to grant to those who mourn in zion—
to give them a beautiful headdress instead of ashes,
the oil of gladness instead of mourning,
the garment of praise instead of a faint spirit;
that they may be called oaks of righteousness,
the planting of the Lord, that he may be glorified.
[isaiah 61:3]
the israelites were in captivity. they mourned the freedom they had lost through their rebellion, their disobedience, and their idolatry. now they were slaves in a foreign land. captives to a people they did not know. they needed help from the God they had rejected. and so here, he promises redemption.
we are also in need of the same redemption. slaves from birth to sin in a foreign land that does not know its Creator, we need freedom. captives to our own flesh, we are dead to the life we were created for, and we need deliverance.
but thanks be to God that there is deliverance from sin and flesh through the blood of his Son, Jesus Christ! through his work on the cross, we can have these promises of victory! this beautiful picture of celebration can be ours only through Christ Jesus. he promises to clothe us, to sanctify us and anoint us, to adorn us, as is fitting for the occasion of a wedding feast.
why would the Lord do this for a people who have chosen to rebel? for his glory!
God’s generosity, his compassion and mercy, his forgiveness and grace, all show the glorious nature of his great name. he is lifted high when his glory is displayed. and so we, his children, with the slow and steady growth of sanctification and purification, bring glory to the Father by displaying to the world the gracious work he has done in us.
today, whatever life brings you, you can have this underlying mentality of celebration for the victory Christ has won for you. you can have peace in the midst of suffering and you can have joy in the midst of trial. you can rejoice in each moment of repentance, and you can have sure and steady confidence in the blood of Christ that purchased you for his glory.
i have been crucified with Christ. it is no longer i who live, but Christ who lives in me. and the life i now live in the flesh i live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me. [galatians 2:20]
~arwen eastman