Week 3: Messiah, Anonymous Servant & Chs. 17-39

The Messiah^[1] 

What is known of the 'anointed one' was only slowly revealed. The early references do not specify that they refer to a single character--the Messiah. Rather, we infer that from the claims they do make and from their similarity to other definitive messianic passages. Consider the following chronologically arranged revelations about Messiah:

References to Messiah in the Pentateuch 

He will defeat Satan - (Gen.3:15)^[2]  

He will be God living with the Hebrews - (Gen.9:27) ^[3] . 

He will bless all peoples - (Gen.12:3; 18:18; 22:18; 26:4; and 28:14) ^[4]  

He will come from Judah and will rule - (c.f. Ez.21:27, 32).^[5]  

He will triumph over all nations - (Num.24:15-19)^[6]  

He will be a prophet - (Deut.18:15, 18)^[7]  

References to Messiah through the Davidic Period 

He will be a king - 1Sam.2:1-10 

He will be a priest - 1 Sam.2:27-36 

He will be a king from David's lineage - 2Sam.7 (Lk.1:32b-33) 

References to Messiah in Psalms 

He will be a conquering king and a ruling Messiah - Ps.110, 2 

He will be rejected - Ps.118 

He will be betrayed - Ps.69, 109 

He will die and be resurrected - Ps.22, 16 

He will be triumphant - Ps.68, 72 

References to Messiah by 9th and 8th century prophets  

He will be a teacher - Joel 2:23 

He will be a second David - Hosea 3:4-5 

He will be the resurrected house of David - Micah 2:12-13  

He will be a coming ruler - Micah 5:1-4 

The Messiah in Isaiah 

The Messiah will be a God/man ruler 

4:2--The Branch is a man, the Davidic messiah, a servant and God.^[8]  

7:10-15--God with us will be born of the virgin.^[9]  

9:1-7--A God/man will be born to rule the world.^[10]  

11:1-16--The son of Jesse will have a world wide reign at a time and in a manner which has not yet come to pass. 

24:21-25--Clearly eschatological but there's an oblique reference to Messiah in verse 23.^[11]   

28:16--Tested, precious and the cornerstone

The Anonymous Servant

In many cases God's servant is Israel (41:8-10; 44:1-3, 21; 45:4) and in a few cases Cyrus, but it is also clear that the servant is an individual with a mission to Israel and the world (42:1-4; 49:1-7 and see the explanation for 52-53 below). That the servant is also the Messiah is supported by the mission of the servant--to be an atoning sacrifice (Heb.9:11-10:18). However, it is important to realize that the nature and mission of the servant was not intended by God to be clear at this time (1Pet.1:10-12; 1Cor.2:6-9). 

49:1; 53:2,3 - He is a man 

42:1-7/49:1-7--His manner will be meek; he will establish his law over the whole earth and will be a light for the Gentiles. 

50:4-9--He will be scorned and rejected. 

52:13-53:12--He will be an atonement for sin. This cannot be Israel because: 

Isaiah 52 uses a singular personal pronoun; 

53:8 "my people" would have Israel speaking to Israel; 

53:9 claims his character is diametric to Israel's character described in chapter 29; 

53:10 asham is a flawless guilt offering which could never be said of Israel 

Only God can forgive sin 43:25; Mk.2:7; Lk.5:21 

Targum Johnathan (the Jerusalem Targum), the Talmud, the Midrash view and all available rabbinic literature until 500 A.D. claim this passage refers to the Messiah, as well 

53:10 - He is raised from the dead. 

49:7; 52:15; 53:12 - He is glorified

An Overview of Chapters 17-39 

Major themes 

The foolishness of depending on any but God 

Retributive justice and discipline 

The apocalypse 

The future time of God's rule 

Selected textual notes 

God is the judge of all nations (continued) 

Syria and Israel 17:1-11 

Reprise: God is the judge of all nations (17:12-18:7)  

Egypt 19:1-20:6 

Reprise: God's judgement upon Babylon and her allies (21:1-17) 

God's judgement of Jerusalem (22:1-25) 

God's judgement of Tyre (23:1-18) 

God is triumphant over the nations for his people (24:1-27:13)

The Babylonian creation epic includes an account of Marduk killing the sea monster Tiamat; Ugarit literature has a similar story of a sea monster, Lotan; Hittite writings have a similar story too. Apparently, what was common to each account is that this sea serpent created chaos and was constantly in opposition to those gods that created order. Biblically, the myth was picked up, not to vindicate it but to show God was sovereign over these chaotic events (Ps.74; Job 41). 

