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Golden Text:  I the Lord love judgment, I hate robbery for burnt offering; and I will direct their work in truth, and I will make an everlasting covenant with them – Isaiah 61:8

Isaiah 61:1 – The Spirit of the Lord God is upon me; because the Lord hath anointed me to preach good tidings unto the meek; He hath sent Me to bind up the brokenhearted, to proclaim liberty to the captive, and the opening of the prison to them that are bound. This scripture is indicating the dividing line between what the Lord would accomplish in His earthy ministry and what He would accomplish later. The prophecy was spoken by the man of God years before it actual came into manifestation when the Son of God would come to earth to set the captive free from the prison of sin, the worn, scorn, torn and broken hearts would be healed. Freeing the captive is a figure taken from the year of Jubilee when those bound by debt slavery were liberated. The prophet describes the future blessings that will rest on Zion. Here he introduces the One through whom they will come through. The Spirit of God is speaking through Isaiah of an appointed time when Jesus will be in His ministry. The same words are spoken by Jesus in the synagogue in the gospel of Luke (The Spirit of the Lord is upon me, because He hath anointed me to preach the gospel to the poor; He hath sent me to heal the broken hearted, to preach deliverance to the captives, and recovering of sight to the blind to set at liberty them that are bruised – Luke 4:18). It’s the Spirit of God who anoints His Servant, Jesus the Son of God.

Isaiah 61:2 – To proclaim the acceptable year of the Lord, and the day of vengeance of our God; to comfort all that mourn. The acceptable year of the Lord corresponds to the “Day of salvation”, and the “Year of My redeemed”. Jesus came to provide spiritual healing and deliverance. Jesus’ first coming was a season of grace, when He came not to condemn the world, but through Him might be saved. The second coming of Jesus will be with wrath taken vengeance on those who rejected Him. After bringing vengeance judgment on His enemies, He will comfort those that mourn. God doesn’t want anyone to perish, but He will not make anyone come subject to His written Word, either we will submit to His Word or we will disobey His Word. The judgement of the Lord will come on the unbeliever as well as those professing to be Christians, those living according to their wills and desires and the world’s standards (Wherefore come out from among them, and be ye separate, saith the Lord, and touch not the unclean thing, and I will receive you  2nd Corinthians 6:17). Jesus didn’t die for us to continue to live and practice sin, there should be a difference between a Christian and an unbeliever (For He hath made Him to be sin for us, who knew no sin; that we might me made the righteousness of God in Him – 2nd Corinthians 5:21).

Isaiah 61:3 – To appoint unto them that mourn in Zion, to give unto them 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. Jesus will comfort Israel, He will give them beauty instead of ashes. Ashes were a sign of mourning and humiliation. God will give His people the oil of joy instead of mourning. Oil in the Bible is symbolic of abundance, luxury and God’s blessings. God will give His people a garment of praise. The people of God is classified as trees of righteousness. A tree can’t be uprooted easily, its roots are embedded deep in the ground, and this is what God wants from professing Christians to be in Him. When we’re rooted and grounded in Him, the storms of life can’t uproot our faith in Him nor our obedience to Him.

Isaiah 61:4 – And they shall build the old wastes, they shall raise up the former desolations, and they shall repair the waste cities, the desolations of many generations. “They” refers to those whom Jesus has lifted up from shame ad sorrow and given righteousness and joy. Jesus will give His people beauty instead of ashes. Ashes were a sign of mourning and humiliation. He will give His people the oil of joy instead of mourning. Oil in the Bible is symbolic of abundance, luxury and God’s blessings. During this time Israel will rebuild the ancient ruins, and wasted cities, places that had been desolated for many generations.

Isaiah 61:8 – For I the Lord love judgment, I hate robbery for burnt offering; and I will direct their work in truth, and I will make an everlasting covenant with them. For I the Lord love judgment refers to justice. “I hate robbery for burnt offering” is I hate the robbery of iniquity. God discipline Israel through other nations, but as they repent, He restores to them their inheritance He has for them. God restores us to  His kingdom when we repent. He restores the joy of the Lord, He restores the benefits of heaven. Their works indicates their actions, their worship wasn’t in truth; like many Christians, they worship in songs of praise, but they don’t worship God through their life-styles. God is looking for people to worship Him in Spirit and in truth.

Isaiah 61:9 – And their seed shall be known among the Gentiles, and their offspring among the people: all that see them shall acknowledge them, that they are the seed which the Lord hath blessed. All the Gentile nations will recognize and honor Israel’s offspring as being people whom God has blessed. The past generation of Israel were known for the judgments God had inflicted on them, but the future generation will be known for the favor of God and His blessings. The future generation will have God’s laws in their heart and in their mind, their life will reflect who they serve. Many Christians have family members who never received salvation, but the grace of God came to them, and they are showing the blessings of God that’s upon them, and their children. As Christians, we have been regenerated by the Holy Spirit through the Word of God, His Word is written on the table of our hearts and minds. Some of us are the offspring of those who didn’t serve God, and now, as Christians we have became the righteousness of God in Christ Jesus.

Isaiah 61:10 – I will greatly rejoice in the Lord, my soul shall be joyful in my God; for He hath clothed me with the garments of salvation, He hath covered me with the robe of righteousness, as bridegroom decketh himself with ornaments, and as a bride adorneth herself with her jewels. Israel will rejoice in the Lord because of the salvation the Lord has given them. The future Jewish people will place their trust and confidence in the Son of God, they will realize the righteousness they have received through Jesus to be in the family of God. God made everyone, but everyone isn’t His children, they are His creation, so like the Jewish people, we rejoice in the Lord knowing that it was through Him we have been accepted into the family of God. We too can say, we are the people of God, we are the spiritual Jew.

Isaiah 61:11 – For as the earth bringeth forth her bud, and as the garden causeth the things that are sown in it to spring forth; so the Lord God will cause righteousness and praise to spring forth before all the nations. This scripture is describing the coming of God’s salvation to the Jews and to all that will accept salvation through His Son. Righteousness indicates deliverance from sin that have people bound and cripple in their spirit, disconnected from God. The redeem will be a light to all nation of the work God has placed in them. People who see them will know they are the people of God. As it will be then, God desires for it to be among the Gentiles now who are professing to be Christians. When people look at us, hear us they should see that there is a difference in us, when we’re around them they should feel the Spirit of God that’s in us. They should feel a difference when they are in our presence. Jesus came to set the captive free, He’s coming again to redeem His church, the body of Christ. Those who will be left behind, will go through the tribulation period. Many people of all nations will repent and receive salvation (And I said unto him, Sir, thou knowest. And he said to me, These are they which came out of great tribulation, and have washed their robes, and made them white in the blood of the Lamb – Revelation 7:14).