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The Day of Divine Retribution: Isaiah 61:2b
“And the day of divine retribution of our God.”
(Isaiah 61:2b)
Isn’t it interesting that we find the language of divine retribution—God’s moral judgment against sin, in connection with the language of the “year of the Lord’s favor”? How often we forget to remember that the two go hand in hand. We seem to have entered into an age of the church where many want to dwell only in the goodness and joy of the favor and blessing of the Lord—blessings brought about by the redeeming work of Christ Jesus. Yet, was it not also at the cross that sin was judged in its finality—that the devil’s head was finally crushed and his power broken? Indeed, we must always remember that for the believer, the cross means judgment and eternal life in the presence of Christ, but for the unbeliever, the cross symbolizes eternal condemnation in the fires of Hell. Oh, how important it is to see that one goes hand in hand with the other.
One may protest in that Jesus does not quote this part of the verse, but ends with the language of the Year of the Lord’s favor (Luke 4:19). Yet, as we have mentioned before, when New Testament writers are quoting from the Old Testament, they are expecting the Old Testament passage to be understood within its original context—a context that speaks of judgment as well as redemption. In addition, Jesus speaks a great deal about the judgment that will come as a result of his own redemptive work (Matthew 13:47-50, for example). Thus, to suggest that Jesus did not have the full context of Isaiah 61:2 in his mind when he read these words cannot be supported.
One other thing that I find particularly interesting in this verse is the contrast of time between the language of the Year of the Lord and the Day of Retribution. Though I am not sure that we can draw a hard and fast principle from this, I do think that we can safely infer that a contrast is being made between a time when judgment is met out with finality and fullness (ultimately in the general resurrection when all men will stand before the throne of God and the books will be opened (Revelation 20:11-15)) and the ongoing and long-enduring nature of the Year of the Lord’s Favor, a time which was initiated at the cross and will be consummated in the new creation with the wedding feast of the Lamb (Revelation 19:6-10). Oh, the enduring nature of our Lord’s promise and the finality of His judgment upon sin and unbelief—how they are wed together, and how they are inseparably a part of Christ’s redemptive work! Beloved, do not miss the importance of Jesus’ earthly ministry and of the cross—upon the cross, both judgment and redemption find their meaning—apart from the cross, divine wrath is all we could ever hope to know.
The Year of the Lord’s Favor: Isaiah 61:2a
“To proclaim the year of Yahweh’s Favor…”
(Isaiah 61:2a)
There are two promises in view with the words of this phrase. The first is the concept of the Year of Jubilee that we discussed above. This was the season when debts were forgiven and family lands were restored-the oppression of division from the community by debit was brought to an end. Indeed, this is what we find in Christ Jesus, where all believers are brought into the covenant and are given an inheritance in the land-a land that is being reserved for us free from corruption, by Christ in Heaven (1 Peter 1:4-5. Indeed, the celebration that Christ ushers in is an ongoing Year of Jubilee before the Lord.
Yet there is more at work than this, for the Year of the Lord’s Favor, ushered in by Christ, is a promise to be enjoyed by Gentiles as well as by Jews. It is to be enjoyed by all who will trust in Jesus Christ as their Lord and Savior. The language of this verse also picks up on the language of Isaiah 49:8, where God promises that in the “time of the favor” of the Lord, God will work salvation for his people, bringing the nations into the covenant. Indeed, the verses that follow echo much of the language of chapter 61. Thus, in Christ, we see the principle of the Year of Jubilee applied to the gentiles as well as to the Jewish people. In Christ we find that the fortunes of all the tribes of the earth-all of the descendants of the sons of Noah, find blessing as the gospel is brought to them.
We need to raise one more issue regarding this passage. Given that we know the context of the Year of the Lord’s favor with respect to the Year of Jubilee and its extension to the gentiles, we still ought to ask the question of what favor means. I raise this question, because oftentimes when we think of favor, we think of earning someone’s favor, and this is obviously not the case with God. The word “favor” is the Hebrew word, !Acr” (ratson), and while we find the term used in a variety of contexts, normally it is used to refer to favor that is graciously given and not favor that has been earned. In many of the cases, this term could also be translated as “grace.” Do understand, loved ones, that the language of the Year of God’s Favor is the language of a gracious gift that has been given, not something that has been earned in any which way. Seek Christ, and enjoy the year of his grace-enjoy his mercies and rest in the assurance of his promise. That which you could not do for yourself (being brought into the favor of the Lord) has been done by Christ for us! Hallelujah! Amen!
