Isaiah 61-66
Isaiah had told of One to come to do good to all; these are words that One would say, telling what He came to do:
“The Spirit of the Lord is upon Me; because He hath anointed Me to preach good tidings to the meek; He hath sent Me to bind up the broken hearted, to proclaim liberty to the captives, and the opening of the prison to them that are bound; to proclaim the acceptable year of the Lord, and the day of vengeance of our God.” Isaiah 61:1,2.
A person, anointed, was one chosen for special work; this one would be humble, speaking good words to the poor and those in sorrow; He would have great power, setting captives free from prison. He would announce “the acceptable year of the Lord”, (the time of blessing), and He would also be the One to proclaim “the day of vengeance of our God” (the time of judgment).
This writing by Isaiah was kept with other writings of the holy Scriptures. Afterward when the people were too far away to go to the temple, copies were carefully written and kept in the towns in buildings called synagogues, where the people went to hear God’s words read and to honor Him.
Many years after Isaiah, one day there, came into the synagogue in a town of that land, a young man who was known to the people, and had lived there since a small child. He stood up to read to the people, and the person in charge handed Him a copy of the writing of Isaiah. He opened the roll, and found the words of the One anointed and read aloud. He read the good things this anointed One would do, then He closed the roll and returned it to the one in charge, and sat down. Then He said to the people,
“This day is this scripture fulfilled in your ears,” Luke 4:21.
That young Man Who read those words was Jesus, the Son of God, the One sent by God to bring good news, and do good to all. For over three years He went about that land speaking God’s words, the people wondered at His “gracious words”; He healed the sick and fed the hungry. We do not read that He set people free from prisons, but He came to set them free from the power of their sins, if they would trust Him. He came with the good news of salvation. It was the time “acceptable”, or pleasing to God. But few believed Him, and the leaders despised Him. Yet the good words in Isaiah of the anointed One were surely fulfilled by Jesus while on earth.
The day Jesus read aloud the words in Isaiah, He stopped before the words, “the day of vengeance of our God.” (See Luke 4:18-20). The time of God’s vengeance had not come, and the good news of salvation to all who believe God’s Son is still told us. But the “One anointed” will surely some day also fulfill “the vengeance of God” upon those who refuse His good tidings. Isaiah wrote of that sad time (Isa. 63). He also told more of a time of happy peace on earth which has not yet come, “when the wolf and iamb shall feed together.” The serpent shall crawl in the dust, as God said (Gen. 3:14), for “dust shall be the serpent’s meat” (Isa. 65:25). The last words written by Isaiah are of judgment (See Isa. 66:24).
“Verily, verily, I say unto you, he that heareth My word, and believeth on Him that sent Me, hath everlasting life, and shall not come into condemnation; but is passed from death unto life.” John 5:24.
ML 02/08/1942