Did the Jews waiting for their Messiah associate him with the creation of the world?
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Surprisingly some ancient rabbis did actually draw the connection of the Messiah to the creation of the world. Under this classical Messianic text, a connection was made:
There shall come forth a shoot from the stump of Jesse, and a branch from his roots shall bear fruit. And the Spirit of the Lord shall rest upon him, the Spirit of wisdom and understanding, the Spirit of counsel and might, the Spirit of knowledge and the fear of the Lord. (Isaiah 11:1-2, ESV)
Accordingly there is an ancient rabbinic reference recorded by the Jewish historian Alfred Edersheim that understands this Spirit, to be the Spirit of the Messiah in the creation of the world.
In Gen. 1:2, the expression, ‘Spirit of God,’ is explained of ‘the Spirit of the King Messiah,’ with reference to Is. 11:2, and the ‘moving on the face of the deep’ of ‘repentance,’ according to Lam. 2:19. So in Ber. R. 2, and in regard to the first point also in Ber. R. 8, in Vayyik. R. 14, and in other places. (The Life and Times of Jesus the Messiah, by Alfred Edersheim)
Although it is found in scripture that Messiah is also God, it was not commonly understood that the Messiah was God by the Jews until it became evident during Christ's life on earth. Yet this does not mean that the Messiah was not believed to be pre-existing before his physical appearance. The idea that he was preexisting and associated with the Spirit of Jehovah was quite commonly understood. Although they did not see things clearly they did see enough to recognize the truth when they finally saw it in Christ manifested in the flesh. Why else do we suppose so many Jews first put their faith in him as their Messiah and God?
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