“I Understand His Motives”

Mission

Anointing

Liberation

Reversals

Isaiah: An Introduction and Commentary i. First Testimony of the Anointed One: Transformation (61:1–4)

The donation of the divine Spirit to Zion’s citizens (59:21) is now a ministry of comfort (1–2) and transformation (3), and moves also in another direction altogether in the executing of vengeance—the recipients of which are left undefined.

Isaiah: An Introduction and Commentary i. First Testimony of the Anointed One: Transformation (61:1–4)

the endowed Zion of 59:21 becomes the transformed Zion of 60:17–22 through the anointed ministry of 61:1–3.

Isaiah 61:1-3 (NKJV)

The New King James Version Chapter 61

“The Spirit of the Lord GOD is upon Me,

Because the LORD has anointed Me

To preach good tidings to the poor;

He has sent Me to heal the brokenhearted,

To proclaim liberty to the captives,

And the opening of the prison to those who are bound;

The New King James Version Chapter 61

2 To proclaim the acceptable year of the LORD,

And the day of vengeance of our God;

To comfort all who mourn,

The New King James Version Chapter 61

3 To console those who mourn in Zion,

To give them beauty 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.

"I Understand His Motives"

We may not always understand WHY God does what He does, but it helps to know HOW He goes about what He does.

THESIS: We must understand what motivates God's redemptive plan.

In what He does, His motives will always be to:

1) Side with the oppressed,

“God is on the side of the oppressed.”

He’s on my side

Immanuel, Jehovah Shammah; Jesus applies v1 to Himself (Lk4)

Though it looks like the oppressors/rich/powerful are winning, they don’t have the favor, attention, & backing of the Almighty God

2) Seek to comfort & console the victims, &

Those who have been damaged by sin, sinful practices, sinful systems, & sinful people (brokenhearted, prisoners, mourners, spirit of heaviness, ashes, instability [vs planted trees])

healing, judicial decrees, opening of prisons, beauty, oil of joy, garment of praise/beauty - He has special responses for our specific needs

People who are surviving oppression AND depression both need comfort and consoling

He would have to “feel” us in order to know how to heal us

3) Start & sustain reversals of the current circumstances

aims at / instigates / seizes upon / starts / sustains reversals

"The arc of the moral universe is long, but it bends toward justice"

The story of Scripture, the essence of the Gospel is how God, through His Son, takes those on the bottom and makes them princesses & princes of the King (see 2Co8:9)

He plays a long game, but He knows what He’s after and how He’s going to bring things to His righteous justice.

I can hold on during times of oppression and depression, because I understand how He works!

God starts “good trouble”

The “acceptable year of the Lord” (Year of Jubilee) = releasing of slaves, cancellation of financial debts, restoration of property

“Day of vengeance” = the “day of the Lord” or the appointed time for God to step in & judge the unrighteous, depose the powerful, and place the righteous in their rightful place

v1

Isaiah: An Introduction and Commentary i. First Testimony of the Anointed One: Transformation (61:1–4)

Poor: the downtrodden and disadvantaged, helpless in themselves and at the mercy of powerful people and adverse circumstances.

Isaiah: An Introduction and Commentary i. First Testimony of the Anointed One: Transformation (61:1–4)

Freedom: specifically manumission of slaves (Lev. 25:10; Jer. 34:8), linking the ministry of the Anointed One and the Year of Jubilee

v2

v3

A Handbook on Isaiah, Volumes 1 & 2 61:3

the first of three phrases that carry the “reversal” theme

A Handbook on Isaiah, Volumes 1 & 2 61:3

Oil here refers to fragrant oil rubbed on a person’s skin, rather than “olive oil”

A Handbook on Isaiah, Volumes 1 & 2 61:3

The mantle of praise refers to a special cloak worn on a festive occasion. The Hebrew word rendered praise implies that the cloak is beautiful

A Handbook on Isaiah, Volumes 1 & 2 61:3

A faint spirit refers to someone who is depressed or sad. The sense of this line is that those who are sad will experience joy, symbolized by the festive clothing they will wear.