Total Restoration
JITOT • Sermon • Submitted • Presented
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· 60 viewsJesus' ministry is one of total restoration. Everything broken must be repaired. Everyone bound must be made free. All injustice must be righted, and all evil avenged.
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Transcript
I. Introduction
I. Introduction
Isaiah 61:1-3.
Nearing the end of Isaiah, last 3rd of the last 3rd.
This is a chiastic answer to Ch 48:16 ff.
This is called by some the 5th servant song. It lacks the word “servant,” but the context clearly points to the same speaker.
The chapter as a whole has shifts in person.
“Me,” vs 1-3, The servant.
“They,” and “You,” Isaiah speaking of and to the remnant to return from Exile and then the ultimate remnant in the Messianic Kingdom
“I,” vs 8-9, The Father speaking to the remnant.
“I,” vs 10-11, Isaiah worshipping in response to God’s salvation, proximal and ultimate.
We will only focus on vs 1-3
II. Body
II. Body
Tie to other servant songs:
The sevenfold Spirit of God Isa 11:1-5.
The Spirit as part of the trinitarian presence with the Servant Isa 48:16, also Isa 42:1.
Here, in vs 1, the trinitarian formula is also present. Fulfilled in Matt 3:16-17.
The sevenfold Spirit is also present here, but the seven descriptors are different.
In Isa 11, the tasks are royal. “The Kingly Anointing.”
Here, the tasks are social and moral. “The Priestly Anointing.”
The context of Ch’s 60-62 involves the restoration of Israel on the shoulders of the gentile nations, who rush to bless them, as in Isa 48-49, especially Isa 49:22-23.
Jesus quoted the first half this passage and claimed that he fulfilled it in his earthly ministry, Luke 4:16-30.
Sevenfold Spirit.
“to bring good news to the poor.”
“Good News” in Hebrew is Ba’sar. Literally, to rub smooth a face. Cultural translation—> to make someone smile, by telling them good news. Lift the brows, get rid of wrinkles, erase frown lines.
The bringing of good news is also the definition of the word “gospel” as used in the NT, euangellion.
Christ is first and foremost a preacher of the gospel.
David Livingstone: “God had one Son, and He made Him a missionary.”
This bringing of the gospel to the poor can extend to a statement about spiritual poverty. Matt 5:3.
The preaching of the gospel to the poor was also pointed to by Jesus when defending Himself against the doubts of JTB’s disciples. Matt 11:5.
“he has sent me to bind up the brokenhearted.”
This also echoes back to the sermon on the mount, Matt 5:3.
The rescuing of those who are mourning and broken has been a part of the mission of God in every dispensation, Ps 34:18.
“to proclaim liberty to the captives and the opening of the prison to those who are bound.”
Another odd Hebrew phrase: …and the great opening to those in darkness.”
Translators struggle to put this together with “captives” in the first part of the phrase.
Some translators have seen the opening of eyes as the “great opening” and their seeing as the removal of darkness.
Some see coming out of a dark prison cell into the light as what is meant.
The Septuagint is quoted by Jesus in Luke 4:18, which adds “the recovery of sight to the blind” as the second phrase.
In either case, the freeing of captives and slaves in the Year of Jubilee is the historical context, Lev 25:10.
Israel might not ever have actually done this. There is no Biblical or extra-Biblical record of it ever occuring.
We know that they didn’t let their land rest for a sabbath year (2 Chron 36:21).
They did not practice this since returning from Babylon.
The great liberty intended for God’s people will finally be fulfilled only in the Messianic Kingdom.
Beyond setting free those in slavery or prison, God has spiritual liberty in mind here.
Romans 8:18-25.
Spoken of about Christ’s ministry of freeing us from death and sin in Heb 2:14-15.
“To proclaim the year of the Lord’s favor and the day of vengence of our God.”
God’s anger is repeatedly pictured as a “day of wrath” or a “day of the Lord,” Isa 13:6, 9; Jer 46:10; Ezek 30:3.
But his favor is given a broader stroke. The year of the Lord’s favor.
Similar to Psa 30:4-5.
The “year of the Lord’s favor” is interpreted in the NT as the dispensation of Grace, 2 Cor 5:20-6:2.
The “day of vengeance,” which might be more national and local to the original Jewish audience, is applied in the NT to the eschatological final judgement. Acts 17:29-31.
“to comfort all who mourn.”
Also a component of the Sermon on the mount (Matt 5:4).
This, again, has eschatological overtones. Rev 21:3-4.
“To grant to those who mourn in Zion.”
Not just general consolation, which all people will experience in God’s presence, but specifically a consolation for the Jew.
The tribulation is called, in a few places, “the time of Jacob’s trouble” (Jer 30:7).
Part of the purpose of the tribulation is to call the Jews to faith in Jesus as their Messiah (Rom 11:26, Rev 12:13-17).
Here, Messiah will give special attention to the restoration and comfort of Jews who have found faith in Him during the tribulation. Much/most of the Messianic Kingdom is about this.
Psa 30:8-12.
“To give them a beautiful headdress instead of ashes, the oil of gladness instead of mourning, the garment of praise instead of a faint spirit.”
This final task is about exchanging symbols of loss and sadness for symbols of joy and reward.
A repentant or mourning person would wrap themselves in burlap, put ashes on their head, and be seen to be mourning.
In contrast, a celebrant in the temple would put on clean clothes, anoint their head with oil, and be seen to be worshipping and praising.
There is a play on words between headdress and ashes. peer and epher.
Messiah takes those who are lost in their sins, broken, and damned, and makes them worshippers fit for his presence.
Psa 45:7 (quoted in Heb 1:9 of Jesus).
The oil of gladness is given to Christ, which he passes on to us along with his righteousness (2 Cor 5:21).
The consequences of the Sevenfold Spirit at work through the servant:
“That they may be called the Oaks of Righteousness.”
Contrast with shame among the forest in Isa 1:29-31.
God is replanting the forest, starting with the branch growing out of the stump of Jesse (Isa 60:21).
Oaks bring images of strength and perpetuity. God’s people endure, not because of their righteousness, but because of Christ’s.
This is why we have confidence in the perseverance of the saints. 1 Thess 5:23-24.
Christ taught a similar lesson with a vine, rather than an oak tree. John 15:1-8.
Both the vine and oak tree end with the same statement. It is all for the glory of God.
Ultimately, all of this restoration and healing is meant to show the love of God to the world.
Rom 9:22-24.
Eph 1:11-14.
Eph 3:20-21.
Historical note:
Every Year, the Jews read through the entire Pentateuch in Synagogue. The readings for each week of the year are the same, called the “Torah Portion.”
Along with each torah portion is a selection from prophets, called the Haftarah.
The Torah portion read every year just before Rash Hashanah is called “Nitzavim,” Deut. 29:9-30:20.
It’s accompanying Haftarah is Isa 61-63.
After Jesus quoted Isa 63:1-3 and pointed its fulfilment to himself, he caused quite a stirr, especially since he then went out and did it (or will do it) all.
Jews who rejected Jesus had no good reason why he was wrong, and they tired of fighting with Christians about it, so they simply stopped reading this portion of scripture.
The current Haftarah for Nitzavim begins in vs 10.
III. Conclusion/Application
III. Conclusion/Application
How does this passage intersect with the “social gospel”?
Are we engaged in doing the things that Christ did so that people will glorify the Father?