The points noted above are some of the outstanding characteristics and events in the life of Moses. It is quite certain that they are typical and foreshadow that One concerning whose coming he spoke, though Moses and his life typified him only in a most imperfect and limited manner.

Whenever God raises up the prophet who is the subject of this prediction everyone who does not accept his sovereignty and obey the words of God which he speaks, God requires it of him, i.e., God metes out to each disobedient one the punishment which his sin merits. In view of this solemn warning it behooves each Hebrew, firstly, to be honest with himself, and, secondly, to be honest with his God, and to search the history of the Hebrew nation from the times of Moses until the present day to find out whether God has raised up this prophet. If God has already raised him up, the only reasonable thing for every Hebrew to do is to render absolute loyalty of heart to him and strict obedience regardless of circumstances or consequences. If He has not raised him up yet, he should keep his eyes, ears, and heart open watching and waiting for him. Such an attitude of heart and soul God honors by granting to one the true knowledge. Prov. 2:1-5: בְּנִי אִם־תִּקַּח אֲמָרָי וּמִצְוֹתַי תִּצְפֹּן אִתָּךְ׃ לְהַקְשִׁיב לַחָכְמָה אָזְנֶךָ תַּטֶּה לִבְּךָ לַתְּבוּנָה׃ כִּי אִם לַבִּינָה תִקְרָא לַתְּבוּנָה תִּתֵּן קוֹלֶךָ׃ אִם־תְּבַקְשֶׁנָּה כַכָּסֶף וְכַמַּטְמוֹנִים תַּחְפְּשֶׂנָּה׃ אָז תָּבִין יִרְאַת יְהוָה וְדַעַת אֱלֹהִים תִּמְצָא׃ "My son, if thou wilt receive my words, And lay up my commandments with thee; So as to incline thine ear unto wisdom, And apply thy heart to understanding; Yea, if thou cry after discernment, And lift up thy voice for understanding; If thou seek her as silver, And search for her as for hid treasures: Then shalt thou understand the fear of the Lord, And find the knowledge of God."

From the quotations studied above it is quite clear that God's first and holiest plan for Israel was that He should be her King, and that some time in the future He would come in person, assuming the form of a man, a prophet like unto Moses (humanly speaking) and reign over the nation. But when men will not accept God's first and best gifts and plans, He gives them a secondary or subordinate one. Such was the case with reference to Israel in her clamoring for a king in order that she might be like other nations. Anticipating such a rebellion against God, Moses (Deut. 17:14-20) gave instruction as to their selection of a king.

II. MESSIAH IN THE FORMER PROPHETS

The occasion soon arose in the closing days of Samuel's life. Israel, being disgusted with the maladministration of affairs by Samuel's sons, insisted that a king be given her. Samuel protested, pointing out the sinfulness of the course which she was pursuing. Notwithstanding his warnings, the people demanded a king. Saul was selected and anointed and became "the anointed of the Lord" (I Sam. 26:9, 23). His personal appearance inspired great confidence and hopes in the minds of the people. It seems that they associated the great Messianic expectation with him and his kingship; but these expectations were soon blasted by Saul's disobedience.

In rejecting Saul the Lord said: "The Lord has sought Him a man after His own heart ... hath appointed him to be prince over his people." Shortly after this Samuel anointed David who became the Lord's anointed or messiah. David began his reign well, which fact inspired the nation with enthusiastic expectation of the realization of the Messianic hope. But his great sin soon extinguished these radiant hopes. In the words of Delitzsch one may say, "We can also explain why it is that the victory gained over Ammon and the image of the Messiah have thus for David detached themselves from his person. In the midst of that war occurred the sin of David, which embittered the whole of his after-life and which laid his typical glory in ashes. Out of these ashes the phoenix of Messianic prophecy here arises. The type, come to the consciousness of himself, here lays down his crown at the feet of the Antitype." David in his swan song (II Sam. 23:1-7) admits his failure and points to another in the future:

