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January 23, 2011 |
| Salvation is From the Jews | ||
This lesson is another study of the prophecies of Isaiah. The verses we will be studying are mainly about the coming Messiah but naturally the verses include Israel.
The structure of these verses is tricky and there are some different interpretations of them. We need to understand that these verses are the words of God given through Isaiah. The words sound like different people speaking to each other but it is all the word of God, "This is what the LORD says." When the voices speak, the words they use reveal information about themselves or about the other speakers.
1 Listen to me, you islands; hear this, you distant nations:
Before I was born the LORD called me;
from my mother's womb he has spoken my name.
2 He made my mouth like a sharpened sword,
in the shadow of his hand he hid me;
he made me into a polished arrow
and concealed me in his quiver.
3 He said to me, "You are my servant,
Israel, in whom I will display my splendor."
This begins a very curious series of verses. The previous chapters of Isaiah we have studied primarily discussed the return of Israel from captivity in Babylon. Sprinkled into that were references to John the Baptist and the first and second coming of the Messiah. But here the verses appear to be talking about both Israel and the Messiah at the same time.
But first we note that the reference to islands and distant nations indicates that this message is for people as far as way as can be imagined. Israel is bordered on the west by the Mediterranean and on the north, east, and south by other nations. In Isaiah's time the Mediterranean was pretty well explored and the islands within it were known but hard to reach and considered far away. Here the islands also "represent those who live on distant shores who have neither heard of God nor seen his glory (Isaiah 66:19)."1
Beginning with verse 2 the next few lines apply equally well to Israel and the Messiah. Abraham was foretold the birth of the nation of Israel; Mary was foretold the birth of the Messiah. So we see a common characteristic there. A "mouth like a sharpened sword" is a mouth that says powerful things to people who do not want to hear. It was Israel's purpose to be a light for the other nations by words and actions. But light drives away darkness so darkness does not like the light. Thus Israel, when it was fulfilling its purpose, was to be an example and message that was not always welcome. In the same way the Messiah's words were a sword to those who rejected him and he was a light to Israel and to the world.
The verses about "hid me", "polished arrow", and "quiver" are telling us that there is a special purpose and the instrument for that purpose has been set aside and protected until it is needed. The arrow and the quiver explain it well, but the explanation is lost in our generation which rarely uses arrows and uses perfectly manufactured arrows. In those days the archer made his own arrows from the materials available. So some arrows would be better than others, straighter, sharper, more even flights, etc. From the best of the arrows the archer would select a few to receive special treatment, polishing, fine tuning, etc. These he would keep separate from the others.
When the day of battle arrived, as the enemy advanced but while they were still at a distance, any arrow would do. Because the enemy advanced in groups, a lesser arrow had as good a chance of hitting someone. But as the enemy approached, they could be distinguished as individuals and some of them had more value, like the leaders and best warriors. For these the archer got out his best arrows.
So the understanding from verse 2 is that both Israel and the Messiah had special purposes that they would serve when the time came. Until then the LORD was protecting them and keeping them separate.
At first glance verse 3 makes it look like the verses before it are only about Israel. But Hebrew names have meanings. The name Israel can be understood in various ways but in this context means "champion of God". In that sense we see that these verses apply to both literal Israel and the Messiah as champions of God.
We also recognize that the long term plan for Israel and the Messiah is to display the splendor of God. Jesus said as much when he said he came to glorify the Father.
4 But I said, "I have labored in vain;
I have spent my strength for nothing at all.
Yet what is due me is in the LORD's hand,
and my reward is with my God."
From the point of view of Israel they had wasted their time in idolatry and other foolishness and achieved nothing more than being conquered and taken to Babylon. The power and wealth of David and Solomon was gone. From the Messiah's point of view being nailed to a cross would seem like a failure. The people he had come to teach had rejected him, and his disciples had scattered. It didn't have the appearance of success. But we know what was due him was the gift of the Holy Spirit.
5 And now the LORD says-
he who formed me in the womb to be his servant
to bring Jacob back to him
and gather Israel to himself,
for I am honored in the eyes of the LORD
and my God has been my strength-
We see this form commonly in prophecy. The verse begins with "… the LORD says" and that is followed by some introductory text that talks about the greatness of the LORD. We see that here also and thus we haven't yet seen the words of the LORD. They begin in verse 6.
