Some pointed questions for counter-missionaries who insist Isaiah 53 is not about Messiah, but about Israel….

If you're ever confronted by "counter-missionaries" who attempt to tell you that Israel is the servant of Isaiah 53, ask them these questions:

• Isn’t the mainstream Jewish position that God forbids human for human sacrifice? Doesn’t Isaiah 53 prove that God does accept this form of sacrifice (whether you believe the servant is Israel or Y’shua)?
• If Israel is the servant of Isaiah 53, does this mean that God has been pleased with the violence done for Jews throughout the centuries? Verse10: Yet it pleased the LORD to crush him by disease….
• How does the violence done to Jews around the world result in forgiveness for the rest of Israel …even figuratively? Verses in Isaiah which suggest that the servant is not Israel…what do you do with these?

-Israel is called blind and imprisoned (42:19); the servant will open the eyes of the blind and release prisoners (42:7)

-Israel is called deaf and is rebellious (42:19,20,25); the servant has opened ears and isn’t rebellious (50:5)

-Israel walks in darkness and looks for light (59:9); the servant brings people from out of the darkness and will be a light (42:7, 49:6)

-Israel is punished for their disobedience (42:24-25); the servant is rewarded for his obedience (49:4-6)

-Israel speaks lies (59:3) ; the servant has not spoken deceitfully (53:9)

-Israel has lost its way (59:7-8); the servant leads Israel back on track (49:5-6)

-Israel suffers for their own sins (42:25); the servant suffers for the sins of others (53:3-9)

-Israel suffers to their own shame (50:1-3); the servant suffers and knows he will not be ashamed (50:7)