Welcome to Week Eleven of our study Isaiah: A Voice of Hope and to Isaiah chapter 61. This is our final week in this particular study, although we will be returning to Isaiah for some parts of our messages during Advent season.
The prophecy we find in this chapter straddles two ends of history as it references both the first and second coming of the Messiah. Despite the second coming being commenced by something called the “Day of Vengeance,” the description of the world that follows for God’s people is one packed with delight. Isaiah chapter 61 is just eleven verses long, so we’re only looking at a verse or so each day. We therefore strongly suggest you read through the entire chapter at least once to start the week.
There are many interesting things to meditate on as we prepare ourselves for worship this week, so let’s get started.
Prayer guides authored by Tracy Lautenschlager.
Index to Days 2 through 5
Day 1
Meet The King
Observe
Last week, in Isaiah chapter 60, we saw the foretelling of the Messianic Kingdom. Every kingdom needs a king and this one is no different. Here we are introduced to our king.
Isaiah 61:1
The Year of the Lord‘s Favor
1 The Spirit of the Lord God is upon me,
because the Lord has anointed me
to bring good news to the poor;
he has sent me to bind up the brokenhearted,
to proclaim liberty to the captives,
and the opening of the prison to those who are bound;
John 1:29-34
Behold, the Lamb of God
29 The next day he saw Jesus coming toward him, and said, “Behold, the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world! 30 This is he of whom I said, ‘After me comes a man who ranks before me, because he was before me.’ 31 I myself did not know him, but for this purpose I came baptizing with water, that he might be revealed to Israel.” 32 And John bore witness: “I saw the Spirit descend from heaven like a dove, and it remained on him. 33 I myself did not know him, but he who sent me to baptize with water said to me, ‘He on whom you see the Spirit descend and remain, this is he who baptizes with the Holy Spirit.’ 34 And I have seen and have borne witness that this is the Son of God.”
Luke 4:16-21
Jesus Rejected at Nazareth
16 And he came to Nazareth, where he had been brought up. And as was his custom, he went to the synagogue on the Sabbath day, and he stood up to read. 17 And the scroll of the prophet Isaiah was given to him. He unrolled the scroll and found the place where it was written,
18 “The Spirit of the Lord is upon me,
because he has anointed me
to proclaim good news to the poor.
He has sent me to proclaim liberty to the captives
and recovering of sight to the blind,
to set at liberty those who are oppressed,
19 to proclaim the year of the Lord’s favor.”
20 And he rolled up the scroll and gave it back to the attendant and sat down. And the eyes of all in the synagogue were fixed on him. 21 And he began to say to them, “Today this Scripture has been fulfilled in your hearing.”
Most commentaries agree the speaker here is the Lord Jesus himself. When Jesus read from Isaiah at the synagogue in Nazareth, this was the passage he chose, and when he had concluded his reading he said “Today this Scripture is fulfilled in your hearing.” (Luke 4:21) The public ministry of Jesus began with John’s baptism, when the Spirit descended upon him. When Jesus quoted this passage, he continued into the first half of the first sentence from verse 2 (“to proclaim the year of the Lord’s favor”) and stopped. His choice to stop before finishing the sentence (“and the day of vengeance of our God”) is likely referring to the break between his first and his second coming.
Digging Deeper: In Luke 4, where Jesus reads this passage, he says “recovery of sight to the blind” instead of “opening of the prison to those who are bound.” The former is the reading from the Greek Septuagint, which was the commonly used Old Testament text in Jesus’ time. Rather than being a transcription error in the Hebrew Masoretic Text, Bible language scholars suggest that spiritual imprisonment comes from being blind to the truth and thus opening their eyes to that truth would also open the prison. (The variant reading is noted in the margin of the ESV.)
- The king proclaims his mission as being to the poor, the brokenhearted, the captives, and the blind (or prisoners). In what sense would you fit into those disadvantaged categories?
- How does the gospel reverse these circumstances?
Heavenly Father, How I long to hear good news! As this world seems to sink further into darkness and I hear the cries of captive and brokenhearted people, sometimes my own cries, I am tempted to lose hope. But you are not surprised by darkness or despair. You proclaim healing, release, freedom and sight by your death and resurrection. That is the good news. Thank you King Jesus. Amen.
Day 2
Year of Jubilee, Day of Vengeance
Observe
The Year of Jubilee would happen once every 50 years. In it, property reverted to its original owner, debts were canceled, and slaves were freed. The Day of Vengeance, on the other hand, has not yet come. In the first sentence of verse 2, that comma between the two events has stood for more than 2,000 years thus far.
Isaiah 61:2-3
2 to proclaim the year of the Lord‘s favor,
and the day of vengeance of our God;
to comfort all who mourn;
3 to grant to those who mourn in Zion—
to give them a beautiful headdress instead of ashes,
the oil of gladness instead of mourning,
the garment of praise instead of a faint spirit;
that they may be called oaks of righteousness,
the planting of the Lord, that he may be glorified.
