ISAIAH 61
3. To grant (consolation and joy) to those who mourn in Zion, to give them an ornament – a garland or diadem of beauty instead of ashes, the oil of joy for mourning, the garment of praise instead of a heavy, burdened and failing spirit; that they may be called oaks of righteousness (lofty, strong and magnificent, distinguished for uprightness, justice and right standing with God), the planting of the Lord, that He may be glorified.
DEFINITIONS
Garment -c) vestment.
Vestment -d) garment wore by clergy during certain services.
The Lord is the One Who is granting consolation and joy to those who mourn in Zion. Why would they mourn in Zion? Zion is where the Lord dwells. It is where His presence is.
Psalm 50:2 Out of Zion, the perfection of beauty, God shines forth.
He is there so He will deliver in every way. What is a garment of praise? It is not just a garment. It is power. It is the covering that comes from the presence of God. It changes darkness into light. It makes joy and praise where there used to be a failing spirit full of burdens. He makes us strong like an oak tree.
He is the One doing the planting. He is a good Husbandman. He knows when to water and prune. He knows how much light we need. We can be sure that we will grow. What is the key to all of this attention? He says it is for those who mourn in Zion. Why would they be mourning?
When the Lord comes to dwell, He lights up the room. When He lights it up, all the dust and filth show up. He gets His spiritual broom and starts sweeping out sin and flesh and self. It is hard to see the things that He shows. We must be humble enough to see our sin and faults and ask Him to remove them and receive His power in their place. That is how repentance works. It is not fun. There is much mourning.
The end result is much joy. You forget what all the pain was about. He makes all of our waste places beautiful. He does it in such a unique way. The joy is unspeakable because there are no words for the good things He does when He comes to dwell. You forget the hard road it took to get there.
There are so many other blessings. But I believe the Garment of Praise is so very important. We must never take it off. We live in this world but have the capacity to dwell in the heavenly realm with Him which is Zion.
Revelation 12:12-13 says we are to be glad O heavens and you that dwell in them, but woe to the earth. We must keep our Garment of Praise on which at this time must include the wings of a giant eagle to help us fly away into the Spirit realm of the heavens where we are safe from the presence of the serpent. Praise opens the door. We must keep the door open.