this refers to a messiah.  This chapter is not messianic at all.  The church has not done its homework here.  The church rips this chapter of Isaiah completely out of it's context in order to promote the idea that Jesus was and is the Messiah.

There are other things that are also taken out of this chapter in order to promote the church's idea of messiah and we will get to those when we tackle the other fulfillment texts.  So first let us take a look at the whole context of Isaiah 53.  In order to do that we must go back several chapters.

It is important to remember when Isaiah wrote his book there were no chapter and verse designations.

CONTEXT:
The main question is that of who is the suffering servant that Isaiah is referring to?

We are able to see from the context that Isaiah is referring to Israel as the suffering servant.

At the beginning of the chapter the ones who are speaking are the nations leaders.

Isa 52:15  So shall he sprinkle many nations; the kings shall shut their mouths at him: for that which had not been told them shall they see; and that which they had not heard shall they consider. Isa 53:1  Who hath believed our report? and to whom is the arm of the LORD revealed?

The immediate context of Isaiah 53 starts in 52:12  Isa 52:12  For ye shall not go out with haste, nor go by flight: for the LORD will go before you; and the God of Israel will be your rereward.  This is clearly talking about the children of Israel.  Just following our chapter is this:  Isa 54:1  Sing, O barren, thou that didst not bear; break forth into singing, and cry aloud, thou that didst not travail with child: for more are the children of the desolate than the children of the married wife, saith the LORD. 
this verse too is accepted to be talking about Israel.

There are 4 servant songs in the broader context of Isaiah 53

Isa 41:8  But thou, Israel, art my servant, Jacob whom I have chosen, the seed of Abraham my friend. 
Isa 41:9  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. 

Isa 44:1  Yet now hear, O Jacob my servant; and Israel, whom I have chosen: 


Isa 44:21  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 of me. 

So
Isa 48:20  Go ye forth of Babylon, flee ye from the Chaldeans, with a voice of singing declare ye, tell this, utter it even to the end of the earth; say ye, The LORD hath redeemed his servant Jacob. 

Isa 49:3  And said unto me, Thou art my servant, O Israel, in whom I will be glorified. 

Why if in the broader context Isaiah is always referring to Israel as the suffering servant would he suddenly change in chapter 53 and say that it is now the messiah?

If chapter 53 is not the messiah but Israel, how are we to understand verses 4-5?
We must understand that the Hebrew in Isaiah 52 and 53 was tampered with by the translators in order to push ahead their point.  In chapter 52:4-5 the singular references to Israel were changed into the plural.  In chapter 53 the plural references to Israel were changed to singular.  If you do not read Hebrew, the original language find someone who does and ask that these be translated for you.  To mistranslate this passage would lead one to false conclusions.  Here in verses 4 and 5 the words ובחברתו נרפא־לנו׃  have been translated to say:  "with his wounds we are healed".  This is in the present tense.  Correctly translated we find that they should read "we were healed"  The nations, in astonishment are speaking of the suffering that Israel has already endured.  Being in the past tense this could not possibly be speaking of Jesus in the New Testament.  When Isaiah is speaking about the Children of Israel he is not speaking concerning a singular person or coming messiah who has already taken and born the chastisement of the nations.  Rather it was Israel who has born this and the leaders of the nations are waking up to realize they have been mislead all along.