#1039 Isaiah 61 Anointed One

 

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;

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.

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.

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.

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. Isaiah 61 ESV

Isaiah 61 Year of the Lord's Favor

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.” 22 And all spoke well of him and marveled at the gracious words that were coming from his mouth. And they said, “Is not this Joseph's son?” Luke 4: 16-22

1-2. The Spirit of the Lord God is upon Me - The prophet speaks on behalf of Messiah here. When Jesus later reads this passage in the the synagogue at Nazareth, He reads from Is 61:1-2A, and stops there. The brake is intentional, for He says, "Today this Scripture has been fulfilled in your hearing", and His being there, as the God man, the suffering Servant of the Lord, was good news. He came to set those captive to sin free, those who were broken hearted over it. 

Because the Lord has anointed Me - Messiah means "anointed one". 

To proclaim the year of the Lord's favor - For unto us a Son is given, unto us a child is born. They are witnesses to the culmination of all history past, and the preservation of the future. God has added humanity to His deity and is walking among them. He is here to fulfill the law, to preach the good news, and to offer Himself as the sacrifice for our sins. 

…2He is my steadfast love and my fortress, my stronghold and my deliverer. He is my shield, in whom I take refuge, who subdues peoples under me. 3O LORD, what is man, that You regard him, the son of man that You think of him?4Man is like a breath; his days are like a passing shadow.… Psalm 144: 2-4

3-4. To grant to those who mourn in Zion - There is a comma after favor in 2A, and that which follows looks toward a fuller completion at Christ's second advent, but some of Isaiah's readers will be captives in Babylon, yet sent home by the Persian king Cyrus, who Isaiah named before he was born. Sin brings much grief and sorrow, and it is not those who have much in this world, it's goods or know health and long life, it is not that they have known less of sin, but who will mourn over sin itself? God considers those blessed, for Christ is their physician, the Seeker and Savior of the lost, the Comforter of those who have come to detest their sin.

They shall build up the ancient ruins - It is interesting, Isaiah is speaking to a people who will see the Babylonian captivity and the destruction of Solomon's temple. Jesus will predict the destruction of the temple in A.D. 70. This looks beyond that to a Millennial rebuilding of Israel.  

1As Jesus was leaving the temple, one of His disciples said to Him, “Teacher, look at the magnificent stones and buildings!” 2“Do you see all these great buildings? Jesus replied. “Not one stone here will be left on another; every one will be thrown down. Mark 13: 1-2

5-7. Strangers shall stand and tend your flocks - They are glad to do so, for Israel has become what they were meant to be.

…5Now if you will indeed obey My voice and keep My covenant, you will be My treasured possession out of all the nations—for the whole earth is Mine. 6And unto Me you shall be a kingdom of priests and a holy nation.’ These are the words that you are to speak to the Israelites.” 7So Moses went back and summoned the elders of the people and set before them all these words that the LORD had commanded him.… Exodus 19: 5-7

4As you come to Him, the living stone, rejected by men but chosen and precious in God’s sight, 5you also, like living stones, are being built into a spiritual house to be a holy priesthood, offering spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God through Jesus Christ. 6For it stands in Scripture: “See, I lay in Zion a stone, a chosen and precious cornerstone; and the one who believes in Him will never be put to shame.”…

…7To you who believe, then, this stone is precious. But to those who do not believe, “The stone the builders rejected has become the cornerstone,” 8and, “A stone of stumbling and a rock of offense.” They stumble because they disobey the word— and to this they were appointed. 9But you are a chosen people, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people for God’s own possession, to proclaim the virtues of Him who called you out of darkness into His marvelous light.… 1 Peter 2: 4-9

8-11. For I the Lord love justice - They have received double the devastation as a people, but their offerings and sacrifices were without heart. Anything short of gratitude, love and humility is not an acceptable offering. Before they had quarreled with Him, wondering why He didn't respond to their fasts, but He loves justice, and He hates robbery, to which they were guilty. Under this New Covenant of Messiah's blood, what was always foretold and intended, He produces in them also a heart to be His ministers, and to love justice. 

20Now may the God of peace, who through the blood of the eternal covenant brought back from the dead our Lord Jesus, that great Shepherd of the sheep, 21equip you with every good thing to do His will. And may He accomplish in us what is pleasing in His sight through Jesus Christ, to whom be glory forever and ever. Amen. 22I urge you, brothers, to bear with my word of exhortation, for I have only written to you briefly.… Hebrews 13: 20-22