Leviticus 25:13-17
13 “In this year of jubilee each of you shall return to his property. 14 And if you make a sale to your neighbor or buy from your neighbor, you shall not wrong one another. 15 You shall pay your neighbor according to the number of years after the jubilee, and he shall sell to you according to the number of years for crops. 16 If the years are many, you shall increase the price, and if the years are few, you shall reduce the price, for it is the number of the crops that he is selling to you. 17 You shall not wrong one another, but you shall fear your God, for I am the Lord your God.
Leviticus 25:23-24
Redemption of Property
23 “The land shall not be sold in perpetuity, for the land is mine. For you are strangers and sojourners with me. 24 And in all the country you possess, you shall allow a redemption of the land.
Under the terms of Levitical law, land could never really be sold; any sale was thus a form of lease. Leviticus 25:14-17 describes a system in which the people of Israel were “not to wrong one another” because they feared the Lord. A sliding scale of land value was established based on how long it was until the next jubilee. Because even though God gave the land to specific families, Leviticus 25:23-24 plainly says that the land still belongs to God. By Jesus proclaiming the year of the Lord’s favor (the jubilee), he was promising God would restore to his people individually all they had lost. Following the Day of Vengeance, notice how the promises shift from what the king would do for individuals to what the king does for all of Zion. Jesus came for each of us as individuals and will come again for all of us as his people.
- What did the king’s first coming establish? Why did he come for us as individuals?
- The word “vengeance” makes us uncomfortable, and for good reason, but is God justified in his judgment when he comes again? Why or why not?
Precious Jesus, Thank you for these pictures of your healing and restoration, so bright and familiar that my weary mind can recall them at dark times: beauty for ashes, joy instead of mourning, praise covering me as a garment instead of despair, great and strong oaks that can withstand the storms. But these are not just promises for Israel, and they are not just for me; you will restore all things in your justice and mercy. Hold me in your strong hands, Lord. Amen.
Day 3
The Great Restoration
Observe
Echoing chapter 60, these next few verses have a “now and not yet” fulfillment. Clearly they speak of time outside of the Old Testament era and even beyond the Gospel era, for complete fulfillment. God is restoring his original design.
Isaiah 61:4-6
4 They shall build up the ancient ruins;
they shall raise up the former devastations;
they shall repair the ruined cities,
the devastations of many generations.
5 Strangers shall stand and tend your flocks;
foreigners shall be your plowmen and vinedressers;
6 but you shall be called the priests of the Lord;
they shall speak of you as the ministers of our God;
you shall eat the wealth of the nations,
and in their glory you shall boast.
Amos 9:14
14 I will restore the fortunes of my people Israel,
and they shall rebuild the ruined cities and inhabit them;
they shall plant vineyards and drink their wine,
and they shall make gardens and eat their fruit.
Ezekiel 36:33-36
33 “Thus says the Lord God: On the day that I cleanse you from all your iniquities, I will cause the cities to be inhabited, and the waste places shall be rebuilt. 34 And the land that was desolate shall be tilled, instead of being the desolation that it was in the sight of all who passed by. 35 And they will say, ‘This land that was desolate has become like the garden of Eden, and the waste and desolate and ruined cities are now fortified and inhabited.’ 36 Then the nations that are left all around you shall know that I am the Lord; I have rebuilt the ruined places and replanted that which was desolate. I am the Lord; I have spoken, and I will do it.
Exodus 19:6
6 and you shall be to me a kingdom of priests and a holy nation.’ These are the words that you shall speak to the people of Israel.”
1 Peter 2:9
9 But you are a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people for his own possession, that you may proclaim the excellencies of him who called you out of darkness into his marvelous light.
The repetition of Hebrew poetry is on display again here with the doubling of ruins and devastations in verse 4. There can be little argument that sin is the root cause of the sad circumstances in which the world finds itself. Is God reversing the curse of sin through his people today? Yes, but only to an extent (greater or lesser as his people die to sin and live for him). But the idyllic scenario pictured here by flocks and vineyards will only come in a future where sin is completely eradicated. There will be an equanimity among God’s people, with no more separation between priests and laity, but we will all be priests of the Lord. The wealth of the nations, given willingly to the king (Isaiah 60:5), will be shared generously back to his people.
- These descriptions of a future kingdom portray a united people, gladly serving (and benefitting from) their generous king. Are you comfortable with a world without the recognition of individual achievement? Why or why not?
- What is the ruin or devastation caused by sin that you most look forward to seeing restored? Why?
Dear Lord, I needed this reminder that, in your kingdom, there will be no “us” and “them.” All of us will be united in your praise and glory. All of your church will be blessed together in that world, by its abundance and beauty, yes, but mostly by your presence. All of us will minister together, singing your praises. Start that change in my heart now, Lord, and build your kingdom here through me. Come quickly. Amen.
Day 4
Faithful Promise Keeper
Observe
These next three verses seem directed toward God’s firstborn, the people of Israel (note verse 7, “in your land”). God reassures that he will keep every promise he has made to them.
Isaiah 61:7-9
7 Instead of your shame there shall be a double portion;
instead of dishonor they shall rejoice in their lot;
therefore in their land they shall possess a double portion;
they shall have everlasting joy.
