Post by alon on Sept 2, 2016 13:25:51 GMT -8
Isaiah 54:11-55:5, Haftara for Par’shah Re’eh
This par’shah reading comes right after the “Servant Song” of Isaiah 52:13-53:12. That passage has some of the clearest references to Yeshua and His work as HaMoshiach to be found in the TNK. Similarly our haftarah is not only comfort for those in the Babylonian diaspora and encouragement for them to return and rebuild Yerushalayim and the Temple; but it also clearly speaks of a time when all are invited to partake in the promises as well as the New Yerushalayim.
Romans 3:22-23 (ESV) the righteousness of God through faith in Jesus Christ for all who believe. For there is no distinction: for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God,
In the preceding verses, Tzion was metaphorically said to be a woman, childless and apparently abandoned by her husband (Elohim). However this prophecy assures her she is not forgotten. El Emunah- The Faithful God remembers her, and is still her husband and protector. He may punish, even exile Yisro’el. But He will never abandon her:
Isaiah 54:11-14 (JPS) O thou afflicted, tossed with tempest, and not comforted, behold, I will set thy stones in fair colours, and lay thy foundations with sapphires. And I will make thy pinnacles of rubies, and thy gates of carbuncles, and all thy border of precious stones. And all thy children shall be taught of the LORD; and great shall be the peace of thy children. In righteousness shalt thou be established; be thou far from oppression, for thou shalt not fear, and from ruin, for it shall not come near thee.
Here in the opening declaration of this reading we can see Yerushalayim depicted as it will be when the new city made by Elah Yerushalayim- the God of Jerusalem comes down. To those of us with renewed minds, the words of 
are as jewels set in the walls of the Holy City. This is an obvious prophetic allusion to the Millineal Reign. Like Yir’meyahu, Yeshayahu prophesies that those who are fortunate to answer the call to (physically and metaphorically) rebuild Yerushalayim will be taught by El Deah- The God of Knowledge, who is also Gelah Raz- the Revealer of Mysteries.
Jeremiah 31:33-35 (ESV) For this is the covenant that I will make with the house of Israel after those days, declares the Lord: I will put my law within them, and I will write it on their hearts. And I will be their God, and they shall be my people. And no longer shall each one teach his neighbor and each his brother, saying, ‘Know the Lord,’ for they shall all know me, from the least of them to the greatest, declares the Lord. For I will forgive their iniquity, and I will remember their sin no more.”
The word “ben” [some texts the Hebrew characters bnyk] is used twice in Isaiah verse thirteen. This implies they are both builders and those who understand:
H1121 בּן bên H1121 From H1129; a son (as a builder of the family name), in the widest sense (of literal and figurative relationship, including grandson, subject, nation, quality or condition, etc., (like H1, H251, etc.): - + afflicted, age, [Ahoh-] [Ammon-] [Hachmon-] [Lev-]ite, [anoint-]ed one, appointed to, (+) arrow, [Assyr-] [Babylon-] [Egypt-] [Grec-]ian, one born, bough, branch, breed, + (young) bullock, + (young) calf, X came up in, child, colt, X common, X corn, daughter, X of first, + firstborn, foal, + very fruitful, + postage, X in, + kid, + lamb, (+) man, meet, + mighty, + nephew, old, (+) people, + rebel, + robber, X servant born, X soldier, son, + spark, + steward, + stranger, X surely, them of, + tumultuous one, + valiant[-est], whelp, worthy, young (one), youth.
Isaiah 54:15-17 (JPS) Behold, they may gather together, but not by Me; whosoever shall gather together against thee shall fall because of thee. Behold, I have created the smith that bloweth the fire of coals, and bringeth forth a weapon for his work; and I have created the waster to destroy No weapon that is formed against thee shall prosper; and every tongue that shall rise against thee in judgment thou shalt condemn. This is the heritage of the servants of the LORD, and their due reward from Me, saith the LORD.
Tzion will be rebuilt, beautiful as it is even now. However the New Yerushalayim will be beautiful as only the master architect and builder can make it:
Revelation 3:12 (ESV) The one who conquers, I will make him a pillar in the temple of my God. Never shall he go out of it, and I will write on him the name of my God, and the name of the city of my God, the new Jerusalem, which comes down from my God out of heaven, and my own new name.
Revelation 21:2 (ESV) And I saw the holy city, new Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God, prepared as a bride adorned for her husband.
Isaiah 55:1-2 (JPS) Ho, every one that thirsteth, come ye for water, and he that hath no money; come ye, buy, and eat; yea, come, buy wine and milk without money and without price. Wherefore do ye spend money for that which is not bread? and your gain for that which satisfieth not? Hearken diligently unto Me, and eat ye that which is good, and let your soul delight itself in fatness.
