Isaiah 61:1-11 NIV
The Spirit of the Sovereign Lord is on me, because the Lord has anointed me to proclaim good news to the poor. He has sent me to bind up the brokenhearted, to proclaim freedom for the captives and release from darkness for the prisoners, to proclaim the year of the Lord ’s favor and the day of vengeance of our God, to comfort all who mourn, and provide for those who grieve in Zion— to bestow on them a crown of beauty instead of ashes, the oil of joy instead of mourning, and a garment of praise instead of a spirit of despair.
They will be called oaks of righteousness, a planting of the Lord for the display of his splendor. They will rebuild the ancient ruins and restore the places long devastated; they will renew the ruined cities that have been devastated for generations.
Strangers will shepherd your flocks; foreigners will work your fields and vineyards. And you will be called priests of the Lord, you will be named ministers of our God. You will feed on the wealth of nations, and in their riches you will boast. Instead of your shame you will receive a double portion, and instead of disgrace you will rejoice in your inheritance. And so you will inherit a double portion in your land, and everlasting joy will be yours.
“For I, the Lord, love justice; I hate robbery and wrongdoing. In my faithfulness I will reward my people and make an everlasting covenant with them. Their descendants will be known among the nations and their offspring among the peoples. All who see them will acknowledge that they are a people the Lord has blessed.”
I delight greatly in the Lord; my soul rejoices in my God. For he has clothed me with garments of salvation and arrayed me in a robe of his righteousness, as a bridegroom adorns his head like a priest, and as a bride adorns herself with her jewels. For as the soil makes the sprout come up and a garden causes seeds to grow, so the Sovereign Lord will make righteousness and praise spring up before all nations.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Among Christians, Isaiah 61 may be the best known passage in all of the prophet's writings. For this chapter was read by Jesus aloud in the synagogue in His hometown of Nazareth.
Luke 4:20-21 NIV
Then he rolled up the scroll, gave it back to the attendant and sat down. The eyes of everyone in the synagogue were fastened on him. He began by saying to them, “Today this scripture is fulfilled in your hearing.”
When Jesus said this the people in the synagogue took offense. They knew the implications. It meant that messiah had come. Jesus was announcing that the kingdom of heaven had arrived. It meant that Jesus was claiming Himself to be messiah, God's anointed one sent to establish the everlasting kingdom of God.
Was that what Isaiah meant? I don't think so. His audience was the returning exiles. They came to Judea and Jerusalem to find it in ruins, overgrown from decades of neglect. What were they going to do? They must have felt like they were tossed out of the frying pan and into the fire. Were they feeling like the freed Hebrew slaves in the wilderness complaining that they needed to go back you Egypt, where at least they had meat to eat and plenty of water provided for them?
Look how Isaiah describes his audience! They are poor, brokenhearted, captive and imprisoned, mournful and grieving. They are covered in despair by what they must endure. Imagine how you might feel as a survivor of a tornado that ripped through your town, destroying everything. As you look upon your ruined home and those of your neighbors, would you not mourn? Would you be filled with despair at the thought of rebuilding? Isaiah is sent to encourage such hearts.
As always God is concerned for His holy project, Israel. For through a people blessed by The Lord, the world will come to know God. The rebuilding of Zion will not simply be stones and mortar. It will mean rebuilding the holy community that enjoys the Lord's blessing. It means making Israel shine with the splendor and majesty of God, illuminating the world with the righteousness of God.
Isaiah 61:3b NIV
They will be called oaks of righteousness, a planting of the Lord for the display of his splendor.
Isaiah 61:9 NIV
Their descendants will be known among the nations and their offspring among the peoples. All who see them will acknowledge that they are a people the Lord has blessed.”
Isaiah 61:11b
...the Sovereign Lord will make righteousness and praise spring up before all nations.
Israel is on display for the world to see. And this display is for the world's benefit. As Israel shines in the radiance of the Lord's blessings of wealth and health, the other nations will be drawn to the Lord. They will want to learn how they might also live under the blessings of the Lord and seek to follow in God's ways.
Isaiah beautifully describes the reversal of fortunes that is about to happen for the grieving Israelites. They will become wealthy when now they are poor. They will have foreigners keeping watch over their flocks and vineyard. The nations will serve them for the gentiles will wish to honor the God of Israel. They will seek the Lord's blessing by being a blessing to Israel.
Israel will be known as a nation of priests, ministers of God. Their renown will reach the end of the earth. All this will happen through the redeeming work of God. He will cause praise for the name of the Lord to spring up like daffodils bloom in early spring. He will create righteous and holy community to cover the earth, for through Israel the knowledge of God will reach the ears and hearts of every man, woman and child.
We all long for worldwide peace. We know peace is not simply the absence of conflict. It is the presence of justice. The Lord loves justice and so He redeemed His lost and desperate people to become the people through whom His Christ would appear. God sent His only begotten Son to the earth that we might not perish, but through faith in Him have everlasting life. That life dwells within everyone. The gushing well of living water is ready to burst forth blessing every heart that seeks the Lord.
In the midst of your moments of mourning and despair, I wonder if you can remember God's redeeming power at work in His people? If God overturned the fortunes of the exiles, can He not also do the same for you? If you align your life with the Lord's, if you seek to live a life pleasing to God, you can trust that He will care for your every need. Hear the good news! The Lord is here to bind up our broken hearts and release the captives. Instead of ashes, we'll know beauty. For our lives are on display for the Lord's glory. Let the people of God always praise His name.
