Isaiah 52:13
Behold, my
servant shall deal prudently, he shall be exalted and extolled, and very high.
1.
“Behold, my servant shall deal prudently…”
a.
Behold [Strong: 2009 hinneh hin-nay' prolongation for 2005; lo!:--behold,
lo, see.]
b.
[my] servant [Strong: 5650 `ebed eh'-bed from 5647; a servant:--X bondage,
bondman, (bond-)servant, (man-)servant.]
1).
Contemporary Judaism teaches that the servant is the people or the nation of
Israel.
a).
Commentary on Isaiah 52:13 in Stone Edition: The Torah/Prophets/Writings:
“God’s servant is the people of Israel (Rashi).
b).
Rashi (Rabbi Shlomo Itzchaki, 1040-1105) and some of the later rabbis, though,
interpreted the passage as referring to Israel. They knew that the older
interpretations referred it to Messiah. However, Rashi lived at a time when a
degenerate medieval distortion of Christianity was practiced. He wanted to
preserve the Jewish people from accepting such a faith and, although his
intentions were sincere, other prominent Jewish rabbis and leaders realized the
inconsistencies of Rashi’s interpretation. They presented a threefold objection
to his innovation. First, they showed the consensus of ancient opinion.
Secondly, they pointed out that the text is in the singular. Thirdly, they
noted verse eight. This verse presented an insurmountable difficulty to those
who interpreted this passage as referring to Israel. It reads: He was taken
away from rule and from judgment; and his life who shall recount? for he was
cut off out of the land of the living; through the transgressions of my people
was he stricken. Were the Jewish people, God forbid, ever cut off out of the
land of the living? No! In Jeremiah 31:35-37, God promised that we will
exist forever. We are proud that Am Yisrael Chai—”The people of Israel are much
alive.” Likewise, it is impossible to say that Israel suffered for the
transgressions of “my people,” which clearly means Isaiah’s people. Surely
Isaiah’s people are not the Gentiles, but the Jews. Moshe Kohen, a 15th-century
rabbi in Spain, explains the section: This passage, the commentators explain,
speaks of the captivity of Israel, although the singular number is used in it
throughout. Others have supposed it to mean the just in this present world, who
are crushed and oppressed now…but these too, for the same reason, by altering
the number, distort the verses from their natural meaning. And then it seemed
to me that…having forsaken the knowledge of our Teachers, and inclined “after
the stubbornness of their own hearts,” and of their own opinion, I am pleased
to interpret it, in accordance with the teaching of our Rabbis, of the King
Messiah.
2).
Earlier Judaism taught it was the Messiah. The following information was
received of of the website, Jews for Jesus.
a).
Rabbi Jonathan ben Uzziel, a disciple of Hillel who lived early in the second
century C.E., begins with the simple and worthy words: Behold my servant
Messiah shall prosper; he shall be high, and increase, and be exceeding strong:
as the house of Israel looked to him through many days, because their
countenance was darkened among the peoples, and their complexion beyond the
sons of men. (Targum Jonathan on Isaiah 53, ad Iocum). https://jewsforjesus.org/publications/issues/issues-v02-n05/the-rabbis-dilemma-a-look-at-isaiah-53/
b).
The Babylonian Talmud: The Messiah—what is his name?…The Rabbis say, the
leprous one; those of the house of Rabbi say, the sick one, as it is said,
“Surely he hath borne our sicknesses.” (Sanhedrin 98b) https://jewsforjesus.org/publications/issues/issues-v02-n05/the-rabbis-dilemma-a-look-at-isaiah-53/
c).
For the same reason, Rabbi Moshe Alsheikh, Rabbi of Safed, late 16th century,
points out this fact saying: I may remark, then, that our Rabbis with one voice
accept and affirm the opinion that the prophet is speaking of the King Messiah.
c.
