INTRODUCTION TO ISAIAH CHAPTER 61

God sends Cyrus to open the prisons─this is the year of the LORD’s pardon and the day of vengeance of our God on the heathen nation, who had been a part of the exile.  God appointed Israel beauty for ashes─a garland for a head dress instead of marking one’s self with ashes.  They removed the old mourning robe and wore a robe of joy.  They wore a suit of praise instead of a garment of despondency.  They were the trees of righteousness, the planting of the LORD.  My two commentaries on Ezra and Nehemiah give a full description of repairing the breach and building the former desolations.  Foreigners will feed your flocks, plow your fields,and dress your vines.  Israel will be famous and the wealth of nations flow to them. Read the commentary section for more information.

EXPOSITION TO ISAIAH CHAPTER 61

1The 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 captives, and the opening of the prison to them that are bound;

God had put his spirit in Cyrus and instructed him to release these people in prison.  This verse is quoted in the New Testament and applied to our Messiah.  Prophecy has a primary fulfillment and also a secondary fulfillment or in other words as history repeats itself.  However, as you read the entire chapter you will see the following statements, “He hath sent me… day of wrath to their enemies.” V. 2 and “they shall rebuild the ancient ruins.” V.4 This verse as well as the rest of the chapter has its fulfillment when the exiles returned.

CROSS REFERENCE SCRIPTURES

THAT GIVE COUNTEREVIDENCE TO THE TEXT:

Luk 4:18-19  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 brokenhearted, to preach deliverance to the captives, and recovering of sight to the blind, to set at liberty them that are bruised,   To preach the acceptable year of the Lord.

2To 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, and the day of vengeance of our God refers to the end of Babylonian captivity and the slaughter of Israel’s enemies.

CROSS REFERENCE SCRIPTURES

THAT CONFIRM THE TEXT:

Jer 46:10  For this is the day of the Lord GOD of hosts, a day of vengeance, that he may avenge him of his adversaries: and the sword shall devour, and it shall be satiate and made drunk with their blood: for the Lord GOD of hosts hath a sacrifice in the north country by the river Euphrates.

3To 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.

The year of the LORD’s pardon and the prisons opened by Cyrus; God appointed to those that mourned in Zion beauty for ashes─a garland for a head dress instead of marking one’s self with ashes.  They were to remove the mourning robe and wear the robe of joy─They were to wear the garment of praise, instead of the garment of despondency.  They were called trees of righteousness, the planting of the LORD.

CROSS REFERENCE SCRIPTURES THAT

CARRY WEIGHT REGARDING THE TEXT:

Psa 30:11-12  Thou hast turned for me my mourning into dancing: thou hast put off my sackcloth, and girded me with gladness;  To the end that my glory may sing praise to thee, and not be silent. O LORD my God, I will give thanks unto thee for ever.

4And 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.

Read my two books of Ezra and Nehemiah which deal with the building of the old waste, and raising up of former desolations, and repairing of waste cities.

CROSS REFERENCE SCRIPTURES

THAT MAKE THE CASE:

Isa 58:12  And they that shall be of thee shall build  the old waste places: thou shalt raise up the foundations of many generations; and thou shalt be called, The repairer of the breach, The restorer of paths to dwell in.

 

5And strangers shall stand and feed your flocks, and the sons of the alien shall be your plowmen and your vinedressers.

Foreigners will feed your flocks and tend your farms. Aliens will plow your ground and be your vine dressers.

CROSS REFERENCE SCRIPTURES

THAT INDORSE THE TEXT:

Isa 60:10-14  And the sons of strangers shall build up thy walls, and their kings shall minister unto thee: for in my wrath I smote thee, but in my favour have I had mercy on thee.  Therefore thy gates shall be open continually; they shall not be shut day nor night; that men may bring unto thee the forces of the Gentiles, and that their kings may be brought. For the nation and kingdom that will not serve thee shall perish; yea, those nations shall be utterly wasted.  The glory of Lebanon shall come unto thee, the fir tree, the pine tree, and the box together, to beautify the place of my sanctuary; and I will make the place of my feet glorious.  The sons also of them that afflicted thee shall come bending unto thee; and all they that despised thee shall bow themselves down at the soles of thy feet; and they shall call thee, The city of the LORD, The Zion of the Holy One of Israel.

6But ye shall be named the Priests of the LORD: men shall call you the Ministers of our God: ye shall eat the riches of the Gentiles, and in their glory shall ye boast yourselves.

Your title will be “priests of God.”  You are going to have the wealth of other nations and with their riches you will be famous.

 

CROSS REFERENCE SCRIPTURES

THAT LEND EVIDENCE TO THE TEXT:

Exo 19:6  And ye shall be unto me a kingdom of priests, and an holy nation. These are the words which thou shalt speak unto the children of Israel.

7For your shame ye shall have double; and for confusion they shall rejoice in their portion: therefore in their land they shall possess the double: everlasting joy shall be unto them.

Because Israel suffered a double portion and foul treatment in exile (disgrace, dishonor, contempt. insult and jeers) they will inherit a double portion of wealth and everlasting joy in their land.

CROSS REFERENCE SCRIPTURES

THAT DEMONSTRATE THE TEXT:

Isa 35:10  And the ransomed of the LORD shall return, and come to Zion with songs and everlasting joy upon their heads: they shall obtain joy and gladness, and sorrow and sighing shall flee away.

8For 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.

God loves fair dealings and hates thievery and crime. The everlasting covenant is mentioned in Jer. 31:31 and Heb. 8:10.

CROSS REFERENCE SCRIPTURES THAT

AUTHENTICATE THE TEXT:

Jer 7:8-11  Behold, ye trust in lying words, that cannot profit.  Will ye steal, murder, and commit adultery, and swear falsely, and burn incense unto Baal, and walk after other gods whom ye know not;  And come and stand before me in this house, which is called by my name, and say, We are delivered to do all these abominations?  Is this house, which is called by my name, become a den of robbers in your eyes? Behold, even I have seen it, saith the LORD.

9And 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.

Israel’s seed shall be known in every place. Everyone will acknowledge that they are a race favored by the LORD!

CROSS REFERENCE SCRIPTURES THAT

ESTABLISH THE CERTAINTY OF THE TEXT:

Gen 22:18  And in thy seed shall all the nations of the earth be blessed; because thou hast obeyed my voice.

10I 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 a bridegroom decketh himself with ornaments, and as a bride adorneth herself with her jewels.

He clothed them in a robe of salvation and in a garment of integrity.  All dressed up like a bride and groom on a wedding day.

CROSS REFERENCE SCRIPTURES

THAT PRESENT PROOF OF

THE TEXT:

Eze 16:10-14  I clothed thee also with broidered work, and shod thee with badgers’ skin, and I girded thee about with fine linen, and I covered thee with silk.  I decked thee also with ornaments, and I put bracelets upon thy hands, and a chain on thy neck.  And I put a jewel on thy forehead, and earrings in thine ears, and a beautiful crown upon thine head.  Thus wast thou decked with gold and silver; and thy raiment was of fine linen, and silk, and broidered work; thou didst eat fine flour, and honey, and oil: and thou wast exceeding beautiful, and thou didst prosper into a kingdom.  And thy renown went forth among the heathen for thy beauty: for it was perfect through my comeliness, which I had put upon thee, saith the Lord GOD.

11For 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.

It’s like budding of trees or day lilies in springtime so the LORD will make righteousness and praise blossom before all nations.

Isa 60:18  Violence shall no more be heard in thy land, wasting nor destruction within thy borders; but thou shalt call thy walls Salvation, and thy gates Praise.