9 counterpoints to the rabbinic objection to Isaiah 53. Ata Adonai ahuvi
Who hath believed our message? and to whom hath the arm of Jehovah been revealed? For he grew up before him as a tender plant, and as a root out of a dry ground: he hath no form nor comeliness; and when we see him, there is no beauty that we should desire him.”
**Isaiah *53:1-2 *ASV
(1) The distinctive pronouns we, us, our must refer to Isaiah and his Jewish audience while the he, him, his refer to the Messiah.
(2) Throughout the passage, the Servant is portrayed as a singular personality and not a nation; there is no allegory or personification of the Servant as Israel.
“He was oppressed, yet when he was afflicted he opened not his mouth; as a lamb that is led to the slaughter, and as a sheep that before its shearers is dumb, so he opened not his mouth. By oppression and judgment he was taken away; and as for his generation, who among them considered that he was cut off out of the land of the living for the transgression of my people to whom the stroke was due? And they made his grave with the wicked, and with a rich man in his death; although he had done no violence, neither was any deceit in his mouth.”
**Isaiah *53:7-9 *ASV
(3) In verse 9 the Servant’s suffering was voluntary, willing, and silent, which has never been true of Israel.
(4) In verse 8, the Servant dies for “my people” ; Isaiah’s people were the Jews; the Servant and Israel therefore are clearly distinguished.
(5) The Servant is an innocent sufferer (verses 4-6, 8-9) but Israel always suffers for its own sins as Isaiah himself stated in 1:4-8.
(6) The Servant suffers a vicarious and substitutionary death (verses 4,6,8, and 10, 12) while Israel does NOT suffer on behalf the Gentiles but BECAUSE of the Gentiles.
(7) The sufferings of the Servant brings justification and spiritual healing to those that accept it (vs 5b, 11b) but Israel has not done this for the Gentiles.
(8) The Servant dies (vs 8,12), but Israel always survives.
(9) The Servant is resurrected (vs 10-11), but since the people of Israel has never passed away, there is no need for a resurrection.
Blessings
