Anointing of Christ as Prophetic Rehearsal of the Burial rites

Posted on April 5, 2012. Filed under: Jesus Christ Jeshua the Messiah Jahushua, Life and Death | Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , |

Eight days after his birth Jesus was anointed for the first time at his circumcision, the traditional Jewish celebration to take up the child in the community of the Jewish people, Israel, the People of God.

Jesus Anointing

Jesus Anointing - 1874 Source WCG Author Alexander Bida

Six days before the Pascha /Pesach or Passover when the “crucifixion” was to take place we find Jesus with his disciples in Bethany at the house of the risen Lazarus and his two sisters Mary and Martha (John 11:1,2) This time we do not find a mention of an alabaster jar or tears as by the second anointing, but a drying with the hair and anointing of Jesus‘ feet with costly ointment of nard, of which Judas complains about wastefulness.
Jesus refers to this anointing to his coming death and burial, by which usually also the dead bodies are embalmed. Here we will find the sign of anointing and embalming the Anointed Dead as well as the detention of earthly dissolution or destruction.

“Accordingly יהושע, six days before the Passover, came to Bĕyth Anyah, where Elʽazar was, who had died, whom He raised from the dead. So they made Him a supper there, and Martha served, while Elʽazar was one of those who sat at the table with Him. Then Miryam took a pound of costly perfume of nard, anointed the feet of יהושע, and wiped His feet with her hair. And the house was filled with the fragrance of the perfume. Then one of His taught ones, Yehuḏah from Qerioth, son of Shimʽon, who was about to deliver Him up, said, “Why was this perfume not sold for three hundred pieces of silver and given to the poor?” And he said this, not because he was concerned about the poor, but because he was a thief, and had the bag, and he used to take what was put in it. יהושע then said, “Let her alone, she has kept this for the day of My burial. “For the poor you have with you always, but Me you do not have always.” Then a great crowd of the Yehuḏim learned that He was there. And they came, not on account of יהושע only, but also to see Elʽazar, whom He had raised from the dead. And the chief priests resolved to kill Elʽazar as well, because on account of him many of the Yehuḏim went away and believed in יהושע. ” (John 12:1-11 The Scriptures 1998+)

The lady in Bethany did not want to seek to please and honour herself. When Mary, having taken a litra [about 12 ounces or 340 grams] of very valuable, pure spikenard ointment, anointed the feet of Jesus and wiped his feet with her hair she acted as she wanted to be a servant and clean her Master, honouring him. At the same time perhaps to become pure in heart like him who did not need a cleansing because he was without fault, but to repel all anxiety, all discontent, all discouragement.

Judas Iscariot son of Simon, the one about to betray his master Jesus asked why this ointment was not sold for three hundred denarii [i.e., 300 days' wages or a whole year's salary or a Roman legionary sixteen months' pay] and given to poor people. But Mary found her friend who raised Lazarus from the dead worth so much if not more. Also we should be aware of the costly price of Jesus, being more than the 10 months or more wages.

For them Jesus was still with them, but they had to know they would not have Jesus always around any more. “For the poor you always have with yourselves, but Me you do not always have.”  (John 12:8)  This is what Mary perceived with her delicate woman’s intuition and what the apostles failed to understand though repeatedly and plainly told by Jesus. For her actions this deed and woman would be remembered. For we got here a prophetic rehearsal of the burial rites.

“Truly, I say to you, wherever this Good News is proclaimed in all the world, what this woman did shall also be spoken of, to her remembrance.”
(Mark 14:9 & Matthew 26:13 The Scriptures 1998+)

Though it would have bought bread for thousands here the living bread has been prepared. And that bread would be for billions of people. And “two hundred pieces of silver worth of bread is not sufficient for them, for every one of them to receive a little. (John 6:7 The Scriptures 1998+)

The generous tone of Jesus his prediction, remarkably fulfilled, is in sharp contrast to the mean protest of the disciples. The disciples criticized this lavish praise. Then for one of the twelve, called Yehuḏah from Qerioth or Judas Iscariot it was clear that nothing material was to be gained from associating with this man he followed for several months and considered being the Messiah. The evangel his master heralded for the whole world preached sacrifice, humility, peace and absence from wealth.  This Jesus had so little appreciation of the value of money.  Judas had no love of the poor, (John 12:6.10-11). Jesus is far from opposing efforts to conquer pauperism; he simply remarks a fact: the disciples will have ample opportunity after he has gone to care for the poor.

While Mary sacrificed a large sum of money to show her love to Jesus, Judas sold Him for the hire of a slave and got for his treachery the equivalent of 120 denarii. The thirty pieces of silver are staters. The sum was a natural one for the priests to choose because the Law laid it down as the price for a human person (a slave; Exodus 21:32).

By this anointing of Jesus, once more the world could find in the sign of anointing that he was the promised Christ (= the anointed) or Messiah.

voetwassing_detail

At the Last Supper, before his death, Jesus washes also the feet of his pupils

Later when Jesus at an other meal, his Last Supper, would take the bread to bless it we shall get the end of the Mosaic dispensation. The true Paschal Lamb was Jesus Christ, and he was now ready for the sacrifice. Yet at the very hour he was offered, unbelieving Jews were sacrificing useless blood in the temple. The Lord’s supper which takes the place of the Old Testament ceremonies, is a memorial of Christ as a gift and sacrifice, a parable of the true nature of Christianity — Christ becoming a part of us, and a prophecy of his future coming and glory.

The priests didn’t want to put Jesus to death during the Passover feast, but they will anyway. The Passover as a sacred feast, remembered the deliverance of Israel from Egypt, which was the central act of redemption in the Old Testament. Now Jesus will provide a new centre of redemption. In him we can find the most sublime Lamb and offer for God. This time not an animal and not an innocent child who can not dispute (as Isaac), but an adult man who has a free will and enough understanding to be aware of his actions and with enough insight to what is going to happen.

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Dutch version / Nederlandse versie:  Zalving van Christus als profetische repetitie van de begrafenisrituelen

Dutch readers can read more on the several anointments Jesus received while he was alive here on earth, in the article: Het begin van Jezus #12 Gezalfd na Johannes de Doper
+ Voor Nederlandstalige lezers wordt er in de reeks over het al of niet voorbestaan van Jezus ook dieper ingegaan op zijn tweede naamgeving, namelijk Christus of de Gezalfde. > Het begin van Jezus #12 Gezalfd na Johannes de Doper

Sequel: Anointing as a sign of Promotion

In Dutch Zalving als teken van verhoging

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Please do also find:

  1. Trust in the blood of the Lamb God provides
  2. Genealogy of Mary, mother of Jesus
  3. Preexistence in the Divine purpose and Trinity
  4. A Jewish Theocracy
  5. What Jesus Did – Misleading around the Messiah and the final assessment
  6. Not bounded by labels but liberated in Christ
  7. Written to recognise the Promissed One
  8. Not making a runner

+++

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Written to recognise the Promissed One

Posted on February 16, 2012. Filed under: Bible Study and Bible Reading, Jehovah יהוה YHWH JHVH God Elohim Yahweh Jahweh, Jesus Christ Jeshua the Messiah Jahushua, Prophecy | Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , |

012.Abraham and the Three Angels

The prophet Abraham and the Three Angels

Deuteronomy 18:16  according to all that thou desiredst of Jehovah thy God in Horeb in the day of the assembly, saying, Let me not hear again the voice of Jehovah my God, neither let me see this great fire any more, that I die not.
Deuteronomy 18:17  And Jehovah said unto me, They have well said that which they have spoken.
Deuteronomy 18:18  I will raise them up a prophet from among their brethren, like unto thee; and I will put my words in his mouth, and he shall speak unto them all that I shall command him.

Deuteronomy 18:19  And it shall come to pass, that whosoever will not hearken unto my words which he shall speak in my name, I will require it of him.
Deuteronomy 18:20  But the prophet, that shall speak a word presumptuously in my name, which I have not commanded him to speak, or that shall speak in the name of other gods, that same prophet shall die.
Deuteronomy 18:21  And if thou say in thy heart, How shall we know the word which Jehovah hath not spoken?
Deuteronomy 18:22  when a prophet speaketh in the name of Jehovah, if the thing follow not, nor come to pass, that is the thing which Jehovah hath not spoken: the prophet hath spoken it presumptuously, thou shalt not be afraid of him.

Psalms 110:1   «A Psalm of David.» Jehovah saith unto my Lord, Sit thou at my right hand, Until I make thine enemies thy footstool.
Isaiah 9:2  The people that walked in darkness have seen a great light: they that dwelt in the land of the {1} shadow of death, upon them hath the light shined. {1) Or deep darkness}
Isaiah 9:3  Thou hast multiplied the nation, {1} thou hast increased their joy: they joy before thee according to the joy in harvest, as men rejoice when they divide the spoil. {1) Another reading is thou didst not increase the joy}
Isaiah 9:4  For the yoke of his burden, and the staff of his shoulder, the rod of his oppressor, thou hast broken as in the day of Midian.
Isaiah 9:5  For {1} all the armor of the armed man in the tumult, and the garments rolled in blood, shall be for burning, for fuel of fire. {1) Or every boot of the booted warrior}
Isaiah 9:6  For unto us a child is born, unto us a son is given; and the government shall be upon his shoulder: and his name shall be called {1} Wonderful, Counsellor, Mighty God, {2} Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace. {1) Or Wonderful counsellor 2) Heb Father of Eternity}
Isaiah 9:7  Of the increase of his government and of peace there shall be no end, upon the throne of David, and upon his kingdom, to establish it, and to uphold it with justice and with righteousness from henceforth even for ever. The zeal of Jehovah of hosts will perform this.