וְאֵלֶּה דִּבְרֵי דָוִד הָאַחֲרֹנִים נְאֻם דָּוִד בֶּן־יִשַׁי וּנְאֻם הַגֶּבֶר הֻקַם עָל מְשִׁיחַ אֱלֹהֵי יַעֲקֹב וּנְעִים זְמִרוֹת יִשְׂרָאֵל׃ רוּחַ יְהוָה דִּבֶּר־בִּי וּמִלָּתוֹ עַל־לְשׁוֹנִי׃ אָמַר אֱלֹהֵ ייִשְׂרָאֵל לִי דִבֶּר צוּר ייִשְׂרָאֵל מוֹשֵׁל בָּאָדָם צַדִּיק מוֹשֵׁל יִרְאַת אֱלֹהִים׃ וּכְאוֹר בֹּקֶר יִזְרַח־שָׁמֶשׁ בֹּקֶר לֹא עָבוֹת מִנֹּגַהּ מִמָּטָר דֶּשֶׁא מֵאָרֶץ׃ כִּי־לֹא־כֵן בֵּיתִי עִם־אֵל כִּי בְרִית עוֹלָם שָׂם לִי עֲרוּכָה בַכֹּל וּשְׁמֻרָה כִּי־כָל־יִשְׁעִי וְכָל־חֵפֶץ כִּי־לֹא יַצְמִיחַ׃ וּבְלִיַּעַל כְּקוֹץ מֻנָד כֻּלָּהַם כִּי־לֹא בְיָד יִקָּחוּ׃ וְאִישׁ יִגַּע בָּהֶם יִמָּלֵא בַרְזֶל וְעֵץ חֲנִית וּבָאֵשׁ שָׂרוֹף יִשָּׂרְפוּ בַּשָּׁבֶת׃

"Now these are the last words of David. David the son of Jesse saith, And the man who was raised on high saith, The anointed of the God of Jacob, And the sweet psalmist of Israel: The Spirit of the Lord spake by me, And his word was upon my tongue. The God of Israel said, The Rock of Israel spake to me: One that ruleth over men righteously, That ruleth in the fear of God, He shall be as the light of the morning, when the sun riseth, A morning without clouds. When the tender grass springeth out of the earth, Through clear shining after rain. Verily my house is not so with God; Yet he hath made with me an everlasting covenant, Ordered in all things, and sure: For it is all my salvation, and all my desire, Although he maketh it not to grow. But the ungodly shall be all of them as thorns to be thrust away. Because they cannot be taken with the hand; But the man that toucheth them Must be armed with iron and the staff of a spear: And they shall be utterly burned with fire in their place."

He in vision saw Him who will come and who will rule over man righteously and in the fear of God. The beginning of his reign is compared to the dawn of a perfect day, a day without clouds when the tender grass shoots forth after genial showers. Being lashed by an outraged conscience, because of his sins and failures, he frankly confesses that his house "is not so with God," i.e., he has not realized his hopes nor has his reign met the expectations which its beginning inspired in the hearts of the people. Following this confession, with an unswerving faith he predicts the fulfillment of the Messianic hope in the future because "He hath made with me an everlasting covenant, ordered in all things and sure." With a smiting conscience he realizes his dismal failure in bringing to fruition the expectations which his coronation promised, and looks forward for consolation to the perfect day of the Messiah "for it is all my salvation, and all my desire." "Although he maketh it not to grow" then, his strong faith in God and His faithfulness caused him to see its fulfillment in the distant future.

Solomon likewise is called "the Lord's anointed," a messiah (II Chron. 6:42). In many respects his reign surpassed that of David but in no sense can it be said that it, even in a remote way, approximated the Messianic ideal. The brilliancy and outward splendor of the first part of his reign were overshadowed by the dark clouds of discontent, the evils which crept in with the introduction of idolatrous worship, and the poverty with its attendant evils caused by the burdensome taxation. "But the end of his reign was not equal to its beginning and the middle, the fair, the glorious, the pure image of the Messiah which he represented, became pale and with its waning, the development of the history of redemption took a new turn. In the time of David and of Solomon the hope of the faithful, which attached itself to the kingship of David, had not entirely broken with the present. At that time they knew, as a general rule, of no other Messiah save the anointed of God who is either David or Solomon himself."

