Sermon Central
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Promises To God's Faithful Servants Series
Contributed by Dennis Davidson on Dec 11, 2008 (message contributor)
Summary: The Messiah has returned to bring to fruition the promises of redemption to His people. The outcome will be the exaltation of the Lord & His saved people fully appropriating His righteousness. God will fulfill all His promises to His people &
ISAIAH 61: 4-11
PROMISES TO GOD’S FAITHFUL SERVANTS
The Messiah has returned to bring to fruition the good promises of redemption to His beleaguered people. His wondrous presence will draw the astute people of the nations to come to His glory. The glory of the Lord upon His people will also cause the world to accord them their rightful place and recognition. It will be acknowledge that these are the people whom the Lord has blessed.
The outcome of Jesus’ return will be the exaltation of the Lord and His saved people fully appropriating His righteousness. God will fulfill all His promises to His people and they will be forever the people whom the Lord has blessed (CIT).
I. GOD’S ETERNAL EXCHANGE, 4-7.
II. A JUST RECOMPENSE, 8-9.
III. SALVATION’S RESULTING RIGHTEOUSNESS, 10-11.
Verse 4 continues the thought of restoration from verse 3. Then they will rebuild the ancient ruins. They will raise up the former devastations, and they will repair the ruined cities, the desolations of many generations.
After the Second Advent of Jesus God’s people will rebuild the ruins, which I understand to include the truly important labors, our spiritual works, which the enemy has stopped, ruined, or destroyed. His people, God’s living stones down through the centuries, have attempted to build God’s kingdom amidst great opposition. Their labors which God’s enemies devastated, ruined, destroyed, or stopped, will be raised up, repaired or rebuilt. [Rebuilding the ancient ruins is a mark of God’s restoring of past defeats (58:12; 44:26, 28; Ezek. 36:10; Amos 9:11, 14; Neh. 2:17).]
No matter how devastated the ruins are, no matter how long ago it occurred, God will enable it to be rebuilt. New life will spring up out of the old. God’s purpose and promises are the final evaluating and determining factor in all human endeavors.
Verse 5 addresses Israel’s standing with a world that once oppressed the people of God. Strangers will stand and pasture your flocks, and foreigners will be your farmers and your vinedressers.
God’s servants will be so revered that Gentiles (aliens and foreigners) will join with them (14:1; 60:10) and be their servants. They will do such tasks as farming, shepherding and caring for vineyards. Strangers and foreigners will come to preform the work necessary to maintain Zion.
God’s people then will be freed to fully devote themselves to their calling. Verse 6, But you will be called the priests of the Lord. You will be spoken of as ministers of our God. You will eat the wealth of nations, and in their riches you will boast.
God’s people will not rule the world but minister to Him and others. They will be a nation of priests and ministers in a world that knows not the privations of the past. As a nation of priests each one will know the Lord, and have access to Him, and mediate on behalf of others, as did the Levitical priests. [A priest is a mediator between man and God, assisting in worship and teaching the ways of God.] This was to be one of Israel’s functions. Exodus 19 (Ex. 19:6) tells us it was God’s original intention that the people of Israel be a nation of priests in the world. Tragically she did not fully carry out that responsibility. They rebelled against God and lost their calling (43:10-13). In the Millennium, when Jesus comes back, Israel will again be ministers and priests of Yahweh.
The redeemed people from the nations (the "sheep" of Mt. 25:31-46) will want to join Israel in her worship in Jerusalem (Zech. 14:16-19). Those people will bring wealth to Israel (Isa. 60:11; 61:6; Hag. 2:7-8; Zech. 14:14). The wealth which the nations have know will become the wealth of God’s servants.
[God is not through with Israel. The prophecies of the Bible will not make sense to you unless you see clearly that the Lord still has a wonderful work to do with her. In Romans 9-11, we see God’s plan and heart for His people, the nation of Israel.]
God promises a double repayment for the lost and shame His people have suffered in verse 7. Instead of your shame you will have a double portion, and instead of humiliation they will shout for joy over their portion. Therefore they will possess a double portion in their land. Everlasting joy will be theirs.
Instead of the shame and dishonor that the oppressor so often heaps on God’s Servants, they will be honored with a double portion. The double portion refers to the inheritance the eldest son in a family would receive from his father’s estate (Deut. 21:17; Zech. 9:12). As the eldest son was given special honor so will God give a double portion to His people who endure reproach for His name sake. Like the Lord’s firstborn (Ex. 4:22), they will granted the place of honor. This double portion will cause them to shout for joy and this joy will be everlasting.