Isaiah 11:1   And there shall come forth a shoot out of the stock of Jesse, and a branch out of his roots shall bear fruit.
Isaiah 42:1   Behold, my servant, whom I uphold; my chosen, in whom my soul delighteth: I have put my Spirit upon him; he will bring forth justice to the {1} Gentiles. {1) Or nations (and elsewhere)}

Isaiah 42:2  He will not cry, nor lift up his voice, nor cause it to be heard in the street.
Isaiah 42:3  A bruised reed will he not break, and a dimly burning wick will he not quench: he will bring forth justice in truth.
Isaiah 42:4  He will not {1} fail nor be {2} discouraged, till he have set justice in the earth; and the isles shall wait for his law. {1) Or burn dimly 2) Or bruised}
Isaiah 42:5   Thus saith God Jehovah, he that created the heavens, and stretched them forth; he that spread abroad the earth and that which cometh out of it; he that giveth breath unto the people upon it, and spirit to them that walk therein:
Isaiah 42:6  I, Jehovah, have called thee in righteousness, and will hold thy hand, and will {1} keep thee, and give thee for a covenant of the people, for a light of the Gentiles; {1) Or form}
Isaiah 42:7  to open the blind eyes, to bring out the prisoners from the dungeon, and them that sit in darkness out of the prison-house.
Isaiah 42:8  I am Jehovah, that is my name; and my glory will I not give to another, neither my praise unto graven images.
Isaiah 42:9  Behold, the former things are come to pass, and new things do I declare; before they spring forth I tell you of them.
Isaiah 49:1   Listen, O isles, unto me; and hearken, ye peoples, from far: Jehovah hath called me from the womb; from the bowels of my mother hath he made mention of my name:
Isaiah 49:2  and he hath made my mouth like a sharp sword; in the shadow of his hand hath he hid me: and he hath made me a polished shaft; in his quiver hath he kept me close:
Isaiah 49:3  and he said unto me, Thou art my servant; Israel, in whom I will be glorified.
Isaiah 49:4  But I said, I have labored in vain, I have spent my strength for nought and vanity; yet surely the justice due to me is with Jehovah, and my recompense with my God.
Isaiah 49:5  And now saith Jehovah that formed me from the womb to be his servant, to bring Jacob again to him, {1} and that Israel be gathered unto him (for I am honorable in the eyes of Jehovah, and my God is become my strength); {1) Another reading is but Israel is not gathered, yet shall I be etc}
Isaiah 49:6  yea, he saith, It is too light a thing that thou shouldest be my servant to raise up the tribes of Jacob, and to restore the preserved of Israel: I will also give thee for a light to the Gentiles, {1} that thou mayest be my salvation unto the end of the earth. {1) Or that my salvation may be}

Kölner Maler um 1450-1460 001

12 scenes from the life of the Annointed, promissed Saviour -c. 1450-1460 Anonymous - Wallraf-Richartz-Museum, Köln

Isaiah 52:13   Behold, my servant shall {1} deal wisely, he shall be exalted and lifted up, and shall be very high. {1) Or prosper}
Isaiah 52:14  Like as many were astonished at thee (his visage was so marred {1} more than any man, and his form more than the sons of men), {1) Or from that of man, and his form from that of the sons of men}
Isaiah 52:15  so shall he {1} sprinkle many nations; kings shall shut their mouths {2} at him: for that which had not been told them shall they see; and that which they had not heard shall they {3} understand. {1) Or startle 2) Or because of 3) Or consider}

Isaiah 53:1   Who hath believed {1} our message? and to whom hath the arm of Jehovah been revealed? {1) Or that which we have heard}
Isaiah 53:2  For he grew up before him as a tender plant, and as a root out of a dry ground: he hath no form nor comeliness; {1} and when we see him, there is no beauty that we should desire him. {1) Or that we should look upon him; nor beauty etc}

Isaiah 53:3  He was despised, and {1} rejected of men; a man of sorrows, and acquainted with {2} grief: and {3} as one from whom men hide their face he was despised; and we esteemed him not. {1) Or forsaken 2) Heb sickness 3) Or he hid as it were his face from us}
Isaiah 53:4   Surely he hath borne our {1} griefs, and carried our sorrows; yet we did esteem him stricken, smitten of God, and afflicted. {1) Heb sicknesses}
Isaiah 53:5  But he was wounded for our transgressions, he was bruised for our iniquities; the chastisement of our peace was upon him; and with his stripes we are healed.

Isaiah 53:6  All we like sheep have gone astray; we have turned every one to his own way; and Jehovah hath {1} laid on him the iniquity of us all. {1) Heb made to light}
Isaiah 53:7  He was oppressed, yet when he was afflicted he opened not his mouth; as a lamb that is led to the slaughter, and as a sheep that before its shearers is dumb, so he opened not his mouth.

Isaiah 53:8  {1} By oppression and judgment he was taken away; and as for his generation, who among them considered that he was cut off out of the land of the {2} living for the transgression of my people to whom the stroke was due? {1) Or From 2) Or living? for the transgression of my people was he stricken}
Isaiah 53:9  And they made his grave with the wicked, and with a rich man in his death; {1} although he had done no violence, neither was any deceit in his mouth. {1) Or because}
Isaiah 53:10   Yet it pleased Jehovah to bruise him; he hath {1} put him to grief: {2} when thou shalt make his soul {3} an offering for sin, he shall see his seed, he shall prolong his days, and the pleasure of Jehovah shall prosper in his hand. {1) Heb made him sick 2) Or when his soul shall make an offering 3) Heb a trespass-offering}
Isaiah 53:11  {1} He shall see of the travail of his soul, and shall be satisfied: {2} by the knowledge of himself shall my righteous servant {3} justify many; and he shall bear their iniquities. {1) Or He shall see and be satisfied with the travail etc 2) Or by his knowledge 3) Or make many righteous}
Isaiah 53:12  Therefore will I divide him a portion with the great, and he shall divide the spoil with the strong; because he poured out his soul unto death, and was numbered with the transgressors: yet he bare the sin of many, and {1} made intercession for the transgressors. {1) Or maketh}

Jesus Annointed by a sinful woman, by Jean van Orley in Sint-Salvator

Jesus is annointed by a sinful woman, Luke 7,36

Isaiah 61:1   The Spirit of the Lord Jehovah is upon me; because Jehovah hath anointed me to preach good tidings unto the {1} meek; he hath sent me to bind up the broken-hearted, to proclaim liberty to the captives, and {2} the opening of the prison to them that are bound; {1) Or poor 2) Or opening of the eyes}
Isaiah 61:2  to proclaim the year of Jehovah’s favor, and the day of vengeance of our God; to comfort all that mourn;
Isaiah 61:3  to appoint unto them that mourn in Zion, to give unto them a garland for ashes, the oil of joy for mourning, the garment of praise for the spirit of heaviness; that they may be called trees of righteousness, the planting of Jehovah, that he may be glorified.

Jeremiah 23:5  Behold, the days come, saith Jehovah, that I will raise unto David a righteous {1} Branch, and he shall reign as king and {2} deal wisely, and shall execute justice and righteousness in the land. {1) Or Shoot; Or Bud 2) Or prosper}
Jeremiah 23:6  In his days Judah shall be saved, and Israel shall dwell safely; and this is his name whereby he shall be called: {1} Jehovah our righteousness. {1) Or Jehovah is our righteousness}

Jeremiah 33:14  Behold, the days come, saith Jehovah, that I will perform that good word which I have spoken concerning the house of Israel and concerning the house of Judah.
Jeremiah 33:15  In those days, and at that time, will I cause a Branch of righteousness to grow up unto David; and he shall execute justice and righteousness in the land.
Jeremiah 33:16  In those days shall Judah be saved, and Jerusalem shall dwell safely; and this is the name whereby she shall be called: Jehovah our righteousness.

Ezekiel 34:22  therefore will I save my flock, and they shall no more be a prey; and I will judge between sheep and sheep.
Ezekiel 34:23  And I will set up one shepherd over them, and he shall feed them, even my servant David; he shall feed them, and he shall be their shepherd.

Ezekiel 34:24  And I, Jehovah, will be their God, and my servant David prince among them; I, Jehovah, have spoken it.
Ezekiel 34:25  And I will make with them a covenant of peace, and will cause evil beasts to cease out of the land; and they shall dwell securely in the wilderness, and sleep in the woods.

Zechariah 9:9   Rejoice greatly, O daughter of Zion; shout, O daughter of Jerusalem: behold, thy king cometh unto thee; he is just, and {1} having {2} salvation; lowly, and riding upon an ass, even upon a colt the foal of an ass. {1) Heb saved 2) Or victory}
Zechariah 9:10  And I will cut off the chariot from Ephraim, and the horse from Jerusalem; and the battle bow shall be cut off; and he shall speak peace unto the nations: and his dominion shall be from sea to sea, and from the River to the ends of the earth.

