Phoenician Elements in Isaiah 52:1353:12. In Near Eastern Studies in Honor of W. F. Albright. The picture of the suffering of our Lord is nowhere more poignantly displayed than in the prophecy of Isaiah, Chapter 52:13-53:12. Payne, D. F. Recent Trends in the Study of Isaiah 53. IBS 1 (1979):3-18. It is foolishness in our way of doing things, but it is wisdom in God's economy. It basically means that God willed the suffering. No, humiliation is the path for the Suffering Servant's exaltation. He did not open his mouth, but was silent like a sheep led to the slaughter. His death would play the role of a sacrificial guilt offering (remember Leviticus 5-6? 3The Servant is divinely honored. But to suffer in service to God is a demonstration of love. Not only is his suffering vicariousit is voluntary. He also has a job to do among the Israelites themselves, who are as hardened to their God as ever. Zimmerli, W. Zur Vorgeschichte von Jes 53. Studien zur alttestamentliche Theologie und Prophetie. With this note the passage comes full circle. The messiah's justice-restoring salvation is a means to the end goal of God's name being rightly honored. Gods promise to David was offered to each and every generation of Davids descendants. Who is right? Some Notes on Second Isaiah. VT 21 (1971):517-527. Parts 4 and 5. What is described here is the ideal Sufferer, the Suffering Servant. The Seed Team is a group of sowers who partner with Seedbed financially to help us sow more extravagantly. This Servant "shall be high and lifted up, and shall be exalted" (52:13), an image of majesty and awe. In the Upper Room Jesus alluded to this passage by saying that the cup was His blood of the New Covenant poured out for many. That brought the remission of sins. The same can be true of a collective. Every year we gather together to be restored, refreshed, and reignited by the Holy Spirit. While some have claimed him to be Isaiah himself or another Old Testament persons or even Israel itself, only Jesus make sense since He alone fits all that is said about the Servant of the Lord. The language reflects the coronation and exaltation of a king being exalted in Gods presence. What an irony in the word in Scripturewe are worthless and God reckons us righteous; the suffering Servant appeared worthless, and they did not reckon himthey wrote him off. We have no healing for our souls, no removal of our sins, no justification before God, apart from the penal suffering of Christ, the substitutionary death in which he took our sins upon himself. Sheffield: University of Sheffield Press, 1978. His vicarious suffering would strike the heart into penitence and lift it to peace with God. Third, although the Servant will suffer and be rejected, he will, in the end, be exalted and vindicated. It is that part of the service of humankind, to which we are all born, and of the reality of which we daily grow more aware. Our mission is extravagant. Tis mercy all, immense and free, for O my God, We are called to a life of self-sacrificing love for others. However, we know from reading the New Testament that when the incarnation actually happened, it caught everyone by surprise. It was only through that suffering that the nations would be redeemed and Gods ultimate plan would be accomplished. A Consideration of Difficulties in the Text of Isaiah 53:11. Bib Trans 17 (1966):27-31. Very truly, I tell you unless a grain of what falls to the ground and dies it remains only a single seed. John 12 vs. 23-24. Learn how your comment data is processed. Because God's Servant had to bear everything we would like to change about ourselves, His lack of beauty is the direct result of our ugly lives. Advertise on Catholic Exchange Thankfully, this isnt the end of the servants story. He laments the cruelty inflicted upon him and yet confesses his faith in God, despite the appearance that he has been abandoned to his enemies. He was endowed with Gods Spirit seven times over (see Isa 11:1-3). God himself had to carry the sins of his people. MacRae, Allan. Strengths Job was singled out by God as someone who "is blameless and upright, a man who fears God and shuns evil." He performed sacrifices on behalf of his family in the event anyone inadvertently sinned. To paint a picture of the larger socio-theological context of the Servant Songs, here are a few of the many verses: All the makers of idols will be put to shame and disgraced; they will go off into disgrace together. 52:1353:12. VT 3 (1953):87-92. Human experience feels it has found its highest and holiest form of love when the innocent is willing to take the blame for others. Still, modern Jews are not wholly incorrect, although they miss the essential point. If people at first make rash observations about the suffering of Gods Servant, they are soon led in their conscience to realize its purpose. He will receive a threefold blessing of being raised and lifted up and highly exalted (52:13). Well, the Suffering Servant in Isaiah's famous passage is clearly an individual, for 53:8 distinguishes the Servant from "my people," that is, Israel. It was applied to Jesus. I have been to church literally my whole life. Clines, D. J. 53 speaks of the Servant's death for the sins of others, it is all the more vital to remember what Jesus did at the Last Supper. Tis mercy all! The response to the suffering Servant is so true to life. This is how God will become the victor over the human evil that resulted from that tragic error. We allow suffering in others or ourselves to blind us to the fact of the reasons and purposes for sufferings. Isaiah 53: The Messiah - The Suffering "Righteous Servant" The suffering, which seems to be misfortune, is here seen as the Servants wisdom which will issue in his glory. One cannot say enough about the importance of this inspired book. Seedbed sells resources, but we give away far more in resourcing than we sell. Christians have long insisted that this Suffering Servant is Jesus, while Jews contend that He is the nation of Israel. Collins, J. J. But just like Joseph and his brothers who planned