B28a-devotions

Isaiah 61:5-9

Alternative devotions for Saturday 2nd January

Review

These wonderful promises of God continue the glorious revelation of the work of the Spirit through the Redeemer (61:1-4), as prophesied by Isaiah. Our passage describes the many blessings made available to those who become the people of God through redemption, and demonstrates that they are a extension of God’s covenant as first revealed to Abraham. Abraham’s descendants, the people of Israel, had a special place in God’s heart as the people He chose to be His witnesses in the world, and this was reflected in their covenant relationship with God. Isaiah foresaw a time when all who responded to the work of God’s Servant would enjoy a new and everlasting covenant relationship with God (61:8). This would have the same basic elements as the old Covenant, but be transformed for all people and all nations who would ‘recognise’ (61:9) the Lord as their God.

Yet if we are to understand the blessings, we cannot just read them with New Testament assumptions and ignore the rich meaning of Isaiah’s words here in their context. Yesterday’s truly awesome prophecy (61:1-4) announced the coming of the Spirit on the Lord’s anointed, known generally in Isaiah as ‘the Servant’ but identified here as ‘the anointed’ (meaning the same as the ‘Messiah’ - 61:1). Then, Isaiah revealed what the Lord’s anointed would do to ‘bring the good news ...’ etc. (61:1,2,3) and the consequence of His work, ‘they will raise up former ruins, they will repair deserted cities ...’ (61:4). However, at no time in this passage does the Lord speak directly to the redeemed, so in our passage today, we hear the Lord speaking directly them, as those have been rescued by the Messiah.

The beginning of these promises is startling, but entirely logical if we understand what is going on. The human work of providing food to eat and maintaining the world’s economy will be done by ‘strangers’ and ‘foreigners’ (61:5), but the Lord’s redeemed people will be provided for, they will ‘feed on the wealth of the nations’! This is because the Lord has a new and distinctive work for His people, to be ‘priests of the Lord’ and ‘ministers of our God’ (61:6)! The Lord intends to fulfil through His people what he began in Abraham long ago ‘you will be a blessing to the nations ...’ (Gen 12:3f.), because priesthood and ministry means that God’s people are required to serve God by serving the people of the world.

The prophecy continues with the promise of a ‘double share’ of God’s blessing (61:7). This Hebrew expression gives a sense of emphasis (for another example, see the story of Joseph in Genesis 43:12; also, Ex 22:4). However, the most significant Old Testament use of the term ‘double share’ refers to the blessing of the first-born (Deut 21:17), so this means that in the new Covenant, the ‘double share’ of blessing given to God’s first born, Israel, is to be transferred to God’s new people newly created by Him through the Redeemer (61:7). This gift will now be given to God’s people the church, people who were once ‘dishonoured’ (61:7) but who will receive ‘everlasting gladness’!

The Lord’s promise of a new covenant is celebrated in a number of Biblical texts (in the New Testament and also in Jeremiah chapter 31), but it is not always recognised as a significant feature of Isaiah’s prophecies; it is found in several places within Isaiah, for example, 42:6,49:8, 54:10f.). There are many themes to this great announcement, but here in this passage, we find that it offers all the classic blessings of those who love the Lord God, but here it gives the promise of ‘fair work’ (61:8), suggesting that in the church, the Lord God will pour out His Spirit in an even handed manner. The new people of God are to be visible in the world as fair and just in all they do, as ‘descendants of the Lord’!

These covenant promises of God are not just an ‘addendum’ to what God has promised in the past; they are the completion of all that God has promised. In the New Covenant, God will be blessed by all His people through their witness and service.

5 Strangers will stand and feed your flocks,

foreigners will work your fields and vineyards;

6 But you will be called priests of the Lord,

And they will say of you

that you are ministers of our God;

You will feed on the wealth of the nations,

and you will boast in their abundance.

7 Instead of your shame, a double share;

and instead of dishonour, they will rejoice in their lot,

Therefore in their land

they will possess a double portion;

Everlasting gladness

will come upon them.

8 For I am the Lord, I love justice,

I hate robbery and injustice;

I will give them their work fairly,

and I will make an everlasting covenant with them.

9 Their descendants will be known in the nations,

and their offspring among the peoples;

All who see them will recognise them

for they are descendants the Lord has blessed.

Glorious and faithful God, You carry Your people through all manner of trouble and distress, returning over and over again to rescue them from the world’s troubles. Save Your people today; save them from becoming so absorbed in the trials of the moment that they do not see the glories of Your future, of Your Kingdom and of Your Victory! Glorious and faithful God, lift Your people higher, we pray! AMEN

Take love, and give it to those around you.

You do not know how the world might change

Through one single act of love.

Take faith, and reveal it in your living.

You do not know how the Kingdom will grow

Through the faith of just one disciple.

Take hope, and believe in all God’s promises.

You do not know the effect of your dreams

Through aspiring to truth and justice.

Take joy, and show it in all you do.

You do not know what delight others find

Through the inspiration of your happiness.

Prayer ideas

Pray for this coming year and ask the lord to bless it and to bring great good to His people

On-going prayers

Pray for major industrial nations Pray for Brazil, a country with great responsibilities and enormous potential; pray for justice
Give thanks to God for those who are closest to you
Pray for those who work for peace in the midst of war

The weekend Bible studies are brief (Friday and Saturday). Scroll down to read this or select the regular study (below).