One of the most striking aspects of the suffering and death of Jesus was that he went as a lamb to the slaughter, not resisting those who arrested him, not defending himself before his accusers, and even forgiving those who crucified him.

Jesus, who was known for his meekness and gentleness — all the way to the cross — did not engage in ‘violence’ in the Temple courts. There is no record of anyone being hurt or injured, and, in contrast to the some of the ancient Israelite prophets like Moses, Joshua or Samuel, Jesus did not put anyone to death in the name of the Lord.

I used to do a lot of sculpting. It was often living lessons as to how we as believers are the clay on the wheel of the Master Potter. I love the thought of His Hands upon the yielded clay of our hearts, forming us into the image of Yeshua.

If, as we have demonstrated, Isaiah 53 speaks of the servant’s death, then it must be accepted that the text just as clearly speaks of his continued activities after his death.

According to recent statistics highlighted at the Herzliya Conference in Tel Aviv last week, currently 46% of Americans sympathize with Israel — a number that has been consistent since 1967. Less than 12% of Americans sympathize with the Palestinian cause. What’s disturbing is that 30% of Americans don’t seem to care about either the Arabs or the Israelis, and there is a certain indifference in the United States to the on-going conflict in the Middle East.

This objection actually contradicts two of the previous objections, both of which understand that, according to Isaiah 53, the servant of the Lord would die.

I’m not so good at waiting. Are you? I’m all in favor of immediate gratification, and seeing the results now. But as Believers, we do a good bit of waiting, don’t we? I might not like waiting, but still, as the song goes, “Through it all, I’ve learned to trust in Jesus, I’ve learned to trust in God.”

What if the Lord gave a State of the Union address, to give an account of what is happening in the Kingdom of God presently. Can you picture it? From all over the world those who are the Lord’s gather together in a huge chamber large enough for multitudes upon multitudes.

This is the least likely interpretation of the relevant verses in the Hebrew, as confirmed by many major translations, both Jewish and Christian.

Did you know that God sings? He sings over us with gladness and great rejoicing as One who has fully accomplished the deep desires of His heart.