Scripture: Isaiah 61:1-4, 8-11
As we move deeper into the season of Advent, we also
move deeper into the arrival of God for the salvation of His created
people. For many, the Hebrew texts are only
about God the Father, and that God the Son is still only a theological concept
that has yet to be proven. But the truth
is that whenever we speak, or even consider, the divine gift of cleansing and
restoration, the Christ, the Anointed One of God, must be at the forefront of all
our considerations. After all, isn’t
that what Christmas is all about?
And the prophesies of Isaiah intentionally put the
promise of Messiah firmly in the path of salvation – first of all for Israel,
but always as the hope for people of all nations. And whenever there is a mention of Godly hope
for eternity, there is also, even if only implied, a reaffirmation of
the divine covenant with humanity for a renewed relationship - one that is offered
by our Creator God. It also brings a
time of preparation through the cleansing of sinful hearts and minds, and the
need for our own repentance (i.e. rejection) of the ways of sinfulness that
exist within this life of ours.
In today’s passage from Isaiah 61, we discover that
the authority of his prophesy is fully from God, and that it holds the fullness
of divine desire, that all would come to Him by faith.
Read Isaiah 61:1-4
In general terms, this call that appears to be
placed solely on the prophet is also the call that is, for the most
part, the responsibility that all who come to Christ by faith are expected to accept
in their own spiritual walk. But more
specifically, our call is but a reflection of the plan that God would carry out
through the coming of Jesus. In Luke 4:14-30, we read that after being tempted in the
wilderness by Satan, Jesus visited His hometown of Nazareth, and, on Sabbath,
began teaching in the synagogue. The
leader of the synagogue handed Him a scroll that contained these very words as
prophesized by Isaiah, and after reading them, the Lord told the people “Today this scripture is fulfilled in
your hearing.” (Luke 4:21)
And what do these words reveal about both the
prophet and Jesus?
First – that they have been charged with carrying
the word of God to all, but “especially to the poor”. The implication is that the “poor” are the
very ones who are in desperate need of some good news! And just who are these folks? They are the oppressed, the disadvantaged,
the ones who have no worth in society.
The “poor” are the ones who have no hope whatsoever – not in this life,
and especially not in the next!
Second – the prophets, and all of the faithful of
God, are being called to reach out to the crushed and despondent of our world,
and to share the hope of heavenly freedom with all who have been denied any
word, any truth, any blessing, any guidance for their life, other than a word
of condemnation from the leadership and authorities of this world. The Lord is saying that it is about time for
the Word of God to be set straight and in line with divine truth, instead of in
the lies of worldly dominance and prestige!
Third – the people must understand that it is God’s
way and word that judges and determines worthiness, and not some legalistic
interpretation that humanity has prepared and set down to become a
burden on others. The Lord’s “favor”
will rest upon those who love Him, and His wrath will fall upon those whose
hearts have never looked into the Light of God for His truth!
Fourth – that all who look to the Lord for
consolation and restoration will come to know the perfect and timeless blessing
of God’s love for their lives. In Revelation 7:16-17, we read that on the Day of Christ, He will
wipe away every tear from the eyes and hearts of the downtrodden. No more mourning, no more lamenting, no more
fear, no more anguish in the lives of those who will then know the “favor” of
God, and everyone else will wonder why those tears are now filling their own
eyes!
Fifth – it is the truth of God that will become
evident through the righteous mercy of Jesus when it is bestowed upon the
faithful. They will be strong, and
mighty, and obvious, and all will finally understand what the prophets and
evangelists have been revealing from the scriptures for the past several
thousands of years.
All will be set right on the Day of Christ’s return,
and all will finally know the truth and hope that have always been in the loving
word of God, and that it has always been missing in the arrogance of
this world’s belief that they know a way that is better than the one that Jesus
has prepared for us.
Read Isaiah 61:8-9
Why is it so difficult to accept the fulfilled word
that the Lord has given to us through both the prophets and the teaching of
Jesus? Christ has affirmed and clarified
God’s desire for our lives, and we still don’t get it! In Leviticus 20:26, the Lord God Almighty tells the people that they
have been set apart from other ways so that they can become the Lord’s
own! It has become apparent that if we
refuse to be different than the rest of humanity, we can never be considered as
members of God’s own flock.
And why can’t people ever accept the fact that the terms
“sinfulness” and “righteousness” are defined by God’s will and word, and not by
our own? Those two words stand in direct
and obvious contrast to each other, with each reflecting the true heart of God
through the relationship that He has created, in covenant, for all who will
claim and honor His word and way.
Verse 8 tells us that God “hates robbery and
wrongdoing”, and when we decide that God has no right to tell us what is right
and what is wrong, we become nothing less than thieves and abusers of Godly
truth.
Read Isaiah 61:10-11
Along with the previous 2 verses, the addition of
these words of praise emphasizes the relationship that God desires most for His
people – and that is a relationship of mutual admiration and love. When we commit our life to Him, He joyfully
begins pouring a myriad of blessings upon us.
And as we grow closer and closer to the One who created, and honors, and
provides for our needs, we begin to understand and truly appreciate who this
Almighty King is for our lives.
And our joyful response to His holy presence grows
stronger with the passing of each and every day, and as we begin to experience
what Christ has endured to make our salvation complete, our very spirit will begin
to throb with excitement and an overwhelming sense of thanksgiving and
glory. And as our great and Precious
Lord begins to reveal ministry and mission within and through the life we live in Him, our eyes and heart open wider as we grow in the knowledge of all that He is
and loves in this world.
And as the love of Christ continues to grow within
us during this season, we truly are like the seed that is planted in the rich
soil of perfection – nourishing and strengthening and cleansing and perfecting and
beautifying and enabling us to be faithful in all that the Lord calls us to do
in His Name.
This holy and righteous relationship, the one that
was never our idea in the first place, can become the greatest opportunity that
we will ever know in this lifetime, and far beyond. And all we have to do to gain the blessings
of our Mighty and Loving God is to faithfully believe and follow Him wherever
His path might take us. And that will be
the reason for the praise and joy that will spring up within the newness of our
soul, when we ask the Lord God of Creation to recreate us in His glorious
image, the image that we had once rejected outright!
Be renewed, rebuilt and reformed today – surrender
the life you have lived, and choose the life that the Lord has created just for
you. And you will be eternally grateful
in Him.
