A Simple Bible Study Of Isaiah 42: 1

These subjects are "non-fiction" because as ideas, concepts and expressions, they exist.
"Propaganda" attached to one of them, and this article may explain why.

The response on social media that triggered an exploration that rendered this article.
To answer: if light and darkness / life and death matter, then finding such claims matter.

There are many ways to study and textually critique the Bible (critique as in bring understanding between one portion of text with another).

One very simply method is matching similar or same terms.

This isn't always a clear manner, but it is quite rudimentary and can provide decent results.

It isn't always clear because different terms, having the same sentiment, are used in place of others.

This is what a literalist would balk at, but the rationalist can see this connection.

Meaning is what one should desire to find behind or within a message.

Any single word can have many different meanings depending on the context.

This article was inspired by an interesting religious claim; in short, that it was Muhammad who was mentioned in Isaiah 42 and not Yeshua the risen Christ.

Without going too far into the particulars, the claim was that the first verse mentions Muhammad's partial name; 'Ahmad'.

What is unique about that first verse in Isaiah's chapter one is that typically when the Word of God mentions a 'servant', that servant's name is explicitly included.

But in Isaiah 42, there is no 'name' mentioned, but the phrase “whom I uphold” or some derivative is stated.

You can look up the ancient Hebrew terminology and the discussions about it online via a simple search in scholarship articles...but can a search here (looking specifically at Isaiah 42).

Yet, the conclusion is that no 'name' was given, nor understood as such since that verse came about.

It was centuries later that Islamic thinkers attempted to find meaning in this particular verse, as they poured over the Old and New Testaments looking for mention of Muhammad.

The effort, and why 'propaganda' is mentioned in the library (the image above), is that the effort of deciphering the past to prove a current idea is an example of presentism...which is a fallacy and usually biased.

Not all propaganda is misleading, but simply promotional.

It is the propagating of incorrect or biased information which gives that term such a negative connotation, for logic and reason and factual evidence is overlooked for the sake of promoting an opinion.

Looking at the name Ahmad and its understanding as a personal name, such an understanding did not arise until two years after Muhammad's death (look under heading 'scholarship regarding the Greek translation').

What happens lots of times is interpreting what 'sounds' like a certain term, or name, and interpreting a current understanding accordingly.

Since ancient Hebrew came centuries before Arabic yet in the same region, with several other blending terms and words from subsequent languages like Aramaic, words are borrowed or tend to take on new meanings while losing the prior meaning and understanding.

What is even more interesting is that the name 'Muhammad' has no connection to the term 'ahmad' outside of the two sounding similar (see again the Ahmad article).

Just like, for example, the word 'scuba' is only one letter away from 'Cuba', yet one is the name of an island, while the other is something you do under water...yet there is no connection one to the other aside from sounding the same.

Sure, you can go scuba diving off the shores of Cuba, but that's as close as those two words will get.

Etymology, or lexicology, is usually ignored for a zealot desire to match ideas one to another.

By simply taking the first verse of Isaiah 42, the claim can be refuted, since the claim is based on the terms used and their interpretation.

In response, I thought it prudent to, as those who lived before me did, once again share the very easy comparison of similar words found in this single verse with what followed in the Gospel and letters to the church.

We shall see whether that verse proclaims Yeshua Christ to be the servant, or the man Muhammad.

Although no where in the Quran exist obvious connections as you'll see in this study, it is the many writings over the centuries that argue a case (and I've already mentioned one certain fallacy that clarifies this effort's shortcoming).

Isaiah was a prophet who lived during the 8th century B.C. (700+ years before Christ).

This Isaiah was revealed to have been a prophet since his writings depicted predictions and their eventual fulfillments (one criteria of a prophet).

The 42nd chapter speaks of future redemption and salvation for his fellow countrymen, the Hebrews.
Here is My servant, whom I uphold, 
My chosen One in whom I delight; 
I will put My Spirit on Him, 
and He will bring justice to the nations. 
- Isaiah 42: 1
Line by line, we shall connect these predictions to their fulfillments as mentioned and recorded after Christ rose from the dead:

Regarding “Here is My servant, whom I uphold”:
In your relationships with one another, have the same mindset as Christ Yeshua: 
Who, being in very nature God, did not consider equality with God something to be used to His own advantage; rather, He made Himself nothing by taking the very nature of a servant, being made in human likeness. 
- Philippians 2: 5-7
Notice it speaks of a servant in human likeness and describes that servant's attribute to the Christ, Yeshua.

