I will give you a double portion of your inheritance in exchange for your shame.

Isaiah 61:7 New International Version (NIV)

7 Instead of your shame
    you will receive a double portion,
and instead of disgrace
    you will rejoice in your inheritance.
And so you will inherit a double portion in your land,
    and everlasting joy will be yours.

In the Hebrew tradition, the eldest son of the family would receive a double portion of the family's inheritance. So if I understand this correctly, if there were 5 heirs, then the inheritance would be divided 6 ways and the eldest son would get 2/6 of the inheritance which would be double the inheritance that his brothers and/or sisters received. 

Isaiah 61 is a prophetic declaration of freedom pointing to the day when Jesus would come to the world and be the fulfillment of all the promises made in this amazing chapter of the Bible. You can read more about this in Luke 4:14-20 if you like. Isaiah declares that the coming Messiah will bring freedom to the captives, comfort for the grieving and beauty for ashes. He also declares that we will exchange our shame for a double portion of our inheritance!

Since the double portion belongs to the eldest son, we know that this promise is referring to us sharing in the inheritance of our elder brother, Jesus Christ. No longer do we need to carry the stigma of shame! God has made us heirs of His inheritance and joint heirs with Jesus (Romans 8:15-17).

May the reality of all that is proclaimed in Isaiah 61 become a tangible benefit in your life today. Instead of shame, you will receive a double portion of your inheritance!