The Jewish learning centre Aish HaTorah offered a brief explanation of the 53th chapter of the prophet Isaiah on their website. The Suffering Servant is painted in the Jewish way. Some interesting issues as mistranslations are dealt with. And I appreciate the honest way of outreaching they do: The intention is not to denigrate another religion, but rather to understand the true meaning of the Divine word. The Christian Church always applies the Suffering Servant to Jesus. This is opposed to the Jews who believe the people of Israel are meant by it. What is interesting is that this Christian view is not found in the early church and the apostles. Were they familiar with the Jewish view of our days in some sense? The Hebrew word Servant (of HaSjem) ( עבד ebed) means someone who does Gods will. This can be someone from a king to a slave. Tom Holland gives an interesting view on it in his book about Paul’s theology on page 81-82. He says about the early church opinion: The servant role was not limited to Jesus, but was shared by the whole people of God.I’m about to agree, we share many, from cross to crown.This is the reason why the early church didn’t apply it to Jesus because of the vicarious atonement according to Tom Holland. That should be limited to one person, the Messiah.I really wonder why the author of the article denies a vicarious atonement at all. Paul and the other apostles clearly shows us that this is the cornerstone of salvation. And this was certainly not something new and not limited to the NT writings. How then does Judaism teach vicarious atonement? In our days? What about sacrificing an animal? Or more specific, the goat on Yom Kippur which bears the sin and was to send away in the dessert?
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Tags: Isaiah 53
November 8, 2011 at 13:17
You are making little sense. The Christian Church “always”(?) applies it to Jesus yet they didn’t always apply it to Jesus?? What do you mean “we share many from cross to crown”? Share many what? What does a cross have to do with a crown? Are you saying that maybe 1 person’s suffering on a cross (or asherah tree?) was somehow greater than the 10′s of thousand’s (or more) of other servants who were executed by Rome? Just because It’s “Paul’s” opinion or Mr Holland’s speculation? How were those who were massacred saved? And how did that “vicarious” suffering save the Temple (house of Jesus’s & the Jew’s father) from destruction by Rome?
Now, it is true that a man or virgin child or a god (man-god or son god) was an acceptable form of vicarious atonement in many pagan religions (or as you put it, “not something new & not limited to the NT writings”). As was the goat that “bore the sin” sacrificed or was it released into it’s “native pastureland/home”? Was sacrifice of animals (not humans or gods!) seen as necessary & someone/something MUST suffer or else there is no “atonement”? Or was it seen as an offering, as a gift to God for one of several different reasons, other than because one had sinned. And because God has everything & needs nothing from us (God is merciful & can show grace without our (or a suffering animals) assistance), we still want or feel a need to give God an offering. And to show God we really mean it when we say we love God and will obey God in the future (although we may have disobeyed in the past), it means more if it comes from our OWN heart, our own actions. Just like a husband will not have his employee or some store delivery person pick out some flowers & candy, sign his name on a card, purchase, & deliver the gift/offering/sacrifice to the man’s wife. He will be much more appreciated or forgiven and loved in return, if the gift comes from him, from his heart.
I was raised Christian, still go to church, and I, unlike what Paul, Yeshua, & the NT writers (& many, if not most of their followers) seem to do is not only denigrate Judaism, but the Jews themselves as a nation of God and as individual people. It seems like the foundation of the religion of Yeshua, aka Jesus, (the true founder of the modern Church, not just an “early” Roman church) is a “destruction” of the Jewish people and their God,
November 9, 2011 at 09:27
True, I made little sense in this post because I didn’t speak out that much. I found it just worth to mention the Jewish opinion about Isaiah 53. I appreciate your comment and I’ll go into more details or explain my short sayings.
The Christian church applies the suffering servant in general to Jesus in contrast to the Jews.
“We share a lot from cross to crown” has a deeper meaning. the followers of Jesus, have not only a share in the world-to-come but also in the misery and suffering of this highest servant of God. They will become as he was in some sense. To put it another way: the true Torah has life and dead in itself. The Messiah is the second Adam, the restoration of Man and the likeness of God, in which the man was made. To be part of it one has to go through that way, through dead to enter eternal life. If one doesn’t have a share in it he doesn’t have a share in the cross and the crown either. It’s better to say in the suffering and crown or curse and blessing. What do we have to do? Choose Life as it says: Deut.30: I put Life and Dead before you, now choose life. But what does scripture also say? I am for peace: but when I speak, they are for war. Ps.120 So the tens of thousands executed by Rome have a share in that One Person. They who are doing good and even punished “are not from this world” John 15:19, 16:33. Also the people of Israel were going through a lot of suffering, but in the end they will be redeemed, Romans 11, Deut.30. The calling of the gentiles (by Jesus) does not set apart the calling of the people of Israel. That calling is irrevocable.
You’re right by what you’re saying about sacrifices, but there’s one sacrifice that we are all in need of: the atonement of Yom Kippur. It’s also right that God is pleased in Himself. But he also suffers in Himself. The One Omnipresent has it all and is not in need of anything. But what about us? There are things we can’t see, but this is what we know: We are not righteous in ourselves but God will provide it for us. And we are taught that there isn’t atonement without blood (sacrifice) as pointed out in Lev.16. We can’t bear our sins, God however can provide it. How do you think it works? How for gentiles?
I read along the lines that you’re aware of the many errors in Christianity. May I share you the following. In 1John 2, John says that the antichrist will be there soon. Amongst the faithful people. Of course the satan is amongst the most holy people to deceive them if he could. Don’t expect a church or other denomination without errors. There remains a lot of suffering, like the great Servant.
There’s much more to say about it. But in my opinion the Jewish and Christian view on the servant of Is.53 are not as opposite as it seems.