8 For I the Lord love justice;
I hate robbery and wrong;
I will faithfully give them their recompense,
and I will make an everlasting covenant with them.
9 Their offspring shall be known among the nations,
and their descendants in the midst of the peoples;
all who see them shall acknowledge them,
that they are an offspring the Lord has blessed.
Deuteronomy 21:17
17 but he shall acknowledge the firstborn, the son of the unloved, by giving him a double portion of all that he has, for he is the firstfruits of his strength. The right of the firstborn is his.
Job 42:10
The Lord Restores Job’s Fortunes
10 And the Lord restored the fortunes of Job, when he had prayed for his friends. And the Lord gave Job twice as much as he had before.
Scholars disagree on some aspects of Old Testament prophecy and one of them is whether every promise God made to his people Israel has been or will be fulfilled in his people, which are the church today. This passage does seem to be aimed at the people of Israel, implying that God will have some special inheritance (i.e., “a double portion,” traditionally what the firstborn heir would inherit) for them. Whichever side of that debate you wind up on, one thing we should all be able to agree about is how faithful God promises to be to his people. Life is hard and it seems like the promises of God are still out there somewhere, just beyond our grasp (read Hebrews chapter 11 if you want a really powerful exposition about that subject), but your God wants you to know that when the promises come to pass, and they will, they will be rewarding on such a scale that it produces “everlasting joy.”
Digging Deeper: Under Old Testament law, when someone was robbed and the one who committed the crime was discovered, the criminal would have to repay double what was stolen, to both restore and compensate the victim. That may be referred to in these verses as well, with verse 8 mentioning the Lord loving justice and hating robbery, on the heels of verses describing double portions being provided.
- What example can you think of where something you’ve received was so good that it made you forget the waiting or effort?
- Conversely, what loss would you most look forward to the Lord restoring for you, perhaps even in a double portion?
Father God, I know that you alone can bring justice, and that your timing is not like mine. You alone can turn my shame and disgrace into blessing. I don’t know how long it might take, and I don’t know if I will see in this life the “double-portion,” but I trust you. I worry about those I love who are not following you. Will they ever turn to you? For now, as I wait, your presence and these promises are enough Lord. Amen.
Day 5
The Response of His People
Observe
The voice will change in these last two verses. Notice how the perspective has shifted to be the recipient of all God’s goodness described up to this point.
Isaiah 61:10-11
10 I will greatly rejoice in the Lord;
my soul shall exult in my God,
for he has clothed me with the garments of salvation;
he has covered me with the robe of righteousness,
as a bridegroom decks himself like a priest with a beautiful headdress,
and as a bride adorns herself with her jewels.
11 For as the earth brings forth its sprouts,
and as a garden causes what is sown in it to sprout up,
so the Lord God will cause righteousness and praise
to sprout up before all the nations.
Genesis 3:17-19
17 And to Adam he said,
“Because you have listened to the voice of your wife
and have eaten of the tree
of which I commanded you,
‘You shall not eat of it,’
cursed is the ground because of you;
in pain you shall eat of it all the days of your life;
18 thorns and thistles it shall bring forth for you;
and you shall eat the plants of the field.
19 By the sweat of your face
you shall eat bread,
till you return to the ground,
for out of it you were taken;
for you are dust,
and to dust you shall return.”
Ephesians 5:25-27
25 Husbands, love your wives, as Christ loved the church and gave himself up for her, 26 that he might sanctify her, having cleansed her by the washing of water with the word, 27 so that he might present the church to himself in splendor, without spot or wrinkle or any such thing, that she might be holy and without blemish.
2 Corinthians 5:21
21 For our sake he made him to be sin who knew no sin, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God.
What a joyous conclusion to this prophecy! The people for whom God has provided everything we’ve just been considering delight greatly in the Lord and rejoice in their God. The language of bride and bridegroom are present, with adornment suggesting a wedding will take place. Righteousness and praise will be a natural part of the world on the other side of the second coming, just like seeds spring up into plants.
Digging Deeper: Those who ask the question “how were people saved in the Old Testament?,” may find their answer here. Verse 10 declares that God is the one doing the clothing in garments of salvation and wrapping in a robe of his righteousness. Yes, the people of that time followed a ceremonial law that included making sacrifices, but their expectation was that God would provide their salvation and righteousness. They were saved by grace, believing that promise, just as we are today.
- There will be a wedding with Christ as the bridegroom and the church as his bride. What do you think that means? In what sense will Jesus and his church be married?
- Do you think the promise in verse 11 might reverse the curse God placed upon the ground in Genesis 3:17-19 (one of your related scriptures for today)? If so, how?
Heavenly Father, There are so many worries and competing thoughts in my mind, but this is my cry today Lord, that I delight in you! I rejoice in you. Let my life become the soil in which you cause righteousness to grow. Soil must be turned, tilled and disturbed to become ready for the seed, so I know you must do that work in my life. Turn it, Lord, make righteousness grow here, and I will praise you. Amen.