Clothed in Righteousness like a Groom, Like a Priest
10 I will greatly rejoice in the Lord;my soul shall exult in my God,for he has clothed me with the garments of salvation;he has covered me with the robe of righteousness,as a bridegroom decks himself like a priest with a beautiful headdress,and as a bride adorns herself with her jewels.11 For as the earth brings forth its sprouts,and as a garden causes what is sown in it to sprout up,so the Lord God will cause righteousness and praiseto sprout up before all the nations.
Isaiah 61:10–11 ESV
“I am rejoicing in the Lord, and I will rejoice in the Lord.” Isaiah is making a decision that not only will he currently rejoice, but he will continue. He is recognizing and celebrating that God has given him a salvation that cannot be taken away by anyone.
Look at how he describes this salvation!
Righteousness Like a Robe
It’s cold in our house, so to save on the bills everyone has their warm robes out. They cover you completely and keep you warm. They are special and showy. A king’s robe would make him stand out in the throne room as the king, and would be made of the very best materials and skill. This robe of righteousness is to show off and identify, but warmth and comfort come along with it.
Like a Groom Dresses Up Like a Priest
A groom is about to join into a covenant of joy and a lifestyle of making the kingdom bigger. Every Dad in this day was the spiritual leader of the family, so to be a groom was to be a priest in his own house. To be a priest was to be the one that went between God and mankind to the glory of God, so that is quite an honor. These garments of salvation are like something you wear when you embark on the work of God. They are like the most honorable uniform that only a few people get to wear.
Like a Bride’s Jewelry
We still have this in our culture, except it is a dress more often than it is jewelry. The bride dresses up on her wedding day in a most special dress that was bought only for this day, and will never be worn again. The salvation that God puts on us is so special that it is one of a kind, even for each one of us. When Jesus died for all of my sins, He died for a different collection than He did for you. That is how unique and deliberate every one of us are treated by God. He clothes us with righteousness that is from Him alone for each one of us alone, so that together we would be the Body of Christ.
The Global Garden of Righteousness
As all of God’s people are dressed and grow to full maturity in Christ, the world notices. The world changes as much as a muddy lot turns into a garden. This isn’t end of the world talk, but the present reality. Granted, until the Kingdom of God comes in its fullness that garden can be plowed up over and over again. Until then, let us be clothed in the righteousness God had given us and be faithful workers in His field. He is cheering for us.
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