Me la he pasado terminando los días con una sensación de falta… luchando contra el sueño

y el cansancio para prolongar mi noche, deseando poder terminar algo que no he empezado,

buscando algo por empezar y terminar, algo que me arrope en plenitud y sentido. Desearía

no sentirme derrotado cada noche y extender a la mañana la misma sensación. Siento una

espina cerca del pecho, otras más en las sienes, que me obligan a dormir y querer olvidar,

pero que me impiden seguir adelante. Qué ganas de quedarme despierto, de arreglar todo,

pero sabiendo de antemano que no haré nada, que ya ni queda nada por hacer…

Isaiah 61: (bad) exposition

Theme: the anointed of Yahweh brings to the earth God’s mission to restore Zion in

righteousness.

1-3a: The mission of the anointed.

The Spirit of Yahweh God has been given through anointment: This image symbolizes the

divine consecration for a task. The anointed One is chosen by God and sent to fulfill His

will upon Zion. The Spirit here works as a principle that moves and vivifies the Messiah in

order to accomplish that for which He has been sent.

The Messiah – Christos is sent to Baser – Euangelisasthai: declare good news: the word

carried the idea of bringing favorable news, especially in the context of war (1 Chr. 10:9; 1

Kin. 1:42; 2 Sam. 18:31 etc.) and in the Psalms, the writer shouts declaring God’s

salvation: Psa. 40:9; 96:2; The anointed here is one who has been sent to announce God’s

vindication of those whom He Favors, His beloved people, who in this description are

identified with: the oppressed (meek KJV) – the poor, the weak or afflicted, usually
identified with those who have trusted in God (Psa. 9:18; 10:17; 69:32; 76:9). The image,

however, represents their social and economic position. In Amos they are the victims of the

rich who trample them and overlook their rights.

This announcing aspect stands at the top as the main task of the Christos, but it is followed

by actions that give the sense of what that good news really is (I wonder if it can even be

proposed that the next actions of the anointed one are the “how” this good news is

proclaimed, the grammatical construction does not really allow this, I suppose):

- Bind up the broken hearted: the heart here stands for the inner most part of the

human being that has been shattered and broken to pieces. The Messiah of Yahweh

looks out for them and restores them.

- Proclaim liberty to the captives: those who have been made captives in war, shall be

set in liberty.

- Release to the prisoners: these are those who have been tied with cords to a place

where they do not belong.

These last two statements relate to the next in a special sense: the year of the Lord’s favor

might be a reference to the year of Jubilee, when all who were slaves or prisoners were

supposed to be set at liberty (Lev. 25:8). Historically there is no evidence of this ever taking

place, it really stands as the Messianic force of Israel who looks up and waits for the

moment of release: the favor of God with his people is shown and expressed. However, this

is accompanied by a different kind of statement, which, though it seems contradictory,

simply complements and finishes what God is bringing up upon his people: “The day of

vengeance for our God”. The Messiah does not come only as the comforter, but as the
destroyer of the Antichrist (Benjamin). This does not imply a cheap dualism between

radical goodness and radical evil, but as the supreme victory of the goodness of God.

Almost like in a hurry, the poet brings it back to the main theme: The Anointed comforts

and provides for those who mourn. This comfort will be done by:

- Giving them a garland, a dress of joy in the moment when they were dressed in

ashes.

- Oil of gladness, the perfume for a celebration during the time of mourning.

- The mantle of praise, a dress of “self-esteem”, at the moment when their spirit was

on the ground.

Homiletical thoughts:

1. Let us not forget the Messianic mission. It has already been fulfilled when Jesus of

Nazareth read these words in a synagogue in Galilee, but its preaching must be repeated

with the same force throughout the whole world, this has not been fulfilled in many

people’s lives. Many still live with broken hearts, many are still in prisons and cannot find

release, and many are still prisoners of their mind, because the people that preach this same

message, still keep them in chains.

2. Many are prisoners not of their sin, but of the sin of others, not every scar has been self-

inflicted, and not every self-infliction has been premeditated. Let us preach against evil, but

to free the world from it, not to enslave it unto it. Let us preach to the people that we are

free, because of what the Jewish Messiah did, and everything else that the world can say,

has to be seen from this fact: we are not captives anymore. The truest thing about each one

of us is that God has called us his-her beloved child (Fuller).

3. The Messianic times bring, through judgement and favor a change from mourning into

joy. Even judgement is an element that discloses God’s faithfulness, it is the defeat of evil

and darkness.

3b-7: The restored people

The oppressed, broken hearted and captives, shall now be planted as oaks of righteousness

by the Lord. The phrase calls to mind a mighty tree, standing firm and unmovable (Psa.

