I came across the neatest word picture in Isaiah 61.
The message of the chapter goes out to the poor, brokenhearted, captives, prisoners, mourners and grievers.
The message is one of hope and encouragement. Here are a few of the promises for the poor, brokenhearted, captives, prisoners, mourners and grievers. They will be given:
- a crown of beauty instead of ashes
- a garment of praise instead of a spirit of despair
- restoration of places long devastated
- everlasting joy.
Sometimes as a person, mom and wife we go through stages of being poor and brokenhearted. We are held captive and prisoner by feelings of insecurity, emotions like fear, and states of mind. We mourn and grieve circumstances and things that happen to us and our loved ones. It doesn’t have to be face value of the word taken literally.
But the promise is that we will be called oaks of righteousness because we have been planted by the Lord to display his splendor.
John Calvin comments on this verse:
“There is no other way in which we are restored to life than when we are planted by the Lord.”
There is great comfort deeper in this verse. It is not just a promise for an individual, but it is also a picture the life change brought on by salvation. Often Jesus finds us at the end of our rope and reaches out to the ones for whom this chapter is written. At salvation, we are planted by the Lord and through His work in us we are strong, like oak trees, and our lives bring Him glory.
Salvation restores us to the Lord and all the promises given are really things we enjoy as Christians.
R.C. Sproul notes that this is an “image of permanence, of life in God forever”. He also describes it this way:
“If we trust in Christ, we are planted in righteousness forever, and well be preserved by His hand for the sake of His eternal glory.”
The beauty of this is that although this promise can be applied to the life of a Christian as a whole, it can also be applied to individual times within the Christian life. We can cling to this promise each time we are brokenhearted and poor in spirit, imprisoned and held captive by our thoughts, feelings and emotions, or are mourning and grieving life circumstances.
Praise God for his grace and mercy provided for the turbulent times in life.
Take the time to read the whole chapter…there is so much more hope waiting for you!
2 thoughts on “Oaks of Righteousness”
Righteousness is the name of the path that leads to heaven.
Righteousness is the way to heaven.
Righteousness is the gate that opens up toward heaven.
Everything Jesus said and did was in Righteousness.
He leads us in Paths of Righteousness for His Name’s sake, for His Glory.
The Hebrew understanding of the word repent is to return to the Path of Righteousness.
Hearing and obeying is walking on the Path of Righteousness by faith.
THEREFORE, when Jesus was ministering to people and told them to do something, and they did it, they were repenting and getting back on the Path of Righteousness. The people were hearing and obeying God! They were heeding the call to Righteousness. The Lord orders the steps of a Righteous man and he delights in their way (of Righteousness). The Path of the Righteous grows brighter and brighter unto that Glorious Day!
He had a legal right to heal and deliver them because they returned to Righteousness.
If they heard and did not obey they missed out on that opportunity (the rich young ruler for example). Hopefully, he reconsidered later on.
For a righteous man falls seven times, but gets back up again.
Thanks for your thoughts and your comment! Very true, but I must say that the only way to heaven is through a relationship with Jesus Christ. Righteousness is a result of that relationship, not works that grant us access to heaven.