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hope of the Scriptures for ultimate
deliverance from oppression and suf–
fering. At times, false messiahs
appeared and claimed that God sent
them. They led away thousands who
were waiting for a ray of hope.
Through the years, however, the
Messiah never carne when the lead–
ers of the people expected him.
Many began to give up the hope.
Today, the phrase "When the Mes–
siah comes" has become a byword
among secular Jewish people.
Messiah's Birthplace
This great King was to be born of
David's lineage. Does the Bible
give an indication where?
It
cer–
tainly does! The prophet Micah
gives the answer.
In chapter 4, Micah describes the
time of worldwide peace to come
(verses 1-5). The verses that follow
describe the crisis
just befare
this
time. Then, in chapter 5, Micah
gives a startling prophecy!
"But thou, Beth-lehem Ephra–
thah, which art little to be among
the thousands of Judah, out of thee
shall one come forth unto Me that
is to be ruler in Israel; whose
goings forth are from of old, from
ancient days" (Mic. 5: 1) .
Who is this ruler?
It
can't be
King David!
King David had lived and died
years
befare this prophecy. This is
referring to the great King.
"And he shall stand, and shall
feed bis ftock in the strength of the
Lord, in the majesty of the name of
the Lord bis God; and they shall
abide, for then shall he be great
unto the ends of the earth" (verse
3).
This is talking about the Mes–
siah! Compare Psalm 72:8 and
Zechariah 9:9-1
O.
·
King David, who was also born
in Bethlehem, was a type of the
Messiah to come as many scrip–
tures show. But Bethlehem, as we
just read in Micah, is the birthplace
of the great King. Many Jewish
people in earlier centuries knew of
this fact. Sorne Jewish sources also
say so today.
Then
J
noticed another amazing
series of scriptures.
The Servant of the Lord
We come now to a surprising reve–
lation of the Hebrew Scriptures
May 1984
that most Christians haven't
focused on.
The book of Isaiah talks severa!
times about "the servant of the
Lord." Most have fai led to see
whom this title is referring to.
Julius Greenstone, in bis book
The
Messiah Idea in Jewish History,
says: "There is much divergence of
opinion among modern commenta–
tors as to whom the prophet
[Isaiah] meant by the designation
'the servant of the Lord.' "
God calls the people of Israel
collectively bis "servant" (Isa.
41 :8-9). That is clear. Yet later
God talks about a servant in totally
different terms. Are we to
assume
that this also refers to Israel?
Notice: "Behold My servant,
whom I uphold; Mine elect, in
whom My soul delighteth; I have
put My spirit upon him, he shall
make the right to go forth to the
nations" (lsa. 42: l ).
And again: "He shall not fail nor
be crushed, till he have set the right
in the earth; and the isles shall wait
for bis teaching" (verse 4).
Are these verses talking about
Israel or the Messiah?
In verse 5, God talks to this ser–
vant. God then promises to set him
for a "covenant of the people, for a
light of the nations" (verse 6).
Another reference to this servant
is in chapter 49. Israel, God's ser–
vant, symbolically speaks first.
Israel did not accomplish her task
of being a light to the gentiles
(verse 4).
The other servant speaks begin–
ning in verse 5:
"And now saith the Lord that
formed me from the womb to be His
servant, to bring Jacob back to Him,
and that Israel be gathered unto
Him-for I am honourable in the
eyes of the Lord, and my God is
become my strength-yea, He saith:
'It
is too light a thing that thou
shouldest be My servant to raise up
the tribes of Jacob, and to restare the
offspring of Israel; I will also give
thee for a light of the nations, that
My salvation may be unto the end of
the eartb'" (verses 5-6) .
This servant cannot be Israel. He
is one who restares Israel.
This is the same servant men–
tioned in Isaiah 42. He is to be
God's salvation to the ends of the
earth! This is a reference to the
great King who will rule the
earth- the Messiah!
The Suffering Servant
But now, notice the verse that fol–
lows in chapter 49. This great King
to whom God Almighty will give
the rulership of the earth, he is one
"who is despised of men ... who is
abhorred of nations ... a servant of
rulers" (verse-7).
He is here called a "servant of
rulers." What a title for the King
of all the earth! But immediately,
in this same verse, God says: "kings
shall see and arise, princes, and
they shall prostrate them–
selves...."
Clearly, two events are men–
tioned here! One is when the ser–
vant, the Messiah, is abhorred, and
the second when he is honored.
God says of this servant that he
will help and preserve him and
"give [him] for a covenant of the
people" (verse 8). This is the same
servant mentioned in Isaiah 42:6.
His rulership will be the time of
peace, great prosperity and deliver–
ance (verses 8- 12).
But why is he first rejected?
Isaiah quotes the servant as
speaking again in chapter 50:
"The Lord God hath given me the
tongue of them that are taught, that
I should know how to sustain with
words him that is weary.... The
Lord God hath opened mine ear, and
I was not rebellious, neither turned
away backward" (verses 4-5). This
servant cannot be Israel, because
God calls the people "rebellious"
(Isa. 65:2; Ezek. 2:3-8).
"1 gave my back to the smiters,
and my cheeks to them that plucked
off the hair; I hid not my face from
shame and spitting" (Isa. 50:6).
Why would God's servant the
Messiab allow this? For wbat rea–
son is he beaten?
First, notice verse lO. "Who. is
among you that feareth the Lord,
that obeyeth the voice of His ser–
vant?" How can we hear the voice
of God's servant? ls there a source
that we can go to to find out bis
words?
lsaiah continues describing the
servant with verse 13 of chapter
52: "Behold, My servant shall
prosper, he shall be exalted and
lifted up, and shall be very high.
According as many were appalled
17