After Solomon's day the kings of Judah are no longer called "the anointed of the Lord," for, doubtless, the blemishes and imperfections of the reigns of David and of Solomon had caused the people to divorce the idea of the Messiah and His glorious reign from the Davidic house. It is probable, however, that the suggestion of Delitzsch is correct, namely, that when such a king as Hezekiah mounted the throne, the Messianic hope settled down temporarily around his personality: but the nation was soon disillusioned by the inroads and aggressions of the mighty Assyrian empire and of the failures of the king. From his day on, it is quite certain that the Messianic hope, like the Shekinah glory which departed from the temple, was thoroughly detached from the fleshly descendants of David. Isaiah, the latter part of whose ministry fell during the reign of Hezekiah, in most glowing terms pictures the glory of the Messiah's person and of his reign. With the failures and shortcomings of the house of David serving as a background, he presented Israel's future Messiah, according to the original representation in the Torah (Num. 23:21), as God manifest, in the flesh, Isa. 9:6,7 (5,6).

כִּי־יֶלֶד יֻלַּד־לָנוּ בֵּן נִתַּן־לָנוּ וַתְּהִי הַמִּשְׂרָה עַל־שִׁכְמוֹ וַיִּקְרָא שְׁמוֹ פֶּלֶא יוֹעֵץ אֵל גִּבּוֹר אֲבִי־עַד שַׂר־שָׁלוֹם׃ לְםַרְבֵּה הַמִּשְׂרָה וּלְשָׁלוֹם אֵין־קֵץ עַל־כִּסֵּא דָוִד וְעַל־מַמְלַכְתּוֹ לְהָכִין אֹתָה וּלְסַעֲדָהּ בְּמִשְׁפָּט וּבִצְדָקָה מֵעַתָּה וְעַד־עוֹלָם קִנְאַת יְהוָה צְבָאוֹת תַּעֲשֶׂה־זֹּאת׃

"For unto us a child is born, unto us a son is given; and the government shall be upon his shoulder: and his name shall be called 'Wonderful, Counsellor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace.' Of the increase of his government and of peace there shall be no end, upon the throne of David, and upon his kingdom, to establish it, and to uphold it with justice and with righteousness from henceforth even for ever. The zeal of the Lord of hosts will perform this."

As words are spelled with letters, thus God using the various kings of Judah, though imperfect and marred their characters, as His typical alphabet wrote upon the pages of the past clear and definite messages concerning the future Messiah and His glorious kingdom.

III. MESSIAH IN THE LATER PROPHETS

Isa. 49:1-13:

