The Suffering Servant
And he shall bear their iniquities Isaiah 53:11
Bear – Messianic believers read this entire passage as a prophecy about Yeshua. But it is more than that. It is also a description of the role of God’s elect. “The servant is at once Israel and an individual, who both represents the whole community and carries to its supreme point the mission of the nation, while calling the whole people to enter into that mission, so that it shall be its mission and not merely his . . .”[1] This verse in not only about our Lord Yeshua HaMashiach. It is also about us, the ones called to be like Him. We are also those who shall bear the iniquities of the nations. Of course, we will not bear them in the forensic sense of removing their guilt before God. Only Yeshua, God manifested in the flesh, can do that. But insofar as we are to emulate Him and live according to His character, we must also hang on the cross, accused but innocent, and say with Him, “Father, forgive them for they do not know what they do.” No man without the manifestation of the Spirit within can bear this crucifixion.
Would you be like Yeshua? Would you take upon yourself His challenge to become His representative in this hostile world? Are you prepared to die daily to the seductions of the culture and take up the cross? Then you will have to bear the iniquities of others. And they will not hesitate to heap them upon you. Every sinner needs a sacrificial lamb. Every man knows he must remove his guilt. He looks only for someone else to bear it. Are you willing to be that one?
The Hebrew verb saval means “to carry a load, to bear, to endure.” It is used to describe God’s carrying His people, including the bearing of iniquities and punishments. In New Testament terms, we should look to Paul’s exhortation about bearing one another’s burdens and to Yeshua’s constant theme about laying down our lives for others. To believe is to suffer for the sins of others. The man who wishes to avoid sacrifice on behalf of another will not find company among followers of YHWH. We know we are here to represent the triumph of mercy over justice and that will often mean we must pay the price so that the other can experience mercy. In God’s plan, the innocent pay for the guilty. If this is not what you wish, then you will need to find an exit. But if you are called and chosen, each time you bear the iniquity of another you exhibit the love of the Father. The joy of heaven is yours.
Is it any wonder that the world cannot understand the actions of God’s people? When I sat on the floor of Yad VaShem, the holocaust museum in Jerusalem, weeping over my part in this atrocity, my Christian heritage of silence while Germany exterminated millions of innocent people, I realized that there were German tourists in this place and that no Jew objected. That is bearing iniquity beyond anything I could imagine. That is forgiveness. May we learn such suffering. It is the way of redemption.
Topical Index: suffering, bear, saval, Isaiah 53:11
[1] H. H. Rowley, The Faith of Israel, p. 122.
“in God’s plan, the innocent pay for the guilty…”
This is a good reminder to hold on to as believers in Yeshua take daily abuse from the news media and others like Joy Behar, Bill Mahr etc. etc.
For example, we’ll probably never hear news coverage of how Campus Crusade for Christ was in regular communication with the Chilean miners and were able to get an MP3 of the Jesus Film Audio down in the mines for the men to listen to. Or, that their shirts had the the word “Jesus” written on their left sleeve and Psalm 95:4 across their backs (in Spanish of course.)
On another note, it’s my understanding that MOST Germans would like to put the Nazi atrocities behind them. Many feel shame over what their country did. Likewise, MOST Americans are ashamed of our history of enslaving and mistreating Afro-Americans for so many years. And, most Christians feel sadness and shame over the suffering inflicted by the Crusades.
I was recently in France and had the opportunity to visit several World War ll landing sites, cemeteries, and museums. When I noticed numerous Germans and Japanese around, I was initially uncomfortable. Then, I remembered that God’s method of forgiving is by actually “forgetting.”
Of course, I was not surrounded by the ACTUAL perpetrators, lest I get too haughty. And, while it would have been much more difficult to “forget” in such circumstances, that’s certainly what God expects us to do.
“Would you be like Yeshua?
“Would you take upon yourself His challenge to become His representative in this hostile world?”
The other day we were discussing something about Paul having created Christianity.
And I turned on the TV to find a program in progress on Paul’s historical role in this event.