But the introductory text is interesting. To understand it better we need to understand another Hebrew name - Jacob - the son of Isaac and of Abraham, whose name was changed to Israel. The name Jacob means "'he grasps the heel', a Hebrew idiom for 'he takes advantage of' or 'he deceives'"2
So, Israel and Jacob are names for the same person and the same nation, but they are used here to describe two different qualities, one a deceiver and the other a champion of God. But notice something, who is speaking. The speaker refers to Jacob / Israel and to 'him', which would be God. So we know the speaker is not one of those. That only leaves the Messiah.
With the introductory text complete, the LORD continues to speak.
6 he says:
"It is too small a thing for you to be my servant
to restore the tribes of Jacob
and bring back those of Israel I have kept.
I will also make you a light for the Gentiles,
that my salvation may reach to the ends of the earth."
The LORD says it would be too easy for the Messiah to restore the tribes of Jacob and bring back the remnant of Israel. So he also gives the Messiah the task of bringing salvation to the entire earth. Seeing how Israel's history up to this time was a succession of turning away from God and now her sins have put her in Babylon, the first task doesn't seem that easy.
This verse also contains something very interesting, the word salvation. In the Hebrew of this text the word salvation is Yeshua, which is the name of the Messiah, Jesus as we call him. So if the Jews of Jesus' time had been reading the scriptures carefully they would have had another hint to lead them to the Messiah.
Another interesting hint seems to be hidden here. It is lost in the NIV translation which says "those of Israel I have kept", but other translations render it more literally as "the preserved of Israel". This could be rendered Nazarenes of Israel."3 So there is a hint that Jesus would be a Nazarene.4
There is another thing hinted at here. In the Old Covenant between God and Israel, Israel was to be a light to the Gentiles. But now we see that Jesus will be the light to the Gentiles. This shows that the Messiah is bringing a change in the relationship between God, the Jews, and the Gentiles.
7 This is what the LORD says-
the Redeemer and Holy One of Israel-
to him who was despised and abhorred by the nation,
to the servant of rulers:
"Kings will see you and stand up,
princes will see and bow down,
because of the LORD, who is faithful,
the Holy One of Israel, who has chosen you."
These verses are packed with more hints for Israel. In Israel the roll of the redeemer as a person was special. He would pay the debts of people to redeem their property or themselves. So if the LORD is the redeemer, and Israel the redeemed, what is the price?
In this verse the LORD is speaking to the Messiah and he addresses him as "him who was despised and abhorred by the nation." What nation? Israel. From this the Jews of Jesus' time should have been aware that the Messiah was going to be treated harshly by them. The LORD also refers to the Messiah as "servant of rulers." From this the Jews should have been aware that the Messiah was not going to come as a conquering king.
In their defense there are other passages that talk about the Messiah coming as a conquering king. Even this verse mixes in a little of that later on. Reconciling these two views of the Messiah would have been a problem for the Jews. But in Jesus time they wanted the conquering king and were not prepared for the suffering servant they got.
In the verse where it says "Kings will see you and stand up", this does not mean they will stand up against the Messiah. Standing here is a sign of respect as when someone important enters the room. When lesser people came to see a king they bowed before him. And that's what we see in the verse, with the princes bowing down.
Where we saw this verse addressed to the despised and abhorred servant Messiah, he is now shown to be of equal rank as a king.
The last part of the verse seems intended for the ears of Israel. Despite their unfaithfulness to him God is faithful and true. His promised Messiah is coming.
1. In verse 5 the Messiah voice says "my God has been my strength." In what ways can he and has he been your strength?
2. The first 3 verses of this study are spoken from the
perspective of both Israel and the Messiah. Does this tell us anything?
Similar
missions (bring the entire earth to God), similar approaches (word and
example), similar goal (glorifying God), comfort to the Jews
1 NIV Standard Lesson Commentary, Fall 2010, Unit 2, January 23, Section I, A
2 NIV 2010/2011 quoted from http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=genesis%2027&version=NIV
3 http://www.ao.net/~fmoeller/isa49.htm
4 Matthew 2:23