The term “uphold” means to “confirm” or “support”, and quite amazingly it refers to somethign that is or would be questioned.

That term's current definition agrees with the study of the ancient Hebrew for the term, the historical line of etymology and lexicology, as shown at the scholarship cited.

The phrase held in contention “whom I uphold” I will discuss towards the end of this study.

Regarding “My chosen One in whom I delight”:
While He was speaking, a cloud appeared and covered them, and they were afraid as they entered the cloud. A Voice came from the cloud, saying, “This is My Son, whom I have chosen; listen to Him.” When the Voice had spoken, they found that Yeshua was alone. The disciples kept this to themselves and did not tell anyone at that time what they had seen. 
- Luke 9: 34-36
Notice who spoke and who is called “chosen”.

Regarding “in whom I delight”:
As soon as Yeshua was baptized, He went up out of the water. At that moment heaven was opened, and he saw the Spirit of God descending like a dove and alighting on Him. And a Voice from heaven said, “This is My Son, whom I love; with Him I Am well pleased.” 
- Matthew 3: 16-17
To delight in someone can mean to be pleased with them.

Regarding “I will put My Spirit on Him”, this one is quite explicit and is the obvious confirmation:
He went to Nazareth, where He had been brought up, and on the Sabbath day He went into the synagogue, as was His custom. He stood up to read, and the scroll of the prophet Isaiah was handed to Him. Unrolling it, He found the place where it is written: 
“The Spirit of the Lord is on Me, 
because He has anointed Me 
to proclaim good news to the poor. 
He has sent Me to proclaim freedom for the prisoners 
and recovery of sight for the blind, 
to set the oppressed free, 
to proclaim the year of the Lord’s favor.” 
- Luke 4: 16-19
Notice 'who' claims to have the Spirit of God on Him.

Notice from which source the claimant is reading from (Isaiah's prophecy).

For my dear Muslim brothers and sisters, notice who is called the “Spirit of God” in the Quran.

Regarding “and He will bring justice to the nations” we will look at two places:
And the Lord said, “Listen to what the unjust judge says. And will not God bring about justice for His chosen ones, who cry out to Him day and night? Will He keep putting them off? I tell you, He will see that they get justice, and quickly. However, when the Son of Man comes, will He find faith on the earth?” 
- Luke 18: 6-8 
Notice it is “the Lord” who is speaking (Yeshua is called the Lord by His followers) and also that He teaches that surely God will bring about justice, and quickly.
To the one who is victorious and does My will to the end, I will give authority over the nations—that one ‘will rule them with an iron scepter and will dash them to pieces like pottery’—just as I have received authority from my Father. I will also give that one the morning star. Whoever has ears, let them hear what the Spirit says to the churches. 
- Revelations 2: 26-29
Notice in these two passages, Yeshua Christ is quoted as speaking.

Interestingly, in Luke it is Yeshua in the flesh teaching His hearers...while in Revelation, is the Spirit of Yeshua speaking to John on the island of Patmos (perhaps after the harvest / rapture / return, but this is second to the main topic).

What is evident and undestood by the believers in the risen Christ is that His Spirit lives within them, thus it is through them that justice is realized on the earth in following Yeshua their King.

It has been through the church, the spiritual body of Christ, that every day more and more peoples and nations are bringing brought under the fold of law, order, civilization and submission to God's kingdom on earth...but I digress.

As I mentioned previously, regarding “whom I uphold”:
The Son is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn over all creation. For in Him all things were created: things in heaven and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or powers or rulers or authorities; all things have been created through Him and for Him. He is before all things, and in Him all things hold together. 
- Colossians 1: 15-17
Who upholds not only the servant, but also “in Him all things hold together”?

Who else than the One through whom all that we know (and don't) and all that we see (and do not) have come to exist and 'be'?

Who else than He who these ancient records, which preceded the man Muhammad, proclaim and clearly reveal?

None other than Yeshua Christ.
Then know this, you and all the people of Israel: It is by the Name of Yeshua Christ of Nazareth, whom you crucified but whom God raised from the dead, that this man stands before you healed. Yeshua is 
“ ‘the stone you builders rejected,which has become the cornerstone.’ 
Salvation is found in no one else, for there is no other name under heaven given to mankind by which we must be saved.” 
- Acts 4: 10-12

Praise be to His Holy Name, the Name revealed under heaven by which all men are to be saved.

Praise, honor, glory and worship be His forevermore!

Amen, amen, amen.

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