As it turns out, PBS “Frontline” has a very good program on the “historical” Jesus.
“From Jesus to Christ: The First Christians” tells the epic story of the rise of Christianity. The four hours explore the life and death of Jesus, and the men and women whose belief, conviction, and martyrdom created the religion we now know as Christianity.
I watched Part 1 yesterday and was very impressed with the quality of the production.
Especially powerful to me was how they dramatized the story of Jesus leading up to his rebuke of the Jewish leadership at the Temple Mount.
They showed in what seemed to me to be a very authentic way how the Romans would have perceived Jesus and his actions.
As an enemy of the state and an act of sedition punishable by death.
At some point I’d like to come back to the role of the Jewish Priests in this event and their collaboration with the Romans, relative to Jesus.
But for now I just want to focus on the heroic act of Jesus and the suffering it involved.
In short, I must say that Jesus again sets the bar awfully high and makes my own suffering seem foolish and trivial.
I feel like I’m 10 years old again watching Burt Lancaster and Kirk Douglas at the OK Corral.
Marching off to almost certain death and against all odds to save the community.
It still seems a tall order.
I’ve never been put to that test and don’t know if I would pass it.
But I am stronger and more confident because of the suffering that I’ve had to endure.
Dear precious Michael,
YHVH will give you all the strength you need.
“Would you be like Yeshua? Would you take upon yourself His challenge to become His representative in this hostile world? Are you prepared to die daily to the seductions of the culture and take up the cross? Then you will have to bear the iniquities of others. And they will not hesitate to heap them upon you. Every sinner needs a sacrificial lamb. Every man knows he must remove his guilt. He looks only for someone else to bear it. Are you willing to be that one?”
Re 1:6 And hath made us kings and priests unto God and his Father; to him be glory and dominion for ever and ever. Amen.
Re 5:10 And hast made us unto our God kings and priests: and we shall reign on the earth.
Heb 7:11 If therefore perfection were by the Levitical priesthood, (for under it the people received the law,) what further need was there that another priest should rise after the order of Melchisedec, and not be called after the order of Aaron?
Heb 7:12 For the priesthood being changed, there is made of necessity a change also of the (new priesthoods [Emphasis mine]) law. (The Aaronic priesthood was governed by it’s own law)
1Pe 2:9 But ye are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, an holy nation, a peculiar people; that ye should shew forth the praises of him who hath called you out of darkness into his marvellous light:
Heb.12:22 But ye are come unto mount Zion, and unto the city of the living God, the heavenly Jerusalem, and to an innumerable company of angels,
23 To the general assembly and church of the firstborn, which are written in heaven, and to God the Judge of all, and to the spirits of just men made perfect,
24 And to Jesus the mediator of the new covenant, and to the blood of sprinkling, that speaketh better things than that of Abel.
25 See that ye refuse not him that speaketh. For if they escaped not who refused him that spake on earth, much more shall not we escape, if we turn away from him that speaketh from heaven:
26 Whose voice then shook the earth: but now he hath promised, saying, Yet once more I shake not the earth only, but also heaven.
27 And this word, Yet once more, signifieth the removing of those things that are shaken, as of things that are made, that those things which cannot be shaken may remain.
1Pe. 2:1 ¶ Wherefore laying aside “ALL” malice, and all guile, and hypocrisies, and envies, and all evil speakings,
2 As newborn babes, desire the sincere milk of the word, that ye may grow thereby:
3 If so be ye have tasted that the Lord is gracious.
4 ¶ To whom coming, as unto a living stone, rejected indeed of men, but chosen of God, and precious,
5 Ye also, as lively stones, are built up a spiritual house, an holy priesthood, to offer up spiritual sacrifices, acceptable to God by Jesus Christ.
6 Wherefore also it is contained in the scripture, Behold, I lay in Sion a chief corner stone, elect, precious: and he that believeth on him shall not be put to shame.
