Marred

The Hebrew word for “marred” occurs in only two places in the Old Testament: It describes the Suffering Servant (Isaiah 52:14) and it is used to refer to disfigurements that disqualify a descendant of Aaron from being priest (Leviticus 22:25). The connection doesn’t seem fortuitous.

The fact that the Servant is “marred” helps to explain the reaction of the people to His appearance. He cannot be the Lord’s arm if he is disfigured like that. But then we’re told that the Servant not only offers an asham , a trespass offering (53:10), but we’re told that He offers His own marred self as the trespass offering. If a marred man is unable to be a priest, so too a married sacrifice is unable to be a suitable sacrifice.

Yet Yahweh responds favorably to the Servant’s self-offering, prolonging his days and exalting Him and giving Him spoils. If Yahweh accepts a marred offering by a marred offerer, that can only mean that there has been some seismic shift in the structures of worship and sacrifice. It means that in the Servant we have a priesthood and a sacrificial system different from the Mosaic system and the Aaronic priesthood.

The vindication of the Servant’s offering by His resurrection announces a new order of things. More than announce: It creates a new order of things.