Israel: G-d's Suffering Servant

The Jews are responsible for first introducing G-d to the world. Since the covenant at Sinai, the Jewish people have tried to fulfill their divine task of spreading monotheism and ethics to the world. Along with this mission of perfecting the world comes deadly hatred and anti-semitism. Jewish history, through the Crusades and Inquisitions, pogroms and massacres, Holocausts and Intifadas, is a long trail of blood and death. That is the price of being HaShem's Servant.

13 Behold, My servant shall prosper, he shall be exalted and lifted up, and shall be very high. The Torah refers to Israel often as G-d's servant. See Isa. 41:8-9; 44:1-2; 45:4; 48:20; 49:3, for example. "Yet now hear, O Jacob My servant, and Israel, whom I have chosen." Israel was charged to serve G-d and reveal Him to the world. (According to the Christian understanding, Jesus, the subject of this passage, is G-d. How can G-d be His own servant?)

14 According as many were appalled at thee--so marred was his visage unlike that of a man, and his form unlike that of the sons of men-- 15 So shall he startle many nations, kings shall shut their mouths because of him; for that which had not been told them shall they see, and that which they had not heard shall they perceive. 1 'Who would have believed our report? Imagine the amazements of the nations when the very nation which was persectued and tormented is lifted to the highest of heights in the Messianic era? The nation that was long associated with death and weakness, with gas chambers and ovens, will return to its former glory and splendour, as those who oppressed it are downtrodden. Micah 7:12-17 records the astonishment of the nations at Israel's reversal of fortunes. "'As in the days of thy coming forth out of the land of Egypt will I show unto him marvellous things.' The nations shall see and be put to shame for all their might; they shall lay their hand upon their mouth, their ears shall be deaf. They shall lick the dust like a serpent; like crawling things of the earth they shall come trembling out of their close places; they shall come with fear unto the LORD our God, and shall be afraid because of Thee."

And to whom hath the arm of the LORD been revealed? HaShem's "arm" refers to physical salvation from our foes. Israel was redeemed from Egypt with a mighty hand and an outsretched arm. G-d will redeem us again in the same manner.

2 For he shot up right forth as a sapling, and as a root out of a dry ground; he had no form nor comeliness, that we should look upon him, nor beauty that we should delight in him. 3 He was despised, and forsaken of men, a man of pains, and acquainted with disease, and as one from whom men hide their face: he was despised, and we esteemed him not. When one considers how the world stood silently while tens of thousands of Jews were butchered every single day during the Holocaust, it is easy to realize that the nation of Israel "was despised and we [the nations] esteemed him not." The world has always been apathetic at best to Jewish suffering, and actively seeking our destruction at worst. This verse cannot be reconciled with the New Testament account of Jesus, a man who was supposedly "praised by all" (Lk. 4:14-15) and followed by multitudes (Matt. 4:25), who would later acclaim him as a prophet upon his triumphal entry into Jerusalem (Matt. 21:9-11). Even as he was taken to be crucified, a multitude bemoaned his fate (Lk. 23:27). Jesus had to be taken by stealth, as the rulers feared "a riot of the people" (Mk. 14:1-2).

4 Surely our diseases he did bear, and our pains he carried; whereas we did esteem him stricken, smitten of God, and afflicted. Israel's adversities are frequently likened to sickness - see, e.g., Isa. 1:5-6; Jer. 10:19; Jer 30:12. Jer. 30:17 - of God's servant Israel (30:10), it is said by the nations, "It is Zion; no one cares for her." The nations have always been quick to write off the Jews as done, finished, destroyed.

5 But he was wounded because of our transgressions, he was crushed because of our iniquities: the chastisement of our welfare was upon him, and with his stripes we were healed.
The Chosen People has suffered because of the wickedness and cruelty ie. transgressions and iniquities, of the nations of the world, because they sought to crush them. If only they knew how much spiritual good Israel has done for the world! Note that it is "because of transgressions", not FOR our transgressions. This certianly does not refer to the Messiah who "shall not fail nor be crushed till he has set the right in the earth" (Isa. 42:4).

6 All we like sheep did go astray, we turned every one to his own way; and the LORD hath made to light on him the iniquity of us all. 7 He was oppressed, though he humbled himself and opened not his mouth; as a lamb that is led to the slaughter, and as a sheep that before her shearers is dumb; yea, he opened not his mouth. Israel is a sheep among 70 wolves. King David describes Israel as "sheep to be slaughtered" in the midst of the unfaithful gentile nations (44:22,11).

Jesus certainly did "open his mouth" to his accusers and protested. Any claims tothe contrary are absolutely false. See Matt. 27:46, Jn. 18:23, 36-37.

8 From dominion and judgement he was taken away,and with his generation who did reason? Which position of judgement and dominion did Jesus ever hold? Did he ever sit on the Sanhedrin or rule as king of Israel? Jesus never had any rights to rulership or judgement, at least not on the "first coming." See, e.g., Jn. 3:17; Jn. 8:15; Jn. 12:47; Jn. 18:36.

for he was cut off out of the land of the living, for the transgression of my people to whom the stroke was due. 9 And they made his grave with the wicked, and with the rich his tomb; See Ez. 37:11-14, wherein Israelis described as "cut off" and God promises to open its "graves" and bring Israel back into its own land. Other examples of figurative deaths include Ex. 10:17; 2 Sam. 9:8; 2 Sam. 16:9. "For the transgressions of my people" makes it clear that the Prophet is speaking of a collective entity rather than an individual.

although he had done no violence, neither was any deceit in his mouth.' See Matt. 21:12; Mk. 11:15-16; Lk. 19:45; Lk. 19:27; Matt. 10:34 and Lk. 12:51; then judge for yourself whether this passage is truly consistent with the New Testament account of Jesus.

10 Yet it pleased the LORD to crush him by disease; to see if his soul would offer itself in restitution, that he might see his seed, prolong his days, and that the purpose of the LORD might prosper by his hand: The Hebrew word "seed" (zerah) always means physical descendants. Did Jesus have any? Moreover, Jesus died young and did not "prolong his days". And if Jesus is G-d and therefore eternal, then how can G-d's days be prolonged?

11 Of the travail of his soul he shall see to the full, with his knowledge the righteous one, my Servant, will cause many to be just and their iniquities he did bear. The Jewish people will lead the nations in the observance of the 7 Universal Noahide Laws and perfect the world in the kingdom of the Almighty. They will fulfill their task to be a light unto the nations ((Deut. 4:5-8; Zech. 8:23)

12 Therefore will I divide him a portion among the great, and he shall divide the spoil with the mighty; because he bared his soul unto death, and was numbered with the transgressors; yet he bore the sin of many, and made intercession for the transgressors. If Jesus is G-d, then how can he be rewarded? Does it not make sense that the nation that was persecuted and tormented for G-d sake- and despite all that, remained faithfu and brought righteousness to its many enemiesl (Ps. 44)- to be rewarded as Isaiah 52 and 54 explain in greater detail?