Giovanni Agostino da Lodi 001

Adoration of the Shepherds - 1505 Giovanni Agostino da Lodi

Matthew 1:18   Now the {1} birth {2} of Jesus Christ was on this wise: When his mother Mary had been betrothed to Joseph, before they came together she was found with child of the Holy Spirit. {1) Or generation; as in verse 1. 2) Some ancient authorities read of the Christ}
Matthew 1:22  Now all this is come to pass, that it might be fulfilled which was spoken by the Lord through the prophet, saying,
Matthew 1:23  {1} Behold, the virgin shall be with child, and shall bring forth a son, And they shall call his name {2} Immanuel; which is, being interpreted, God with us.{1) Isa 7:14. 2) Gr Emmanuel}

Matthew 16:16  And Simon Peter answered and said, Thou art the Christ, the Son of the living God.
Matthew 16:20  Then charged he the disciples that they should tell no man that he was the Christ.
Matthew 26:68  saying, Prophesy unto us, thou Christ: who is he that struck thee?

Mark 8:27   And Jesus went forth, and his disciples, into the villages of Caesarea Philippi: and on the way he asked his disciples, saying unto them, Who do men say that I am?
Mark 8:28  And they told him, saying, John the Baptist; and others, Elijah; but others, One of the prophets.
Mark 8:29  And he asked them, But who say ye that I am? Peter answereth and saith unto him, Thou art the Christ.
Mark 8:30  And he charged them that they should tell no man of him.

Mark 14:61  But he held his peace, and answered nothing. Again the high priest asked him, and saith unto him, Art thou the Christ, the Son of the Blessed?
Mark 14:62  And Jesus said, I am: and ye shall see the Son of man sitting at the right hand of Power, and coming with the clouds of heaven.
Mark 14:63  And the high priest rent his clothes, and saith, What further need have we of witnesses?
Mark 14:64  Ye have heard the blasphemy: what think ye? And they all condemned him to be {1} worthy of death. {1) Gr liable to}

Luke 2:11  for there is born to you this day in the city of David a Saviour, who is {1} Christ the Lord. {1) Or Anointed Lord}

Luke 2:26  And it had been revealed unto him by the Holy Spirit, that he should not see death, before he had seen the Lord’s Christ.
John 4:25  The woman saith unto him, I know that Messiah cometh (he that is called Christ): when he is come, he will declare unto us all things.
John 4:26  Jesus saith unto her, I that speak unto thee am he.

John 7:26  And lo, he speaketh openly, and they say nothing unto him. Can it be that the rulers indeed know that this is the Christ?
John 7:27  Howbeit we know this man whence he is: but when the Christ cometh, no one knoweth whence he is.
John 7:31  But of the multitude many believed on him; and they said, When the Christ shall come, will he do more signs than those which this man hath done?
John 7:41  Others said, This is the Christ. But some said, What, doth the Christ come out of Galilee?
John 7:42  {1} Hath not the scripture said that the Christ cometh of the seed of David, and from Bethlehem, the village where David was? {1) 2 Sa 7:12 ff; Mic 5:2}

Elevation de la croix rubens

The elevation of the cross - c. 1620 Peter Paul Rubens (1577–1640)

John 9:22  These things said his parents, because they feared the Jews: for the Jews had agreed already, that if any man should confess him to be Christ, he should be put out of the synagogue.
Acts 2:36  Let {1} all the house of Israel therefore know assuredly, that God hath made him both Lord and Christ, this Jesus whom ye crucified. {1) Or every house}

Acts 3:20  and that he may send the Christ who hath been appointed for you, even Jesus:
Acts 3:21  whom the heaven must receive until the times of restoration of all things, whereof God spake by the mouth of His holy prophets that have been from of old.

Acts 4:26  The kings of the earth set themselves in array, And the rulers were gathered together, Against the Lord, and against his {1} Anointed: {1) Gr Christ}
Acts 4:27  for of a truth in this city against thy holy {1} Servant Jesus, whom thou didst anoint, both Herod and Pontius Pilate, with the {2} Gentiles and the peoples of Israel, were gathered together, {1) Or Child; See marginal note on Ac 3:13. 2) Gr nations}
Acts 4:28  to do whatsoever thy hand and thy council foreordained to come to pass.
Acts 10:38  even Jesus of Nazareth, how God anointed him with the Holy Spirit and with power: who went about doing good, and healing all that were oppressed of the devil; for God was with him.
Acts 18:28  for he powerfully confuted the Jews, {1} and that publicly, showing by the scriptures that Jesus was the Christ. {1) Or showing publicly}
Acts 26:22  Having therefore obtained the help that is from God, I stand unto this day testifying both to small and great, saying nothing but what the prophets and Moses did say should come;
Acts 26:23  {1} how that the Christ {2} must suffer, and {1} how that he first by the resurrection of the dead should proclaim light both to the people and to the Gentiles. {1) Or if; Or whether 2) Or is subject to suffering.

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Following on:

  1. Jesus begotten Son of God #4 Promised Prophet and Saviour
  2. Jesus begotten Son of God #5 Apsotle, High Priest and King
  3. Jesus begotten Son of God #6 Anointed Son of God, Adam and Abraham
  4. Jesus begotten Son of God #3 Messiah or Anointed one
  5. Jesus begotten Son of God #7 A matter of the Future
  6. Jesus begotten Son of God #8 Found Divinely Created not Incarnated
  7. Jesus begotten Son of God #9 Two millennia ago conceived or begotten
  8. Jesus begotten Son of God #13 Pre-existence excluding virginal birth of the Only One Transposed
  9. Jesus begotten Son of God #14 Beloved Preminent Son and Mediator originating in Mary
  10. Jesus begotten Son of God #15 Son of God Originating in Mary
  11. The Beginning of the life of Jesus Christ
  12. Christ having glory
  13. The Beginning of the life of Jesus Christ

Dutch readers can also find the associated articles: / Nederlandstalige lezers kunnen de aansluitende artikelen lezen:

  1. Het begin van Jezus #1 Menselijke aspecten
  2. Het begin van Jezus #2 Aller Begin
  3. Het begin van Jezus #3 Voorgaande Tijden
  4. Het begin van Jezus #4 Aangekondigde te komen Verlosser
  5. Het begin van Jezus #5 Aankondigingsteksten uit de Schrift
  6. Jezus van Nazareth #1 Jezus Geboorte
  7. Jezus van Nazareth #2 De zoon van Maria

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Jesus begotten Son of God #3 Messiah or Anointed one

Posted on November 30, 2011. Filed under: Jesus Christ Jeshua the Messiah Jahushua | Tags: , , , , |

The Anointed begotten Son of God

 

9. Messiah or Anointed one

As Christians we do speak about Jesus Christ the Messiah. The term Messiah is derived from the Hebrew root word mashiach. The verb is used when an object, an altar for example, was consecrated for a sacred purpose. The noun mashiach is used to describe a person consecrated for service to God. The Hebrews believed that when God anointed a person, that person received a measure of the Holy Spirit. He became a vehicle of the activity of God in a special way. Prophets, priests and kings were anointed for the sacred offices they held. Thus the OT Scriptures speak of many “christs” or “anointed ones.”[1]+[2]

The term is used to identify a specially commissioned servant of God. There is no hint that “messiahs” were to be Deity! They were agents of the One God.

There was one Messiah who was promised long beforehand.

English: child Jesus with the virgin Mary, wit...

“Those who oppose יהוה are shattered, from the heavens He thunders against them. יהוה judges the ends of the earth, and gives strength to His sovereign, and exalts the horn of His anointed.” (1 Samuel 2:10 The Scriptures 1998+)

‘And I shall raise up for Myself a trustworthy priest who does according to what is in My heart and in My being. And I shall build him a steadfast house, and he shall walk before My anointed forever. (1 Samuel 2:35 The Scriptures 1998+)

The sovereigns of the earth take their stand, And the rulers take counsel together, Against יהוה and against His Messiah, and say, (Psalms 2:2 The Scriptures 1998+)

יהוה, remember the reproach of Your servants, That I have borne in my bosom – Of all the many peoples, With which Your enemies have reproached, O יהוה, With which they have reproached the footsteps of Your anointed. (Psalms 89:50-51 The Scriptures 1998+)

“For the sake of Your servant Dawiḏ, Do not turn away the face of Your Anointed One.” (Psalms 132:10 The Scriptures 1998+)

“And I put deliverance on her priests, And her kind ones sing for joy. “There I make the horn of Dawiḏ grow; I shall set up a lamp for My Anointed One. “I put shame on his enemies, While on Him His diadem shall shine.” (Psalms 132:16-18 The Scriptures 1998+)

“At the beginning of your supplications a word went out, and I have come to make it known, for you are greatly appreciated. So consider the word and understand the vision: “Seventy weeks are decreed for your people and for your set-apart city, to put an end to the transgression, and to seal up sins, and to cover crookedness, and to bring in everlasting righteousness, and to seal up vision and prophet, and to anoint the Most Set-apart. “Know, then, and understand: from the going forth of the command to restore and build Yerushalayim until Messiah the Prince is seven weeks and sixty-two weeks. It shall be built again, with streets and a trench, but in times of affliction. “And after the sixty-two weeks Messiah shall be cut off and have naught. And the people of a coming prince shall destroy the city and the set-apart place. And the end of it is with a flood. And wastes are decreed, and fighting until the end. “And he shall confirm a covenant with many for one week. And in the middle of the week he shall put an end to slaughtering and meal offering. And on the wing of abominations he shall lay waste, even until the complete end and that which is decreed is poured out on the one who lays waste.” (Daniel 9:23-27 The Scriptures 1998+)

“So when you see the ‘abomination that lays waste,’ spoken of by Dani’ĕl the prophet, set up in the set-apart place” – he who reads, let him understand – (Matthew 24:15 The Scriptures 1998+)

“You shall go forth to save Your people, To save Your Anointed. You shall smite the Head from the house of the wrong, By laying bare from foundation to neck. Selah.” (Habakkuk 3:13 The Scriptures 1998+)

[1] What the Bible Teaches About the Promised Messiah, Thomas Nelson, Inc., 1993, 2.

