A New Era Is Beginning In Your Life
God is going to do something in our lives this week. The focus of this week is Isaiah 61. The Book of Isaiah is the Gospel of the Old Testament with specific focus on Messianic content. It can also be considered as a miniature Bible, as the Book of Isaiah comprises 61 Chapters which is the same number of the Books in the Bible. The first 39 chapters in the Book of Isaiah is a briefing of the Old Testament or a reflection on the past. From Chapter 40 onwards, the Book of Isaiah is an indication of the New Testament. It’s a beautifully orchestrated Book with clear divisions and structure. From Chapter 40 onwards, the way God deals with sin is very different. Chapter 40 begins with introducing John the Baptist, which is essentially the beginning or stark indication of the New Testament. Then the focus shifts to Jesus and his ministry, his miracles, the resurrection, the revelation and second coming. Chapter 61 of the Book of Isaiah is our focus.
Isaiah 61: 1-3 says,
‘The Year of the Lord’s Favour -
1 The Spirit of the Sovereign Lord is on me, because the Lord has anointed me to proclaim good news to the poor. He has sent me to bind up the brokenhearted, to proclaim freedom for the captives and release from darkness for the prisoners, 2
to proclaim the year of the Lord’s favour and the day of vengeance of our God, to comfort all who mourn, 3 and provide for those who grieve in Zion—to bestow on them a crown of beauty instead of ashes, the oil of joy instead of mourning, and a garment of praise instead of a spirit of despair. They will be called oaks of righteousness, a planting of the Lord for the display of his splendor.
This is fulfilled in Jesus when in Luke 4.16-19-20, He goes to a synagogue and reads this portion from the scroll of Isaiah . This Chapter focuses on Jesus’s ministry which begins with the anointing of the Holy Spirit. Jesus binds the brokenhearted, offers freedom to the captives, pulls the prisoners out of darkness, year of the Lord's favour and comforts those who mourn. There is so much of hope for Go’s people.
Isaiah 61:4-6 says, ‘4 They will rebuild the ancient ruins and restore the places long devastated; they will renew the ruined cities that have been devastated for generations. 5 Strangers will shepherd your flocks; foreigners will work your fields and vineyards. 6 And you will be called priests of the Lord, you will be named ministers of our God. You will feed on the wealth of nations,and in their riches you will boast.’
Those who experience this anointed ministry and infilling of the Holy Spirit from Jesus , will become a Priestly community who rebuilds other people.
Isaiah 61:7 says, ‘7 Instead of your shame you will receive a double portion, and instead of disgrace you will rejoice in your inheritance. And so you will inherit a double portion in your land, and everlasting joy will be yours.
Have any of you experienced shamefulness? Have you felt like you would have to bow down and cover your head? God says you will get a double portion of your land and experience everlasting joy. The joy you experience in the Lord is daily and not temporary in any way.
Isaiah 61:8-11 says, ‘8 “For I, the Lord, love justice; I hate robbery and wrongdoing. In my faithfulness I will reward my people and make an everlasting covenant with them. 9 Their descendants will be known among the nations and their offspring among the peoples. All who see them will acknowledge that they are a people the Lord has blessed.'' 10 I delight greatly in the Lord; my soul rejoices in my God. For he has clothed me with garments of salvation and arrayed me in a robe of his righteousness, as a bridegroom adorns his head like a priest, and as a bride adorns herself with her jewels. 11 For as the soil makes the sprout come up and a garden causes seeds to grow, so the Sovereign Lord will make righteousness and praise spring up before all nations.’
This sermon was delivered to the enslaved Israelites in Babylon, as a glad tiding and a word of hope. The state of affairs in Babylon was different. It was not similar to the state in Egypt where the Israelites were burdened with manual labour, working with bricks and working and tilling the land. In Babylon, the Israelites experienced a different kind of slavery where they did not see progress, some were merchants, some were labourers and others were occupied in odd jobs, but the Israelites as a community lacked a day of hope in their lives. They lived as refugees in a foreign land. They had no freedom of worship. This was a good tidings that was prophesied over the people of God. God wants his people to live well and live in his glory, but that does not mean that they will not have to endure problems. God expects his children to live in a certain dignity, and if we stoop low in our standing, it’s because we are not aware of what God has promised his people.
Hosea 4:6 says, ‘my people are destroyed from lack of knowledge. “Because you have rejected knowledge, I also reject you as my priests; because you have ignored the law of your God, I also will ignore your children.’
Knowledge and wisdom does not just appear in you, one must put the effort in getting it. You have to read the word daily, meditate upon it and acquire the knowledge that is promised in the Bible. In the verse above, God says that his people are destroyed because of a lack of knowledge and lack of effort in trying to glean wisdom from his Word.
