Restore a Double Portion

Isaiah 61:7

Instead of shame and dishonor, you will enjoy a double share of honor.

You will possess a double portion of prosperity in your land, and everlasting joy will be yours.

The book of Isaiah was written by the prophet Isaiah to call the nation of Judah back to God and to tell of God’s salvation through Jesus, the Messiah.  The Life Application Bible says that “the “office” of prophet was instituted in the Days of Samuel, the last of the judges. Prophets stood with the priests as God’s special representatives. The prophet’s role was to speak for God, confronting the people and their leaders with God’s commands and promises.  Because of this confrontational stance and the continuing tendency of people to disobey God, true prophets usually were not very popular.  But though their message often went unheeded, they faithfully and forcefully proclaimed the truth.”

Isaiah was considered one of the greatest prophets.  He became unpopular because his messages were so difficult for the people to hear.  He was warning them of their pending judgement if they did not turn from their lives of sin.  God was going to bring judgement and punishment for their sins. Chapters 1-39 calls Judah and Israel to repent from their sins. They had a form of godliness, but were corrupt in their hearts.   The 27 chapters (40-66) in the second half of the book generally brings a message of forgiveness, comfort, and hope. Isaiah describes the coming Messiah as a suffering servant and a sovereign Lord.

God was sending a Savior, to save His people. He promised them comfort, deliverance, and restoration in His coming kingdom. This is the same passage of scripture that Jesus quotes in the New Testament and proclaims that He had come to fulfill.  Under the new covenant, all believers could be priest of the Lord, read God’s Word, seek to understand it, confess their sins directly to God, be forgiven, and minister to others. 

Jesus came to set free all that were (are) bound by sin, lies, fear, torment, guilt, depression, oppression, sickness, disease, etc.  Jesus was anointed to bring God’s Word, John 1:1-2 “In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. ² He was in the beginning with God.”  He was the Word.  He came to preach to the poor, brokenhearted, captives of sin, bound, wounded.  It was the year of salvation, the Savior was here.  He came to set them free, free from the pain and penalty of sin.  He came to take their shame, guilt, and dishonor and give them double honor. What is the significance of double honor?

Double honor means “instead of the reproach and humiliation which you have been called to experience. You shall have double - A double inheritance or reward” (Barnes’ Notes on the Bible) Pulpit Commentary says, “Verse 7. - For your shame ye shall have double. Instead of the shame and confusion of face which were the portion of Israel during the Captivity (see Isaiah 51:7, 23; Isaiah 54:4; Daniel 9:7, 8, etc.), they should after their restoration to Palestine "have double" their former glory and double their former territory. An increase of territory had been already prophesied (Isaiah 49:18-21) - an increase which, however, was not so much an extension of the bounds of Palestine as a spread of the Church over the whole earth (comp. Zechariah 9:12).”

They were about to not only be restored (healed, repaired, and returned to a previous state of being) but they were going to get a double inheritance and reward.  They were going to experience increase.  God wants us to know that we can always return to Him when we make mistakes or walk away.  Sometimes our lives or actions bring shame or trouble but God is willing and able to restore us.  We just have to repent and seek God and He is able to restore double for all the shame, embarrassment, and turmoil.  Trust God and come home.  Let Him restore and reward you.  Living with Him on your side is definitely increase!!