שִׁמְעוּ אִיִּים אֵלַי וְהַקְשִׁיבוּ לְאֻמִּים מֵרָחוֹק יְהוָה מִבֶּטֶן קְרָאָנִי מִמְּעֵי אִמִּי הִזְכִּיר שְׁמִי׃ וַיָּשֶׂם פִּי כְּחֶרֶב חַדָּה בְּצֵל יָדוֹ הֶחְבִּיאָנִי וַיְשִׂימֵנִי לְחֵץ בָּרוּר בְּאַשְׁפָּתוֹ הִסְתִּירָנִי׃ וַיֹּאמֶר לִי עַבְדִּי־אָתָּה יִשְׂרָאֵל אֲשֶׁר בְּךָ אֶתְפָּאָר׃ וַאֲנִי אָמַרְתִּי לְרִיק יָגַעְתִּי לְתֹהוּ וְהֶבֶל כֹּחִי כִלֵּיתִי אָכֵן מִשְׁפָּטִי אֶת־יְהוָה וּפְעֻלָּתִי אֶת־אֱלֹהָי׃ וְעַתָּה אָמַר יְהוָה יוֹצְרִי מִבֶּטֶן לְעֶבֶד לוֹ לְשׁוֹבֵב יַעֲקֹב אֵלָיו וְיִשְׂרָאֵל לֹא יֵאָסֵף וְאֶכָּבֵד בְּעֵינֵי יְהוָה וֵאלֹהַי הָיָה עֻזִּי׃ וַיֹּאמֶר נָקֵל מִהְיוֹתְךָ לִי עֶבֶד לְהָקִים אֶת־שִׁבְטֵי יַעֲקֹב וּנְציּרֵי יִשְׂרָאֵל לְהָשִׁיב וּנְתַתִּיךָ לְאוֹר גּוֹיִם לִהְיוֹת יְשׁוּעָתִי עַד־קְצֵה הָאָרֶץ׃ כֹּה אָמַר־יְהוָה גֹּאֵל יִשְׂרָאֵל קְדוֹשׁוֹ לִבְזֹה־נֶפֶשׁ לִמְתָעֵב גּוֹי לְעֶבֶד מֹשְׁלִים מְלָכִים יִרְאוּ וָקָמוּ שָׂרִים וְיִשְׁתַּחֲווּ לְמַעַן יְהוָה אֲשֶׁר נֶאֱמָן קְדֹשׁ יִשְׂרָאֵל וַיִּבְחָרֶךָּ׃ כֹּה אָמַר יְהוָה בְּעֵת רָצוֹן עֲנִיתִיךָ וּבְיוֹם יְשׁוּעָה עֲזַרְתִּיךָ וְאֶצָּרְךָ וְאֶתֶּנְךָ לִבְרִית עָם לְהָקִים אֶרֶץ לְהַנְחִיל נְחָלוֹת שֹׁמֵמוֹת׃ לֵאמֹר לַאֲסוּרִים צֵאוּ לַאֲשֶׁר בַּחֹשֶׁךְ הִגָּלוּ עַל־דְּרָכִים יִרְעוּ וּבְכָל־שְׁפָיִים מַרְעִיתָם׃ לֹא יִרְעָבוּ וְלֹא יִצְמָאוּ וְלֹא־יַכֵּם שָׁרָב וָשָׁמֶשׁ כִּי־מְרַחֲמָם יְנַהֲגֵם וְעַל־מַבּוּעֵי מַיִם יְנַהֲלֵם׃ וְשַׂמְתִּי כָל־הָרַי לַדָּרֶךְ וּמְסִלֹּתַי יְרֻמוּן׃ הִנֵּה אֵלֶּה מֵרָחוֹק יָבֹאוּ וְהִנֵּה־אֵלֶּה מִצָּפוֹן וּמִיָּם וְאֵלֶּה מֵאֶרֶץ סִינִים׃ רָנּוּ שָׁמַיִם וְגִילִי אָרֶץ יּפִצְחוּ הָרִים רִנָּה כִּי־נִחַם יְהוָה עַמּוֹ וַעֲנִיָּיו יְרַחֵם׃

"Listen, O isles, unto me; and hearken, ye peoples, from far: the Lord hath called me from the womb; from the bowels of my mother hath he made mention of my name: and he hath made my mouth like a sharp sword; in the shadow of his hand hath he hid me: and he hath made me a polished shaft; in his quiver hath he kept me close: and he said unto me, Thou art my servant; Israel, in whom I will be glorified. But I said, I have labored in vain, I have spent my strength for nought and vanity; yet surely the justice due to me is with the Lord, and my recompense with my God. And now saith the Lord that formed me from the womb to be his servant, to bring Jacob again to him, and that Israel be gathered unto him (for I am honorable in the eyes of the Lord, and my God is become my strength); yea, he saith, It is too light a thing that thou shouldest be my servant to raise up the tribes of Jacob, and to restore the preserved of Israel: I will also give thee for a light to the Gentiles, that thou mayest be my salvation unto the end of he earth. Thus saith the Lord, the Redeemer of Israel, and his Holy One, to him whom man despiseth, to him whom the nation abhorreth, to a servant of rulers: Kings shall see and arise; princes, and they shall worship; because of the Lord that is faithful, even the Holy One of Israel, who hath chosen thee. Thus saith the Lord, In an acceptable time have I answered thee, and in a day of salvation have I helped thee; and I will preserve thee, and give thee for a covenant of the people, to raise up the land, to make them inherit the desolate heritages; saying to them that are bound, Go forth; to them that are in darkness, Show yourselves. They shall feed in the ways, and on all bare heights shall be their pasture. They shall not hunger nor thirst; neither shall the heat nor sun smite them: for he that hath mercy on them will lead them, even by springs of water will he guide them. And I will make all my mountains a way, and my highways shall be exalted. Lo, these shall come from far; and, lo, these from the north and from the west; and these from the land of Sinim. Sing, O heavens; and be joyful, O earth; and break forth into singing, O mountains: for the Lord hath comforted his people, and will have compassion upon his afflicted."