[2] The term mashiach appears as a designation of various persons in the Old Testament:
Saul – 12 times: 1 Sam. 12:3, 5; 24:6 (twice), 10; 26:9, 11, 16, 23; 2 Sam. 1:14, 16, 21.
David – 6 times: 2 Sam. 19:21; 22:51; 23:1; Ps. 18:50; 20:6; 28:8.
Priest – 4 times: Lev. 4:3, 5, 16; 6:22.
Reigning king – 3 times: Lam. 4:20; Ps. 84:9; 89:38.
Patriarchs – twice: Ps. 105:15; 1 Chron. 16:22.
Solomon – once: 2 Chron. 6:42.
Prospective king – once: 1I Sam. 16:6.
Cyrus – once: Isa. 45:1.

 

 

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 Preceding article: Jesus begotten Son of God #2 Christmas and pagan rites

To be continued

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Fragments from the Book of Job #7 Epilogue

Posted on June 24, 2011. Filed under: Being Christian, following Jesus Christ, Bible Study and Bible Reading, Christendom and Christianity, Endtimes, Jehovah יהוה YHWH JHVH God Elohim Yahweh Jahweh, Suffering, World | Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , |

As Kevin Miller writes in his blog article about Job “Job is a book of tragedy, foolish counsel, mourning, but also great strength.” For us it can be counted as such a real romantic film: Job begins and ends happy and cheery, but in-between we get drama of high calibre. By the end of the very first chapter, all of Job’s kids were dead, his animals had been killed and/or stolen, almost of of his servants were dead, and he had completely crushed. Than his health was taken away and by the end of Job 2, we found this (once) wealthy, healthy, man of integrity sitting on a pile of ashes scraping his gaping wounds with broken pieces of pottery. As so often happens by humans is that his friends also started to accuse him of all sorts of bad things. People love it to find the evil by an other, but do not want to see “the beam” in their own eyes. “In Job 8:4, Job’s good old buddy, Bildad, even has the audacity to accuse Job of hidden sin! As if Job were to blame for his suffering! That’s a sad misconception that is sometimes even taught from pulpits today: hidden sin is causing your suffering. ” writes Miller rightly. We have to be careful not to fall in that trap or pitfall.
We also may not accept the latest theologies: Poverty theology and prosperity theology. The first considering those who are poor to be more righteous than those who are rich. It considers a matter of greed to become more wealthy than others and it honours those who choose to live in poverty as particularly devoted to God. Conversely, prosperity theology considers those who are rich to be more righteous than those who are poor; it honours those who are affluent as being rewarded by God because of their faith. In fact, both poverty and prosperity theology can be half-truths but are not depicting the full picture of Gods handling people.

Job and his family restored - Blake

Instead of clinging our hears to false teachers we do better to take Gods Words to our heart. As Arlin Sorensen says: “God has spoken to us clearly through His Word – the Bible is His first communication to us.  But more than that – God continues to speak to us as well.  The Holy Spirit lives in us to communicate God’s Truth to our hearts.  God may speak to us through a dream or a vision.  There is no shortage of God speaking to us and giving us direction for life. ” (About Job 33) Even without any book we could and should hear the words from God, because God is talking to us continually through creation, His Word, and the Spirit that lives in us. In the Book of Job as in many other Books of the Bible God lifts up a veil and is shown up as the Most Almighty, Omnipotent, Most Wise and Creator of all things and of all beings. The problem is that most of us do not want to read the Bible and as such hear the Words of God. They prefer to listen to the most popular speakers. But they are not always the wise speakers. On the other hand we also often fail as listeners because we have certain ideas to which we want to keep fast. Most listeners are already preparing their response before the ones to whom they listen ever finish what they have to say. We saw a glimpse of how we want to win the argument, like Elihu who thought he had all the answers. A lot of persons also think the Bible is just an old book and they forget that this Book of Books, the Best-seller of all times can change their life.

Because we want things our way, we prefer the answers who go in our direction of thinking and we dare to feel unjustified when something does happen not like we want it. Often it is our pride which hinders us to think straight and worse, makes it impossible to hear the answers from God. I do hope that in Arlin Sorensen’s Thoughts on Scripture the writer means not with  ” It does keep us from hearing God’s response – because there isn’t one. ” that there is no answer for us, because even if we have haughtiness or arrogance God has everybody given the chance to put his or her pride aside and to take up His Word of Wisdom in their hands to learn from it. He is right to say that God opposes the proud.  Scripture tells us that over and over. But that God doesn’t hear well – if at all – when pride is our defining character we cannot find right, because God listens to everything what happens and to what people say. He knows and sees everything. Nothing can escape His eye or ear. He doesn’t despise any. Jehovah is not going to look down upon with contempt just because a person can have some bad characteristics as pride. Yes He detest excessive self-esteem but He does see through our eyes and heart and knows were our attitude comes from. If we are honestly willing to hear God He shall come close to us. God shows no partiality to mankind (Job 34:19) and He has always His answer ready for everybody, who wants to hear it. Though it may not always come at the time we would think appropriate. It is up to God to decide to whom He gives answer when. God is always in control of everything. God is powerful and mighty because His righteous judgement and wisdom. Elihu showed us in chapter 36 how God gives some answers to the world, though they may not be like they would like to hear them. (Fragments from the Book of Job #5: chapters 32-37) Nothing can be “thwarted” from God (NIV) no purpose of Him can be restrained. (Job 42:2) Nothing is to difficult for God (Genesis 18:14;  Isaiah 43:13; Jeremiah 32:17; Matthew 19:26) When we are in agony, like Jesus was in the garden of Gethsemane, we can pray to Him and ask Him for things which seem impossible, because He can do everything (Mark 14:36) which shall always be more than any human being (Luke 18:27). God wants to be heard (Job 33:16) and use also people to let His voice been heard (2 Kings 17:13). By showing the people the results of their doings, the crimes caused by their pride, God gives answers to them (Job 36:9).  To hear God we sometimes have to be willing to stand still and to be prepared to listen (Job 37:14). To stop or “stand still”: “Stand still and see the salvation of God” (Exodus  14:13; 2 Chronicles 20:17). “Stand still and hear God’s commandments” (Numbers 9:8). “Stand still that I may show you the word of God” (1 Samuel 9:27). “Stand still that I may reason with you” (1 Samuel 12:7).

Garden of Gethsemane

One of the beauties of Gods creation where Jesus prayed to His Father, his and our God

“Behold, God is mighty, and despises not any: he is mighty in strength and wisdom. He preserves not the life of the wicked: but gives right to the poor. He withdraws not his eyes from the righteous: but with kings are they on the throne; yes, he does establish them forever, and they are exalted. And if they are bound in fetters, and are held in cords of affliction; Then he shows them their work, and their transgressions that they have exceeded. He opens also their ear to discipline, and commands that they return from iniquity.” You can read here how God answers them and which advice He give those people who got a higher position but could not keep it right. ” If they obey and serve him, they shall spend their days in prosperity, and their years in pleasures. But if they obey not, they shall perish by the sword, and they shall die without knowledge. But the hypocrites in heart heap up wrath: they cry not when he binds them. They die in youth, and their life is among the unclean.” (Job 36:5-14 KJBPNV)

“He delivers the poor in his affliction, and opens their ears in oppression. Even so would he have removed you out of the strait into a broad place, where there is no narrow place; and that which should be set on your table should be full of fatness.” (Job 36:15-16 KJBPNV)

“Behold, God exalts by his power: who teaches like him?” (Job 36:22 KJBPNV)

“He seals up the hand of every man; that all men may know his work.” (Job 37:7 KJBPNV)

“Touching the Almighty, we cannot find him out: he is excellent in power, and in judgment, and in plenty of justice: he will not afflict. Men do therefore fear him: he respects not any that are wise of heart.” (Job 37:23-24 KJBPNV)

“Gird up your loins now like a man: I will demand of you, and declare you unto me.” (Job 40:7 KJBPNV)

“Then will I also confess to you that your own right hand can save you.” (Job 40:14 KJBPNV)

“I know that you can do every thing, and that no thought can be withheld from you. Who is he that hides counsel without knowledge? therefore have I uttered that I understood not; things too wonderful for me, which I knew not.” (Job 42:2-3 KJBPNV)

Also people who do not believe in God shall at certain times, decided by God, be able to hear God saying things to them. Because God’s desire is that we move away from sin and move to righteousness.  He opens our ears to know His commands Job 36:10).

