Skip to main content

Beauty for ashes


"The Spirit of the Sovereign Lord is on me, because the Lord has anointed me to preach good news to the poor.  He has sent me to bind up the brokenhearted, to proclaim freedom for the captives and release from darkness for the prisoners, to proclaim the year of the lord's favor and the day of vengeance of our God, to comfort all who mourn, and provide for those who grieve in Zion- to bestow on them a crown of beauty instead of ashes, the oil of gladness instead of mourning, and a garment of praise instead of a spirit of despair. they will be called oaks of righteousness, a planting of the Lord for the display of his splendor"
Isaiah 61 v 1- 3

In Luke 4 v 18- 19, Jesus proclaims part of the above in an announcement that he, the messiah, has indeed come to do these things...

I love these scriptures and I have written on a couple of other aspects in other posts. I just wanted to focus on this one aspect-

- to bestow on them a crown of beauty instead of ashes...


What does it mean that he came to give us beauty for ashes?  In the past, sometimes when an upright or Godly person had sinned they would don sackcloth and ashes. The ashes would be rubbed on their face and skin. The ashes were a sign of shame and sorrow at having sinned.

Now he wants us to have beauty instead of the ashes. He doesn't want us to hide in shame or feel we have to wear the unhappy face  when we do wrong. There is no penance. We don't have to punish ourselves to make things right. Christ died to pay it all. No shame is left. We sin, turn from wrong, and keep our beauty. Whats more a crown of beauty is bestowed by Christ himself upon us. He declares and pronounces to the world that we are beautiful because he says so. We wear no ashes of shame. Instead we display confidence. We can be unashamed because of him.
Labels:

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Rebel thoughts

Rebel thoughts are thoughts that set themselves up against the knowledge of God.  We don't want them but sometimes we accept them as innocent unknowingly.  These thoughts can be sneaky so we need to identify them to be able to take them down.  When I say take down, I mean wrestle down to the ground in submission...demolish... "We demolish arguments and every pretension that sets itself up against the knowledge of God, and we take captive every thought to make it obedient to Christ" 2 Corinthians 10 v 5 What is the knowledge we have of God? His attributes His character His promises All God is for me in Christ Jesus. Which of my thoughts are setting themselves up against the knowledge of God?  The devil will be encouraging these thoughts.  The fruit of such thoughts will be the opposite of what God gives; joy, peace, hope.  So what thoughts are causing depression, anxiety/restlessness and hopelessness? These are some of my recent rebel thoughts...
2 comments
Read more

A river in the wilderness

Isaiah 43. 18-21 Do not call to mind the former things, or ponder things of the past. Behold I am doing something new, Now it will spring forth Will you not be aware of it? I will even make a roadway in the wilderness, Rivers in the desert. The beasts of the field will glorify me, The jackals and the ostriches, Because I have given waters in the wilderness And rivers in the desert To give drink to My chosen people The people I have formed for myself will declare my praise. Some believers live in a wilderness place. Past hopes and dreams have been dashed. Because of unbelief at various times they have not walked in the fullness and richness of life that God had in store. Battles with sin and the devil have worn them down and they feel dry, discouraged, defeated. But God knows and cares. He doesn't always lift them out and take them to a new life and new place. Sometimes that is necessary but these particular believers are to remain where they are...He is sen...
1 comment
Read more

Reflections on the book of Ruth: Naomi's bitterness and blessing

“...the Lords hand has gone out against me” Ruth 1 v 13  So the two women went on until they came to Bethlehem.  When they arrived in Bethlehem the whole town was stirred because of them, and the women exclaimed, ‘Can this be Naomi?’ Don’t call me Naomi, she told them.  Call me Mara, because the Almighty has made my life very bitter.  I went away full, but the Lord has brought me back empty.  Why call me Naomi?  The Lord has afflicted me; the almighty has brought misfortune upon me” Ruth 1 v 19-21 Sometimes I think about seeing old friends and I think their expectations would be disappointed.  I may think of my youth, when first saved, and think how cheery and free I was- working, capable, social.  But one thing I read about Naomi’s possible musings in an article was whether she remembered the peace with God she used to enjoy in her youth…and that added to her sorrow. I feel a great deal of stress- and not a lot of peace- I look fo...
Post a Comment
Read more