YHVH Jireh (The Lord Shall Provide) describes through His prophet the abundant provision He has for those who trust in Him. Waters, wine, milk, that which is good. Fatness; all are terms used of His provision. Furthermore He will provide for us spiritually as well, as in verse 3 and here:
Ephesians 1:3 (ESV) Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us in Christ with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places,
This is an invitation to all who would call on the name of El Elohe Yisro’el, placing their trust in Him. The penalty of sin is paid in full, we only need avail ourselves of it (Isaiah 53:1-8).
Water was understood by the ancient Rabbis to be a metaphor for . One of the things they said hamoshiach would do when he came is to explain more fully. We are to thirst for this spiritual food as well as our hunger for physical nourishment:
1 Peter 2:2 (ESV) Like newborn infants, long for the pure spiritual milk, that by it you may grow up into salvation
John 4:10,14 (ESV) Jesus answered her, “If you knew the gift of God, and who it is that is saying to you, ‘Give me a drink,’ you would have asked him, and he would have given you living water.” ... but whoever drinks of the water that I will give him will never be thirsty again. The water that I will give him will become in him a spring of water welling up to eternal life.”
Those who reject HaMoshiach are morally bankrupt and starved spiritually. But here again we see the changes made in the lives of those who trust Him, just as with those who looked forward to the promises and left their homes in the diaspora to return and rebuild Tzion.
Isaiah 55:3 (JPS) Incline your ear, and come unto Me; hear, and your soul shall live; and I will make an everlasting covenant with you, even the sure mercies of David.
John 5:24 (ESV) Truly, truly, I say to you, whoever hears my word and believes him who sent me has eternal life. He does not come into judgment, but has passed from death to life.
2 Samuel 7:13-17 (ESV) He shall build a house for my name, and I will establish the throne of his kingdom forever. I will be to him a father, and he shall be to me a son. When he commits iniquity, I will discipline him with the rod of men, with the stripes of the sons of men, but my steadfast love will not depart from him, as I took it from Saul, whom I put away from before you. 16 And your house and your kingdom shall be made sure forever before me. Your throne shall be established forever.’” In accordance with all these words, and in accordance with all this vision, Nathan spoke to David.
Yeshua is the fulfillment of that promise:
Acts 13:32-34 (ESV) And we bring you the good news that what God promised to the fathers, 33 this he has fulfilled to us their children by raising Jesus, as also it is written in the second Psalm, “‘You are my Son, today I have begotten you.’ And as for the fact that he raised him from the dead, no more to return to corruption, he has spoken in this way, “‘I will give you the holy and sure blessings of David.’
El HaNe’eman- The God Who Is Faithful will never renege on those promises. His loyalty endures forever:
Psalm 89:4 (ESV) ‘I will establish your offspring forever, and build your throne for all generations.’” Selah
Contemporary Judaism sees this as a promise to the nation of Israel as a whole. However taken in context with the following verses, we see this as a promise to all people of any nation who would join with El Elohe Yisro’el, trusting in and worshiping no other.
Isaiah 42:6-8 (KJV) I the Lord have called thee in righteousness, and will hold thine hand, and will keep thee, and give thee for a covenant of the people, for a light of the Gentiles; To open the blind eyes, to bring out the prisoners from the prison, and them that sit in darkness out of the prison house. I am the Lord: that is my name: and my glory will I not give to another, neither my praise to graven images.
Isaiah 55:4 (JPS) Behold, I have given him for a witness to the peoples, a prince and commander to the peoples.
Six times in the B’rith Chadashah an equivalent title is given to Yeshua, always in the context of the resurrection. Acts 3.14, 15 5.31, Heb 2.9, 10, 12.2 The original meaning (of the Greek) is something like a “file leader.” Yeshua leads us from death into life. Just as Yisro’el renewed Yerushalayim and the Temple, Yeshua through the works of His Spirit renews us, saving us from death to eternal light.
Isaiah 55:5 (JPS) Behold, thou shalt call a nation that thou knowest not, and a nation that knew not thee shall run unto thee; because of the LORD thy God, and for the Holy One of Israel, for He hath glorified thee.
And here we see a clear prophecy for our own times, when Gentiles are accepting Yeshua as HaMoshiach and going to for their answers; eschewing the paganism they’ve been taught all their lives as the way to worship El Kanno- Jealous God.
Dan C
Resources: JPS Study TNK, NAS Study Bible, W Wiersbe, FB Meyer, MF Unger, My father, Rav S and others