[shall deal] prudently [Strong: 7919 sakal saw-kal'; a primitive root; to be
(causatively, make or act) circumspect and hence, intelligent:--consider,
expert, instruct, prosper, (deal) prudent(-ly), (give) skill(-ful), have good
success, teach, (have, make to) understand(-ing), wisdom, (be, behave self,
consider, make) wise(- ly), guide wittingly.]
1).
The same Hebrew word used for “prudently” in Isaiah 52:13 is the same Hebrew
word used for “prosper” in Joshua and 1 Kings.
a).
Joshua 1:8 This book of the law shall not depart out of thy mouth; but thou
shalt meditate therein day and night, that thou mayest observe to do according
to all that is written therein: for then thou shalt make thy way prosperous,
and then thou shalt have good success.
b).
1 Kings 2:2, 3 I go the way of all the earth: be thou strong therefore, and
shew thyself a man;
2:3
And keep the charge of the LORD thy God, to walk in his ways, to keep his
statutes, and his commandments, and his judgments, and his testimonies, as it
is written in the law of Moses, that thou mayest prosper in all that thou
doest, and whithersoever thou turnest thyself:
2).
These promises on meditation are for any believer, who acts in obedience to
them, but this particular verse in Isaiah is of course speaking of Christ, and
so we can make a logical deduction that Christ was a meditator of God’s word. When
Jesus walked on the earth he was very wise and prudent and prosperous because
he meditated and walked in obedience to the word of God. There is abundance
evidence of this in the Psalms and the Gospels. In the passages below I want to
look at another reason for Jesus acting “prudently” Passages that show that
when Jesus was in the earth, he did not operate as God, but as a man filled
with the Holy Ghost. Jesus walked “prudently” because he was led by the Holy
Ghost. All of the passages are in Isaiah.
a).
Isaiah 61:1, 2a “The Spirit of the Lord GOD is upon me; because the LORD hath
anointed me to preach good tidings unto the meek; he hath sent me to bind up
the brokenhearted, to proclaim liberty to the captives, and the opening of the
prison to them that are bound;
61:2a
To proclaim the acceptable year of the LORD,…”
(1)
The fulfillment of this is of course Luke 4. This is no doubt the clearest
example of Jesus ministering in the gifts of the Spirit during His ministry.
(2)
Luke 4:16-21 And he came to Nazareth, where he had been brought up: and, as his
custom was, he went into the synagogue on the sabbath day, and stood up for to
read.
4:17
And there was delivered unto him the book of the prophet Esaias. And when he
had opened the book, he found the place where it was written,
4:18
The Spirit of the Lord is upon me, because he hath anointed me to preach the
gospel to the poor; he hath sent me to heal the brokenhearted, to preach
deliverance to the captives, and recovering of sight to the blind, to set at
liberty them that are bruised,
4:19
To preach the acceptable year of the Lord.
4:20
And he closed the book, and he gave it again to the minister, and sat down. And
the eyes of all them that were in the synagogue were fastened on him.
4:21
And he began to say unto them, This day is this scripture fulfilled in your
ears.
b).
Isaiah 11:1-5 And there shall come forth a rod out of the stem of Jesse, and a
Branch shall grow out of his roots:
11:2
And the spirit of the LORD shall rest upon him, the spirit of wisdom and
understanding, the spirit of counsel and might, the spirit of knowledge and of
the fear of the LORD;
11:3
And shall make him of quick understanding in the fear of the LORD: and he shall
not judge after the sight of his eyes, neither reprove after the hearing of his
ears:
11:4
But with righteousness shall he judge the poor, and reprove with equity for the
meek of the earth: and he shall smite the earth with the rod of his mouth, and
with the breath of his lip shall he slay the wicked.
11:5
And righteousness shall be the girdle of his loins, and faithfulness the girdle
of his reins.
(1)
This passage includes not only his life on earth before his death and
resurrection but also his reign as King after he returns. This is a reference
of how Jesus operated in the earth in the gifts of the Spirit, as a man filled
with the Holy Ghost
c).