Liberation!: Isaiah 61:1f
“and to the ones imprisoned—liberation!”
(Isaiah 61:1f)
This final clause in Isaiah 61:1 naturally follows the previous statement. With the coming of the Messiah, the chains of bondage to sin are released, they are broken, and the prison cells of death have been opened wide. Indeed, our Lord proclaimed just that message:
“Truly, Truly, I say to you that an hour is coming and is now, when the dead will hear the voice of the Son of God, and the ones who hear will live.”
(John 5:25)
The final clause in this verse, which I have translated as “liberation,” is a Hebrew idiom comprised of two similar ideas for release, or delivery from prison: x;Aq-xq;P. (peqach-qoach). The key to remember here is that the language reflects the idea of being released by someone else from something that you could not free yourself of. In other words, it reflects the idea of being liberated and not the idea of escape. Indeed, there are many human bonds and constraints that we may be able to throw off on our own strength, but sin and death are the two things that have bound us as a race in a way that we are helpless against apart from a divine act of liberation. And indeed, dear friends, this is the liberation that is worked by Christ Jesus!
It is worth pointing out that the language of “liberation” has been used by some in our culture to promote an un-Biblical political theology. “Liberation Theology” as it has been called, takes passages like this and argues that the purpose of Christ’s life and death was to open up avenues for relief from political oppression. This theological model has then been adapted to meet the specific needs of particular groups. Thus, there has been Feminist Liberation Theology, Black Liberation Theology, Hispanic Liberation Theology, etc… And while genuine Christianity lived out does seek to lift people from their oppressed conditions (the abolishment of the slave-trade, for example), this particular theology seeks to reverse the roles, placing the oppressed in a position where they can now oppress their former oppressors.
Not only does this theology blend political Marxism with a mis-interpretation of scripture, but it also departs from the witness of historical Christianity, where believers have regularly sought to evangelize their oppressors. More importantly, it misses the whole point of Christ’s atoning and liberating work. Jesus did not come to serve a political agenda, he came to redeem us from our sins. He did not come to make it possible for us to throw off our earthly oppressors; he came to redeem us from the eternal judgment of God. It misses the point when Jesus says, “blessed are those who have been persecuted in the name of righteousness…” (Matthew 5:10). In addition, does not Peter also teach us that it is of no merit if we suffer for our sin (1 Peter 2:20)? Instead of repaying evil for evil, are we not to repay evil with good (1 Peter 3:8-9)?
Beloved, rejoice in the liberation that you have been given, but understand what Jesus is liberating you from. You are being liberated from sin and death; you are being liberated from the fate of eternal judgment! How much greater and more wonderful is this liberation than anything that men can work in this world! How much more permanent this liberation is! Don’t be fooled, loved ones, by the false teachers that surround you—search the scriptures and guard your heart, for there are many who would lead you astray. Be like the noble Bereans (Acts 17:10-11) and do not follow the lies of those who would manipulate God’s word to serve their own ends.
“For this is no empty word for you, but it is your life. And in this word your days will be made long upon the ground which you are passing over the Jordan to inherit there.” (Deuteronomy 32:47)
Release to the Captives: Isaiah 61:1e
“To preach release to the captives…”
Isaiah 61:1e
In the context of Isaiah’s ministry, this statement would have had a very specific promise, recognizing that at this point in history, the northern Kingdom of Israel has fallen and the people had been taken and scattered throughout the Assyrian Empire. In addition, the southern Kingdom would, within 100 years, fall as well. To those who would hear this prophesy, that would speak of the hope of the return of the people from exile with the advent of the Messiah’s coming. When Jesus spoke these words of his own ministry, the people would have responded in a similar way, not only thinking of the return of the various Jewish people who had been scatted all over the Roman Empire, but also of the lifting of Roman oppression in the Holy Land. Yet, Jesus had an entirely different bondage in view—one that was far more dangerous than the taxation and oversight of the Romans. Jesus was dealing with our bondage to sin.
