Isaiah 53 Suffering Servant for Diogenes

Great Debates
1

Hello Diogenes,

As mentioned in a previous post to you, my guest membership is about to expire and I’ve no plans to register beyond the free ride I’ve been given. I plan to put up a thread or two for you to address and while I may not be able to participate for much longer, know that I’ll be reading here. It’s been a pleasure bumping in to you here. Now on with it…

The Suffering Servant of Isaiah 53. It’s my opinion that the suffering servant, while widely accepted by contemporary Christians as a Messianic reference, is actually a reference to Israel. Your comments?

widdley

2

Almost certainly. The “suffering servant” is referenced in Isaiah 42:1-4, 49:1-6, 50:4-10, and 52:13 - 53:12.

It’s made explicit in Isaiah 49:3 "And [God] said to me, “You are my servant Israel in whom I take glory.” There is recurring reference to “Israel my servant, Jacob whom I have chosen” in Isaiah 41:8-10, 43:10, 44:1 - 2, etc etc.

However, it’s not quite so simple. There are also references to the servant as individual, like 49:1-6, where the servant is clearly referred to as Israel, but also as having a mission to Israel.

To understand this, I think you need to understand that in early biblical writings, there is no distinction made between individuals and the nation. Abraham and Sarah, for instance, are clearly individuals but also represent the nation Israel in every age. Jacob is an individual, but also used to refer to the entire people. So, Isaiah means the servant as both the nation Israel and as all the prophets throughout the ages.

There is a great deal (volumes) written about this poetry and imagery. Those who want to believe these poems predict Jesus and those who insist that they do no such thing, neither side will be swayed . And since it’s poetry, and very broad poetry, there’s always going to be many different ways of interpreting.

When the Messiah comes (or, if you prefer, when Jesus returns), then presumably these little details will be resolved.

3

Yep, C.K. got to this before I did, but the suffering servant is explicitly identified as a personification of Israel within the text itself. It was never intended to be a Messianic prophecy and has never been read that way in Judaism.

4

I look at it this way-

OF COURSE the Suffering Servant of Isaiah represents the Righteous Remnant of Israel, as does the Son of Man in Daniel.

And the Messiah is the ultimate Israelite, so it’s not at all unusual that his life would recapitulate the history of Israel, especially the Righteous Remnant who underwent rejection & persecution & exile & death & yet eventually emerged triumphant.

And thus I still think it applies to Jesus.