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To this day, that funeral and the lamentation that took place subsequently have stuck with me for one rationality. I was asked about a week after the funeral why I had not cried over the death of my grandma. Why was I not mourning ? The solution to those questions lies in the words of Isaiah. Particularly Isaiah 61:3 .
“ And provide for those who grieve in Zion – to bestow on them a crown of beauty alternatively of ashes, the oil of gladness rather of bereaved, and a garment of praise rather of despair. They will be called oaks of righteousness, a plant of the Lord for the display of his luster. ”
Let us take this time to look deeper at the context of this poetry and what it means for us nowadays .
What Does ‘Beauty for Ashes’ Mean?
Isaiah 61:3 is a beautiful painting of what Christ can do for the mourning people of Israel and the ones hurting nowadays. When we examine the verse, we learn that Christ is the joy-giver. He gives a rejoice that extends beyond the coat. messiah releases us from the bondage that sorrow brings. Our sorrows can leave us feeling defeated. When we fully give ourselves over to God, our watch of the disturb and grieve of life changes. The circumstances may remain the lapp, but we change the glass we look through. It is possible to live while the storm rages, but God remains the calm in the storm. He gives us sources of rejoice to get us through. Everything we go through in this life contributes to the end when we spend eternity in heaven. The phrases in Isaiah 61:3 make the mean of this poetry evening more knock-down. When Isaiah writes the words “ beauty for ashes, ” he uses Hebrew terminology that can not be translated into English. The Hebrew bible for beauty used here refers to a headdress, pillbox, or tiara. God is stating that he is going to wipe out the ashes upon your head and replace it with a beautiful headdress. Isaiah besides tells us we will be anointed with oil. This was a coarse rehearse in his meter and was normally done in times of celebration. God is besides going to clothe his people with a dress of praise. The speech here is speaking of a garment that would be dyed in bright colors. last, Isaiah speaks of oaks of righteous. Trees represent people, and the mighty oak of righteousness shows us that in Christ we are strong .
What Is the Context of Isaiah 61:3 and ‘Beauty for Ashes’?
Isaiah was a prophet who delivered poignant messages to the jewish people. In his writings, he starts with the topic of sagacity. Isaiah tells the people that God will pour out judgment and justice to His chosen people. historically, the Israelite people have been involved in many battles. They had been captives of enemy groups such as the Assyrians and Babylonians. Kings such as Jehoshaphat, Uzziah, and Hezekiah were critical to the delay capture of Judah by the more merciful Babylonians. The light of this record is when Isaiah reminds the Jews that even though God will judge the people, he will besides pour out His love and favor for them. This theme of judgment, repentance, and forgiveness has been happening since the Israelites entered the wilderness. When we look at our verse in question, we need to take a moment and discuss what verses one and two mean. In verse one, Isaiah says “ The Spirit of the Sovereign Lord is upon me. ” This is a reference to the Christ that was to come. Jesus uses these verses to refer to himself while on worldly concern. further on in verses one and two, we learn that the one who has the spirit upon him will besides mend the brokenhearted, preach good news program, comfort, and laud freedom to the captives. This is precisely what Jesus was sent to this earth to do. God knew we needed a redeemer before He ever sent His son to die for us. 
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Why Will God Comfort Those Who Mourn?
Our God is a God of ease. He sent his son to die for us so that we may have life sentence more abundantly. Jesus tells us in John 10:10, “ The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy ; I have come that they may have life and have it more abundantly. ”
God sent his son to be a sheepherder to the people. He desires that no one experience an earthly life of grief, and an endless life sentence in hell. It is clear that if God would send his entirely son to die on a crisscross for the function of saving us, then God would comfort those who are mourning. Our mourning can not become the thief that destroys us. Ecclesiastes 3:4 says there is a meter for mourning and a time for dancing. Our overlord does not intend for us to stay in the mourn phase. We are supposed to be dancing. Jesus said in his sermon on the mountain in Matthew 5 that blessed were those that mourned, for they would be comforted. This was His promise, and we know that our God never breaks a promise. Countless times in scripture we are reminded that God will be our reliever. When he comforts us, we can do what He created us for ; to glorify and praise Him. 
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What Does Beauty for Ashes Mean for Us When We Experience Suffering or Mourning?
inescapably, we are going to experience suffer and mourn in our lives. When we lose loved ones, or our jobs, or even our identity in Christ, we can rest assured that God will come alongside us with his beloved and ease. I believe this verse gives us hope, excessively. It is a beautiful admonisher that God can take what we believe to be the worst of circumstances and turn it into something great. We have hope for coming out on the other side of grief with shouts of praise for our Lord. If we can accept our grief, then we can overcome our grief. We can carry our sorrows to the refuge at the metrical foot of the cross and leave them there. When we do that, we can walk away with shouts of praise for the one true God. We can put on our new headdress and undimmed color garments for all to see what God has done for us and what he can do for them .
A Prayer for Comfort in Adversity
Lord, Sorrow and mourning are much a function of my life. I know you never promised that my religion would protect me from trials and suffer, but you promised to be with me constantly, even in the valleys. Let me walk hand in hand with you as you turn my sorrows into your praise. You alone can bring smasher from ashes. May I always remember that grief and mourn will never have the end give voice because you will replace it with endless joy. In Jesus Name, Amen Trials will always be a part of our earthly lives, but when we consider what Isaiah 61:3 says, we have much hope. We can throw off our ashes and space a tiara on our heads. Most importantly, we can use our sorrow to point people to Jesus as we display his luster with our garments of praise. Related articles
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6 Simple Ways to Count Joy When Life Is Difficult
How Are Christians uniquely able to Shine Light in Difficult Times ?
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Ashley Hooker is a freelance writer who spends her time homeschooling her two children, ministering alongside her conserve as he pastors a rural church in West Virginia, and writing about her religion. presently, she is a contributing generator for Journey Christian magazine. She has taken part in mission trips with the NC Baptist Men during the devastation of Hurricanes Katrina and Harvey in Mississippi and Texas. In her local church, she has served on respective committees focusing in the area of evangelism along with traveling to West Virginia and Vermont to share the Gospel. Her dream is to spend her prison term compose and sharing the love of Christ with all she meets .