In Job 37:19 Elihu seems to have taunted Job asking him to teach them (Elihu and the three friends) how they should understand how to speak with God. Our brother Robert Prins wrote: “Elihu began by looking up.  Maybe we should do the same as we gaze at the vastness of the heavens, the ethereal blue of the sky, the beauty of the sunrise and the sunset – new pictures painted by God for us to marvel at every day.  We can see the expanse of his power as we look up into space and see the millions of stars he has created in glorious beauty, shining in the blackness on the night sky.  And when we see clouds we can be impressed by the sheer volume and weight of water that God suspends above the earth.  Who has not failed to be impressed by the thunder and lightening of a storm – thunder that can be heard all over the land, and lightening that lights up the whole earth with one almighty flash.  And what about the rain, the snow or the hot sun and the way that God can disrupt the whole of man’s affairs by floods, snowstorm, earthquake or heatwave…
May our hearts also pound and leap from their places as we stop to consider God’s wonders.”

We have to reflect on what happens in the world and how God works on it. we have to try to understand God’s involvement in the way that things work in the natural world. Looking around us we can “see” and “hear” a lot of answers to our questions. Other people can sensitise others, like us, to get to know more about the Creator deity. They also can let us see that trials we often go through are not only for us, but for those around us as well and for people far away, who often have nothing to do with what caused their problem either.
As God broke His silence to Job (Job 38:1-) (Fragments from the Book of Job #6: chapters 38-42) He employed a series of more than 70 questions to show Job and humankind, his ignorance and God’s greatness. As long as everything goes all right nobody seems to worry about God, but as soon as something terrible happens ‘everybody’ wants to blame God for it. Suddenly everybody has than criticism on the Creator. Speaking with great irony and personifying His other creations God want putting men right in front of it, and having them to face the facts. did not God confront Job with mysteries of the animal kingdom in order to make him more aware of his ignorance and thus of his inability to be a competent judge of the works of God?
We get to see the other point about what the Book of Job is about. When people criticizes the way things happen in the world and blame God for it, they are trying to usurp God’s position as Master or Governor of this world (Job 40:6-14).
Normally God has not to justify Himself before us, but God addressed the issue of His own justice and Job his futile attempt at self-justification (Job 40:8-14). God questions man if he would condemn the Creator or discredit His justice to justify man himself (Job 40:8 )

gods of the babyboom generation

In this world many want to have modern gods, people to whom they can look up. Some of those men and women would not mind taking on the appearance of deity. God challenges those people (Job 40:10) King David knew his place and wanted to honour God, but hoped that the adversaries and accusers would be clothed with disgrace and wrapped in shame as in a cloak (Psalm 109:29).

As we came to chapter 42 of the Book of Job the contest with the satan, i.e. the accuser is now over and Job became restored. Job repented for the presumptuous words he spoke to the Most High, his Creator(Job 42:6). We got to see that Jehovah does not want people to suffer for no reason. God could not be impressed with the words of Jobs friends. He found it time that the friends of Job were put on their place and that Job could enjoy again happiness. This last one put away his pride and rebellion and finds contentment in the knowledge that he has God’s fellowship. We also should already be pleased that God wants to be with us, though we do not understand all His ways with us and with the world around us.

Knowing that God is in control of everything but that He has given men the right to clear all things themselves, it is up to take our own responsibility. After the fall Adam and Eve and all their next generations could prove they could manage the creation. So lets tackle it according to our best means, knowing that we all received everything around us in loan from the Creator Jehovah our God, the Most High and omnipotent.

As a Christian, we should lovingly and sincerely have concern for many people and their many circumstances. We should see what happens in the world and should look for the underlying causes. First of all should we always remember that God has given men a free will. The Creator has given men the possibility to choose and to have many choices. So we should be aware which way several people wanted to go, what they did and what consequences they and not God, brought to other human beings and to the rest of the creation of God. As children of God our hearts should ache for the pain and trouble that other creatures experience in life. This concern should compel us to react wisely and to come unto their help. To people we should speak truth into their life, which can include everything from pointing out sin to giving wise counsel, and intercede for them before God in prayer. We also have to stay aware of our limitations. We never can “play for God”. As finite beings, there is only so much we can do and we must discern whom God has called us to help and how God has called us to help them. We have to make choices how and how much we can help and have to put priorities first. Whatever happens we should carry first whatever load God has allowed to come over us, but not blaming Him for it. Than we should see how God still stays with us and helps us to carry that load or burden.  As brothers and sisters in Christ we can help each other to make the burden lighter. Out of love we should try to do everything to make the problems less.

“Bear you one another’s burdens, and so fulfill the law of the Messiah. For if a man thinks himself to be something, when he is nothing, he deceives himself. But let every man prove his own work, and then shall he have rejoicing in himself alone, and not in another. For every man shall bear his own burden.” (Galatians 6:2-5 KJBPNV)

Let us be humble enough to accept that the Creator of all things has a good Plan which He is going to bring to a good end in due time. Although we cannot fully understand or appreciate Him, we can love, trust, respect Him and acknowledge that God alone can save us. Jehovah is our strength  and He is the only underived and self-sustaining existence in the universe. All other forms of life are but incorporations of the life which is in Him — so many subdivisions of the stream which issues from the great fountainhead. God, as the antecedent, eternal power of the universe, has elaborated all things out of Himself. The testimony before us is, that the God of gods did not hide from the wilderness Israelites, for in the startling familiarity they had every proof that He was with them in the shining face of Moses and the tables of stone. There were rules in abundance on how to worship, but even that did not make obedient children. God’s life instruction and every provision of over reaching care, made little difference to the Israelites.  Having the opportunity to read all the stories what happened to the people of God we should know better and take care not “to follow the world”. We should choose to follow the man God had sent to the earth to save the world. And we should follow the teachings of that son of God, called Yeshua or Jesus, the Nazarene, also called the Messiah.

In case we are not so happy with our life, let us look how we can make it better and easier to bear. Our disappointment is in itself a sign that we hunger for something better, and whatever our suffering situation and disappointment with the outcome, that we will regain a better outlook. All sufferers can have Hope. God especially cares and provides for all men — He is not willing that any should perish (2 Peter 3:9; John 3:16,17). The disappointment, with God’s answer, can be overwhelming, but God’s disappointment with us and God’s rejection of us are worse. We may never know the purpose of our suffering, but we need to rest assured that God has one. None of His should ever risk rejection.
If God leaves room for doubts and doubters, and we know He does, He also leaves room for the faithless, and in our disappointment, even for us. So God wants to give everybody His answer and His Help. The God who is positive has not only measures and rules for us but also promises.That we always have our ears and eyes open to see God ways and hear His answers and follow His instructions. That we have our eyes fixed on Gods Hope and that we hope in Him and in His son.

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“The final chapters of this remarkable book, one of the first on record, brings the drama to a wonderful conclusion. The questions with which it opened by the quest of the Satan, are now answered, and Job finds his experiences have developed his character and understanding. As a wonderful type of the Lord Jesus, Job is vindicated by Yahweh, and becomes a mediator for his friends. He is again commended as Yahweh’s ‘righteous servant’ and is restored and honoured sevenfold. The last speech of the Deity is in Job 41, in which is revealed the power of the flesh in the great leviathan, and the way in which the Almighty Creator permits His creation to display greater spiritual principles. So the record continues as the mighty leviathan is presented as the final picture of Yahweh’s omnipotence. [1] Its untamable ferocity: Job 41: 1-9. [2] Its terrifying appearance: Job 41: 10-24. [3] Its power in attack: Job 41: 25-32. [4] Its incontestable supremacy: Job 41: 33,34″ (GEM).
Job 42: “The picture moves to the exaltation of Job: [1] Job humbles himself before Yahweh: Job 42 1-6. [6] Divine rebuke of Job’s accusers: Job 42 7-9. [7] Job restored and honoured: Job 42 10-17. The type is before us in the record of Job; the antitype will shortly be revealed in the return of Yahshua the Anointed, and the elevation of his true family. Then great blessing will come to the whole world, in fulfilment of the Abrahamic covenant” (GEM).