evil to destroy him, God orchestrated their evil to result in good (remember Genesis 50:20!). The Servant is not lifted high because of some kind of outer beauty or evident regal stature, for He is "marred, beyond human semblance" (v. 14) and has "no form or majesty that we should look at him, and no beauty that we should desire him" (53:2). But there is negligible empirical research to understand the way servant leaders alleviate the suffering of their employees. Isaiah and the suffering servant: A look at Isaiah 52:13-53:12 Such is the case here. Rembaum, J. E. The Development of a Jewish Exegetical Tradition Regarding Isaiah 53. HTR 75 (1982):239-311. (2m 55s) 9055 Views SHARE Moreover, since the Lord's kingdom and the Davidic kingdom were to be one and the same as an eternal kingdom (2 Sam. As Professor William Farmer notes in his book The Gospel of Jesus, this little passage is of the greatest importance because it defines the essence of the gospel in terms of salvation through forgiveness of sins according to the scripture. It is to Isaiah specifically that this phrase according to the scriptures refers; after all the gospels were not yet written. So it is reasonable that the suffering Servant himself share the suffering of the world to redeem the world. Every valley shall be raised up, every mountain and hill made low; the rough ground shall become level, the rugged places a plain. Stone, Marvin A. Not how youd expect. Pain, in Gods service, shall lead to glory. . It was judicial murder. If that resonates with you, we invite you to join us.. In contrast to human experience God reveals in his Servant that suffering is fruitful, that sacrifice is practical. Analyzes how john proctor is a man of noble stature. It was actually Gods mysterious purpose that the servant would die at the hands of Israel, because of their sin and on behalf of their sin (Isaiah 53:10). 5). Sheffield: University of Sheffield Press, 1976. helpless race; Job in the Bible: A Model of Faithfulness in Suffering The rest of Isaiah shows how the servant then forms a group of descendants (literally in Hebrew, seed), who will listen to his voice and follow him into Gods new creation. 19. The Triumph of the Suffering Servant (Isaiah 52:1353:12) One by one they all failed to be faithful, so they did not inherit the fulfillment of the promise. He explains his mission and message through his actions. Experiencing the power, grace, and providence of their God should motivate the Israelites to become God's "servant" who will bear witness to God's justice and mercy before all of the nations. On the other hand, a person's suffering is the direct consequence of his or her violation of God's laws. 1The Servants purpose is Gods glory. We, the guilty sinners, have been declared righteous before God. They are Messianic prophecies of the coming perfect Servant. The pain was his in consequence of the sin that was oursthat is, the suffering was vicarious. The servant is sent on a mission from God. The witch agrees and kills Aslan and celebrates her victory over her archenemy, the lion. Not only this, but Gods going to lead the Israelite exiles back to their land: See, the Sovereign Lord comes with power, and he rules with a mighty arm. Because he knew the truth. If that should be his will, then we must seek to suffer and to die well. Blessing comes with repentance from the sin that has caused the suffering. The Cross And Separation From The World (1 Peter 4:1-6), 7. There is no peace with God apart from the chastisement that he, the sinless Son of God, bore. Why does the Bible call it good news, and why should we? But nothing could be further from the truth. Ginsberg, H. L. The Arm of YHWH in Isaiah 5163 and the Text of Isaiah 53:10-11. JBL 77 (1958):152-156. There are three categories: Splinter Skills where the individual possesses specific skills that stand in . Tis mercy all, the Immortal dies! 2) Jesus never sought to please Himself but always to please the Father ( John 5:30 ). They did not see how Jesus death could fulfill all of the kingly, prophetic, and priestly roles that they expected in their long-anticipated messiah. Your email address will not be published. Suffering servant | Encyclopedia.com 1The Servant's purpose is God's glory. Isaiah 53 is central for understanding the identity of Jesus Christ; in part because NT writers frequently quote it to explain the cross. These characteristics are conducive to building authentic, trusting relationships with team members. His beginnings were unlikely. Required fields are marked *. John Mark captures Jesus on the move. However, at the dawn of a new day, Aslan rises from death to life. Only in the light of the Resurrection and after the outpouring of the Holy Spirit, whom during the Last Supper Jesus promised would instruct them in everything and remind them of all He had told them (Jn. We are told that Philip joined the Ethiopian in the chariot, and starting with this Scripture, he proclaimed to him the good news about Jesus (Acts 8:35 NRSV). It pleased the LORD to bruise him begins the theological explanation of the suffering. Third, although the Servant will suffer and be rejected, he will, in the end, be exalted and vindicated. Now is the Son of man glorified. There was nothing appealing or attractive in his appearance that would make Israel rally to him. Calvary was no accident (Acts 2:22-24). It had been said of him in 52:13: My servant shall deal wisely. He knew what he was about. Vicarious suffering is not arbitrary or accidental; it comes with our growth, it is of the very nature of life. Who Is the Suffering Servant in Isaiah 53? | Zondervan Academic it found out me! Baltimore: Johns Hopkins, 1971. It is when we do this that we take up our cross, that we have fellowship with his sufferings. This is the point the prophecy makes about the Servants sufferingsthey are practical. The 10 characteristics of servant leadership are listening, empathy, healing, awareness, persuasion, conceptualization, foresight, stewardship, commitment to the growth of people, and building community.