The language used by Isaiah echoes this great promise that Jesus has come to fulfill. The word that we translate as “release” or “liberty” is the Hebrew word, rArD> (deror), which specifically has in view the release that God commanded in conjunction with the Sabbatical Year and the Year of Jubilee (which is where verse 2 picks up—also see Leviticus 25:10). Essentially, God commanded that every 7th year was to be a Sabbath year set aside for himself. During this year the fields would be left fallow, Jewish slaves would be set free, and debts would be considered satisfied. In the Year of Jubilee (every 50th year), even the family lands that had been sold to pay off debts would be returned to their rightful owners for the purpose of preserving the family in the land. It was to be a time of celebration and deliverance from economic and social bondage. Yet, do not miss the purpose of the Year of Jubilee and Sabbatical years, or you will miss what Isaiah is doing by referencing it and you will miss what Jesus is doing by applying it to his own Messianic ministry.
Leviticus 25, a chapter devoted to the release that was to be associated with the Sabbatical Year and with the Year of Jubilee, ends with God’s explanation for instituting these events:
“Because, to me, the sons of Israel are servants;
they are my servants which I brought out of the land of Egypt.
I am Yahweh, your God.”
(Leviticus 25:55)
In other words, God is saying that the reason for these Jubilees is because the people of Israel belong to no one other than to himself. He did not share them with Egypt, but delivered them, and he will not share them with those who would exploit them in their own land. God’s people are God’s servants and a perpetual bondage means that he is forced to share with one who is an illegitimate owner. God brought his people from Egypt to be his own; he is not going to let them go.
Do these words not also ring true with the language of our Lord?
“All that the Father gives me will come to me; I will definitely not cast out.”
(John 6:37)
“Also I give them eternal life, and they shall never be destroyed; no one will snatch them from my hand.”
(John 10:28)
Yet, this language echoes even more strongly with the language of the writer of Hebrews:
“Remember those who are bound as ones bound with them; and the ones who are tormented, as they are in the body. Let marriage be precious to all, and the marriage bed be morally pure; for the sexually immoral and adulterous God will judge. Let your lifestyle not be covetous, being content with what is at your disposal. For he has said: “I will never send you back, nor will I ever leave you behind.” Thus we can say with certainty, “The Lord is my helper; I will not fear. What can man do to me?” (Hebrews 13:3-6)
Okay, let’s put the puzzle pieces together in light of what the writer of Hebrews teaches. We know from Leviticus that God has delivered his people from their bondage in Egypt for the purpose of making them his own servants. In light of that, God instituted the Sabbatical Year and Year of Jubilee in Israel’s governmental law for the purpose of ensuring that the people would not sink back into bondage. The writer of Hebrews builds on this idea and asks us as Christians to look at several things that will lead us into different kinds of bondage. We are to remember believers who are in actual chains—why? Because God hears the cries of his persecuted people (Exodus 2:23-25). We are to preserve the sanctity of our marriages—why? Because in marriage, one man and one woman are bound covenantally together to the point that they are seen by God as one flesh (Genesis 2:24). Thus, this binding must always be a holy one—one that does not detract from the couple’s ability to serve God, but instead aids it (1 Corinthians 7:2-7, 26-28). We are not to defile our marriage bed with sexual immorality or adultery, why? Because not only does this sinful activity ruin the holy nature of the marriage, but it also enslaves the person who entered into such sin to the sin and to the one with whom he or she has committed said immorality and adultery (1 Corinthians 6:16). Our lifestyles must not be covetous (more than just the love of money, but the 10th commandment includes coveting your neighbor’s house, wife, servants, and/or property—Exodus 20:17). Why? Because this places you in bondage to the lust of material things—things that belong to this world, and not to the things of God (1 John 2:15-17). All of these things that the writer of Hebrews mentions are things that binds us in servitude and slavery to things or persons other than being bound in service to God.
Thus, it is in this context that the writer of Hebrews quotes Jesus as saying, “I will never send you back, nor will I ever leave you behind.” While this is likely a reference to Jesus’ promise to his Apostles in John 14:18, it picks up the language of the passages quoted above from John above as well as other promises of Jesus that he will be with us always, even to the end of eternity (Matthew 28:20). All of these statements must be understood in the context of God’s calling of us to be his own. Why will Jesus not allow us to be left behind? Because in being left behind, we are left in bondage to the things of this world, to sin, and ultimately to death. As the Apostle Paul writes:
“You were bought with a price; do not become slaves to men.”