He.12:28 Wherefore we receiving a kingdom which cannot be moved, let us have grace, whereby we may serve God acceptably with reverence and godly fear:
29 For our God is a consuming fire.
Re 20:4 And I saw thrones, and they sat upon them, and judgment was given unto them: and I saw the souls of them that were beheaded for the witness of Jesus, and for the word of God, and which had not worshipped the beast, neither his image, neither had received his mark upon their foreheads, or in their hands; and they lived and reigned with Christ a thousand years.
Re 20:6 Blessed and holy is he that hath part in the first resurrection: on such the second death hath no power, but they shall be priests of God and of Christ, and shall reign with him a thousand years.
Heb 7:11 If therefore perfection were by the Levitical priesthood, (for under it the people received the law,) what further need was there that another priest should rise after the order of Melchisedec, and not be called after the order of Aaron?
Heb 7:12 For the priesthood being changed, there is made of necessity a change also of the (new priesthoods [Emphasis mine]) law. (The Aaronic priesthood was governed by it’s own law)
Hi Pam,
I think you make a very interesting and important point regarding Melchizedec.
My first reaction would be that this doesn’t sound like Paul, so who wrote it and for what motive?
The point about “perfection” sounds very “Greek” to me and potentially dangerous.
In my view, our objective is to see God’s will as perfect, not our our self image.
And as far as I know there is only one Torah (Law) and many Aaronic priests who misused it.
I found it pretty interesting when we learned not too long ago that there were 2 Messiahs.
Messiah Ben David and Ben Joseph.
Now we 3 Messiahs.
But Melchizedec doesn’t have a human counterpart like David and Jesus, does he?
And Melchizedec would certainly seem to “open the door” for Catholicism.
Just my 2 cents.
Phil.3:8 I count all things but loss for the excellency of the knowledge of Christ Jesus my Lord, for whom I have suffered the loss of all things and count them but dung, that I may win Christ
9 ¶ and be found in Him, not having mine own righteousness which is of the law, but that which is through the faith of Christ, the righteousness which is from God by faith,
10 that I may know Him and the power of His resurrection and the fellowship of His sufferings, being made conformable unto His death,
11 that if by any means I might attain unto the resurrection of the dead.
12 It is not as though I had already attained it, nor were already perfect; but I follow after, that I may sieze hold of that for which Christ Jesus also seized hold of me.
13 Brethren, I count not myself to have possessed it, but this one thing I do: forgetting those things which are behind, and reaching forth unto those things which are before,
14 I press toward the mark for the prize of the HIGH CALLING OF GOD in Christ Jesus.
Priesthood is a tough job!
There is no higher calling. We are the hands and feet of Yeshua. We (today), together are part of the body of Christ. We are His representatives, His ambassadors, His epistles, His arrows. We must, we must, be daily reconciled to G-d. We, (His body) and His bride are “on mission” for Him. We have been “recruited” as many before us have been, to do G-d’s will in our everyday living. We are to be salt (that which flavors) and to be light (that which reveals) to this dark, decaying and dying world. We follow Christ and the footsteps of many who have gone before us. YHWH has promised to provide everything we need for this journey and we know it will be worth it all when we hear Him say, “well done thou good and faithful servant.”
“Until then,” we must continue to be good and faithful! -lol! One thing I believe we have all learned from this wonderful online fellowship is- we are in this journey together.
I was thinking just this morning about Noah’s ark. (Don’t ask me why- I dunno.) This ark was pitched within and without or sealed. G-d Himself sealed the door to the ark and for the next forty days it pitched back and forth on the high seas. Forty days of solid rain and the cacophony of a tremendous variety of beasts 24/7- it’s a wonder Noah didn’t go bald during this trip. – But the boat didn’t leak a drop and none were lost during the journey. They “all” made it over.
G-d is going to get us there. “It is written” Knowing this- it is past time for us to go ahead and enjoy the view. Relax and rest in the LORD. He is the ONE who will see us through unto the other side.
Listen again to these words. To live is Christ and to die is gain. To live:Christ. To die:gain. This my friends is a win/win situation. Our G-d is an awesome G-d.
