Riddle
“Who was it that ascended into heaven, and came down again? Who gathered the wind in his fists? Who bound the waters in a garment? Who set up all the ends of the earth? What is his name [obviously this is God], and what is his son’s name, if thou knowest it?” (Proverbs 30:4 in the Jewish Scriptures, emphasis added).
WHO IS THE “SON”?
It’s very Jewish to answer a question with a question. The answer to the question, “Who is the Messiah?”is found in this riddle. Another clue is found in the words of the Jewish prophet Isaiah.
CONSIDER HIS WORDS:
“Who could tell, that he was cut away out of the land of life, (that) for the transgressions of my people the plague was laid on him?” (Isaiah 53:8b)
When was this written?
700 B.C.
WHO is speaking through the prophet?
The God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob.
WHO is “my people?”
The Jewish people.
WHO is “cut away” (dies)?
The One greater than Moses. (See Deuteronomy 18:18-19).
Could this be Israel or the Jewish people instead of the Messiah?
NO, because the Jewish prophet Isaiah says this One would do “no violence, and there was no deceit in his mouth” (Isaiah 53:9b). Also, Psalm 14:3 says “there is none [human] that doth good, no, not even one.”
When would this One come?
Daniel says the Anointed One (Messiah) would come and die for our sins before the Second Temple was destroyed. It was destroyed in A.D. 70. (See Daniel 9:24-26).
THE PROPHET ISAIAH HAS THE ANSWER!
When I read the 53rd chapter of Isaiah to my Orthodox Jewish father, he accused me of reading from the New Testament! He said it described Jesus perfectly! But I replied, “Dad, I’m reading from the Jewish Scriptures.”
READ ISAIAH 53 AND DECIDE FOR YOURSELF.
“Who would have believed our report? And the arm of the Lord — over whom hath it been revealed?
“Yea, he grew up like a small shoot before him, and as a root out of dry land; he had no form nor comeliness, so that we should look at him; and no countenance, so that we should desire him.
“He was despised and shunned by men; a man of pains, and acquainted with disease; and as one who hid his face from us was he despised, and we esteemed him not.
“But only our diseases did he bear himself, and our pains he carried: while we indeed esteemed him stricken, smitten of God, and afflicted.
“Yet he was wounded for our transgressions, he was bruised for our iniquities: the chastisement for our peace was upon him; and through his bruises was healing granted to us.
“We all like sheep went astray; every one to his own way did we turn; and the Lord let befall him the guilt of us all.
“He was oppressed, and he was also taunted, yet he opened not his mouth; like the lamb which is led to the slaughter, and like a ewe before her shearers is dumb; and he opened not his mouth.
“Through oppression and through judicial punishment was he taken away; but his generation — who could tell, that he was cut away out of the land of life, (that) for the transgressions of my people the plague was laid on him?
“And he let his grave be made with the wicked, and with the (godless) rich at his death; although he had done no violence, and there was no deceit in his mouth.
“But the Lord was pleased to crush him through disease: when (now) his soul hath brought the trespass-offering, then shall he see (his) seed, live many days, and the pleasure of the Lord shall prosper in his hand.
“(Freed) from the trouble of his soul shall he see (the good) and be satisfied: through his knowledge shall my righteous servant bring the many to righteousness, while he will bear their iniquities.
“Therefore will I divide him (a portion) with the many, and with the strong shall he divide the spoil; because he poured out his soul unto death, and with transgressors was he numbered: while he bore the sin of many, and for the transgressors he let (evil) befall him.”
Who bore our sins and diseases?
Obviously our prophets are
speaking about Jesus!
Shalom and Love!
(All Scripture quoted from Twenty-four Books of the Holy Scriptures, carefully translated after the best Jewish authorities by Isaac Leeser, Hebrew Publishing Company, New York.)