1:3) in the righteousness of God, i. e., the fulfillment of God’s covenant with his people in

which the whole nation stands and is well established. This is the legitimacy in which the

people becomes God’s special nation. A nation that will become once again the planting of

the Lord in which his glory will be displayed. The mission of the God of the Bible is not

carried by a mighty display of power but through the medium of his creation working his

purposes: nature and history are the ways in which God shows his glory to all.

This restoration, however, not only looks at the present time and its blessings but knows

that deep inside, restoration means to bring history to the forefront and judge it in

righteousness. Restoration means bring justice and reconciliation to those who were left

behind in history, it is to rebuild the ruins of broken promises and plans. There is nothing

too far behind that the Messiah cannot reach, nor something too broken that cannot be

rebuild (Isa. 58:12).

In the same manner as they became the servants of other nations, they will now be

receiving foreigners as their laborers in the fields, but they will not become slaves or

second class people, but will share the land and themselves become the people of God and
servants of God1. And together the real purpose of Yahweh with Israel will finally be

fulfilled: a kingdom of priests to the Lord (Ex. 19:6). The wealth of nations will finally be

enjoyed by the people, poverty and need will be satisfied and no one will be above another.

This is not a picture of preying over the wealth of another nation, but of a fair use of that

with which God has blessed every nation.

Verse 7 is a textual mess that, with or without emendation, stands obscure and cryptic. But

in a general sense it is a statement of reward: out of your (or their) double shame and

dishonor, you (or they) shall receive a double blessing and joy in the land. The Messianic

age calls for a universal celebration of everlasting goodness and joy.

Homiletical thoughts

1. Righteousness is the foundation of every nation. Rules and laws stand only upon its

secure endurance. This “legitimacy” or faithfulness to a covenant grants the people an

opportunity to trust and respond also with righteousness and faithfulness to the covenant. It

is impossible to stand firm on something that is wavering. In God we can rest assured that

we have a citizenship in his kingdom, because of what the Messiah has done.

2. Looking ahead is necessary, but forgetting to look behind will make our sight blind.

There are many ruins upon which we have made new houses, many tears on which we have

made our joy, and many deaths on which we have made our life. The anxiety of rushing for

the better future blinds us from realizing that it might be built on yesterday’s and today’s

ruin. Other’s sorrow becomes our future joy. God sends his-her Messiah to give us a future,

1
This thought is simply unintelligible. There is complete ambiguity in its actual meaning. It might be referring
to the gentiles becoming servants of the people of Israel, but in a greater sense servants of God, which it is
also said of the Israelites in v. 6.
yes, but before He has to pause the march of time and rebuild the broken ruins of many

generations. Let us be a part of that reconstruction today, and part of the joy tomorrow.

3. The priestly kingdom is inclusive, or it is not the Messiah’s kingdom: this imply a

universal service of one to another, universal priesthood in which God is worshipped and

universal enjoyment of the goodness of the world.

4. This is more than a utopia; it is a mission. Notice how the poet and prophet portray the

Messianic age as the task of one who has been sent by the Lord. A mission that is now in

our hands. The only way to not take this as a naïve vision of some religious enthusiast, is to

actually go and continue the Messiah’s mission.

Isaiah 52

v. 1: Judah has to be prepared for the return. It is a message of comfort: you are ready to go

home, but there is a need for purity.

v. 2: The message of freedom for the captive. Sounds similar to 61.

Heb. 10:32

There is also a need to remember their history, how God was there with them.

v. 5: The problem was with the leaders. That is the reason why they were in captivity.

There was no reason why they had to go.

v. 6: A statement of “threat”. 3-6 is a weird interjection.

v. 7: Romans quotations. The use of “ba-sser” or “euangelisesthai” in the LXX.

Expressions of joy for the return.

v. 11-12: you will have a free way home, rejoice.

Last of the Servant Songs

52:13-15: Kenosis and exaltation. The shock of his disfigured face. The nations will be

startled and in unbelief.

Chapter 53 is an exposition of 52:13-15. Exaltation and humiliation.

53:1: Rom. 10 – the nations will be astonished and will not believe. But the prophets shall

go to the end of the world.

v. 2: The Servant will grow before God like a young plant out of a dried ground. Isa. 11:1.

The Servant will have no beauty; no one will desire his presence. 1 Sam. 16:18.

v. 3: He is despised and turned into a man of sorrows, ignored and held in no reputation.

v. 4: Mat. 8:17. This is not about sin, but about physical healing. 1 Pet. 2:24; Heb. 9:28.

v. 5: wounded – pierced.

v. 6: even though we were the sinners, he was punished. Rom. 3:21ff.

v. 7: