Wednesday: The Year of the LORD’S Favor
Isaiah 61:2
Who is speaking in Isaiah 61:1?
The Spirit of God is on this anointed person, which means that he is a messiah or the Messiah. He is to “bring good news to the oppressed, to bind up the brokenhearted, to proclaim liberty to the captives, and release to the prisoners” (Isa: 61:1, NRSV).
Image © Dave OConnell at Goodsalt.com
Whom does that sound like? Compare Isaiah 42:1-7, where God’s Servant is described in very similar terms.
Isaiah 61:2 talks about the “acceptable year of the LORD.” The Messiah, who is anointed as the Davidic King and Deliverer, proclaims a special year of divine favor at the time when He proclaims liberty. Compare Leviticus 25:10, where God commands the Israelites to proclaim liberty in the holy fiftieth year: “It shall be a jubilee for you: you shall return, every one of you, to your property and every one of you to your family” (NRSV). This means that persons who had been forced to sell their ancestral land or to become servants in order to survive hard times (Lev: 25:25-55) would reclaim their land and freedom. Because the jubilee year began with the blowing of a trumpet on the Day of Atonement (Lev: 25:9), we have mentioned this passage before in connection with Isaiah 58.
While “the year of the LORD’s favor” (NRSV) in Isaiah 61:2 is a kind of jubilee year, it is not simply an observance of Leviticus 25. This year is announced by the Messiah, the King, when He reveals Himself through a ministry of liberation and restoration. This is similar to some ancient Mesopotamian kings who promoted social kindness by proclaiming release from debts during early years of their reigns. The Messiah’s ministry goes far beyond the scope of the Leviticus 25 law. Not only does He “proclaim liberty to the captives,” He also binds up the brokenhearted, comforts those who mourn, and brings about their restoration (Isa: 61:1-11). Furthermore, in addition to “the year of the LORD’s favor,” he proclaims “the day of vengeance of our God” (Isa: 61:2, NRSV).
When was Isaiah’s prophecy fulfilled? Luke 4:16-21. How did Jesus’ ministry accomplish this? Also, ask yourself this important question: We, of course, are not Jesus. But we are to represent Him to the world. What are the things the Messiah does, as expressed in Isaiah 61:1-3, that we, in our limited capacities, should be doing, as well? And what are some of the practical ways in which we can do these things?
(27)
The messianic prophecies of Isaiah pointed forward to the life and work of Jesus but it wasn't just the events that took place 2000 years ago. It remains a challenge for us now. I have made the statement before that Christ has not risen if he is not evident in our lives today. We need to ask ourselves how we can best demonstrate the risen Christ. This is not working for our salvation, it is about the saved communicating salvation to others.
In the two centuries since Christ died for us, Christianity has taken his name and like the Hebrews before, have wavered between following him and selfishly using his name as a means of control over others and building social capital. The modern mind, to a large extent, dismisses Christianity as self-serving, controlling, concerned about public image, and not very different to political powers. I have many atheist friends who have been abused by the Christian church in their childhood. When they hear churches talk about moral values they laugh with scorn because the only Christianity they have experienced has been morally corrupt.
We have to turn that perception around, not so much be words, but by our actions. We need to show that we are feeding the fatherless, caring for the widows, looking after the sick, feeding the hungry, nurturing the abused, not to win souls (We will let the Holy Spirit work on that), but because there is a need. If we are claiming we are saved by grace, and are blind to the needs of others, then we are presumptuously fooling ourselves.
The messianic prophecies are not just filled with hope, they are a message to us to provide that hope in a practical unselfish way.
I am going to take a little liberty with Isaiah 61:1,2 to emphasise what my response should be.
... and if I don't read it as a challenge to me, these words are just simply a nice bit of Hebrew poetry.
Yes, Maurice - I agree whole-heartedly that we, the recipients of the Grace and Mercy of God, are empowered by the living Word of Christ in us to do just as your personalized version of Isaiah 61:1,2 states.
This is the new life for every faithful believer to engage in, but not by and for him/herselve to set things right. It is the testimony of the redeemed which points to the God in Heaven who instilled in us the new heart and mind which loves rightly and so shares His Love with others.
We live our redeemed, new life in to open and do not place it's Light under a bushel, keeping it to benefit only ourselves, but we share it to bless others by sharing the Love of God.
The life of the redeemed is to become the salt of the earth and the shining Light on the Hill which broadcasts the Glory of the Love and Righteousness of God to be seen and experienced by all the world; this is God's Will for us.
This is serious but also joyous work as we engage in His Love and compassion for those who are still looking and want to come to the Light of Life.
Your comments are always insightful, and I deeply appreciate the thought you put into them. I sometimes personalize Scripture as well, and I probably should do so more often.