God’s original plan for His people of Israel is written in the first fourteen chapters of Deuteronomy. God was giving them good news here through Prophet Isaiah that He was going to bring them out of their captivity and shame and give them dignity. He was going to make them head over nations instead of being slaves under gentile Kings.
Although it was spoken to the Israelites in captivity, it was spoken to us in the New Testament through Jesus’ ministry.
God did not bring us into this world to be the tail but the head of nations. He has placed goodness, joy, divinity and happiness in our lives. He will remove mourning and pour the oil of gladness upon his people.
Isaiah 61: 1-3 says,
‘The Year of the Lord’s Favour -
1 The Spirit of the Sovereign Lord is on me, because the Lord has anointed me to proclaim good news to the poor. He has sent me to bind up the brokenhearted, to proclaim freedom for the captives and release from darkness for the prisoners, 2
to proclaim the year of the Lord’s favour and the day of vengeance of our God, to comfort all who mourn, 3 and provide for those who grieve in Zion—to bestow on them a crown of beauty instead of ashes, the oil of joy instead of mourning, and a garment of praise instead of a spirit of despair. They will be called oaks of righteousness, a planting of the Lord for the display of his splendor.
This is fulfilled in Jesus when in Luke 4.16-19-20, He goes to a synagogue and reads this portion from the scroll of Isaiah . This Chapter focuses on Jesus’s ministry which begins with the anointing of the Holy Spirit. Jesus binds the brokenhearted, offers freedom to the captives, pulls the prisoners out of darkness, year of the Lord's favour and comforts those who mourn. There is so much of hope for Go’s people.
Isaiah 61:4-6 says, ‘4 They will rebuild the ancient ruins and restore the places long devastated; they will renew the ruined cities that have been devastated for generations. 5 Strangers will shepherd your flocks; foreigners will work your fields and vineyards. 6 And you will be called priests of the Lord, you will be named ministers of our God. You will feed on the wealth of nations,and in their riches you will boast.’
Those who experience this anointed ministry and infilling of the Holy Spirit from Jesus , will become a Priestly community who rebuilds other people.
Isaiah 61:7 says, ‘7 Instead of your shame you will receive a double portion, and instead of disgrace you will rejoice in your inheritance. And so you will inherit a double portion in your land, and everlasting joy will be yours.
Have any of you experienced shamefulness? Have you felt like you would have to bow down and cover your head? God says you will get a double portion of your land and experience everlasting joy. The joy you experience in the Lord is daily and not temporary in any way.
Isaiah 61:8-11 says, ‘8 “For I, the Lord, love justice; I hate robbery and wrongdoing. In my faithfulness I will reward my people and make an everlasting covenant with them. 9 Their descendants will be known among the nations and their offspring among the peoples. All who see them will acknowledge that they are a people the Lord has blessed.'' 10 I delight greatly in the Lord; my soul rejoices in my God. For he has clothed me with garments of salvation and arrayed me in a robe of his righteousness, as a bridegroom adorns his head like a priest, and as a bride adorns herself with her jewels. 11 For as the soil makes the sprout come up and a garden causes seeds to grow, so the Sovereign Lord will make righteousness and praise spring up before all nations.’
This sermon was delivered to the enslaved Israelites in Babylon, as a glad tiding and a word of hope. The state of affairs in Babylon was different. It was not similar to the state in Egypt where the Israelites were burdened with manual labour, working with bricks and working and tilling the land. In Babylon, the Israelites experienced a different kind of slavery where they did not see progress, some were merchants, some were labourers and others were occupied in odd jobs, but the Israelites as a community lacked a day of hope in their lives. They lived as refugees in a foreign land. They had no freedom of worship. This was a good tidings that was prophesied over the people of God. God wants his people to live well and live in his glory, but that does not mean that they will not have to endure problems. God expects his children to live in a certain dignity, and if we stoop low in our standing, it’s because we are not aware of what God has promised his people.
Hosea 4:6 says, ‘my people are destroyed from lack of knowledge. “Because you have rejected knowledge, I also reject you as my priests; because you have ignored the law of your God, I also will ignore your children.’
Knowledge and wisdom does not just appear in you, one must put the effort in getting it. You have to read the word daily, meditate upon it and acquire the knowledge that is promised in the Bible. In the verse above, God says that his people are destroyed because of a lack of knowledge and lack of effort in trying to glean wisdom from his Word.
God’s original plan for His people of Israel is written in the first fourteen chapters of Deuteronomy. God was giving them good news here through Prophet Isaiah that He was going to bring them out of their captivity and shame and give them dignity. He was going to make them head over nations instead of being slaves under gentile Kings.
Although it was spoken to the Israelites in captivity, it was spoken to us in the New Testament through Jesus’ ministry.
God did not bring us into this world to be the tail but the head of nations. He has placed goodness, joy, divinity and happiness in our lives. He will remove mourning and pour the oil of gladness upon his people.
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