Christ Coming to Honor Israel
June 4, 2020
Commentary
The prophet outlines for us that Jesus will have a two-fold ministry (vv. 1-3). In His First Coming, He will minister providing salvation and grace. In His Second Coming, He will provide judgment to the unbelievers and provide a second opportunity to the Jews. All of God’s promises to Israel will be fulfilled to the letter. These great passages in Isaiah look forward to that time of earthly glory, when Israel shall be the foremost of the nations. It shall all come to pass, exactly as recorded here. This chapter is a flashback to the days of the Messiah’s first appearance. It opens with his own words.
Luke’s gospel records that Jesus went into the synagogue at Nazareth on one occasion, as was his custom, and asked for the scroll of the prophet Isaiah (Lk 4:17-21). He unrolled it until he found the place where these words are written. Turning to this very spot, he read this passage about the Spirit coming upon him, anointing him, and that he was called to preach the gospel, to bind up the brokenhearted, to proclaim liberty to captives, etc. He stopped reading in the middle of a sentence, following the words, “to proclaim the year of the Lord’s favor.” Then he closed the scroll, handed it back to the attendant, sat down, and said, “This day is this Scripture fulfilled in your hearing.”
After the Messiah’s Second Advent Israel will rebuild her ruined cities (vv. 4-9). Nations will bring their wealth to Israel. People everywhere will acknowledge that she is indeed God’s special people. God in His mercy says that His people have suffered enough. The people are to prepare themselves spiritually for His coming (vv. 10-11). The nations are to be informed that the Lord is coming to Jerusalem. When He arrives word is to be given throughout the world that He, Israel’s Savior, has come to reward the people of Jerusalem with His blessings.
Application
We are now under God’s favor, His wrath is yet to come. I am thankful that before the tribulation sets in I will be raptured out of here because of His promise to those of us who know Him.
Isaiah 61:1– 11 (NET)
1 The Spirit of the Sovereign Lord is upon me, because the Lord has chosen me. He has commissioned me to encourage the poor, to help the brokenhearted, to decree the release of captives, and the freeing of prisoners,
2 to announce the year when the Lord will show his favor, the day when our God will seek vengeance, to console all who mourn,
3 to strengthen those who mourn in Zion, by giving them a turban, instead of ashes, oil symbolizing joy, instead of mourning, a garment symbolizing praise, instead of discouragement. They will be called oaks of righteousness, trees planted by the Lord to reveal his splendor.
4 They will rebuild the perpetual ruins and restore the places that were desolate; they will reestablish the ruined cities, the places that have been desolate since ancient times.
5 “Foreigners will take care of your sheep; foreigners will work in your fields and vineyards.
6 You will be called, ‘the Lord’s priests, servants of our God.’ You will enjoy the wealth of nations and boast about the riches you receive from them.
7 Instead of shame, you will get a double portion; instead of humiliation, they will rejoice over the land they receive. Yes, they will possess a double portion in their land and experience lasting joy.
8 For I, the Lord, love justice and hate robbery and sin. I will repay them because of my faithfulness; I will make a permanent covenant with them.
9 Their descendants will be known among the nations, their offspring among the peoples. All who see them will recognize that the Lord has blessed them.”
10 I will greatly rejoice in the Lord; I will be overjoyed because of my God. For he clothes me in garments of deliverance; he puts on me a robe symbolizing vindication. I look like a bridegroom when he wears a turban as a priest would; I look like a bride when she puts on her jewelry.
11 For just as the ground produces its crops and a garden yields its produce, so the Sovereign Lord will cause deliverance to grow, and give his people reason to praise him in the sight of all the nations.
Illustration: Woman Fighting With Her Husband Seeking Help
The story is told of a woman involved in bitter fighting with her husband. Seeking professional help she was asked by the counselor, “Have you tried heaping coals of fire on his head?” to which she responded, “No, but I tried a skillet of hot grease” (Dale Pilgrim – Sermon Central).