Isaiah 61:1-2a 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; to proclaim the year of the LORD's favor, and the day of vengeance of our God; to comfort all who mourn;
Here again we see the concept of God's Spirit "upon" his servant, the one whom God has anointed. In Luke 4:16-21, Jesus applied these verses to himself. Now what is fascinating in Jesus' reading of this passage is that he stopped his reading right after the words, "the Lord's favor" - even though the thought did not stop there. He did so because everything mentioned in the first verse through the first line of v. 2 have to do with what he would accomplish in his first advent (coming). The day of vengeance mentioned here will be ushered in at his second advent.
We are, right now, in the time of God's favor. But there is coming a day when God will seek retribution and vengeance (Romans 12:19). This is why the Bible urges us to get right with God NOW ... TODAY, while the "getting is good!" (see 2 Corinthians 6:2). How about YOU? Should you die today, tomorrow, next week, next month --- are YOU ready to meet God? If you are not (or are not sure), take a moment and check out what the Bible has to say about "Two ways to live, a choice we all face."
Thanks for stopping by . . .
pj
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