(1 Corinthians 7:23)
So, we return back to Isaiah 61:1 and to Jesus’ proclamation that he is the fulfillment of this prophesy (Luke 4:21). Our Lord came to proclaim, and thus the Gospel of Jesus Christ proclaims, that we are released from our bondage to the world—Egypt has no more claims on us; sin has no more claims on us; the kingdoms of the world can do nothing to us for we are eternally bound to the risen Christ. Oh, beloved, how is it that we so often bind ourselves to the world even in light of this great truth! Loved ones, let us live in service of Christ, for he is our only master—the chains of this world have been loosed, and we have found our freedom in him!
Redeemed how I love to proclaim it!
Redeemed by the blood of the lamb;
Redeemed through his infinite mercy,
His child and forever I am.
-Fanny Crosby
The Shattered Heart: Isaiah 61:1d
“He has sent me to bind the heart which has been shattered…”
Isaiah 61:1d
When I read this part of the verse, my mind cannot help but to think back to the promise that was made by God earlier in Isaiah 35:4:
“Say to those whose hearts are hasty; be strong and you must not fear.
Behold, your God of vengeance will come in the recompense of God—
He will come and save you.”
And indeed, now, those whose hearts have caused them to run ahead, chasing after their own plans and dreams instead of chasing after holiness, will find that God, in his might and in his power, will come to save them—save them by sending his Son, Jesus Christ. And Christ will be the one who takes their hearts, as broken, war-torn, and shattered as they are, and bind them back together. Note the power of this great and wonderful promise, Jesus is not simply one to put back together a heart that has been fractured, like a bone that is broken might be set in a splint or a cast, but the Hebrew word used here is derived from the Hebrew verb, rb;v’ (shavar), which means “to shatter.” Any human doctor can mend a fractured bone, but it takes God to mend that which has been shattered beyond recognition. And note that when the Hebrews were speaking about the “heart,” they were not speaking simply in terms of one’s emotional well-being or of one’s passions as we often do; when the Hebrews spoke of the heart, they had in mind the intellect and the personality—that which makes you, you. And this is the work of Christ. Jesus is more than a family counselor or a psychologist helping you to get your emotions in check. And he does more than to nurture bruised egos—Jesus mends lives! And Jesus does far more than mend lives that have been beaten around and bruised by the world, but he mends lives that have been blasted away, shattered, demolished, and utterly crushed, and he restores us whole!
I am reminded of the story of Humpty Dumpty. Indeed, all of the kings horses and men could do nothing to patch that shattered egg and to restore him to strength. Yet, Christ is far more than a servant of a human king; he is the King of Kings, Son of the Living God and creator of the universe. Indeed, there is no life, no person who is too broken and shattered that he is beyond the ability of our Lord, Jesus Christ to put back together. Yet, there is another difference. When Jesus puts a life back together, he does not simply restore one to health, but he restores one slowly into the image of himself—we are remade not for a fallen world, but Christ’s remaking is designed to prepare us for glory! What a wonderful promise that we find in our great and glorious Lord!
“He is the one who heals a shattered heart;
and the one who binds their sorrows.”
Psalm 147:3
Into Thy gracious hands I fall,
And with the arms of faith embrace;
O King of glory, hear my call!
O raise me, heal me by Thy grace!
-Wolfgang Dessler
Good Tidings: Isaiah 61:1c
“to herald good tidings to the meek”
Isaiah 61:1c
These words should immediately bring to mind the language of the angels in proclaiming the good news before the shepherds (Luke 2:10). Indeed it was the role of the angels to proclaim the birth of the one who would bring such good news and glad tidings to the world—who would emboss onto the history of mankind the great hope and promise of redemption that would be brought by this Jesus. In Christ, men and women no longer need to live in darkness and fear, but could dwell forever in Christ’s marvelous light. Indeed, there are no better tidings than the reality that God has come into the world to dwell with men, to bear the sins of those whose faith is in him, and to face the mighty wrath of God on behalf of his own. The one who needed no redeeming came to earth, took on flesh to identify with us as his people, and did the mighty work of redemption on behalf of we who needed redeeming, yet could not even begin to do that work on our own.
