The opening of Isaiah 61 is proclaiming a promised hope, that Jesus Christ (the Messiah) will be sent to bring good news to the afflicted, bind up to those who’s being is broken in hopelessness, liberate the slave, free the guilty from his cell (v1). This is all language of God’s mercy and unmerited favor (grace) being expressed to the people of Judah, who have recently returned to their nation after being exiled in Babylon for years. But it’s not just good news for them, it’s good news for You and I who need God’s favor, who need salvation from the grip of sin, and liberty from enslavement to it. Yes, it’s the telling of a promised liberator, and faith in that promise brings hope to a rebuilding nation. As an American, I should be quick to listen to how God spoke to the people of Judah.
The Year of the Lord's Favor 1 The Spirit of the Lord God is upon me, because the Lord has anointed me to bring good news to the poor; he has sent me to bind up the brokenhearted, to proclaim liberty to the captives, and the opening of the prison to those who are bound; 2 to proclaim the year of the Lord's favor, and the day of vengeance of our God; to comfort all who mourn; 3 to grant to those who mourn in Zion— to give them a beautiful headdress instead of ashes, the oil of gladness instead of mourning, the garment of praise instead of a faint spirit; that they may be called oaks of righteousness, the planting of the Lord, that he may be glorified. 4 They shall build up the ancient ruins; they shall raise up the former devastations; they shall repair the ruined cities, the devastations of many generations. Isaiah 61:1-4 ESV https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Isaiah%2061&version=ESV
Why this Passage?
Well, here’s some brief history that connects this passage’s overall theme of pointing to the sovereign savior fueling a more amazed 4th of July experience, at least in my opinion.
In the 1600’s the Puritans (Reformed Anglican Christians) and other Christians alike moved to the New British American colonies. New congregational churches started to pop up and Christian identities started becoming the norm in the land, yet with that came some loss of gospel clarity. Into the 1700’s we have figures like Jonathan Edwards and George Whitefield practicing exegetical preaching. There was revival in the colonies coming up from the 1730’s called the great awakening, simply people started believing in the gospel after hearing it preached clearly from the Bible. As the great awakening is finishing in the late 1740’s, it left the colonies with many people equipped to continue in studying and preaching the Bible clearly and faithfully in both the gospel and the truths about God.
I’m in awe of God’s faithfulness in sustaining and equipping his Church in this pre-American independence era. His people prayed for a revival and God in his sovereign will continued in equipping his people by the outpouring of his Spirit’s work in the “great awakening.” In the colonies, God’s people continued in “laboring the harvest” building the church, and as Jesus would have it, some of his people would be placed to help build a new nation into 1770’s.
The Declaration of Independence references 2 big things, God’s Sovereignty in creating all people with rights and the issue of the tyrant King of Britain choosing not to uphold or protect those rights. Yet, more importantly the document’s Authors had a very interesting statement that shows of a profound assurance from which they stood, unlike the nation of Judah being exiled from their home. The statement says:
And for the support of this Declaration, with a firm reliance on the protection of divine Providence, we mutually pledge to each other our Lives, our Fortunes and our sacred Honor. (US 1776)
from the US national Archives at www.archives.gov
Did you read that? It’s courageous dependence in the Purposeful Sovereignty of God.
There’s no way you and I can be that dependent of God’s Providence without being very much convicted that God says he is who he says he is. To get there we need God’s people to share of God truthfully, the harvest needs laborers like you and me, some of the people we will share the gospel with might end up doing things like building a new country, you never know. The people of Judah in the time of Isaiah 61 experienced being taken from their home and lands, exiled as a result of their King Hezekiah’s poor decision to not choose to depend on a “sure foundation” God’s providential deliverance. The nation of Judah and its king chose human strength and promises through alliances instead.
By Gods Providence for us American Christians, we benefit from God instilling real hope in men from the past, to trust in the savior Jesus and look to him as they worked towards the benefit of the people that will inherit this nation as their home. This 4th of July Holiday, you can celebrate with a gratitude of being in one of the greatest nations ever built. Or you can celebrate with an eternal gratitude that only comes from faith in Jesus and being totally in awe of God’s purposeful sovereignty that this country was allowed to be built in his overall will. The fight for Liberty in 1776 shows fruitfulness of the of the better eternal Liberty that has been promised, fulfilled, and continues to be given to people like you and me.