Just a little note though, you stated "in the two 'centuries' since Christ died for us," instead of 'millenia'. I'm pretty sure Christ didn't die in 1800. 🙂
Walking in the footsteps of the Messiah requires an urge on our part to be seeking diligently those who need help. Now help comes in different modes and shapes- not necessarily feeding the poor &giving them material goods. I live in Austria, where governmental social support is available.The question is where to find those that need help. From my experience the Lord has amazingly opened doors defining the role of my voluntary service - whether it be teaching, encouraging, health counseling etc.. I like to refer to the prayer of Jabez in 1.Chron.4:10- „extending my territory“, meaning opening new doors for service on humanity. That helps me keep in mind, God is the author of all goodness with reference to the Golden Rule in Math.7:12 slight changed: „ do unto others, what Jesus has done unto you“.
The spirit of the Lord is upon me, because he hath anointed me to preach the gospel to the poor....Luke 4:18-20
Ques for today-
Preach good tidings to the meek, bind up the brokenhearted, proclaim liberty to the captives and open the eyes of the prison to them that are bound, etc etc. 'And what are some of the practical ways in which we can do these things?'
It is sad but true that many times we are so much interesting in soul winning that we spend so much money for nothing. We spend money in strategies and materials to baptize people but to no avail. We preach for 1-6 wks, some get baptize, enter the church then about 1 yr many leave the church. If we as an organization cont doing the same thing all the time we will get the same results. Are we doing what Jesus did to win soul? Jesus method was to mingle with people, he saw their needs (physical, mental, social and spiritual), he helped them in his daily living then he bid them follow him. The spiritual was the last thing he did. Did we got the method all twisted?
But wait, Luke 4:1 stated he was full of the Holy Ghost, went to the wilderness and was successful in all his trials and temptations. Is it because the church is not full of the Holy Ghost that's why we are so weak and cant fulfill these requirements like Jesus?
The speaker in Isa 61:1 would be Christ and every true follower of His who lives to fulfill His great commission.
Those who are saved “follow the Lamb withersoever He goeth”. As pointed out in Revelation 10:11, God's people have a message and a work for “many peoples, and nations, and tongues, and kings”. In this day, the Health Message is been given by Christ as the right arm of the Gospel, which was given to “lessen the suffering in the world, and to purify the Church”. Don't forget that Jesus said His followers would to “greater works” than He did. We are only limited by our faith.
Robert- what you are saying is very true. My question is, if what you are saying is true that the health message is the right arm of the gospel, how is it many of us SDA Christians are so sick/unhealthy? Do we even believe what we preach or teach? Many preach about a healthy lifestyle whether it is newstart or others, yet we are so unhealthy in our own lives. At potluck so much sweets are served it's amazing, those go before the fruits and salads.
Sadly, our overall "rejection" of the health message was foretold as well as the result of our influence with the world being hurt by this rejection, and that "others, not of us" would go ahead of us in giving the health message to the world, as we are seeing already.
To better understand the context, I read Isaiah chapter 61 in its entirety. I understand this to be Isaiah speaking to the future coming of the Messiah, the Anointed one who comes to ”preach good tidings unto the meek” – Isa.6:7KJV.
God called Isaiah as His messenger for His people, giving him the Word of the promised Messiah; speaking as the messenger of God about the work of the Messiah.
Isaiah is not the one who “binds up the broken-hearted”. But the coming, living Word of God, spoken of by Him and received in hope by the listeners, holds the power to ‘bind up’, bring hope to all who long for their Salvation.
In my opinion, the ‘Source who speaks’ and the ‘Word spoken’ containes in all instances the Authority of the Word of God, the Son of God, the Creator, incarnate in Christ Jesus.
I can understand Isa.61:2KJV: “to proclaim the acceptable year of the LORD, the day of vengeance of our God; to comfort all that mourn;” in the context of Zion’s final liberation from all of their extra-heavy burden as the chosen people of the LORD.
God is taking His final stand to set things right; no more corporeal pain and suffering inflicted on His nation as a result of their spiritual shortcomings based on efforts to meet the demands as written in the Law of Moses.
The new Covenant is promised to bring: “beauty for ashes, the oil of joy for mourning, the garment of praise for the spirit of heaviness; that they might be called trees of righteousness, the planting of the LORD, that He might be glorified - Isa.61:3KJV
Question: ‘What are the things the Messiah does that we in our limited capacities should be doing’? Answer: 'To live the Spirit of the Love of God as contained in the living Word of God, and so share the power of the Creator’s Love as expressed in all things acceptable in His sight - this is the Will of God – Rom.1:16-32KJV; Rom.8:1-4KJV.
This is not a call for organized social justice, institutionalized liberation of the poor and needy through the ministry of social activism. Every day as we wake, each individual is called to 'activate' God's power residing in the faithful heart to engage this new heart and mind and so fulfill God’s Will as we live and walk humbly in the Light of Heaven and to light up the world with His Glory.
Maurice, you are so correct when you say that very many have been abuse by Christians. I have known for a long time that the Anglican Church was actively involved in slavery in the Caribbean and recently discovered that was also true of the Roman Catholic Church in the USA. We as Adventists have not been much better . We failed to treat nonwhite members as we did the white.I have relatives who left our church because of discriminatory practices. How often have Christians failed to see the gospel is a mission of liberation not only from personal sin but from social,economic, psychological,political bondage?
As followers of Christ we must also carry the message by helping the oppressed and needy. Christ identified with Isaiah 61: 1-3 and we as followers must do the same.