XV
Instead
‘A garment of praise instead of a spirit of despair ….’ Isaiah 61:3
I love this passage for many reasons. First of all, because it sets out God’s purpose in bringing salvation through his anointed servant -> who comes to restore the broken relationship between people and their God. The words of Jesus in the synagogue in Nazareth identify him with the servant: ‘Today this scripture is fulfilled in your hearing’ (Luke 4:18).
In their historical setting, these verses are a powerful reminder that God’s plan will not be defeated. It might look as if it was all going bottom up, but even if the people were rebellious, they were still precious in God’s sight. Looking back across their history, the only explanation for their continuing place in God’s purpose was that there was a plan that they had not understood. Is this why we read elsewhere in this book of Isaiah the promise – ‘my righteous servant will justify many’?
There is a repeated word ‘instead’ in this chapter. It occurs in v3 (x 3) and v7 (x2). When a word occurs this often, it indicates something important. The link in each case is to the year of jubilee, which happened in OT times every fiftieth year. There was a release from debts, property reverted to its original owner, servants went free and even the land had a rest! Blowing a trumpet marked the beginning of this tear of thanksgiving. Although the literal observance of jubilee does not happen today, Jesus announced a jubilee for all humanity, in which the mourning, despair, shame and disgrace of the human condition is taken away and instead we are given a crown, oil, a spirit of praise, an inheritance and everlasting joy. Picture language, yes, but wonderful pictures.
This is where we came in! Praise should mark those lives where formerly there was despair. We can only praise God in the measure that we value what he has done for us. So, be honest, and ask yourself, how do you measure up? I do not think that we are just talking about singing and praising God in church or even in the bath or the shower! It seems that it is more of an attitude, something that we ‘wear’ as the verse says. There is an old song whose first verse runs:
Fill Thou my life, O Lord my God, In every part with praise
That my whole being may proclaim, Thy being and thy ways …
Is that my prayer? Is it your prayer? If answered, it could bring hope to our world, full of despairing people, who do not know the ‘instead’ that Jesus could bring them.
In their historical setting, these verses are a powerful reminder that God’s plan will not be defeated. It might look as if it was all going bottom up, but even if the people were rebellious, they were still precious in God’s sight. Looking back across their history, the only explanation for their continuing place in God’s purpose was that there was a plan that they had not understood. Is this why we read elsewhere in this book of Isaiah the promise – ‘my righteous servant will justify many’?
There is a repeated word ‘instead’ in this chapter. It occurs in v3 (x 3) and v7 (x2). When a word occurs this often, it indicates something important. The link in each case is to the year of jubilee, which happened in OT times every fiftieth year. There was a release from debts, property reverted to its original owner, servants went free and even the land had a rest! Blowing a trumpet marked the beginning of this tear of thanksgiving. Although the literal observance of jubilee does not happen today, Jesus announced a jubilee for all humanity, in which the mourning, despair, shame and disgrace of the human condition is taken away and instead we are given a crown, oil, a spirit of praise, an inheritance and everlasting joy. Picture language, yes, but wonderful pictures.
This is where we came in! Praise should mark those lives where formerly there was despair. We can only praise God in the measure that we value what he has done for us. So, be honest, and ask yourself, how do you measure up? I do not think that we are just talking about singing and praising God in church or even in the bath or the shower! It seems that it is more of an attitude, something that we ‘wear’ as the verse says. There is an old song whose first verse runs:
Fill Thou my life, O Lord my God, In every part with praise
That my whole being may proclaim, Thy being and thy ways …
Is that my prayer? Is it your prayer? If answered, it could bring hope to our world, full of despairing people, who do not know the ‘instead’ that Jesus could bring them.
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