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Is Messiah God?
The concept of Messiah comes from the ancient Hebrew prophets. And some of the writings they left behind are not clear concerning whom they are talking about. So in order to prove anything at all about what is predicted of the nature of the Messiah and the messianic age, we must find some Scriptures which we generally agree refer to Messiah or the messianic age.
It is generally agreed that the following Scriptures refer to Messiah or the messianic age: Isaiah 2:1-5, 11:1-16, Ezekiel 34:11-31, 37:15-28, Amos 9:11-15, Micah 4:1-7. There may be others, but these predict the coming of an everlasting age of peace, justice, and prosperity in which God's Will is made known and accepted and which is ruled by the Messiah from Jerusalem with justice and righteousness.
The question becomes, if Messiah is indeed the ruler of the messianic age, then how can the Will of God be done on earth unless it is also the will of Messiah? If Messiah should order or command or state anything contrary to the Will of God, then this would contradict the Scriptures which say that the Messiah will rule with justice and righteousness and that the Word of God will be proclaimed across the world. Either the will of Messiah would be done and the Word of God ignored, or the Will of God will be done and the words of Messiah ignored. So, if the Will of God is not also the will of Messiah, then either God will not reign in the messianic age which is contrary to Scripture or the Messiah will not rule contrary to Scripture.
Indeed, it is not sufficient for Messiah to just obey the law of Moses. For look what happened to the people when king David decided to count the fighting men (2_Samuel_24). Even though nothing is said in the law of Moses about whether it is right or wrong to count the men in the country, a curse fell on the Israelites because it was not appropriate for David to count the men in the way he did. So if Messiah is to avoid a similar fate, it will be necessary for Messiah to know the Will of God in all things and to do it as well. Indeed, if Messiah should not always do the Will of God, then he sins against God to that extent and will receive trouble and distress as a consequence. But since such trouble is contrary to the peace and prosperity that is predicted for the messianic age, we have to conclude that messiah will always do the Will of God in everything he does and so his kingdom will receive a blessing as a result.
We are told by the prophets that human nature is sinful: Psalm 14:2-3, Isaiah_1:2-4, Isaiah 53:6, Isaiah 59, Jeremiah 17:9... But Isaiah 11:1-2 goes to great lengths to show how the Messiah will have the Spirit of God so that He always does the Will of God. Isaiah 11:1-2 tells of how the Messiah will have the "Spirit of the LORD" rest on Him. It describes in seven ways how His Spirit will enable the Messiah. And it is a long established Hebrew tradition that 7 times represents completeness ever since God finished all his work and rested on the seventh day. So Isaiah is saying that the Spirit of the LORD will dwell in Messiah completely. But since the spiritual nature of God is unique, there is then the argument for the divinity of Messiah because He would have the Spirit of God fully and completely which must be unique to God.
For a person's identity is not equivalent to his flesh because a person can loose parts of his flesh and still remain the same person. I am not suggesting that the flesh and blood of Messiah is in and of itself God. No, it is the spirit of a person that defines his identity. It is his spirit that makes a person unique. No two persons can have the same spirit. And since Isaiah is saying that Messiah will have the Spirit of God completely, then Messiah must be God.
Furthermore, Isaiah 11:3-4 goes on to attribute the Messiah with the same spiritual nature as that of God, that of Omni-presence, and Omnipotence. For Messiah will have the ability to know the truth about circumstances without anyone telling Him a thing which is only possible if you had been there (in spirit) and witnessed it yourself or if you have all knowledge available to you. This describes Omnipresence. Or perhaps it describes an All-knowing ability. And also Messiah will have power to strike the earth and destroy the wicked with nothing more than a word from His lips. And with such power He will establish peace on earth forever. This describes Omnipotence.
Even more, Isaiah 11:5 goes on to describe the righteousness and faithfulness of Messiah. And nowhere in Scripture does it say that Messiah will ever do evil or sin in any way. So if Messiah should ever do anything against the Will of God and therefore sin, then he would violate those Scriptures that say that Messiah will do what is just and right and be faithful towards God. And it would prove that he is not the Messiah. For Scripture doesn't say that Messiah will do what is just and right only sometimes. But even before his birth Messiah must fulfill the predictions that he will do what is just and right. So this does not leave him any opportunity to sin at any point in his life and still fulfill these Scriptures. I argue, then, that it is not possible to never sin against God unless you are God. For a person can never do anything contrary to his own will. But what he does only proves what his will and intentions are. So if Messiah must always do the Will of God which is only possible for God to do, then Messiah must be God.
Yet some have suggested that it's not a sin to not always do the Will of God with perfection in every circumstance. But I disagree. Should we think that God does not know what is right in every circumstance in a person's life? Should we think that God does not care if someone does not do His Will at any time? Should we think that there are no consequences for not doing what is right in the eyes of God? Sin is by definition not doing the Will of God. And it always has adverse consequences. And since the messianic age is defined by a lack of evil consequence for the kingdom of Messiah, we must conclude that he will never do anything to offend God.
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