Good morning
Fridays are typically my days for delving into God’s Word and trying to make sense of the world around us.
This morning, as I asked for His guidance, the Lord gave me the whole of Chapter 61 of Isaiah. I read it a few times and then searched for more understanding of the Chapter. My mind was focusing on the first half of Verse 11, the final verse which states: “For as the soil makes the sprout come up and a garden causes seeds to grow,” and my research into God’s nature and how His nature is visible in nature all around us. That is not where Our Lord wanted me to focus so I present to you Isaiah 61 and how it relates to exactly the time that we are in right now.
Isaiah 61 - The Year of the Lord’s Favor
- Isaiah 61:1 Hebrew;
Septuagint the blind
What a beautiful, powerful and rich passage this is. A message of hope,
restoration, and the mission of our Messiah to all people. There is no doubt
that justice is also themed in the chapter but the overarching message is of
restoration. It is distinctly written in a poetic and prophetic style and is
often interpreted as a message of deliverance and renewal for God’s people.
I enjoy the line use and spacing
of the chapter as portrayed in the Bible Gateway, probably because I use lines
and spacing a lot in my poetry to give me the exact emphasis which I want to
portray. (https://www.biblegateway.com)
The chapter is quite short and it is easy to break it down into complete sections.
Verses 1-3: Mission of Liberation and Comfort
The chapter begins with a declaration of being anointed
by God and empowered by the Spirit for a special purpose. It is a message of
hope, directed to the poor, broken-hearted, captives, and prisoners (blind). It
also echoes God’s words in Exodus 5: 1 Afterward Moses and Aaron went to Pharaoh and
said, “This is what the Lord, the God of Israel, says: ‘Let my people go, so that they may hold a festival to me in the wilderness.’” Both
segments are about liberation and both focus
on the physical (freedom from oppression) and the spiritual (release from
despair or sin). It speaks to the year of the Lord’s Favour, likely alluding to
the Jubilee year in Leviticus 25, which brings about a time of restoration,
debt forgiveness, and freedom. It symbolises God’s grace and renewal. This segment
ends with promises of transformation, turning mourning into joy, symbolised by
"oaks of righteousness" and a "garland instead of ashes."
Verses 4-7: Restoration and Renewal
The future blessings for God’s people begin in verse 4. "They will rebuild the ancient ruins and restore the places long devastated..." It’s a promise of reversal, in which shame is changed into honour and poverty into abundance. The people are described as "priests of the Lord" and "ministers of our God," which suggests a renewed relationship with God and a role in serving Him.
Verses 8-11: God’s Justice and Joy
In the final verses, God Himself speaks in verse 8: "For
I, the Lord, love justice; I hate robbery and wrongdoing. In my faithfulness I
will reward my people..." God Himself, shows us His character; His
commitment to justice; and His covenant with His people. The final segment exudes
imagery of growth and renewal, of joy and righteousness sprouting like a garden
as a sign of God’s unstoppable restoration.
If we ever doubt God’s love for us and His very real intervention in our lives, this chapter brings comfort that God sees the downtrodden, promises restoration, and works through His servants to bring justice and healing.
I also learned that Jesus, in Luke 4:18-19, directly quotes the opening verses of Isaiah 61.
Luke 4:18-19
18The Spirit of the Lord is on me,because he has anointed me
to proclaim good news to the poor.
He has sent me to proclaim freedom for the prisoners
and recovery of sight for the blind,
to set the oppressed free,
10 to proclaim the year of the Lord’s favour.
There is some discussion as to why Jesus did not continue through the ‘justice’ segment of the Isaiah 61 but I believe that Jesus knew His audience and they would have known how those verses ended. If they did not, I see it as almost parable-like (comparative to the questioning in the Socratic method of information dissemination – people need to be curious enough to search for further information).
Is There a Connection to life Today?
The Bible is timeless and words from centuries ago are
as relevant today as they were then. This is one of the miracles of the Bible
which God Our Father has provided to us. I have to admit that it has taken me a
long time to understand this truth. I am absolutely amazed at how relevant
Isaiah 61 is to what is happening in America and (some) other parts of the
world. This chapter is not only for one country or one people; this comprises
promises for all of God’s people and
brings ‘where we go one we go all’ to mind.
The first viewpoint that I have considered is that the time in which we are living is Biblical. Many Bible scholars allude to this in various contexts. I am absolutely not a Bible scholar but I do love my God and my Lord Jesus. That Isaiah 61 was very pointedly given to me this morning and, how I believe it links so perfectly to today, is testament enough for me that this is a message which God wanted me to explore. God’s direction is why I fully embrace all aspects of Isaiah 61 and why I believe that it is a prophetic chapter for our time.
The "Golden Age of America"
In his second inaugural address on 20th of January
2025, President Donald Trump, proclaimed that "The golden age of America
begins right now." This phrase has since been echoed consistently by his
administration. In the President’s posts on X from early March 2025, he
describes the golden age as "the start of the greatest and most successful
era in US history" and promises "an incredible future… like nothing
that has ever been seen before." From what we have seen of the Executive
Orders which are being signed almost daily and the pace at which the
administration is enforcing his goals, President Trump has tangible policy objectives
to achieve this "Golden Age". The administration’s plans would take
an entire Blog to explore so we will not go into them here. In essence, the
plans are to secure the border, boost economic prosperity, deport illegal
immigrants, encourage the highest-quality legal immigration, cut regulations,
and restore American global dominance, all while the decline under prior administrations
is reversed.
Modern Ancients
Let’s see if there are any correlations, shall we?
Restoration of Ruins (Isaiah 61:4):
Isaiah speaks of rebuilding "ancient ruins"
and restoring "places long devastated." President Trump promises to
rebuild industries, infrastructure, and national strength, resonating with the
idea of renewing what was lost.
Good News to the Poor and Oppressed (Isaiah 61:1):
The chapter’s focus on uplifting the poor and freeing
the oppressed connects with President Trump’s emphasis on economic opportunity
- tax cuts, job creation, and deregulation aimed at benefiting working-class
Americans.
Isaiah’s tone is spiritual and universal. However, what must not be overlooked is practical aspect which is also highlighted in the chapter. Isaiah’s tone is echoed by President Trump who strongly believes that the people must return to God and that it is through the revival of love for God that President Trump’s pragmatic and nationalistic will succeed.
Year of the Lord’s Favour (Isaiah 61:2):
The "year of the Lord’s favour" suggests a
Jubilee-like sentiment - forgiveness of debts, liberation, and a fresh start.
Trump’s "Golden Age" once again echoes the sentiment invoking dreams
of a break from past burdens and a new era of American prosperity and freedom –
a “Golden Age”.
Justice and Righteousness (Isaiah 61:8-11):
God’s love for justice in Isaiah brings to mind
President Trump’s continuing calls that MAGA is the party of law and order. Border
enforcement and "fair" trade deals are imperative for both physical
and financial security of the American people.
A People Elevated (Isaiah 61:6-7):
Isaiah’s promise that God’s people will be
"priests" and receive double honour in a very real way parallels the
"America First" ethos, where the nation is restored to a position of
global respect and abundance.
*
Thank God Almighty for providing us with His Word to guide us through life. I pray for America’s Golden Age and that it will, indeed, become a worldwide golden age.
No comments:
Post a Comment