Wednesday: Jubilee Promises
The Old Testament is filled with the idea that those who have been blessed materially and spiritually will reach out to those who have not.
Read Isaiah 61:1-11. What is God saying to His people here, and how can we apply what’s said here to ourselves and to our calling before the Lord? See also Luke 4:18.
Image © Rolf Jansson from GoodSalt.com
Isaiah 61:1-11 begins with a declaration that the Spirit of the Lord works through the Anointed One to preach good news to the poor, bind up the brokenhearted, proclaim freedom for the captives, and release from darkness and despair for the prisoners (Isa. 61:1). All of the elements of this promise have their fulfillment in the “year of the LORD’s favor.” The “year of the LORD’s favor” is a reference to the year of jubilee, which we already saw was filled with implications for the necessity of ministering to the needs of the poor.
Thus, the mourners who are comforted, the grieving ones in Zion who are provided for, those who receive “beauty instead of ashes” and “the oil of joy instead of mourning,” and those who wear “a garment of praise instead of a spirit of despair” (Isa. 61:3, NIV) are the very ones who will rebuild the ancient ruins and restore the places long devastated. Those blessed by the Messianic jubilee become transformers of society, renewing the ruined cities (Isa. 61:4). God’s servants are called priests and ministers and are supported by the wealth of the surrounding nations (Isa. 61:5-6).
The images that we find in Isaiah 61 of God’s Anointed One transforming the surrounding peoples through the prosperity of those who are in covenant with Him (Isa. 61: 8-9) apply to those who, in the present day, have been called to be ministers and missionaries in communities around the world. Shouldn’t the same transforming influence of this prophecy be felt when we delight greatly in the Lord, rejoice in our God, and stand clothed in garments of salvation and righteousness in the midst of our community (Isa. 61:10-11)?
| Read Isaiah 61:9. What a powerful testimony to what God could do in His people. Could the same thing be said about us today? Why, or why not? |
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This could be say of us when we fulfill God's purpose in our lives, when we stop living for self.
Esther
Yes the said thing can say about us today but because of self and greed, we forget how God has bless us we with hold everything for our selves, and that is why God does not grant some of us certain things because we forgot who gave us
May be the issue wouldn't be what could be said of us but what we in ourselves can say as we think about the many missed opportunities to become Gods anointed people. Truth is that we care less about some of these things and where we do care, its a display of WORKS rather than the faith in Jesus that can bring us to perform these things. We mind so much about what people will say of us, our possessions and our successes and how they will appreciate us rather than appreciating God.
Excellent comment we're working for Jesus and not for praise from man
Whatever we do we must do for Jesus and what we do for others we do for Him
Praise the Lord He's coming soon
We have a GOD given duty, which we are not fulfilling, so we cannot expect to receive the blessings GOD has for us. We don't realize that GOD doesn't need us, we need him, and whatever he tells us to do, we benefit from,and he is glorified,as he should be. Heaven is not just for us,we should be excited to tell others,that is what GOD wants us to do. I duty is not to convert anyone, but to tell them, so that they know that they too can have the same privilege we have......
Economic justice is loved by the LORD...i think that this theme is expressed in the verses in this lesson. As Christians, we need to seek economic justice to mankind...it is why we are called to be charitable to those in need, generous to those we employ or manage, and live a life of modesty and frugality....giving more than receiving.
We need to understand what God want from us, beyond saying, we need to do. This will be a big and clear lesson to our community. We should testify that we are really christians not just assuming and displaying different faces which means different identities. Yet we are sons and daughters of the Heavenly father. May the Holly spirit dwell up on us and teach us how to behave and good practices as well, hence praising our saviour. Amen
How powerful the Church would be if everyone had the Holy Spirit living within them?
This was the case at Pentecost, and just look at amazing things that happened !!
such things can happen again in today's world, butt the spiritual bank is depleted by selfishness I am an offender also, and I pray for this tendency to taken away.
Look what's happening in mission fields, people hungry for the Word are being baptized almost daily. We in the cities are so walled in that families are so isolated from one another with the exception electronic media, that we hardly get together and socialize. I live in Perth Western Australia, and I realize we all have commitments to business and domestic duties, but a spiritual social event on common ground would benefit the community and give opportunity for practical Christianity.
One of my contentions is that we often have too much to say in our prayers and do not really listen. We ask God to bless the needy and help the missionaries etc, which are all fine, but sometimes we need to listen to what God is saying. Here are some ideas to think about.
Did the Brown family lose a loved one last week? A card might be a nice idea but maybe they need someone to look after their cat while they travel to the funeral.
Have you ever thought about going to the local Church school and asking if someone is having trouble paying their fees. A donation of a terms fees for the child of a family goes a long way to taking the stress out of a family.
The Jones family just pranged their car and it is going to be out of commission for over a week. Can you help with their transport needs?
Old Tom has just been put into care and his family live a long way away. He hardly recognises anyone now. You knew him quite well. Why don't you just visit and sit with him for a while.
We may not be able to solve the needs of the poor and needy in a big way but if we start with the "little" needs close by, we can make a difference. Listening for those needs is what I call listening in prayer.
This was brought up in our last Sabbath school meeting. We often aren't aware of who are neighbor's are and what their needs are for that matter. It's a pity that God has placed us to live & work amongst so many in need of the Truth, yet we fail to ask God to use us to "minister" to them in practical ways.
God has made us kings and queens and has left in our hands to make princes and princesses in our own little way.