Robes of Restoration

April 22, 2022

It will take a dozen lifetimes to truly study every scripture from the Bible and study it and divine every possible meaning from it. Scripture is un-endingly complex. But so is its author. That’s why he wants us to spend eternity in his presence: our short lifespan won’t allow us to really touch or truly learn of his magnificence and power or his love and humility. 

Honestly if you go too much on it it can (and will) overwhelm you. So what do we do? Exactly what Yahweh says to do: take it one day at a time. He knew that even with a good thing it can derail  us if we focus too far into the future, so focus on today. Have goals for the future, yes, but focus on today. What is he asking us to do today? 

1. To trust him.
2. To worship him.
3. To help others.
4. Any specific task towards a future goal.
5. To spend time in him (his word).
6. To not worry about tomorrow.

Thank you for your instructions. Thank you for your vastness and your proximity. Thank you for all of who you are and the parts that we’re able to see. I’m looking forward to knowing more of you. 

Restoration: To bring back to a former position or condition.

But this is just the earth’s definition. With you, restoration is more than just being returned to a former position. 

Isaiah 61:4 – They who will rebuild the ancient ruins. They will restore the places destroyed long ago. They will renew the ruined cities, the places destroyed generations ago. 

This is just the beginning of restoration. But you know what is significant? What we have to do. 

There is a process to restoration and it requires a partnership between us and Yahweh (though truthfully the process starts with Yahweh and ends with him also).

Phase I:

(I’m an Urban Planner, we like phases). 

1. He heals the brokenhearted.
2. He sets captives free. 
3. He comforts those who are grieving.
4. He provides for them.
5. He clothes them and anoints them. 
6. He changes their name.

Isaiah 61:1-3 – The Spirit of the Almighty Lord is with me because the Lord has anointed me to deliver good news to humble people. He has sent me to heal those who are brokenhearted, to announce that captives will be set free and prisoners will be released.
He has sent me to announce the year of the Lord’s good will and the day of our God’s vengeance, to comfort all those who grieve.
He has sent me to provide for all those who grieve in Zion, to give them crowns instead of ashes, the oil of joy instead of tears of grief, and clothes of praise instead of a spirit of weakness. They will be called Oaks of Righteousness, the Plantings of the Lord, so that he might display his glory.

This first phase is both physical and spiritual, but Yahweh is the one making the moves. We have found favour in his sight and he has begun the process of restoration. Where most of us make a mistake though, is that we think this is it. It’s very good, mind you. Provision, no more grieving, given clothes of righteousness? Yes!! Sign me up! But Yahweh doesn’t want us to stop there.

Phase II:

This phase is on us. The last thing he gives us in Phase I is clothes of praise instead of a spirit of weakness. 

Note to Self: Praise gives me strength. After all Yahweh inhabits our praise.

What are we then called to do?

1. Rebuild the ancient ruins. 
2. Restore what was destroyed long ago. 
3. Renew the ruined  cities.

That’s what we are to do next. Yes we are bestowed blessings, but it’s not just for us to sit on his laurels. Truthfully that is not a bad place to be. We will be saved. The curses are broken, but Yahweh wants us to take this next step. We need to rebuild the family altar.  We need to restore the relationships that were destroyed. The walls of protection that existed before need to be rebuilt (hello, repairer of the breach). This phase speaks to our relations with others. Phase I is him restoring us. Phase II is us restoring others.

Isaiah 61:4 – They who will rebuild the ancient ruins. They will restore the places destroyed long ago. They will renew the ruined cities, the places destroyed generations ago. 

It’s funny to note that our part is small. Not insignificant ehhh, but small in comparison to the overall plan. But it’s actually the part that may take the longest. It’s a stage of preparation, of building. No building is truly built in a day. There’s planning, drawing, contractors etc. And this isn’t just a building. It’s buildings (ancient ruins -plural). It’s cities. It’s the walls around the cities. This is the part where we can lose hope. It’s not easy. It takes time. Things don’t always cooperate. But he has given us praise to strengthen us so through his strength we can persevere. 