So, it is foolish to trust the nations (28:1-34:4) 

Edom (34:5-35:10) 

A case study: Hezekiah's faith in God (36:1-39:8)

Sennacherib's Annals do not recount the horrible defeat described in 37:36 but what they do say is interesting--that he shut Hezekiah up like a bird in a cage.

This confirms he did not take Jerusalem which is a very odd military decision in light of the devastating attacks he leveled against other cities and against Egypt.

Also, though the plague is different^[12] , the historian Herodotus tells that the army was plagued and thus Assyria had to withdraw.

It seems likely that the effect of the retreating shadow was due to some localized refraction of light (2Chr.32:31) rather than reversal of the earth's spin.

Merodach-baladan rebelled against Assyria from 721-710 under Sargon, from 705-703 under Sennacherib and continued to foment rebellion in Elam thereafter. It's likely that his visit to Hezekiah was in 712/711.

See 2 Chr. 32:31. Hezekiah still had the seed of trust in humans.

Homework Assignment 

Read and annotate chapters 40-55 

Memorize the following verses: 40:27-31; 46:9-10; 53:5-6; 55:11 

Prepare responses to the following questions:

1. How might God's references to himself as Maker relate to idolatry?

2. How does Hezekiah's character speak to your character?

3. List as many qualities of human nature as you can find in this book, so far.

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^Notes:

^[1]  I will not, in every case, show why each of these is believed to be a direct messianic prophecy. For further information about his area read, Walter C. Kaiser, Jr., The Messiah in the Old Testament, Zondervan, 1995. I have borrowed extensively from his book for these notes. Return to Text

^[2]  A battle will ensue between Satan and a male offspring of Eve's which that offspring will win, though not without cost; "seed" is a collective singular form, allowing it to serve for an entire race as well as an individual within that race; the suffix for "heel" is singular, thus "his heel" and thus the translation of hu as a singular masculine pronoun, "he will crush..."; the LXX translators understood this to refer to a single male individual; the Targum understand this passage to be messianic and finally, Eve herself (Gen.4:1) explained Cain as "I have gotten a man, even the Lord" (see Kaiser, p.42) Return to Text

^[3]  Ibid; God will tabernacle with the Shemites (Semites, esp. Hebrews) Return to Text

^[4]  niphal is the passive verb form used in all five passages in the Samaritan version, the Babylonian and Jerusalem Targum, this form carries the notion that Israel would be a means by which God would bless the nations; the word, "seed(s)" is a collective noun with group and individual aspects, see Gal.3:16; Abraham's offspring (plural and singular) will be a vehicle through which God will bless all people Return to Text

^[5]  It would be through Abraham's great-grandson Judah that Israelite kings would arise until, "he to whom the rule rightfully belongs comes" ; Shiloh is most likely a transliteration of a word seloh, se from aser-which, whose; le-belonging to and oh-him; this is how the LXX and the Babylonian Targum interpret it; in fact both Targums translate it, "until (king) Messiah comes" Return to Text

^[6]  A male Israelite would arise who would triumph over Moab, Edom and the rest of the world; This cannot be referring to David's conquering b/c it's repeated by Jeremiah (48-49) although, for the present, it's not clear who the Edomites are any more; sons of Sheth = sons of Seth then since Noah descended from Seth and all humanity from Noah, then all peoples are intended. Return to Text

^[7]  A prophet, like Moses, would arise one day; Moses spoke with God face to face (Nu.12:6-8) Return to Text

^[8]  Jeremiah 23:5-6 refers to the branch of David; Zechariah 3:8 refers to my servant, the branch; Zechariah 6:12 indicates the branch is a man and Isaiah 4:2 claims the branch is of the Lord, thus emphasizing his diety. Who else can forgive sin (Isa.2:5-4:1; 4:3-4) Return to Text

^[9]  Kaiser identifies the near reference with Hezekiah whilst others identifies it with Mahershalalhashbaz. Return to Text

^[10]  That the child is born and is of David indicate his human qualities whilst most of his titles indicate his diety; pele' = wonderful, one who does difficult or miraculous things; the names Mighty God and Everlasting Father clinch the deity of this character Return to Text

^[11]  Chapters 24-27 are explicitly apocalyptic; the claim that the Lord Almighty will reign on Mount Zion and in Jerusalem, and before its elders, gloriously, v.23 must be the messiah b/c Isa.2:1-4 and Micah 4:1-4 which clearly portray the Messiah doing this. Return to Text

^[12]  In Herodotus, the plague was mice which ate all their bow strings; some see this as suggestive of bubonic plague. Return to Text