Isaiah 42:5–43:10 

What is the Haftorah (Haftorot, plural)? It is that portion of the writings of the biblical prophets that in Jewish synagogues is traditionally read after the reading of the weekly Torah portion (Parashah). The subject of the Haftorah portion usually directly relates to the subject of the corresponding Torah portion, “and usually contains an explicit reference to some event described in the section previously read from the Torah” (Jewish Encyclopedia, article entitled Haftorah, p. 135). No one knows when the custom of reading a portion of the writings of the Prophets on the Sabbath along with the weekly Torah portion originated, but it seems to be of pre-Christian era derivation (Ibid.p. 136). Jewish tradition traces the origination of coupling the Torah with the Prophets back to the intertestamental period of Antiochus IV Ephiphanes (168–165 B.C.) who forbade the Jewish people from reading the Torah thus forcing them to read a corresponding section from the prophets instead that would remind them of that particular Torah portion (Ibid.). Whatever the case, the studying of the Haftorah portions teaches Bible students the divinely inspired co-relationship between the YHVH’s Torah and the rest of his Word, and encourages us to study the whole counsel of that Word for our spiritual edification.

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Let’s determine the context of the Isaiah passage under consideration. Although this Haftorah portion commences in verse five, we cannot fully understand it without considering the fuller context of the preceding passages in Isaiah. For example, to whom is Isaiah 42:1–4 referring? (See Matt 12:17–21.) Please note that Matthew says that Yeshua is quoting Isaiah (verse 17), yet verse 21 (“And in his name shall the Gentiles trust.”) is not found in the Masoretic text of Isaiah 42:1–4 from which our English Bibles are translated, although the Greek Septuagint (LXX) contains this phrase in its Isaiah 42 passage. Can we explain why the LXX contains this phrase, yet the Masoretic text does not? Perhaps the Masoretic Text, which was accepted by Rabbinic Judaism in the first millennia of the common era as the official Hebrew text from which translations of the Hebrew Scriptures would be made, purposely omitted it in order to diminish the Christian notion that Yeshua was the Suffering Servant on whose name the people of the nations would place faith in order to be redeemed. (In our studies, we have discovered other instances where the rabbis have tampered with the original Hebrew to slant meanings in their favor and away from any concept of Yeshua being the Messiah.) After all, elsewhere in Isaiah we find similar statements (Read Isa 50:10; 51:5 cp. Zeph 3:12). Therefore, Matthew is indeed correct when he states that Yeshua was quoting from Isaiah. Another possibility is that the LXX translation is inaccurate having been glossed (biased) by Christian translators. A third possibility comes into view when one realizes that the Masoretic Text was but one of several text families of Hebrew “Old Testaments” in circulation at the time of Yeshua. There existed the Targumim (the Aramaic translation of the Hebrew Scriptures) along with the Hebrew text from which the Dead Sea scrolls “Old Testament” derives, along with competing Hebrew “Old Testaments” from other scribal families besides the Masoretes. The Hebrew in many of these will vary slightly. Whatever the case, the Word of YHVH is not broken in Matthew 12:21, for indeed there are other passages in Isaiah which clearly point to Yeshua (e.g. Isa 50:10) being a light to the nations and redeeming them if they will but put their trust in his name.

