Dear Sisters and Brothers in Christ Jesus,
We continue with our examination of Isaiah 61. Last week’s message addressed Isaiah 61:6. As mentioned in previous messages on this series, Isaiah 61:1-2(a) addresses Jesus’s ministry and “the works” while Isaiah 61:2(b) – 61:4 addresses “the greater works.” What I enjoy about God’s Word is there is no confusion, no division, no chaos, and no interpretation. The Word explains Itself. But one will only know “the explanations” through diligent study and seeking of God’s Word (Hebrews 11:6). God rewards one with His wisdom that diligently seeks after Him.
Isaiah 61 lines up with Genesis 12:1-3. Genesis 12:1-3 lines up with God’s relationship with Adam and Even in the Garden of Eden. In Genesis 2-3, God enters fellowship with Adam and Eve, gives them an assignment, and provides the provision for their assignment. In Genesis 12:1-3 God calls Abraham out of the world into a fellowship with Him, gives him an assignment, and provides the provision for it. In Isaiah 61, God establishes fellowship, gives an assignment, and provides the provision to accomplish the assignment. Are we seeing a pattern? God’s relationship with a Believer enters this very same pattern regardless of the century or time in which the Believer accepts and receives salvation. It is the very same for you and me.
We’ve also learned that there is a physical, then a Spiritual context for the Old Testament Scripture. In the case of Isaiah 61, we see this in the verses. It is physical for the Children of Israel, the Nation of Israel, and Spiritual for Believers of the New Covenant.
Isaiah 61:7
For your shame ye shall have double; and for confusion they shall rejoice in their portion: therefore in their land they shall possess the double: everlasting joy shall be unto them.
Isaiah 61:7 is a beacon of hope and encouragement for those facing difficulties, reminding believers that God’s restoration is Spiritual, physical, material, and financial abundance and His joy eternal.
“For your shame, you shall have double“. The King James translation of this part of Isaiah 61:7 is confusing. The Hebrew translation is much more understandable: “Instead of your shame, you shall have double.” In this passage of The Scripture, the Hebrew word for “shame” is “bosheth,” which means, “the feeling or state of shame that results from sin, disobedience, or idolatry. It reflects a moral and spiritual condition that is contrary to the honor and righteousness expected by God.” God promises that instead of our shame, we shall have double. Let’s see what “double” refers to in this passage.
“Double” is the Hebrew word “mishneh,” which means, “a double portion.” In the Hebrew culture, the firstborn son is entitled to a double portion of the inheritance. Jesus, in Revelation 1:5, is referred to as the “first begotten, or the firstborn, of the dead.” Since we are joint heirs with Jesus Christ, and we receive everything he receives, we also receive a “double portion” of the inheritance. The “double portion” refers to abundant blessings and restoration beyond what was lost, symbolizing God’s generous grace and favor.
If we were to write out this part of Isaiah 61:7 with the deeper meaning, it would read, “Instead of your feeling or state of shame for your sin, disobedience, and idolatry, you shall have a double portion of the inheritance given to the firstborn son.” Isn’t Father God and King Jesus wonderful! Instead of what we have earned and deserve, we are shown love, grace, and mercy in the exceeding abundance our Father provides for us through our elder Brother and King, Jesus Christ.
“And for confusion they shall rejoice in their portion“. “Confusion” is the Hebrew word, “klimmah,” which means, “insult, reproach, ignominy (public shame or disgrace).” The term “disgrace” implies the humiliation and reproach endured by God’s people in the sight of others. Again, a better translation would be, “And instead of shame and disgrace they shall rejoice in their portion.” Lets’ look at the passage, “they shall rejoice.”
