Isaiah 61

Isaiah 61:1

4. The Messiah’s Ministries (Chap. 61)61:1-4 We know that the Lord Jesus is the speaker here because He quoted verses 1-2a in the synagogue at Nazareth (Luk_4:16-21) and added, “Today this Scripture is fulfilled in your hearing” (v. 21). He was anointed with the Holy Spirit at His baptism and His earthly ministry was concerned with bringing the good tidings of salvation to the poor, binding up the brokenhearted, proclaiming liberty to sin’s captives, and opening . . . the prison (or eyes, RSV marg.) of those who were bound. He ended the quotation with the words “to proclaim the acceptable year of the LORD” because what follows, “the day of vengeance of our God,” will not be fulfilled until His Second Advent. At His glorious appearing He will proclaim the day of God’s judgment. Then He will comfort those who mourn in Zion, granting to them a garland in place of ashes on their heads, the oil of joy instead of mourning, praise instead of a spirit of heaviness.

His chosen people will then be called trees of righteousness, planted by the Lord, and bringing glory to Him. They will rebuild the cities of the promised land that have lain in ruins. 61:5-9 Foreigners will serve the Israelites as farm hands, honoring them as priests and servants of our God. Gentile riches will come to the Jews, and the reproach of the centuries will be ended as the Lord’s people enjoy a double portion of honor. (The “you” and “they” in verse 7 refer to the same people, that is, the Jews.) Remembering the injustice, robbery, and wrong that His chosen ones have suffered, Jehovah will reward them and make an everlasting covenant . . . with them, so that the nations will acknowledge them as the blessed of the LORD. This is generally understood to be the New Covenant (Jer_31:31-34; Heb_8:8-12). 61:10, 11 The Messiah leads the praises of His redeemed remnant. He celebrates the glorious garments of salvation and righteousness with which God has decked them, and the sprouting forth of practical righteousness and praise in Israel before the nations during the Millennium. (The speaker in vv. 10, 11 is variously identified as Isaiah, Zion, or the Messiah Himself. We prefer the last, the same speaker as in vv. 1-3.)