Sárospataki Füzetek 16. (2012)
2012 / 3-4. szám - TANULMÁNYOK - P. H. R. van Houwelingen: Jeruzsálem, az anyagyülekezet. Az apostoli egyház fejlődése Jeruzsálem szemszögéből
The Servant and the Servants in the book of Isaiah he can be identified as an historical person. When we arrive at this most famous of all Servant texts it is clear that it is impossible and useless to search for a prophetic figure in the time of the Babylonian exile. Here prophecy has sung itself more and more loose of any biographically identifiable figure. The words that are spoken then are too ambiguous and also too great to fit within the biography of an ordinary prophet. The exact reference of these Servant texts remains a mystery that awaits the future. Within the context of the book of Isaiah it is useless to try to come closer to the identity of this mysterious prophetic Servant. We do good to remove our sandals, for the place on which we are standing is holy ground (cf. Ex. 3:5).18 Instead of his identity it is the function of this prophetic Servant that we have to look for. Within the book of Isaiah the function of the prophetic Servant is more important than his exact identity. His function clearly is to embody the people of Israel and to fulfil Israel’s mission in bringing forth justice, establish righteousness and be a light for the nations. At first glance it seems that the prophetic Servant will fail in his mission as well. Not because of any failure of his own, as if he himself suffered from blindness or deafness just as Servant Israel did. On the contrary, this prophetic Servant fully has the listening attitude of a disciple as it is described in Isa 50:4. He only seemed to fail in his mission because no one was listening to his voice (Isa 50:10) and because of the suffering he had to endure and of the death he had to face. But surprisingly the suffering and death of this Servant appeared to have a great significance. God appeared to be able to realize his will through the suffering of his Servant. 6. Second transition: From the prophetic Servant to his Offspring That brings us to the second important transition in the story of the Servant, the transition from the prophetic Servant to his offspring. After the Servant text of Isaiah 53 the book of Isaiah talks no more about the Servant. But that is not the end of his story. In Isa 53:10 it is said that the Servant shall see his offspring and prolong his days. That is why from Isaiah 54 onwards the book of Isaiah focuses on the Servants of the Lord. In fact they are presented as the spiritual offspring of the Servant.19 In first instance Isaiah 54 prophesies about the children of Zion. Zion will no longer be a barren woman. She shall have a rich abundance of children and is summoned to enlarge the site of her tent for her descendants (Isa 54:2). This abundance of children symbolizes the new future given to her by the Lord. But He not only promises her a lot of children, but also, in verse 13, that all her children shall be taught by the Lord. Or in a more literal translation: that all her children shall become disciples of the Lord. In Hebrew: 1TUT *^32 75V This phrasing is very important, because in Isa 50:4 it had Leen the Servant who twice designated 18 Cf. Walter Brueggemann, Isaiah 40-66, Louisville 1998, p. 149: ‘Interpretation may legitimately cease in awe, refusing to decode the imagery, because we are very close here to what seems to be quintessential holy ground.’ 19 Cf. W.A.M. Beuken, ‘The Main Theme of Trito-Isaiah “The Servants of YHWH Journal for the Study of the Old Testament 47 (1990), pp. 67-87. ‘Before the fourth Servant Song, Israel is addressed as “the seed” of the patriarchs (Abraham: 41.8; cf. 51.2; Jacob-Israel: 45.19), which will itself have offspring (43.5; 44.3; 49.19), but from 53.10 on the promise of posterity regards the Servant and the new City (54.3).’ (68) 2012/3-4 SÁROSPATAKI FÜZETEK 41
