Hello, my “Walking with Jesus” friends on this Monday,
Everyone welcomes ‘good news’, don’t we? And I think it’s fair to say no one welcomes ‘bad news’. Perhaps you’ve heard a person tell you they have both good & bad news and then they ask which would you prefer to hear first? In the past few days, we’ve been looking at a very powerful statement from God recorded for us in Isaiah 61 and today, God combines what some might call ‘good news with bad news in one statement. Are you ready to hear it? “…to proclaim the year of the LORD’s favor and the day of vengeance of our God.” (Is. 61:2)
If you’ve been with us the past four days, we understand this was a very strong prophetic message God gave Isaiah about 2700 years ago. For centuries Jews understood these verses to describe for them the Messiah and His God empowerment and God given life mission. It was fulfilled 700 years later in the person of Jesus Christ and yet I’ve been helping us consider that ever since the resurrected Jesus returned to heaven He has invited those who believe in Him, who experience true Redemption by His power and are filled by the Holy Spirit of God…to also experience Isaiah 61:1 as God’s mission for us in our day!
So, let’s take that opening statement of Isaiah 61 and link it with the phrase we’re considering today: “The Spirit of the Sovereign LORD is on me, because the LORD has anointed me to…proclaim the year of the LORD’s favor and the day of vengeance of our God…” I’m sure you notice the polar opposite message of ‘good news and bad news’ in this statement, right? ‘The year of the LORD’s favor’ is WONDERFUL, good news for anyone, anywhere in the world, of any age! The “LORD’s favor” can only be understood as God’s outpouring of His blessing, His protection and provision, His presence and that is great news, isn’t it? And the duration being ‘the year’ is intended to suggest God’s Favor is prolonged and we understand it is always available to the repentant seeker of God and God’s people who seek to honor Him with their lives.
But ‘the day of vengeance of our God’ is frightening news, isn’t it? Can you even begin to imagine what God’s vengeance will be like when He brings His justice to bear on those who have mistreated His people or rejected His Son Jesus or blasphemed God?
As Isaiah wrote this phrase, I imagine Isaiah’s heart turned to the northern kingdom of Israel which had been decimated, ravaged by the Assyrian army, some years before. Thousands of Isaiah’s fellow Jews had been dragged off as captives, taken back to Nineveh. Oh, how Isaiah would have hoped God’s vengeance would be poured out on those vicious people. But it did not happen in Isaiah’s lifetime.
However, about 50 years after Isaiah died, God raised up another prophet named Nahum and listen to how Nahum’s record begins: “This is a prophecy concerning Nineveh. This book is the vision of Nahum the Elkoshite. ‘The LORD is a jealous and avenging God; the LORD takes vengeance and is filled with wrath. The LORD takes vengeance on His foes and vents His wrath against His enemies. The LORD is slow to anger but great in power; the LORD will not leave the guilty unpunished…” (Nahum 1:1-3)
In the days of Nahum, oh how this was encouraging to the terrified Jews who remained alive anywhere in the world, fearful of many who wanted to annihilate them. And about 50 years later in 612bc that great city of Nineveh was captured, conquered and devastated by King Nebuchadnezzar’s Babylonian army! The vengeance of God was carried out on the Assyrians in punishment for what they had done to God’s people Israel, in fulfillment of Isaiah’s prophecy.
Of course, you’ll recall Isaiah, and other prophets predicted the conquering and destruction of Jerusalem by the Babylonians, which happened in 586bc. And then God poured out His vengeance once again, this time upon the Babylonians for their ravaging of His people Israel. In 539bc God’s prophet Daniel, in one of the most dramatic scenes in the Bible, read the writing on the wall of Belshazzar’s palace and issued the warning that the great city of Babylon was going to pay the price for what they had done to God’s people. (Daniel 5:13-30) And that very night King Belshazzar was slain and within hours Babylon was conquered by the Persian Emperor Cyrus. The vengeance of God was once again poured out in retribution upon a vicious people who had slaughtered the innocent and ravaged Jerusalem.
For the people of Israel, this promise of God’s vengeance can be traced back to their beginning, to the days of Moses. As Moses was nearing the end of his life, God gave Moses an important message that would encourage God’s people during times of great terror for many centuries to come. Deuteronomy 32:39ff “See now that I Myself am HE! There is no god besides Me. I put to death, and I bring to life, I have wounded, and I will heal, and no one can deliver out of My hand…when I sharpen My flashing sword and My hand grasps it in judgment, I will take vengeance on My adversaries and repay those who hate Me… Rejoice you nations with God’s people, for He will avenge the blood of His servants; He will take vengeance on His enemies…” (Deut. 32:39-43)
Now my “Walking with Jesus” friends, how do you envision God wanting us, His people, ambassadors of Jesus Christ in 2024, to proclaim this ‘good news / bad news’ message of Isaiah 61:2? Do you remember the day before He went to the cross, Jesus made this bold statement: “I have come into the world as a light, so that no one who believes in Me should stay in darkness. If anyone hears My words but does not keep them, I do not judge that person. For I did not come to judge the world but to save the world! There is a Judge for the one who rejects Me and does not accept My words; the very words I have spoken will condemn them at the last day. For I did not speak on my own, but the Father who sent me commanded Me to say all that I have spoken…” (John 12:44-50) And so we proclaim the LOVE of God as best seen in Jesus Christ His Son who gave His life so any person could be forgiven of their sin and reconciled into a wonderful, sin forgiven relationship with Almighty, Holy God, their Creator.
That is God’s Favor, and it is readily available at any time during a person’s entire lifetime. But the rest of the message is equally clear and true: that if one rejects God’s Favor and dies without repenting of their sin and trusting the good news Gospel of Jesus for their rescue from their sin condemnation, they will face God as Judge and His vengeance will last for them, their eternity!
Now it’s time to pause and ponder this ‘good news/bad news’ proclamation from God in Isaiah 61:2 and how history shows it being fulfilled by Holy God. There will be a final day of vengeance for all who have opposed God, according to Revelation 20:11-15. It’s a sobering reality counter-balanced by the ultimate love and favor of God as seen in the crucifixion and resurrection of Jesus!
What is your response my friends? Here’s a worship song to help us reflect on this glorious truth…
Today’s Scripture: Isaiah 61:2.
Choose below to read or listen.
 |  |
Bible images provided with attribution to www.LumoProject.com.
Have a comment or question about today’s chapter? I’m ready to hear from you, contact me here.
Pastor Doug Anderson
“Let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us, with our eyes fixed on Jesus…” (Heb. 12:1,2)
Archived back issues of “Walking with Jesus” and other resources are available by clicking here to open our ‘home page’ (or go to HOME at upper right of this page).
Share with friends. Subscribe below for daily “Walking with Jesus”.