“Trouble (so far from being evidence of desertion) is a means employed in His hands to lay the foundation of future joy and blessedness. Let His children then be comforted and strengthened to endure even the deepest and most inexplicable affliction. Let them learn to see God in the darkness and to feel His hand in the tempest. Let them beware of the folly of Job’s three friends rebuked of God. Let them know that this time of our pilgrimage is the night, and that though weeping may endure for a night, joy cometh in the morning and that joy a joy prepared by the weeping. Let them apply the consolation Christ has given them: ‘Blessed are ye that weep now, for ye shall be comforted’ [Matthew 5:4]” (WP 83).
***

Epilogue of the Book of Job

The Deliverance of Job

Job 42 (New Century Version)

7 After the Lord had said these things to Job, he said to Eliphaz the Temanite, “I am angry with you and your two friends, because you have not said what is right about me, as my servant Job did. 8 Now take seven bulls and seven male sheep, and go to my servant Job, and offer a burnt offering for yourselves. My servant Job will pray for you, and I will listen to his prayer. Then I will not punish you for being foolish. You have not said what is right about me, as my servant Job did.” 9 So Eliphaz the Temanite, Bildad the Shuhite, and Zophar the Naamathite did as the Lord said, and the Lord listened to Job’s prayer. 10 After Job had prayed for his friends, the Lord gave him success again. The Lord gave Job twice as much as he had owned before. 11 Job’s brothers and sisters came to his house, along with everyone who had known him before, and they all ate with him there. They comforted him and made him feel better about the trouble the Lord had brought on him, and each one gave Job a piece of silver and a gold ring. 12 The Lord blessed the last part of Job’s life even more than the first part. Job had fourteen thousand sheep, six thousand camels, a thousand teams of oxen, and a thousand female donkeys. 13 Job also had seven sons and three daughters. 14 He named the first daughter Jemimah, the second daughter Keziah, and the third daughter Keren-Happuch. 15 There were no other women in all the land as beautiful as Job’s daughters. And their father Job gave them land to own along with their brothers. 16 After this, Job lived one hundred forty years. He lived to see his children, grandchildren, great-grandchildren, and great-great-grandchildren. 17 Then Job died; he was old and had lived many years.

Job 42:17

The LXX adds, as footnote: “And it is written that he shall rise up again, with those whom the LORD shall raise up.”

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Next: Let us recognise how great God is

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Please do find more about Suffering on our main website:

Related please do read:

  1. About suffering
  2. Disappointed with God
  3. Gods design in the creation of the world
  4. Gods instruction about joy and suffering
  5. Gods promises
  6. Gods measure not our measure
  7. Gods non answer
  8. Gods promises to us in our suffering
  9. Gods hope and our hope
  10. Gods salvation
  11. Hope for the future
  12. Importuning for suffering hearts
  13. Looking for blessed hope
  14. Miracles in our time of suffering
  15. Our relationship with God, Jesus and each other
  16. Promise of comforter
  17. Seems no future in suffering
  18. Suffering
  19. Suffering – through the apparent silence of God
  20. Suffering continues
  21. Suffering leading to joy
  22. Surprised by time in joys & sufferings
  23. Words from God about suffering
  24. Working of the hope

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Isaiah prophet and messenger of God

Posted on March 31, 2011. Filed under: Bible Study and Bible Reading, Holy Scriptures, Jehovah יהוה YHWH JHVH God Elohim Yahweh Jahweh, Jesus Christ Jeshua the Messiah Jahushua, Prophecy | Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , |

Isaiah prophet and messenger of God

Isaiah, (Hebrew Yesha’yahu, “God is salvation”) (8th century BC, Jerusalem, ancient Israel), the largest and probably the most universally cherished of the Old Testaments prophetical books. The biblical Book of Isaiah is named after him but only some of the first 39 chapters are attributed to him.

Isaiah was a significant contributor to Jewish and Christian traditions and is mentioned repeatedly in 2 Kings and three times in 2 Chronicles. His name appears sixteen times in the book that bears his name.[1]

It is in his theology that Isaiah leans most heavily on Israelite tradition and shows an acquaintance with the thoughts of Amos. Isaiah shared with him and with the people the long-standing tradition that a special bond united Israel and its God. Since patriarchal times there had been an agreement, a solemn “Covenant” between them: Israel was to be God’s people and He their God.

According to this account Isaiah “saw” God and was overwhelmed by his contact with the divine glory and holiness. He became agonizingly aware of God’s need for a messenger to the people of Israel, and, despite his own sense of inadequacy, he offered himself for God’s service: “Here am I! Send me.” He was thus commissioned to give voice to the divine word.

Isaiah knew Israel’s God as a just and consequent orderly God who loved His creation. To God persons mattered. God was, in fact, more concerned about people than about how His subjects performed for Him their rituals. For Isaiah it was clear that God shapes history, traditionally entering the human scene to rescue His people from national peril. But, according to Isaiah’s discomfiting surmise, God could intervene quite as properly to chastise his own aberrant nation, and he could employ a human agent (e.g., a conquering foe) to that end.

A scroll of the Book of Isaiah

A scroll of the Book of Isaiah - Image via Wikipedia

Isaiah speaks of a sign of God, the coming Rod of Jesse, and a divine child who would become a wonderful king of David‘s line without giving the time.[2] This son Immanuel[3] given to the world would be the long awaited saviour, the Messiah, and the faithful servant[4] of the Only One God. The servant will raise up the tribes of Jacob and restore the preserved of Israel and be a light to the nations and God’s salvation to the ends of the earth.[5] Magnificently hopeful passages in this Bible book constantly mingle with the prevailing atmosphere of doom. Later in the New Testament we do find Jesus entering the synagogue in Nazareth reading a scroll of Isaiah. When Jesus read: “The Spirit of the Lord Jehovah is upon me; because Jehovah hath anointed me to preach good tidings unto the meek; he hath sent me to bind up the broken-hearted, to proclaim liberty to the captives, and the opening of the prison to them that are bound;” (Isaiah 61:1 ASV) he also said “Today this scripture has been fulfilled”[6] To us today we can be happy when our eyes see the things the apostles could see:[7] As for the apostles the words of Isaiah have come true, so for us. We have to give our ear to those writings and by Bible study we will get knowledge; and seeing, we will see.[8] And Jesus told the people he was the anointed and went out to proclaim the Good News or Glad Tidings (the Gospel). God’s salvation hospitality shall be extended and the wretched of the earth shall be evangelized and learn that God is on their side. [9]

Isaiah warns Ahaz to mend his ways, because before the Messiah would come, the Assyrians would invade and bring tragedy greater than the division of Ephraim from Judah, but they also would have to face their downfall and the burdens would be taken away from God’s people, whom He never shall abandon or forsake.[10] But there was an alternative to tragedy; God’s people did not have to be destroyed. The people’s survival depended on their acceptance again of the ancient moral demands. By returning they might be saved.

Israel is the object of God’s care and forgiving grace (44:1, 2, 2.1, 22). God is the agent; the servant is the recipient. God calls Cyrus for the sake of Israel (45: 4), but the situation later becomes more obscure (50: 4-10)[11]. Christ‘s humiliation is noticeable (50: 6), but the New Testament does not quote verses 4-10. The context does not imply that the suffering is vicarious; it says that God will help His servant. [12]

Isaiah tells about a servant who will do well in his undertakings and will be honoured, and lifted up, and be very high. He notifies also that people shall be surprised at this ordinary looking man. So will nations give him honour; kings will keep quiet because of him: for what had not been made clear to them they will see; and they will give their minds to what had not come to their ears. Men made sport of him, turning away from him; he was a man of sorrows, marked by disease; and like one from whom men’s faces are turned away, he was looked down on, and we put no value on him. Men were cruel to him, but he was gentle and quiet; as a lamb taken to its death, and as a sheep before those who take her wool makes no sound, so he said not a word. But it was our pain he took, and our diseases were put on him: while to us he seemed as one diseased, on whom God’s punishment had come. But it was for our sins he was wounded, and for our evil doings he was crushed: he took the punishment by which we have peace, and by his wounds we are made well.

Isaiah prophesises that this given innocent person would have put his body into the earth with sinners, and that his last resting-place was with the evil-doers, though he had done no wrong, and no deceit was in his mouth. But we may know that Jehovah God was pleased, made clear his righteousness before men. For taking the sins of all people on him he will have a heritage with the great, and he will have a part in the goods of war with the strong, because he gave up his life, and was numbered with the evil-doers; taking on himself the sins of the people, and making prayer for the wrongdoers.
We can know that the Almighty God Jehovah was satisfied and made His sincerity for men clear. For to take the sins of all men on himself Jesus will receive an inheritance with the big ones, and he will have a part in the goods of the war with the strong, because he wanted to give his life, and figured under the wrongdoers; taking over of the sins of the men, and making a prayer for wrongdoers.  [13]
Here we find explicit reference to Christ (Matthew 8:17; Luke 22:37; John 12:38; Acts 8:32, 37; Romans 10:16; 15:21; Hebrews 9:28; 1 Peter 2:22, 24,25). Jesus ‘sinoffering is that marvellous gift we can use to follow our path to righteousness and salvation.

Isaiah brings together the promises of the suffering servant, the Son of David, and the Lamb of God.

The prophet Isaiah succeeds in his target to be a joy bid. He knows to announce the Good News that God through the renewed and increased glory of its men will bring apotheosis over this world. The book of Isaiah became a vision of hope for sinners through the coming Messiah, that promises for the “redeemed” men of God a new world were sin and sorrow for good will be forgotten (35:10; 51:11).