The Spirit of the Sovereign Lord is on me, because the Lord has anointed me to proclaim good news to the poor. He has sent me to bind up the brokenhearted, to proclaim freedom for the captives and release from darkness for the prisoners, to proclaim the year of the Lord ’s favor and the day of vengeance of our God, to comfort all who mourn, and provide for those who grieve in Zion— to bestow on them a crown of beauty instead of ashes, the oil of joy instead of mourning, and a garment of praise instead of a spirit of despair.
They will be called oaks of righteousness, a planting of the Lord for the display of his splendor. They will rebuild the ancient ruins and restore the places long devastated; they will renew the ruined cities that have been devastated for generations.
Strangers will shepherd your flocks; foreigners will work your fields and vineyards. And you will be called priests of the Lord, you will be named ministers of our God. You will feed on the wealth of nations, and in their riches you will boast. Instead of your shame you will receive a double portion, and instead of disgrace you will rejoice in your inheritance. And so you will inherit a double portion in your land, and everlasting joy will be yours.
“For I, the Lord, love justice; I hate robbery and wrongdoing. In my faithfulness I will reward my people and make an everlasting covenant with them. Their descendants will be known among the nations and their offspring among the peoples. All who see them will acknowledge that they are a people the Lord has blessed.”
I delight greatly in the Lord; my soul rejoices in my God. For he has clothed me with garments of salvation and arrayed me in a robe of his righteousness, as a bridegroom adorns his head like a priest, and as a bride adorns herself with her jewels. For as the soil makes the sprout come up and a garden causes seeds to grow, so the Sovereign Lord will make righteousness and praise spring up before all nations.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Among Christians, Isaiah 61 may be the best known passage in all of the prophet's writings. For this chapter was read by Jesus aloud in the synagogue in His hometown of Nazareth.
Luke 4:20-21 NIV
Then he rolled up the scroll, gave it back to the attendant and sat down. The eyes of everyone in the synagogue were fastened on him. He began by saying to them, “Today this scripture is fulfilled in your hearing.”
When Jesus said this the people in the synagogue took offense. They knew the implications. It meant that messiah had come. Jesus was announcing that the kingdom of heaven had arrived. It meant that Jesus was claiming Himself to be messiah, God's anointed one sent to establish the everlasting kingdom of God.
Was that what Isaiah meant? I don't think so. His audience was the returning exiles. They came to Judea and Jerusalem to find it in ruins, overgrown from decades of neglect. What were they going to do? They must have felt like they were tossed out of the frying pan and into the fire. Were they feeling like the freed Hebrew slaves in the wilderness complaining that they needed to go back you Egypt, where at least they had meat to eat and plenty of water provided for them?
Look how Isaiah describes his audience! They are poor, brokenhearted, captive and imprisoned, mournful and grieving. They are covered in despair by what they must endure. Imagine how you might feel as a survivor of a tornado that ripped through your town, destroying everything. As you look upon your ruined home and those of your neighbors, would you not mourn? Would you be filled with despair at the thought of rebuilding? Isaiah is sent to encourage such hearts.
As always God is concerned for His holy project, Israel. For through a people blessed by The Lord, the world will come to know God. The rebuilding of Zion will not simply be stones and mortar. It will mean rebuilding the holy community that enjoys the Lord's blessing. It means making Israel shine with the splendor and majesty of God, illuminating the world with the righteousness of God.
Isaiah 61:3b NIV
They will be called oaks of righteousness, a planting of the Lord for the display of his splendor.
Isaiah 61:9 NIV
Their descendants will be known among the nations and their offspring among the peoples. All who see them will acknowledge that they are a people the Lord has blessed.”
Isaiah 61:11b
...the Sovereign Lord will make righteousness and praise spring up before all nations.
Israel is on display for the world to see. And this display is for the world's benefit. As Israel shines in the radiance of the Lord's blessings of wealth and health, the other nations will be drawn to the Lord. They will want to learn how they might also live under the blessings of the Lord and seek to follow in God's ways.
Isaiah beautifully describes the reversal of fortunes that is about to happen for the grieving Israelites. They will become wealthy when now they are poor. They will have foreigners keeping watch over their flocks and vineyard. The nations will serve them for the gentiles will wish to honor the God of Israel. They will seek the Lord's blessing by being a blessing to Israel.
Israel will be known as a nation of priests, ministers of God. Their renown will reach the end of the earth. All this will happen through the redeeming work of God. He will cause praise for the name of the Lord to spring up like daffodils bloom in early spring. He will create righteous and holy community to cover the earth, for through Israel the knowledge of God will reach the ears and hearts of every man, woman and child.
We all long for worldwide peace. We know peace is not simply the absence of conflict. It is the presence of justice. The Lord loves justice and so He redeemed His lost and desperate people to become the people through whom His Christ would appear. God sent His only begotten Son to the earth that we might not perish, but through faith in Him have everlasting life. That life dwells within everyone. The gushing well of living water is ready to burst forth blessing every heart that seeks the Lord.
In the midst of your moments of mourning and despair, I wonder if you can remember God's redeeming power at work in His people? If God overturned the fortunes of the exiles, can He not also do the same for you? If you align your life with the Lord's, if you seek to live a life pleasing to God, you can trust that He will care for your every need. Hear the good news! The Lord is here to bind up our broken hearts and release the captives. Instead of ashes, we'll know beauty. For our lives are on display for the Lord's glory. Let the people of God always praise His name.
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