And it is important to see the way in which this message of good tidings is proclaimed to those who are meek. It’s root is the word rv;B’ (bashar), which means, “to bear good news.” Yet this verb is found in what is called the Piel stem in the Hebrew language. The Piel stem is used in Hebrew to point to a repeated action. In other words, the idea of the good news borne or heralded by Christ is not just a one-time deal, but it is good news that is repeatedly proclaimed in the hearts and in the lives of God’s people. How true this is indeed! The good news of the Gospel of Jesus Christ is news that bears repeating in the lives of those who know him and before the waiting ears of those who do not. How often God’s people need to be reminded of the wonderful good news of the hope that is found in a relationship with Jesus Christ.
But look at to whom this proclamation is directed. It is directed to the meek or to the poor, depending on your translation. The term that Isaiah uses here is wn”[‘ (anaw), which is related to the word ynI[‘ (ani). Literally, wn”[‘ (anaw) refers to one who is bowed down or dejected, one who has been humiliated and broken under the oppression of outside forces. Its cousin, ynI[‘ (ani), picks up the idea of one who has become poor and afflicted as a result of oppression. It is not to the proud or to the powerful that this message is proclaimed, but to the poor, to those who have suffered under the oppression of the world and under the oppression of sin and who understand that there is no place to look for a redeemer other than to God. This language is reminiscent of the Israelites in Egypt, crying out for God to deliver them from Pharaoh’s hand (Exodus 2:23). And indeed, it is this idea that Jesus picks up on in his Sermon on the Mount when he says, “blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of Heaven” (Matthew 5:3).
The proud, the arrogant, the haughty, those trusting in their own strength or righteousness, these are not the marks of those being drawn to God faith (James 4:6; 1 Peter 5:5). Indeed, the first step in coming to faith is genuine, heart-felt repentance, and in repentance there is no room for the pride of men. Loved ones, do not picture yourself approaching God with trumpets blaring and shouts of acclamation; do not picture yourself because you have earned an audience with the Almighty King. Understand that we come before him on our knees, pleading forgiveness and mercy, and in His undying grace, to all who come into His presence through faith in his Son, Jesus Christ, to them—to us—he has given us eternal life, no longer seeing us as rebels, but adopting us as sons and daughters. Loved ones, oh, what a day of rejoicing that will be!
“See the kind of love that the father has given to us, in order that we might be called children of God; and we are. Because of this, the world does not know us: because it did not know him.” (1 John 3:1)
“And as it says in Hosea:
I will call those who are not my people, ‘my people.’
And she who is not beloved, ‘beloved.’
And it will be in the place where it was said to them, ‘You are not my people,’ there they will be called, “Sons of the Living God.”
(Romans 9:25-26)
Because Yahweh has Anointed Me: Isaiah 61:1b
“Because Yahweh has anointed me…”
Isaiah 61:1b
Oh, what an amazing statement this is in itself, that this Messiah is not one anointed by man, but by the covenantal God, Yahweh, himself! How much more significant this becomes when you realize that this construction is only ever used three times in the Old Testament. It is used first in 1 Samuel 10:1 of God’s anointing of Saul, it is used secondly here, of the Messiah, in Isaiah, and thirdly, it is used of Jehu, who destroyed the house of Ahaz (2 Chronicles 22:7). There are many instances where God asks a prophet or a priest to anoint someone as he did with Samuel’s anointing of David—but these are the only instances where Yahweh is said to have anointed.
There are several things that we can learn from this. In each case, this was a kingly anointing. Saul was the very first human king over Israel—Jesus was the last. Saul was rejected by God because he did not execute God’s judgment upon Agag, the king of the Amalekites—one of the great persecutor of Israel. In contrast to Saul, Jehu was anointed king for the express purpose of executing God’s judgment upon the house of Ahaz (Ahaziah) in Judah and upon the house of Ahab in Israel—both kings which promoted pagan idolatry. Of course, Jehu’s downfall is that he did not go far enough in the purging of Israel of its idolatry and wickedness. Christ is the greater fulfillment of that which both Saul and Jehu failed to complete. Jesus is the greater king that not only redeems his people, but also promises complete and final judgment upon God’s enemies—upon all those who would devote themselves to idolatry.