Bibliography:

S.H. Blank, Prophetic Faith Isaiah (1958), stressing thought and significance; Prophetic Faith in Isaiah and others (1980);
O. Eissfeldt, Einleitung in das- Alte Testament, (3rd Edition 1964; Eng. trans., The Old Testament: An Introduction, pp. 301-346, 1965), on the history of interpretation, with bibliography;
R.L.Harris, Isaiah, 1975;
E.J. Kissane The Book of Isaiah, 2 vol. (1941-43, vol. 1 revised edition 1960);
J. Lindblom, Prophecy in Ancient IsraelT (1962), an excellent general introduction to Israelite prophecy;
F.L. Moriarty, “Isaiah 1-39,” in The Jerome Biblical Comentary, vol. 1 (1968), these three quite different in approach;
R.B.Y. Scott, “The Book of Isaiah,” in The Interpreter’s Bible, vol. 5, pp. 151-164 (1956), for literary analysis;
E Sellin, Einleitung in das Alte Testamt 10th ed. rev. and rewritten by G. Fohrer (1965; Eng. trans., Introduction to the Old Testament, 1968), on the structure of the book, with bibliography;
B. Vawter, The Conscience of Israel (1961).

[1] The earliest recorded event in his life is his call to prophecy as now found in the sixth chapter of the Book of Isaiah; this occurred about .742 BCE (before the Common Era = BC). The vision (probably in Jerusalem Temple) that made him a prophet is described in a first-person narrative, for only Isaiah could tell of this intimate experience. (S.H.Bl.; Macropaedia 9 p 908, Encyclopaedia Britannica)

[2] “For unto us a Child is born, unto us a Son is given; and the government shall be upon His shoulder. And His name shall be called Wonderful, Counselor, The Mighty God, The Everlasting Father, The Prince of Peace. Of the increase of His government and peace there shall be no end, upon the throne of David and upon His Kingdom, to order it and to establish it with judgment and with justice from henceforth even for ever. The zeal of the LORD of hosts will perform this.” (Isaiah 9:6-7 KJ21)

[3] “Therefore the Lord Himself shall give you a sign: Behold, a virgin shall conceive and bear a Son, and shall call His name Immanuel.” (Isaiah 7:14 KJ21)

[4] King David is also called the Lord’s servant; Nebuchadnezzar, likewise (Jeremiah 27:6). Jeremiah also calls Jacob (the nation) God’s servant (Jeremiah 46:27, 28 ). Zerubbabel is called God’s servant (Hagai 2:23). Zechariah called the Branch of David “my servant” (Zechariah 3: 8 ) and Ezekiel in the same v. calls Jacob (the nation) and David God’s Servant (Ezekiel37: 25).

[5] “and He said: ‘It is a light thing that Thou shouldest be My servant to raise up the tribes of Jacob and to restore the preserved of Israel. I will also give Thee for a light to the Gentiles, that Thou mayest be My salvation unto the end of the earth.’”” (Isaiah 49:6 KJ21)

[6] “”The Spirit of the Lord GOD is upon Me, because the LORD hath anointed Me to preach good tidings unto the meek. He hath sent me to bind up the brokenhearted, to proclaim liberty to the captives, and the opening of the prison to them that are bound,” (Isaiah 61:1 KJ21) + “And He came to Nazareth where He had been brought up. And as His custom was, He went into the synagogue on the Sabbath day and stood up to read. And there was delivered unto Him the book of the prophet Isaiah. And when He had opened the book, He found the place where it was written: “The Spirit of the Lord is upon Me, because He hath anointed Me to preach the Gospel to the poor. He hath sent Me to heal the brokenhearted, to preach deliverance to the captives, and recovering of sight to the blind, to set at liberty them that are bruised, to preach the acceptable year of the Lord.” And He closed the book, and He gave it again to the minister and sat down. And the eyes of all those who were in the synagogue were fastened on Him. And He began to say unto them, “This day is this Scripture fulfilled in your ears.” And all bore Him witness and wondered at the gracious words which proceeded out of His mouth. And they said, “Is not this Joseph’s son?” And He said unto them, “Ye will surely say unto Me this proverb: ‘Physician, heal thyself! Whatsoever we have heard done in Capernaum, do also here in thy country.’” And He said, “Verily I say unto you, no prophet is accepted in his own country. But I tell you in truth, many widows were in Israel in the days of Elijah, when the heaven was shut up three years and six months, when great famine was throughout all the land. But unto none of them was Elijah sent, save unto Zarephath, a city of Sidon, unto a woman that was a widow. And many lepers were in Israel in the time of Elisha the prophet, and none of them was cleansed, except Naaman the Syrian.” Then all those in the synagogue, when they heard these things, were filled with wrath, and rose up and thrust Him out of the city; and they led Him unto the brow of a hill whereon their city was built, that they might cast Him down headlong. But He, passing through the midst of them, went His way.” (Luke 4:16-30 KJ21)

[7] “And He turned unto His disciples and said privately, “Blessed are the eyes which see the things that ye see. For I tell you that many prophets and kings have desired to see those things which ye see, and have not seen them; and to hear those things which ye hear, and have not heard them.”” (Luke 10:23-24 KJ21)

[8] “And in them is fulfilled the prophecy of Isaiah, which saith, ‘By hearing ye shall hear, and shall not understand; and seeing ye shall see, and shall not perceive.” (Matthew 13:14 KJ21)

[9] “”The Spirit of the Lord is upon Me, because He hath anointed Me to preach the Gospel to the poor. He hath sent Me to heal the brokenhearted, to preach deliverance to the captives, and recovering of sight to the blind, to set at liberty them that are bruised,” (Luke 4:18 KJ21)

“the blind receive their sight and the lame walk, the lepers are cleansed and the deaf hear, the dead are raised up and the poor have the Gospel preached to them.” (Matthew 11:5 KJ21)

“Then Jesus answering said unto them, “Go your way, and tell John what things ye have seen and heard: how the blind see, the lame walk, the lepers are cleansed, the deaf hear, the dead are raised, to the poor the Gospel is preached.” (Luke 7:22 KJ21)

[10] “Therefore thus saith the Lord GOD of hosts: “O My people that dwellest in Zion, be not afraid of the Assyrian. He shall smite thee with a rod and shall lift up his staff against thee, after the manner of Egypt. For yet a very little while and the indignation shall cease, and Mine anger in their destruction.” And the LORD of hosts shall stir up a scourge for him according to the slaughter of Midian at the rock of Oreb; and as His rod was upon the sea, so shall He lift it up after the manner of Egypt. And it shall come to pass in that day, that his burden shall be taken away from off thy shoulder and his yoke from off thy neck, and the yoke shall be destroyed because of the anointing. He is come to Aiath, he is passed to Migron; at Michmash he hath laid up his baggage. They are gone over the passage; they have taken up their lodging at Geba. Ramah is afraid; Gibeah of Saul is fled. Lift up thy voice, O daughter of Gallim; cause it to be heard unto Laish, O poor Anathoth. Madmenah is removed; the inhabitants of Gebim gather themselves to flee. As yet shall he remain at Nob that day; he shall shake his hand against the mount of the daughter of Zion, the hill of Jerusalem. Behold, the Lord, the LORD of hosts, shall lop the bough with terror; and the high ones of stature shall be hewn down, and the haughty shall be humbled. And He shall cut down the thickets of the forest with iron, and Lebanon shall fall by a mighty one.” (Isaiah 10:24-34 KJ21)

[11] “”The Lord GOD hath given Me the tongue of the learned, that I should know how to speak a word in season to him that is weary. He wakeneth morning by morning; He wakeneth Mine ear to hear as the learned. The Lord GOD hath opened Mine ear, and I was not rebellious, neither turned away back. I 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. For the Lord GOD will help Me, therefore shall I not be confounded; therefore have I set My face like a flint, and I know that I shall not be ashamed. He is near that justifieth Me. Who will contend with Me? Let us stand together. Who is Mine adversary? Let him come near to Me. Behold, the Lord GOD will help Me. Who is he that shall condemn Me? Lo, they all shall wax old as a garment; the moth shall eat them up. “Who is among you that feareth the LORD, that obeyeth the voice of His Servant, that walketh in darkness and hath no light? Let him trust in the name of the LORD, and stay upon his God.” (Isaiah 50:4-10 KJ21)

[12] These statements could apply to Christ, but it is not clear that they do. (R.L.Harris; Isaiah, the Servant poems)