Having established that our Haftorah passage is definitely a reference to Yeshua the Messiah, let us ask the next question. Who is the target group to which Isaiah is prophetically referring as being the recipient of Messiah’s spiritual “light” (verses 6–7)? Who is Isaiah addressing in his prophecy? In verses 16–20 YHVH refers, to his blind and deaf servants who have turned to idolatry and turned their backs on YHVH, but who will turn back to YHVH (verse 17). He says of this people-group that there are many things that they have not “observed” (the Hebrew word for observe is shamar, Strong’s H8104, meaning“kept, guarded or heeded”), and then in the next verse he begins to talk about his Torah. Would this passage in Isaiah make sense if it were referring to Gentiles who had never in their past known the Elohim of Israel or his Torah-laws? (Read verse 24.) Now who is the target group identified in 43:1? Is he talking to the Gentiles or to the descendants of Jacob who have lost their way spiritually and become mixed with the Gentiles (Hos 7:8; 8:8)? What does YHVH promise to do with his wayward children who have become lost and scattered among the Gentiles? (Read Isa 43:5–10.) How would he redeem them? This is a major issue with which Isaiah deals. (Read Isa 49:1–7; 50:1; 52:13–15; 53:1–12.) In all of these passages, who is the people-group to whom the prophet is continually urging them to return to YHVH offering them a message of redemption and hope? (See Isa 44:1, 2, 5, 21; 45:4, 19; 46:3, 13; 48:1, 12; 49:3, 5, 6, 7, 26; 51:1, 4, 17; 52:2; 54:5; 56:8.)

Now that we know what the subject of this Haftorah portion is and who the target group is, what can we learn from this passage?

Isaiah 42:5, Who created. What are the similarities between this passage and the Genesis chapter one creation account (especially verses 1–6). Both accounts speak of light. In Genesis chapter one, we understand that the light alluded to here is both physical and spiritual in nature. Isaiah speaks of this light in a prophetic and spiritual context. If 42:1–6 are referring to Yeshua, then how is he “light to the Gentiles” and what is that light? (See John 1:1–14; 8:12 and 9:5.)

Isaiah 42:6, In righteousness. YHVH called his people to walk in righteousness. How does Scripture define righteousness? (See Pss 119:7, 62, 106, 123, 138, 172.) The Hebrew word for righteousness is tzedek (Strong’s H6664/TWOT 1879a) meaning “justice and rightness.” How do we know what YHVH’s standard of righteousness is? Where do we find it defined? The Theological Wordbook of the Old Testament (TWOT) suggests that the original meaning of the word tzedek is “to be straight” or that which stands for a “norm” and in a spiritual sense could have come to represent “a canon, rod, measuring rule.” Scripture defines YHVH himself, along with his character, as being tzedek (righteous), and YHVH has called his people to be righteous as he is righteous (Isa 42:6). In biblical Hebraic thought, there is only one thing that defines what specifically are YHVH’s righteous standards. What is that? (See Ps 119:172.) Who walked out that righteousness perfectly and became a Light to the people of the nations to show them the way of righteousness? (Mal 4:2)

Isaiah 42:6, I have called you in righteousness … and [will] give you a covenant … for a light of the Gentiles.If YHVH is speaking here to backslid Israel, then what is this covenant that promises to give them to be a light to the people of the nations? (Read Jer 31:31–33 and compare to Heb 8:8 along with Matt 10:5–8; 15:24.)

Isaiah 42:16–17, I will bring the blind. What is YHVH talking about here? Remember, he is still addressing the same people-group and desires them to turn back to him and turn away from their idolatrous ways. He says that the spiritual darkness and moral crookedness in which they have become engrossed will turn to light and to straightness. What is he really saying here about the religious systems they have embraced that they have exchanged for YHVH’s ways of righteousness as defined by his Torah? How does this apply to us today? Has the heart of the Father ever changed toward his people? (Read Rev 18:4 where we see that those caught up in religious Babylon—a religious system characterized by an admixture of biblical truth and unbiblical pagan traditions—are still his people, but they must come out of false and Torahless religious systems.) How does the Book of Revelation further define YHVH’s end-time Saints? Not only must they come out of spiritual Babylon, but also what two qualifications characterize their walk before YHVH? (Read Rev 12:17 and 14:15.) To the Hebraic mind-set of John the Revelator, what is the only thing the term “commandments” could mean?

