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Read an Excerpt BOOK EXCERPT This in-depth, user-friendly one volume resource offers a clear and careful commentary on every Messianic passage in the Old Testament. Get answers and clarity in this authoritative and reliable guide from some of the world’s foremost evangelical Old Testament scholars. Interested in the whole book? Select your preferred book seller: MOODY PUBLISHERS APPLE BOOKS AMAZON WALMART GOOGLE PLAY CHRISTIANBOOK.COM BARNES & NOBLE Contents Foreword . 11 Contributors . 15 Acknowledgments . 21 List of Abbreviations . .22 Introduction . 25 The Messiah and His Titles . 29 Messiah and the Hebrew Bible . 41 Textual Criticism and Messianic Prophecy . 61 Interpretive Approaches to Messianic Prophecy . .73 The Old Testament in the Old Testament. .93 The Old Testament in the New Testament . 103 Canonical Perspectives on Messianic Prophecy . 119 Messiah: Prophet, Priest, and King. .135 The Deity of Messiah in the Old Testament . 147 Typology in the Old Testament . 161 Sacrifice in the Old Testament. 177 Messiah in Intertestamental Literature. 191 Messiah in Rabbinic Literature . 201 Targums, the New Testament, and Biblical Theology of the Messiah . .213 Messiah in Medieval Jewish Literature . 227 Genesis 3:15: The Promised Seed . 239 Genesis 9:25-27: The Promise through Noah . 251 Genesis 12:1-3; 22:16-18: The Covenant with Abraham . 259 Genesis 49:8-12: The Lion of Judah. 271 Numbers 24:5-9, 15-19: The Distant Star . 285 Deuteronomy 17:14-20: The Foundations of Messianic Kingship . .309 Deuteronomy 18:15-19: The Prophet Like Moses . 325 Messianism in Ruth . 343 1 Samuel 2:1-10, 35: Hannah’s Song of the Messianic King . .361 1 Samuel 17: David: A Messianic Prototype . .373 2 Samuel 7: The Davidic Covenant (I) . 385 MHoMP_Book 1.indb 7 7/22/19 1:32 PM 2 Samuel 23:1-7: David’s Last Words . 399 Messianism in 1 & 2 Kings . 411 1 Chronicles 17: The Davidic Covenant (II). .425 Job 19:23-27: A Living Redeemer . 437 Compositional Unity in the Five Books of the Psalms: A Canonical Approach. .451 Messianism in the Psalms . 457 Psalms 1-2: The Divine Son of God . 477 Psalm 3: The Victory of the Messiah . 491 Psalm 8: The Messianic Son of Adam . 503 Psalm 16: The Resurrected Messiah . 513 Psalm 22: The Suffering of the Messianic King . 529 Psalm 23: The Lord Is Messiah’s Shepherd . .543 Psalm 40: A Body Prepared for Death . 559 Psalm 45: The Messiah as Bridegroom . 573 Psalm 69: The Lament of the Messiah . 591 Psalm 72: The Messiah as Ideal King . 605 Psalms 86-88: The Suffering, Death, and Resurrection of the Messianic King . 617 Psalm 89: God’s Faithful Promise of Messiah . 631 Psalm 90: The Fulfillment of the Davidic Covenant . 645 Psalm 109: The Betrayal of the Messiah . 663 Psalm 110: The Messiah as Eternal King Priest . 673 Psalm 118: The Rejected Stone . .693 Psalm 132: The Messianic Restoration of the Davidic Throne . 701 Messianism in the Psalms of Ascent . .711 Messianism in Proverbs. .727 Proverbs 8: The Messiah: Personification of Divine Wisdom . 739 Proverbs 30:4: The Riddle of the Son . 747 Messianism in Ecclesiastes . 757 Messianism in Song of Songs . 769 Isaiah 2:1-4/Micah 4:1-5: The Restoration of Israel in the Messianic Age . 785 Isaiah 4:2: The Branch of the Lord in the Messianic Age . .803 Isaiah 7:1-16: The Virgin Birth in Prophecy . 815 Isaiah 9:1-7: The Deity of Messiah . 831 Isaiah 11:1-16: The Reign of the Righteous Messianic King . 845 Isaiah 16:5: The Context of the Promise. .859 Isaiah 24:21-23: The Victory and Rule of the Messianic King . .865 Isaiah 28:16: The Messianic Cornerstone. .873 Isaiah 30:19-26: The Messianic Teacher King: . 885 Isaiah 32:1-8; 33:17-24: The Righteous and Majestic King . 897 8 MHoMP_Book 1.indb 8 7/22/19 1:32 PM Isaiah 35:1-10: The Messianic Era . 907 The Message of the Servant Songs . 921 Isaiah 42:1-9: The Commission of the Servant of the Lord . 931 Isaiah 49:1-13: The Ministry of the Servant of the Lord. .941 Isaiah 50:4-11: The Mission of the Servant in a Darkened World. .953 Isaiah 52:13–53:12: The Substitution of the Servant of the Lord . 961 Isaiah 55:3-5: The Fulfillment of the Davidic Promise. .975 Isaiah 61:1-6: The Spirit-Anointed Messiah and His Promise of Restoration . 983 Isaiah 63:1-6: The Messianic Warrior-Judge . 997 Jeremiah 23:5-6: The Divine Branch of the Lord . 1011 Jeremiah 30:1-24: The Messiah: Israel’s Deliverer and King . 1021 Jeremiah 31:31-34: The New Covenant . 1035 Jeremiah 33:14-26: The Branch and the Abrahamic Promises . 