The second thing that we can learn from this is the very nature of the Kingship of the Messiah. The verb, “to anoint” in Hebrew is the word xv;m’ (mashach) and is the very word from which we get the word “Messiah,” literally meaning, “the anointed one.” Not only then, is Isaiah pointing toward the very reality that this promised Messiah will be God himself, but also that he will fulfill the promise that God gave to David, in that a king will be raised up from his household who would have an eternal kingdom (2 Samuel 7:12-13).
Thirdly, it is an ever-present reminder of the nature of Jesus’ Kingship. Jesus himself said that he did not come to peace but division (Luke 12:51). John the Baptist describes Jesus as one who comes as with a winnowing fork to separate the wheat from the tares (Matthew 3:12). And what is the purpose of all this division? It is salvation (John 12:47). How is it that both can be true? The wrath of God being poured out upon his enemies is the means by which God saves the world for he brings her to purity only after he has separated the distillates out of her in the refining process. Refinement is done with fire, thus fire is brought by Christ to both redeem and destroy—both go hand in hand. In the case of Saul and Jehu—the destruction of God’s enemies ended their idolatrous influence (at least for a time). In the case of Jesus, the destruction of God’s enemies means a promise of the eternal end to the idolatrous influence of the world upon our lives—oh praise be to God that our Lord would come in this way!
The Spirit of the Lord Most High: Isaiah 61:1a
This passage is one that is very familiar to us because of Jesus’ use of it during his first sermon back in his hometown of Nazareth. Notice the unambiguous nature of this statement—“the Spirit of the Lord Most High, Yahweh, is upon me. To begin with, when x;Wr (ruach), which can mean “spirit” or “wind”, is used in construct with the personal name of God (Yahweh) and is used in the terms of being placed upon someone, it is consistently used in terms of God’s power, and that power being placed upon an individual to complete God’s design. It is used of Othniel (Judges 3:10), Samson (Judges 14:6), of David (1 Samuel 16:13), and of Elijah (1 Kings 18:12). Most importantly, it is used of Jesus at his baptism (Luke 3:22). How this shines light on passages like Colossians 2:9, which speaks of the fullness of God being pleased to dwell in Christ. How so it is that the Spirit rushed on these Old Testament saints in part and for a time, yet came upon Christ in full and remained upon him for eternity. What is more is that same Spirit rushed upon Peter and the other apostles at the time of Pentecost and likewise remained upon him for the length of their ministry. And that same Spirit—the third member of the divine Trinity has shown himself to be pleased to dwell in you and within me both for the purpose of accomplishing God’s work in this world and for the purpose of drawing you and I more closely to himself in intimate fellowship. This is not a change of state for Jesus, but it is a promise. It is a promise that in Christ all of the promises of deliverance that are contained within the words of the Old Testament find their fullness in Christ and in his work. And it is a promise that it is the very Spirit of God that will bring about God’s designs in your life and mine. What a wonderful way for Jesus to announce his ministry to the community that thought they knew him best. Oh, how much greater a sin it was for these townsfolk—those who knew Jesus from childhood—to reject him in the way that they did.
Yet, we must not stop there. It is not only the x;Wr (ruach) of Yahweh, but we are told that this is the x;Wr (ruach) of the yn”doa] (adonay) of Yahweh. The Hebrew word !Ada’ (adon) means lord in the generic sense (much like we would use the word “sir” in English as a term of respect), but when you add the Qamets-yod ending (the “ay” sound), that intensifies the word, which communicates the idea that this Lord is the most high of all Lords—a term never employed of anyone in the Old Testament but God. Finally, we should not neglect to note the covenantal name of God, Yahweh, that is employed in this Statement. We can be left with no doubt of what Isaiah is seeking to communicate within this passage. The messiah of whom he speaks will have the fullness of the covenant God of Israel upon himself—that he is the fullness of God—and that is a statement that can only be made of God. This messiah of whom he speaks will be, and can only be, the covenant God of Israel, having taken on flesh and come to redeem his people. It points to and can only point to Jesus Christ, the very Son of the living God. By declaring that this prophesy was fulfilled in himself as he did before the people in the synagogue of Nazareth, he declared himself to be none less than God in the flesh.
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