When God created "Night" and "Heavens" in Genesis 1, were they not good?

[Fenris]

You miss out the first verse ?


Isaiah 53:1 Who hath believed our report? and to whom is the arm of the Lord revealed?

You missed the preceding verses. Really this is one of the worst chapter breaks in the bible.

Let's start from 52:13, which is the real start of the chapter:

Behold, My Servant will prosper; He will be raised and lifted up and highly exalted.

Who is the servant? Clue: The servant is identified by name around 9 times between Is 40 and Is 52. I leave it as an exercise for the reader to figure out who it is. Continuing...

Just as many were appalled at Him— His appearance was disfigured beyond that of any man, and His form was marred beyond human likeness—

The servant isn't even considered to be human. Fits nicely with "he was despised, and we held him in low esteem."

so he will startle many nations. Kings will shut their mouths because of him. For they will see what they have not been told, and they will understand what they have not heard.

Now we get to the verse you posted.

Who hath believed our report?


Who is speaking here? It's not the Jews. It's the startled kings in the previous verse.

It all makes sense.

[Fenris]

I ask again, why was Israel punished with blindness, hardening of heart ?


The answer is, because of being a disobedient and gainsaying people.

A rebellious people and God recompenses their evil on them.

Perfect. I'll post it again!

 Surely he took up our pain
    and bore our suffering,
yet we considered him punished by God,
    stricken by him, and afflicted.

[gordon7]

You miss out the first verse ?


Isaiah 53:1 Who hath believed our report? and to whom is the arm of the Lord revealed?

You missed the preceding verses. Really this is one of the worst chapter breaks in the bible.

Let's start from 52:13, which is the real start of the chapter:

Behold, My Servant will prosper; He will be raised and lifted up and highly exalted.

Who is the servant? Clue: The servant is identified by name around 9 times between Is 40 and Is 52. I leave it as an exercise for the reader to figure out who it is. Continuing...

Just as many were appalled at Him— His appearance was disfigured beyond that of any man, and His form was marred beyond human likeness—

The servant isn't even considered to be human. Fits nicely with "he was despised, and we held him in low esteem."

so he will startle many nations. Kings will shut their mouths because of him. For they will see what they have not been told, and they will understand what they have not heard.

Now we get to the verse you posted.

Who hath believed our report?


Who is speaking here? It's not the Jews. It's the startled kings in the previous verse.

It all makes sense.

Yes it makes sense that the Jews cant consider what the Messiah says due to having their hearts hardened, but the kings can consider due to sprinkling. ( the blood of sprinkling is the new covenant, which Judaism does not have, due to being in the only covenant they ever had.)

The Gentiles on the other hand, are converted..




Isaiah 6:10 Make the heart of this people fat, and make their ears heavy, and shut their eyes; lest they see with their eyes, and hear with their ears, and understand with their heart, and convert, and be healed.

Isaiah 52:15 So shall he sprinkle many nations; the kings shall shut their mouths at him: for that which had not been told them shall they see; and that which they had not heard shall they consider.

Isaiah 60:5 Then thou shalt see, and flow together, and thine heart shall fear, and be enlarged; because the abundance of the sea shall be converted unto thee, the forces of the Gentiles shall come unto thee.



Hebrews 12:24 And to Jesus the mediator of the new covenant, and to the blood of sprinkling, that speaketh better things than that of Abel.

[gordon7]

I ask again, why was Israel punished with blindness, hardening of heart ?


The answer is, because of being a disobedient and gainsaying people.

A rebellious people and God recompenses their evil on them.

Perfect. I'll post it again!

 Surely he took up our pain
    and bore our suffering,
yet we considered him punished by God,
    stricken by him, and afflicted.

Cant take the pain of a people left hardened and blinded, but can of a people given a soft heart of a new covenant.




Isaiah 6:10 Make the heart of this people fat, and make their ears heavy, and shut their eyes; lest they see with their eyes, and hear with their ears, and understand with their heart, and convert, and be healed.

Isaiah 63:17 O Lord, why hast thou made us to err from thy ways, and hardened our heart from thy fear? Return for thy servants' sake, the tribes of thine inheritance.




Jeremiah 31:31 Behold, the days come, saith the Lord, that I will make a new covenant with the house of Israel, and with the house of Judah:
32 Not according to the covenant that I made with their fathers in the day that I took them by the hand to bring them out of the land of Egypt; which my covenant they brake, although I was an husband unto them, saith the Lord:
33 But this shall be the covenant that I will make with the house of Israel; After those days, saith the Lord, I will put my law in their inward parts, and write it in their hearts; and will be their God, and they shall be my people.

Ezekiel 36:26 A new heart also will I give you, and a new spirit will I put within you: and I will take away the stony heart out of your flesh, and I will give you an heart of flesh.

[gordon7]

You see we had a nice discussion now, and it was fun too.

[Fenris]

Yes it makes sense that the Jews cant consider what the Messiah says due to having their hearts hardened

That's lazy way to refute a point. "your heart is hardened blah blah blah".

but the kings can consider due to sprinkling.

The word is much better translated as "startled" especially given the context of "kings will shut their mouths" etc.

[Fenris]

Cant take the pain of a people left hardened and blinded, but can of a people given a soft heart of a new covenant.

Telling people they are hardened and blinded is not a soft heart. Accusing fellow Christians of having insufficient faith is not a soft heart. Your actions put lie to your words.

Isaiah 6:10 Make the heart of this people fat, and make their ears heavy, and shut their eyes; lest they see with their eyes, and hear with their ears, and understand with their heart, and convert, and be healed.

Very next verse: And I said, "Until when, O Lord?" And He said, "Until cities be desolate without inhabitant and houses without people, and the ground lies waste and desolate.

Which already happened, 2500 years ago.

So, not still in effect. But do go on.

Jeremiah 31:31 Behold, the days come, saith the Lord, that I will make a new covenant with the house of Israel, and with the house of Judah:

Says house of Israel and Judah. Are you from  those houses?