1049 Ezekiel 17:22-24: Ezekiel’s Tender Sprig and the Messiah . 1063 Ezekiel 21:25-27: The Hope of Israel . 1073 Ezekiel 34:20-31: The Shepherd of Israel . 1083 Ezekiel 37:15-28: The Restoration of Israel under the One Shepherd . 1097 Daniel 2:29-45: The Times of the Gentiles and the Messianic Kingdom . 1115 Daniel 7:13-27: The Glorious Son of Man . 1127 Daniel 9:24-27: When Will Messiah Come? . 1139 Hosea 3:4-5: Israel’s Present Estrangement and Future Restoration . 1153 Joel 2:23: The Teacher of Righteousness . 1167 Joel 2:28-32: The Messianic Outpouring of the Spirit . .1177 Amos 9:11-15: The Messiah and the Restoration of the House of David. 1187 Micah 2:12-13: Messiah, the Breaker and the Deliverance of Israel . .1195 Micah 5:2-5a: Bethlehem: Birthplace of the Messianic King. 1207 Haggai 2:6-9, 21-23: The Messiah: The Chosen Signet Ring of God . 1219 Zechariah 3:1-10: The Messiah and His Restoration of Israel . 1235 Zechariah 6:9-15: The Royal Priesthood of Messiah . 1247 Zechariah 9:9-10: Rejoice, Your King Is Coming . .1261 Zechariah 11:4-14: The Rejected Shepherd . 1271 Zechariah 12:10–13:1: The Pierced Messiah . 1285 Zechariah 13:7-9: The Striking of the Shepherd King . .1301 Zechariah 14:1-11: The Return of the Messiah . 1315 Malachi 3:1; 4:1-5: The Messiah as Messenger of the Lord . 1327 Scripture Index . 1339 Subject Index. 1395 9 MHoMP_Book 1.indb 9 7/22/19 1:32 PM The Messiah and His Titles MICHAEL A. RYDELNIK This is a book about the Messiah in the Old Testament. Although it has become accepted in critical scholarship that the term “Messiah” has no technical usages in the OT and that the concept of a messianic deliverer did not develop until the second century BC,1 this book has taken a decidedly different direction. It affirms, along with many outstanding biblical scholars, that there indeed was a clearly intended messianic message in the Hebrew Bible.2 But where should this study of OT messianism begin? It seems necessary, before addressing any other subject or passage, to be clear about the subject—to understand what is meant about the Messiah. Therefore, this article will address two foundational elements of this entire study. First, it will seek to develop a bib- lical, theological definition of the word “Messiah.” Then, it will examine some (though not all) of the other titles the OT uses for this individual. THE MEANING OF THE MESSIAH At the outset, it is imperative to define the term “Messiah” as it is used throughout this entire book. So this section will examine a number of biblical ideas and pas- sages that describe the Messiah, and then it will articulate a biblical, theological definition derived from that examination. A Biblical Description of the Messiah The Messiah is described in the Bible beginning with the word “Messiah” or “Anointed One,” and then in a variety of other ways. All of the following provide a portrait of the future messianic figure. A Consecrated Person. The Hebrew root of the word “Messiah” is the verb 29 MHoMP_Book 1.indb 29 7/22/19 1:32 PM THE MOODY HANDBOOK OF MESSIANIC PROPHECY mashach, meaning “to rub or smear.” For example, it is used of rubbing oil on a shield (Isa 21:5) or smearing paint on a wall (Jer 22:14). The verb is also used of smearing oil or anointing objects used in worship such as an altar (Gn 31:13), the tent of meeting (Ex 30:26), and the tabernacle and all that is in it (Ex 40:9-11). These texts indicate that the purpose of this anointing was to consecrate or set apart these items for use in worshiping God. The adjectival noun form of the word is used 39 times in the OT and exclusively with living beings. The noun and verb are both used of people, such as the anointed priest (Lv 4:3), anointing a king (2Sm 2:4; 5:3), or anointing a prophet (1Kg 19:16). It indicates that all these were consecrated to serve God. Even a pagan king (Cyrus) is called “anointed” because, in His provi- dence, God consecrated (set apart) Cyrus to serve in bringing the people of Israel and Judah back from captivity (Isa 45:1). With regard to the technical use of the term “Messiah” or “Anointed One” to refer to an eschatological Deliverer, it is commonly understood to be somewhat rare in the OT. Most will acknowledge that Dan 9:25-26 (“until Messiah the Prince;” “The Messiah will be cut off”) and Ps 2:2 (“the Lord and His Anointed One”) use the term “Mashiach” to refer to this end-of-days Redeemer. W. C.
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