Isaiah chapter 61
The outreach ministries of the future Messiah. Israel will be rebuilt and restored to glory.
NOTE
This chapter includes one of the “Songs of the Suffering Servant” from Isaiah:
Isaiah 42:1-17.Servant Song #1. The Servant will bring justice to the earth.
Isaiah49:1-7. The LORD’sServant will will evangelize the Gentiles. The Servant’s pre-natal calling to lead both Israel and the nations.
Isaiah 50:4-6.The life of the Suffering Servant. The Servant is both a teacher and a learner who follows God’spath.
Isaiah 53:1-12.The Servant of the LORD. The suffering servantbears the punishments and afflictions of others.
Isaiah 61:1-3. Some scholars regard thisas a fifth servant song, although the word “servant” is not mentioned
The Servant Songs were first identified by Bernhard Duhm in his 1892 commentary on Isaiah.
THE OUTREACH MINISTRIES OF THE FUTURE MESSIAH
VERSE 1. The Lord GOD’s Spirit is on me,because the LORD has anointed me to proclaim good news to the humble.He has sent me to bind up the broken hearted,to proclaim liberty to the captivesand release to those who are bound,
In this verse, all three Persons of the Holy Trinity are mentioned:
- The Lord GOD— God the Father
- me — God the Son
- Spirit — God the Holy Spirit
The Lord GOD’s Spirit is on me. And the LORD God has put his Spirit in us!
the LORD has anointed me. That is, “the LORDhas sent me.”
And the LORD has sent us!
to proclaim good news. This is the Ministry of Evangelism.
We seek out people who are spiritually hungry. We offer them the solution to their problems, the answer they seek. Announcing theGood News is the essence of evangelism.
to proclaim liberty to the captives. This is a very action-oriented ministry. Captives are set free.
Luke 4:18. The Spirit of the Lord is on me,because he has anointed me to preach good news to the poor.He has sent me to heal the broken hearted,to proclaim release to the captives,recovering of sight to the blind,to deliver those who are crushed,
VERSE 2. to proclaim the year of the LORD’s favor and the day of vengeance of our God,to comfort all who mourn,
the year of the LORD’s favor. When he was in Nazareth, the Lord Jesus announced that it was the acceptable year of the LORD. It was God’s time to act! Read more »
VERSE 3. to provide for those who mourn in Zion,to give to them a garland for ashes,the oil of joy for mourning,the garment of praise for the spirit of heaviness,that they may be called trees of righteousness,the planting of the LORD,that he may be glorified.
the oil of joy. Joy is like an oil. It is a healing salve.
It is like smearing gladness on your skin.
ISRAEL WILL BE REBUILT AND RESTORED TO GLORY
VERSE 4. They will rebuild the old ruins.They will raise up the former devastated places.They will repair the ruined citiesthat have been devastated for many generations.
Universalis translation. They will rebuild the ancient ruins, they will raise what has long lain waste, they will restore the ruined cities, all that has lain waste for ages past.
This is what ministry outreach is meant to do. It rebuilds people. It raises them. It restores them.
In the fullness of time, the Supreme God of all graciousness will fully restore us. Read more »
VERSE 5. Strangers will stand and feed your flocks.Foreigners will work your fields and your vineyards.
BBE translation. And men from strange countries will be your herdsmen, and those who are not Israelites will be your ploughmen and vine-keepers.
men from strange countries. Foreigners will become shepherds of flocks.The Old Testament foresees Gentiles coming to faith in the One God of Israel and bringing gifts to Jerusalem.Here are the key Bible verses about this »
VERSE 6. But you will be called the LORD’s priests.Men will call you the servants of our God.You will eat the wealth of the nations.You will boast in their glory.
will be called the LORD’s priests. When you minister to other people, they see you as a priest-minister.
They see you as a servant of the Most High God.
VERSE 7. Instead of your shame you will have double.Instead of dishonor, they will rejoice in their portion.Therefore in their land they will possess double.Everlasting joy will be to them.
MSG translation. Because you got a double dose of trouble and more than your share of contempt, your inheritance in the land will be doubled and your joy go on forever.
This verseis fantastic!Would you consider memorizing it?More great verses to memorizefrom theBook of Isaiahandfrom the entire Bible.
your inheritance in the land will be doubled. Some people have suffered a lot.
Their shame was double of what other people have. Disgrace and spittle were their portion.
For such as these, the LORD God will counterbalance it. It will be unexpected and wonderful.
VERSE 8. “For I, the LORD, love justice.I hate robbery and iniquity.I will give them their reward in truthand I will make an everlasting covenant with them.
VERSE 9. Their offspring will be known among the nations,and their offspring among the peoples.All who see them will acknowledge them,that they are the offspring which the LORD has blessed.”
Their offspring will be known among the nations. Our spiritual descendants will be dispersed toall nations.
VERSE 10. I will greatly rejoice in the LORD!My soul will be joyful in my God,for he has clothed me with the garments of salvation.He has covered me with the robe of righteousness,as a bridegroom decks himself with a garlandand as a bride adorns herself with her jewels.
BBE translation. I will be full of joy in the Lord, my soul will be glad in my God; for he has put on me the clothing of salvation, covering me with the robe of righteousness, as the husband puts on a fair head-dress, and the bride makes herself beautiful with jewels.
I will greatly rejoice in the LORD! Have you ever been giddy because you are saved?
The LORD God calls us to have that much joy! The Lord Jesus Christ has done so much for us!
VERSE 11. For as the earth produces its bud,and as the garden causes the things that are sown in it to spring up,so the Lord GOD will cause righteousness and praise to spring up before all the nations.
Universalis translation. For as the earth makes fresh things grow, as a garden makes seeds spring up, so will the Lord make both integrity and praise spring up in the sight of the nations.
ISAIAH
CHAPTERS: 01, 02, 03, 04, 05, 06, 07, 08, 09, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26, 27, 28, 29, 30, 31, 32, 33, 34, 35, 36, 37, 38, 39, 40, 41, 42, 43, 44, 45, 46, 47, 48, 49, 50, 51, 52, 53, 54, 55, 56, 57, 58, 59, 60, 61, 62, 63, 64, 65, 66
RESOURCES: Summary, Outline, Memorize, True Fasting
Unless otherwise noted, all Bible quotations on this page are from the World English Bible and the World Messianic Edition. These translations have no copyright restrictions. They are in the Public Domain.