[13] “”Behold, My Servant shall deal prudently, He shall be exalted and extolled, and be very high. As many as were astonished at thee—His visage was so marred more than any man, and his form more than the sons of men— so shall He sprinkle many nations; the kings shall shut their mouths at Him. For that which had not been told them shall they see, and that which they had not heard shall they consider.” Who hath believed our report? And to whom is the arm of the LORD revealed? For He shall grow up before Him as a tender plant, and as a root out of a dry ground. He hath no form nor comeliness, and when we shall see Him, there is no beauty that we should desire Him. He is despised and rejected of men, a Man of sorrows, and acquainted with grief. And we hid as it were our faces from Him; He was despised, and we esteemed Him not. Surely He hath borne our griefs and carried our sorrows; yet we did esteem Him stricken, smitten of God, and afflicted. But He was wounded for our transgressions; He was bruised for our iniquities. The chastisement of our peace was upon Him, and with His stripes we are healed. All we like sheep have gone astray; we have turned every one to his own way; and the LORD hath laid on Him the iniquity of us all. He was oppressed, and He was afflicted, yet He opened not his mouth; He is brought as a lamb to the slaughter; and as a sheep before her shearers is dumb, so He openeth not His mouth. He was taken from prison and from judgment; and who shall declare His generation? For He was cut off out of the land of the living; for the transgression of My people was He stricken. And He made His grave with the wicked, and with the rich in His death, because He had done no violence, neither was any deceit in His mouth. Yet it pleased the LORD to bruise Him; He hath put Him to grief. When thou shalt make His soul an offering for sin, He shall see His seed, He shall prolong His days, and the pleasure of the LORD shall prosper in His hand. He shall see of the travail of His soul, and shall be satisfied. By His knowledge shall My righteous Servant justify many, for He shall bear their iniquities. Therefore will I divide Him a portion with the great, and He shall divide the spoil with the strong, because He hath poured out His soul unto death. And He was numbered with the transgressors; and He bore the sin of many, and made intercession for the transgressors.” (Isaiah 52:13-53:12 KJ21)

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Proclaiming shalom, bringing good news of good things, announcing salvation

Posted on March 29, 2011. Filed under: Jesus Christ Jeshua the Messiah Jahushua, Kingdom of God, Preaching, Prophecy, Studyday | Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , |

Isaiah bringer of good tidings of the Gospel

How welcome is the bringer of happiness which comes running over the mountains, the one which brings peace announcements and good news [`gospel’], which announces rescue and says against Sion: `Your God is king!

“How beautiful on the mountains are the feet of those who bring good news,
who proclaim peace, who bring good tidings, who proclaim salvation,
who say to Zion, “Your God reigns!”” (Isaiah 52:7 NIV)

Invitation to attending the annual studies and meeting day
of the Broeders in Christus (Brothers in Christ or Christadelphians)
Saturday 2 April 2011
`t Nieuwe Kerkehuis, Dalton straat, Amersfoort


Why Jesaja / Isaiah?

In Markus Jesus starts his public preaching with: “The time has been fulfilled and the Kingdom of God has come nearby. Believe the Gospel and convert “(Markus 1: 15).[1] Have you here noticed that nobody asked him then `where do you have it about?’ They knew therefore obviously complete well where he aimed on.

Jesus contemporaries had indeed a very concrete expectation of that ‘evangelicon’ or gospel. They expected the reconstruction of the kingdom, which had started under David and Salomon, but to which an end had come by the exile in Babel. After the return from that was that kingdom not yet repaired. From the book Daniel they knew that it would take a long time. But the called time there, had expired and therefore they expected in their time the acting `Messiah, the promised king from the line of David, which would repair everything. The term `gospel ‘(Greek: euangelion, the good news) was also known to them. That term comes, as it happens, from the Septuaginta, the Greek translation of the Old Testament, which most of Jews used then.

The associated verb euangelizomai (evangelization or bringing good news) is found six times in the prophecy of Isaiah. And the Jews of the first century accepted that it concerned that convalescence of royalty. This had, however, to mean that the coming Messiah would dissipate the Romans from the country, and he would make their state independent. But the one who read Isaiah well, sees that it concerns in reality something very differently, as it happens, concerning the release from the power of sin and dead. And that is still much larger news than the state independence where they watched for. But during Jesus preaching few have understood this, but after his resurrection that was the message with which the apostles withdrew the world.

Title page to the original edition of the RSV ...

Title page original edition of the RSV

Christians know of course complete well that the gospel has to do with life and death. But how many do have also a clear insight where Isaiah preaching is based on? Because Isaiah is no easy book. But that message is really also for us very important, for a good term of what now exactly implies the gospel, and of what now exactly is the role of the Messiah (Greek: Christos) who’s the pin of it. Our coming study day we want to show you for this reason that message of Isaiah.

What will we do

Of course it is not possible in just a set of four studies to treat the whole book Isaiah. What we want to do, is showing you briefly what now really is the message of the prophet Isaiah, and which themes play a role in this topic. And especially which links there are all with the message of the Evangelicons, the Gospel and the rest of the New Testament. At the end of the study day every participant shall get the new book from our serial the “Books of the Bible”, within it the complete tale.

In the first study we want to outline the contexts: the political situation of the world in Isaiah’s days, against which we must read and understand the tale; but also the religious decline under the people. Not only who had become unfaithful under the treaty, but likewise under the `faithful part’, in which they were dragged more than they were aware of it. That people had a need for urgent salvation, but realised this not. Thus that had to made clear to them firstly. And that message is in the Christian world of our time still current the same.

The second study shows you how God presents himself in Isaiah as a god who comes up for whom serves Him. He summons as it were the gods of other people to show or to express what they also can do, and moreover to proclaim it in advance. However that is not possible for them, because they are but fabrications of their admirers. There with compared He puts His notice; not only that He will deliver and release His people, but also how He will do that. Because He controls the history. What happens to His people, His hand brought it over them. For this reason His people do not have to look for its well-being in its own political or military solutions, but trusting Him.

Then we show you why there was for this saving a need of a special `discharger’ or ‘releaser’. The people expected a coming `anointed’ or an ‘ointment ‘ (Hebrew: Messiah, Greek: Christos) from the house of David. But even the faithful Hizkia, who according to the writer of the book kings did not have his equal under the kings of Juda, was not well enough for this task. On the critical moment he also failed. God gave, however, a spectacular release from the power of the Assyrians, which model stands for the real release. But just then Hizkia realised and recognised that also he had firstly looked for a human solution instead of directly to trust an already God given promise.

Finally we reach then the nature of Isaiah’s message: God plan for the release from the dungeons of the largest enemy of people: death; and not from the seizure of a political world power. That victory on death would not be gained by powerful man-at-arms, but by a humble, obedient servant: God’s slave. That is the largest news on which people could put their hope. And it does not remain even there at: this liberation from the dungeon of death is there not only for the members of the old treaty people, but is also available for all nations – the goyim, the heathen – who want to convert themselves to the God of Israel.

That is perhaps still the greatest news, certainly for us! The bringer of that news is called the `vreugdebode’ = ‘delightmessenger’, literally: ‘he that brings good tidings`. The term that Isaiah uses for that good news `, is in the Hebrew bashar and in the Greek euangelion (evangelion). That term is, in this meaning, characteristic for Isaiah; and there is hardly a complete knowledge of the term `gospel ‘possible without knowledge of this context. Finally we want for this reason to illustrate that by means of a range links with the New Testament.

Topic of the day:

Isaiah the `joy messenger’ or ‘delight messenger’ of the gospel

9.45-10.30 reception

Programme

  1. 10.30 first study: The world of Jesaja/Isaiah
    “Hear this, O house of Jacob, who are called by the name of Israel, and who came forth from the loins of Judah; who swear by the name of the LORD, and confess the God of Israel, but not in truth or right.” (Isaiah 48:1 RSV)
  2. 11.30 second study: Who is such as am I?
    “Thus says the LORD, the King of Israel and his Redeemer, the LORD of hosts: “I am the first and I am the last; besides me there is no god. Who is like me? Let him proclaim it, let him declare and set it forth before me. Who has announced from of old the things to come? Let them tell us what is yet to be.” (Isaiah 44:6-7 RSV)
  3. 12.15-13.45 occasion for conversations and warm meal.
  4. 14.00 third study: No king such as he… but nevertheless
    “He trusted in the LORD the God of Israel; so that there was none like him among all the kings of Judah after him, nor among those who were before him.” (2 Kings 18:5 RSV)
  5. 14.45 fourth study: Deliver from the hand of `the strong
    “Can the prey be taken from the mighty, or the captives of a tyrant be rescued? Surely, thus says the LORD: “Even the captives of the mighty shall be taken, and the prey of the tyrant be rescued, for I will contend with those who contend with you, and I will save your children.” (Isaiah 49:24-25 RSV)
  6. 15.30-15.45 pauses
  7. 15.45-16.30 common discussion and answer of questions.
  8. 16.30-18.00 occasion for conversations and bread meal.

Beside following the studies there is wide occasion for mutual conversations or personal questions to the participants and speakers. Also you are most welcome at the lecture table.

Broeders in Christus, PO Box 520, 3800 AM Amersfoort,

e-mail: info@broedersinchristus.nl

Internet site: www.broedersinchristus.nl

[1] “and saying, “The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God is at hand; repent, and believe in the gospel.”” (Mark 1:15 RSV)

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  • The Gospel (allsufficientgrace.wordpress.com)
    The term gospel is found ninety-nine times in the NASB and ninety-two times in the NET Bible. In the Greek New Testament, gospel is the translation of the Greek noun euangelion (occurring 76 times) “good news,” and the verb euangelizo (occurring 54 times), meaning “to bring or announce good news.” Both words are derived from the noun angelos, “messenger.” In classical Greek, an euangelos was one who brought a message of victory or other political or personal news that caused joy. In addition, euangelizomai (the middle voice form of the verb) meant “to speak as a messenger of gladness, to proclaim good news.” Further, the noun euangelion became a technical term for the message of victory, though it was also used for a political or private message that brought joy.
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