Isaiah 42:1-4 Behold my servant, whom I uphold; mine elect, in whom my soul
delighteth; I have put my spirit upon him: and he shall bring forth judgment to
the Gentiles.
42:2
He shall not cry, nor lift up, nor cause his voice to be heard in the street.
42:3
A bruised reed shall he not break, and the smoking flax shall he not quench: he
shall bring forth judgment unto truth.
42:4
He shall not fail nor be discouraged, till he have set judgment in the earth:
and the isles shall wait for his law.
(1)
The fulfillment of this is in Matthew.
(2)
Matthew 12:14-21 Then the Pharisees went out, and held a council against him,
how they might destroy him.
12:15
But when Jesus knew it, he withdrew himself from thence: and great multitudes
followed him, and he healed them all;
12:16
And charged them that they should not make him known:
12:17
That it might be fulfilled which was spoken by Esaias the prophet, saying,
12:18
Behold my servant, whom I have chosen; my beloved, in whom my soul is well
pleased: I will put my spirit upon him, and he shall shew judgment to the
Gentiles.
12:19
He shall not strive, nor cry; neither shall any man hear his voice in the streets.
12:20
A bruised reed shall he not break, and smoking flax shall he not quench, till
he send forth judgment unto victory.
12:21
And in his name shall the Gentiles trust.
2. “…he
shall be exalted and extolled, and be very high.”
a.
he shall be exalted [Strong: 7311 ruwm room; a primitive root; to be high
actively, to rise or raise (in various applications, literally or
figuratively):--bring up, exalt (self), extol, give, go up, haughty, heave
(up), (be, lift up on, make on, set up on, too) high(-er, one), hold up, levy,
lift(-er) up, (be) lofty, (X a-)loud, mount up, offer (up), + presumptuously,
(be) promote(-ion), proud, set up, tall(-er), take (away, off, up), breed
worms.]
b.
[and] extolled [Strong: 5375 nasa' naw-saw'; a primitive root; to lift, in a
great variety of applications, literal and figurative, absol. and rel. (as
follows):--accept, advance, arise, (able to, (armor), suffer to) bear(-er, up),
bring (forth), burn, carry (away), cast, contain, desire, ease, exact, exalt
(self), extol, fetch, forgive, furnish, further, give, go on, help, high, hold
up, honorable (+ man), lade, lay, lift (self) up, lofty, marry, magnify, X
needs, obtain, pardon, raise (up), receive, regard, respect, set (up), spare,
stir up, + swear, take (away, up), X utterly, wear, yield.]
c.
very [Strong: 3966 m`od meh-ode'; from the same as 181; properly,
vehemence, i.e. (with or without preposition) vehemently; by implication,
wholly, speedily, etc. (often with other words as an intensive or superlative;
especially when repeated):--diligently, especially, exceeding(-ly), far, fast,
good, great(-ly), X louder and louder, might(-ily, -y), (so) much, quickly,
(so) sore, utterly, very (+ much, sore), well.]
d.
high [Strong: 1361 gabahh gaw-bah'; a primitive root; to soar, i.e. be lofty;
figuratively, to be haughty:--exalt, be haughty, be (make) high(-er), lift up,
mount up, be proud, raise up great height, upward.]
1).
The exaltation of Christ because of his obedience is clearly mentioned in the
next chapter in Isaiah.
a).
Isaiah 53:12 Therefore will I divide him
a portion with the great, and he shall divide the spoil with the strong;
because he hath poured out his soul unto death: and he was numbered with the
transgressors; and he bare the sin of many, and made intercession for the
transgressors.
2).
This of course matches perfectly what is said in Philippians.
a).
Philippians 2:8-11 And being found in fashion as a man, he humbled himself, and
became obedient unto death, even the death of the cross.
2:9
Wherefore God also hath highly exalted him, and given him a name above every
name;
2:10
That at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, of things in heaven, and
things in earth, and things under the earth;
2:11
And that every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of
God the Father.
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