The Good News of Salvation
Because the Lord bhas anointed Me
To preach good tidings to the poor;
He has sent Me cto heal the brokenhearted,
To proclaim dliberty to the captives,
And the opening of the prison to those who are bound;
And bthe day of vengeance of our God;
cTo comfort all who mourn,
aTo 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,
bThe planting of the Lord, cthat He may be glorified.”
They shall raise up the former desolations,
And they shall repair the ruined cities,
The desolations of many generations.
And the sons of the foreigner
Shall be your plowmen and your vinedressers.
They shall call you the servants of our God.
bYou shall eat the riches of the Gentiles,
And in their glory you shall boast.
And instead of confusion they shall rejoice in their portion.
Therefore in their land they shall possess double;
Everlasting joy shall be theirs.
bI hate robbery1 for burnt offering;
I will direct their work in truth,
cAnd will make with them an everlasting covenant.
And their offspring among the people.
All who see them shall acknowledge them,
aThat they are the posterity whom the Lord has blessed.”
My soul shall be joyful in my God;
For bHe has clothed me with the garments of salvation,
He has covered me with the robe of righteousness,
cAs a bridegroom decks himself with ornaments,
And as a bride adorns herself with her jewels.
As the garden causes the things that are sown in it to spring forth,
So the Lord God will cause arighteousness and bpraise to spring forth before all the nations.
| << Isaiah 61:2 | Isaiah 61:4 >> |
What Does Isaiah 61:3 Mean?
Isaiah 61:1-3
The comfort of Israel, God's covenant people, center on the coming of the Messiah to turn their fortunes around. Unfortunately, the Jews thought of it in a physical nationalistic way, but God was speaking about the Messiah sacrificing Himself for the remission of sins and taking them away. He was predicting good times, peace, and prosperity, all centered on the Person, the Messiah, whom we know as Jesus Christ. Luke 2:25 calls Jesus Christ the Consolation of Israel. God makes the connection for us there.
As the Israel of God, His covenant people, the elect can understand what Jesus says in Matthew 5:4, "for they shall be comforted," more spiritually. It means that those blessed people who mourn shall receive the benefits of the Messiah's work in paying for sin, bringing salvation, and then peace and prosperity to all His people.
But most of all, Christians need to understand the great comfort in their present relationship with Jesus Christ. Because of the combination of God's calling and grace and their humble belief and repentance, the converted are now one with Him, part of His body. He is in His people, and they are in Him. He is with them all the time, only a cry or a prayer away.
Through His Spirit, which has been given to them, Christians understand and hope that though there is evil and horrible suffering because of the sins that are practiced in this world, truly good, peaceful, joyful times lie just ahead. God's elect can take comfort in the fact that with the coming return of Jesus Christ, everything will change for the better. And eventually, as is said in Revelation 21, all things will be made new in the Kingdom of God.
Richard T. Ritenbaugh
Those Who Mourn
Other Forerunner Commentary entries containing Isaiah 61:3:
| << Isaiah 61:2 | Isaiah 61:4 >> |
Join 137,228+ readers
A Verse and a Thought,
Every Morning
Consistent Bible study is hard to start.
The Berean gives you the starting point: one scripture and a focused commentary in your inbox each morning — read it in minutes, or go as deep as you like.
Free, daily, and spam-free. We never share your address. Unsubscribe anytime.