“They shall rejoice” is the Hebrew word, “rahnan,” which means, “in joy and exultation.” “In their portion” is the Hebrew word, “cheleg,” which means, “portion, share, part, inheritance, lot.” In the physical sense, it means the Children of Israel’s portion or inheritance of the land, which is The Promised Land, peace, and prosperity. For us, as New Covenant Believers, it means our portion of the inheritance, which as we know is “double.” We aren’t after a physical Promised Land. As New Covenant Believers, our Promised Land is II Corinthians 1:20, which are all the promises of God in Christ Jesus.
“Therefore in their land they shall possess the double“: Here, “double portion” is a concept rooted in ancient Israelite tradition. It often referred to the inheritance given to the firstborn, which was twice that of other heirs (Deuteronomy 21:17). This imagery emphasizes that God’s people would receive a rich, abundant inheritance from Him—restoration and blessings so great they surpass their previous losses.
“In their land” is the Hebrew word, “erets,” which means, “earth, land, ground, country, territory.” For the physical Israel, it was The Promised Land. For today’s New Covenant Believer, it is metaphorical symbolizing The Kingdom of God. Remember Jesus tells us in Luke 17:21, The Kingdom of God is within us. In this Kingdom, God promises us we “shall possess the double.” This word “double” is the same Hebrew word, “mishneh” we saw earlier in the verse describing the “double portion” given to the firstborn son. How do we manifest the results of Kingdom Living? Yes, by our faithful decrees of The Word of God and by willingness and obedience to His Word. As Believers, we should NOT be defined by the world. We should be defined by OUR faithful decree of God’s Word, His promises, to us. Our tongue is responsible for our outcome. Not God, not our mom or our dad, not our upbringing, not our neighborhood, not our degree, not our position, not our status, not our salary, not our pastor, not our teacher, etc.
“Everlasting joy shall be unto them“: The culmination of Isaiah 61:7 assures eternal joy. This joy is not fleeting; it stems from the restored relationship with God, His blessings, and the assurance of His presence. For Believers, this foreshadows the ultimate joy found in salvation through Jesus Christ.
What we learn from the Isaiah 61:1-7 is God has an ordained and anointed plan that was spoken by Him before the foundation of the world and spoken by the prophets into the earth at the prompting of The Holy Spirit at the appointed time. We have seen this prophecy come true with Jesus performing “the works” Himself during His time on the earth, and The Holy Spirit performing “the works” and “the greater works” through Believers in the New Covenant.
The question we are to ask ourselves and ask The Holy Spirit is this: does everyone that we engage with or that watches us from a distance see and acknowledge that we are the seed which The Lord has blessed? God’s will is for every aspect of our lives to reflect His Blessing, His supply, His love, His peace, and His joy. If you study Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, Joseph, Job, David, Solomon, etc., all lived supernaturally blessed lives under The Blessing of The Lord. It didn’t mean they didn’t have times of affliction and persecution. Even Jesus told us this is going to happen. But Jesus also said for us “to be of good cheer because He had overcome the world, its system, and its god.” While it may come against us, we have the power in Christ Jesus to always triumph against affliction and persecution (II Corinthians 2:14). We must watch our attitude and our mouths. Read Job. His attitude and his mouth in chapter 1 brought all the misery upon him. He eventually came to understand this. God gave Job the opportunity through praying for his friends and thinking and decreeing right things to receive double everything he lost. Our Father is all about Blessing and restoration. It is up to us to learn about and apply it to our lives by the leading and guidance of The Holy Spirit.
In closing, we need to ignore the traditions of religion and the rudiments of the world. Instead, we must focus on The Word of God and learning The Truth. We must stop allowing satan, the world, and this world system to rob us of God’s Blessing and the blessings and promises that flow from It. It is amazing liberty and amazing love, joy, and peace when we know we cannot lose, that we always win, and every promise God has made is “yes” and “amen” in Christ Jesus. We must find ourselves Warriors of Christ Jesus to spend time around, to learn from, and to encourage and be encouraged by. Iron sharpens iron. You can’t be sharpened by aluminum foil. I want to hang around a David, not a Lot.
In Christ Jesus,
Larry