He who is called "son of David" in the book of Immanuel (Isa. 7-12) is in the latter part of Isaiah called "the servant of the Lord." A comparison of the "Servant" passages with the "Son of David" passages in the book of Immanuel proves beyond the shadow of a doubt the truthfulness of this position. Therefore it is of the Messiah¹ that the prophet speaks in the passage quoted above.

In verse 1 the personal individualistic note is so very clear that it is evident that the servant is an individual. "When the expression is applied in the fullest extent of its meaning, 'the servant of the Lord' signifies all Israel; when it is confined to its inner and narrower sense it signifies the true people of the Lord who are included in the entire nation, like the kernel within the husk (see the definition of this in Isa. 51:7; 65:10; Psa. 24:6; 73:15); here, however, the idea is restricted to its central thought and the idea becomes the ideal representation of an individual."²  Therefore this verse speaks of Messiah's birth.

In Isa. 49:2, the prophet speaking for Messiah, uses two metaphors: first, he compares Messiah's tongue to a sharp sword which the Lord has hid in the shadow of his hand. The aptness of this figure is seen in the facts that in carnal war men are killed with swords, and that when God speaks the death sentence against anyone he is slain (see Psa. 33:9 which states that when God speaks, the decree is fulfilled). Secondly, he compares Messiah to a polished arrow which He has hid in His quiver and which He at the proper time will place upon the bow string and shoot at His enemies. The predictions stripped of the figurative language and stated in plain words mean that Messiah is absent from the world, but that at the proper time God will send him to execute judgment upon the ungodly. That this interpretation is correct is seen from the fact that God speaks of Himself as a warrior who is armed with sword, bow, and arrow. Since the sword is hid in the warrior's hand in the first figure, and the arrow in His quiver in the second, these figures prove that the servant is present with God; hence is absent from the world.

It is evident that the first verse of Isa. 49 which speaks of the birth of the servant refers to Messiah's advent into the world whereas the second verse which compares him with the weapons of war in the hands of God, the warrior, refers to his being in heaven with God and his coming in vengeance to execute judgment upon a God-defying world. Hence the two verses are speaking of two different comings of the Messiah.³ The first coming is when he enters the world through Virgin Birth; the second, when He returns from Heaven to execute the wrath of God upon the world in such a way that God will be glorified.

Footnotes:

¹ In Isa. 45:1 Cyrus, the Persian king, is called "his anointed" by the Lord. The context shows clearly that Cyrus was not "The Messiah." The Messiah, according to the testimony of the prophets, knows God and is in fellowship with Him whereas Cyrus did not know Him (vs. 5,6); therefore "anointed" in this context is used with a secondary meaning. He was a messiah in that God used him to permit the Jews who were willing to return to the fatherland to do so. This partial and limited restoration was but a miniature, imperfect representation of the great, full, and final restoration of the nation to the fatherland under King Messiah (Jer. 23:5-8).

² The prophets with one accord speak of the mother of Israel's Messiah and Redeemer but say nothing concerning an earthly father (See Gen 3:15; Psa. 22:9,10: Isa. 7:14; 49:1).

³ These two comings are seen in the chapters under the heading "Outline of the Messiah's Career."

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