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Isaiah 61
1The Lord GOD’s Spirit is on me, because the LORD has me to preach good news to the humble. He has sent me to bind up the broken hearted, to proclaim liberty to the captives and release to those who are bound,
2to proclaim the year of the LORD’s favor and the day of vengeance of our God, to comfort all who mourn,
3to provide for those who mourn in Zion, to give to them a garland for ashes, the of joy for mourning, the garment of praise for the spirit of heaviness, that they may be called trees of , the planting of the LORD, that he may be glorified.
4They will rebuild the old ruins. They will raise up the former devastated places. They will repair the ruined cities that have been devastated for many generations.
5Strangers will stand and feed your flocks. Foreigners will work your fields and your .
6But you will be called the LORD’s . Men will call you the servants of our God. You will eat the wealth of the nations. You will boast in their glory.
7Instead of your shame you will have double. Instead of dishonor, they will rejoice in their portion. Therefore in their land they will possess double. joy will be to them.
8“For I, the LORD, love justice. I hate robbery and iniquity. I will give them their reward in truth and I will make an with them.
9Their offspring will be known among the nations, and their offspring among the peoples. All who see them will acknowledge them, that they are the offspring which the LORD has blessed.”
10I will greatly rejoice in the LORD! My soul will be joyful in my God, for he has clothed me with the garments of . He has covered me with the robe of , as a bridegroom decks himself with a garland and as a bride adorns herself with her jewels.
11For as the earth produces its bud, and as the garden causes the things that are sown in it to spring up, so the Lord GOD will cause and praise to spring up before all the nations.
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Questions this passage answers
Who is God?
God is the one living Creator who made everything and depends on nothing, and Scripture answers this question mainly by telling us his character rather than by defining his substance. When God described himself to Moses he said he is merciful and gracious, slow to anger, abundant in loving kindness and truth, and yet will by no means clear the guilty. The New Testament adds that this God is finally known in Jesus Christ, who has made him known.
Can the Bible be trusted?
Scripture claims to be true and invites examination rather than avoiding it. It says God's word is truth and that it stands when everything else fades, and the New Testament writers appeal to eyewitnesses, named places and public events rather than to private experience. Trust in Scripture is finally trust in the God who speaks in it, and the clearest reason a Christian gives for that trust is that Jesus treated these writings as God's own word.
What is sin?
Scripture defines sin as lawlessness, as falling short of God's glory, and as failing to do the good we know we should do. It is not only a list of bad actions but a condition of the heart that produces them, and it is first against God rather than only against people. Scripture also says all have sinned, that its wage is death, and that God is faithful to forgive those who confess.
What does the Bible say about fear?
Scripture never tells a frightened person that fear is imaginary. It says do not be afraid hundreds of times, and almost always attaches a reason rather than a technique: I am with you, I have redeemed you, you are of more value than sparrows. It also distinguishes the fear that must go from the fear of the Lord, which is commanded and which shrinks every smaller fear.