Isaiah 42:19–20, Blind…deaf. YHVH calls his servant Israel blind and deaf? Is this a description of their physical or spiritual condition? In light of everything else this Haftorah portion is talking about and the issues we have already discussed, who in our days are the blind and deaf ones? What must we do to come out of our spiritual blindness? Yeshua was commissioned to go to the lost sheep of the House of Israel, and he commissioned his disciples to do the same, and much of his ministry not only involved healing the lost sheep of Israel physically, but also spiritually. As they came to him physically and spiritually blind and deaf what did he do? As his disciples, are we commissioned to do the same?

In Hebraic thought, blindness is a metaphor for spiritual blindness, lack of spiritual enlightenment, namely Torahlessness; that is, a reference to those who are blinded to the light of YHVH’s truth (Isa 29:18; 42:7, 16, 18–19; 43:8; Jer 31:8 and Rom 11:25; Isa 56:10). If that spiritual blindness is to be healed, what does this mean?

Isaiah 42:21, [YHVH Yeshua] will magnifymeaning “to make it grow, grow up, make it important, promote, make it great, make it important] the Torah-law, and make it honorable.” This was a prophecy for the future. Why did YHVH make this prediction regarding Israel? As Israel turned away from their covenants with YHVH, turned from his righteous standards, turned to idolatry and pagan customs, became mixed with the Gentile nations, became spiritually blind and deaf, what became of the Torah-law in their eyes? Who in our day teaches that the Torah-law has been abolished, nullified, fulfilled, nailed to the cross or done away with? Does Isaiah’s prophecy state that YHVH’s Torah will once again attain a place of honor, greatness and importance among the people of Israel? Is that happening in our day as many come out of the Christian religious system and discover the Hebrew roots of their faith and discover that they are Israel as Paul the apostle taught (Rom 4:16; 9:8–11; Gal. 3:7, 9, 14; 28–29; Eph 2:11–19)? How does the “magnification” of YHVH’s Torah-instructions in righteousness relate to the Spirit of Elijah that Malachi prophesied would come to this earth just prior to that great and terrible Day of YHVH’s Wrath before and at Messiah’s return? (Read Mal 4:1–6.)

Isaiah 42:24, They would not walk in his ways, neither were they obedient to his Torah-law. Isaiah refuses to let go of the concept that YHVH’s people had sinned by walking away from his Torah-law. Again, to whom is Isaiah referring? The Hindus, Moslems, or Buddhists who never had his Torah, or to his people, both the Jews and Christians, who both claim to worship the Elohim of the Bible, the El (God) of Israel?

Isaiah 43:2, O Israel … For I have redeemed you, I have called you by name; you are mine. Who did YHVH send to redeem his people Israel? (Read Isa 49:1–7; 52:13–15 and 53:1–13.) As we saw above, Paul says that all those who are redeemed through the blood of Messiah Yeshua are Israel. 

Isaiah 43:2–10, Read and ponder these passages that speak of YHVH’s everlasting love and grace toward his people despite their rebelliousness and their exchanging his loving instructions in righteousness (his Torah) for heathen Gentile ways.

Isaiah 43:10, You are my witnesses [those who give testimony or evidence of something], says YHVH, and my servants whom I have chosen. If we understand the truth of what YHVH through Isaiah is saying here then how can we be witnesses of this good news of redemption through Yeshua the Messiah that we are Israel and therefore must embrace the covenants, promises, laws, blessings and identity of Israel as the apostle Paul clearly states in passages we have already referenced above?

Now that your understanding of these prophetic passages in Isaiah has hopefully been expanded, go back and review our Torah study in Genesis 1:1 through 6:8 to find as many thematic parallels as possible. For example, how does each one point to Yeshua the Messiah, treat the subject of sin and redemption, discuss YHVH’s Torah-law and his standards of righteousness, discuss the subject of light and the list goes on. Can we see the consistency of YHVH’s Word, and that there is no contradiction between Genesis and Isaiah? Can we see how the revelation of the Messiah and the concept of redemption from sin progressively grow and expand as we move forward in time?