Even as we journey through,- we not only help each other along the way, but are continually seeking to invite others to join with us in our worship of the ONE who is worthy.
How blessed we are to be called by His name. With every day and with every breath, we have another opportunity to say and to show, to declare and to demonstrate- “blessed be the name of the LORD.”
As some in this community may have guessed, I study the Hebrew language of the scriptures in great depth. Every Hebrew letter has a meaning. Encoded within the Hebrew bible are words that are very relevant to the surface text. These words have been referred to as the “bible codes”. Every Hebrew letter of the alphabet also served as a number, as did every letter of the Greek alphabet.
God in His great wisdom, has used the numerical values of the Hebrew letters, and words, called “Gematria” to bring deeper wisdom and understanding to those who seek Him with a pure heart.
Bringing together TWO different languages, He ties together the Hebrew and the Greek scriptures to reveal the truths that people seem to argue over in the surface text.
The orthodox Jewish Rabbis have forbidden their people to read Isaiah chapter 53, for they say that “Christians will use it to convert the unwary Jew to their religion.” The sad part of this is, that Jesus was a Jewish Rabbi Himself, when He walked the Earth. They say that Isaiah Ch 11 is about Israel, and not Jesus. The awesome scriptures speak for themselves on this point.
When the entire value of the Hebrew letters of Isaiah 53:11 are added up, they total 3168.
This total reveals EXACTLY who this suffering servant is.
3168 is one of only two spellings for LORD JESUS CHRIST on the Greek NT.
Such revelations are common throughout the scriptures. In Malachi, the messenger of the covenant is revealed. Not only is the Name Jesus encoded in the text, the following revelation shows the mission of this messenger.
and the Lord, whom ye seek,
shall suddenly come to his temple = 2148
And without controversy great is the mystery of godliness: God was manifest in the flesh, justified in the Spirit, seen of angels, preached unto the Gentiles, believed on in the world, received up into glory. 1st Timothy 3.16 KJV
God was manifest in the flesh = 2148
And the one I love most, is found in Zechariah 12:10, in the portion of the verse that reads:
“and they shall look upon me whom they have pierced, and they shall mourn for him, as one mourneth for his only son, and shall be in bitterness for him, as one that is in bitterness for his firstborn.”
Adding every Hrebrew letter in this portion, totals 2869
It ties to the book of John, ch 19:37,38, where Zechariah 12:10 is mentioned
And again another scripture saith, They shall look on him whom they pierced.
And after this Joseph of Arimathaea, being a disciple of Jesus, but secretly for fear of the Jews, besought Pilate that he might take away the body of Jesus: and Pilate gave him leave. He came therefore, and took the body of Jesus.
Through the Gematria, the truth is revealed about just WHO “they shall look upon, WHOM THEY PIERCED, and mourn”.
the body of Jesus = 2869
This is nothing short of astounding. The Bible is like no other book ever written, because God Himself is the author. It is reliable and true and every prophecy in it will be accomplished.
Rejoice church, your redeemer draws near!
God was manifest in the flesh = 2148
Hi Ron,
Although I don’t know much about Gematria, I find it fascinating, and number “48” catches my eye.
Although my parents were Republicans, my initials are MAO.
I was born in 1948.
The Era of Mao in China begins in 1948.
The French Revolution began in 1848.
That old Jewish philosopher, Karl Marx, published the Communist Manifesto in 1848.
I wrote my PhD dissertation on Nathaniel Hawthorne who was writing The Scarlet Letter in 1848.
Allegorically speaking his hero, Hester, “imbibes the revolutionary spirit on the continent” in 1848.
The State of Israel was proclaimed and territory given for the Jewish state in the UN plan in 1948.
Oh Michael,
I had decided to take your Madam Mao references toward me a few weeks ago as a compliment although I wasn’t sure. I feel much better now understanding your fascination with her.
I don’t know much about Gematria either. But isn’t it amazing that no matter how wide an overview or minutely detailed a study of creation or scripture you do, the only way to deny intelligent design is to blatantly lie to yourself.