Phase III:

Totally not our doing, but as a result of what we did in Phase II. When we restore what Yahweh has asked us to, it serves as a witness to others. Everyone wants to see the results of what has happened. 

1. Outsiders will come and work for you.
2. We will be called priest of the Lord. 
3. We will be called servants of the Lord.
4. The wealth of the nations (of those around you) would be at your disposal.

Isaiah 61:5-6 – Foreigners will come forward and become shepherds for your flocks, and children of foreigners will work your fields and vineyards.
You will be called the priests of the Lord. You will be called the servants of our God. You will consume the wealth of the nations. You will boast in their splendor.

When Yahweh starts the restoration process and we respond, others who don’t even believe will be provided for. 

Phase IV:

Yahweh’s turn again. He has seen your faithfulness. We didn’t just take what he initially offered and did nothing and so he responds again. What I love about this phase, he responds but so do we. 

1. Receive a double measure of wealth instead of shame.
2. In response. We sing about our wealth instead of disgrace. We will have everlasting joy. 
3. He rewards our work and makes a promise. A new Covenant. 
4. The descendants will be known throughout the nation. 

The blessings don’t just extend to the foreigners around, it continues to the generations to come. 

Isaiah 61:7-9 – You will receive a double measure of wealth instead of your shame. You will sing about your wealth instead of being disgraced. That is why you will have a double measure of wealth in your land. You will have everlasting joy.
I, the Lord, love justice. I hate robbery and wrongdoing. I will faithfully reward my people’s work. I will make an everlasting promise [a] to them.
Then their offspring will be known among the nations and their descendants among the people. Everyone who sees them will recognize that they are the descendants whom the Lord has blessed

Our actions today will leave either a blessing or a curse for our generations to come. 

Phase V:

This is a response to what Yahweh has done and what he is doing. What is amazing, he didn’t say don’t rejoice in the physical blessings. In fact, he says to sing about it, but in the end, we need to look upon the giver. Restoration is completed. 

1. Find joy in the Lord (rejoice: is reminiscent of a heard rejoicing, call). We can’t keep silent. 
2. Delight in the Lord (to go round about. We spend time with him). 
3. Wrapped in clothes of salvation. 
4. Wrapped in robes of righteousness. Like a bridegroom’s turban and a bride with her jewels.
5. Crops will grow from our own garden.
6. Righteousness and praise will spring up in front of all the nations. 

We will rejoice in Yahweh and in this final stage our clothes are changed. We had clothes of praise before, now we have clothes of salvation and righteousness. He was preparing us for marriage: the complete restoration to him. When the full restoration has happened, marriage (bride and groom) is the final proclamation of the restoration. When the earth is restored, a marriage is celebrated (Revelation 22:17 – The Spirit and the who? Bride).

There will be rejoicing and delights. I will delight: he has clothed me. There are intimate moments, but the results of these moments will spring up in front of the nations. All will see the restoration and will be blessed by it. 

Isaiah 61:10-11 – I will find joy in the Lord. I will delight in my God. He has dressed me in the clothes of salvation. He has wrapped me in the robe of righteousness like a bridegroom with a priest’s turban, like a bride with her jewels.
Like the ground that brings forth its crops and like a garden that makes the seed in it grow, so the Almighty Lord will make righteousness and praise spring up in front of all nations.

Thank you Yahweh for your complete restoration. Not just in heaven and the new earth, but the restoration that you also initiate and complete here. This earth as it is, is not our final home, it’s not where our focus should be. But what I am being reminded of more and more, that while yes we will have trials and tribulations because we currently live in a sinful world, it’s not that you want us to be miserable while we are here. You want us to rejoice in you. To be planted in you. To build and rebuild. To sing, to have wealth instead of shame. To delight in you.

Yahweh, thank you for your restoration. Thank you for starting and finishing the process. Thank you for who you are. For anointing us to do your will. Yahweh help me to respond as you have called me to. Thank you for your expressions of love to me. What I have to do, my love pales in comparison, but I am thankful for your robes of righteousness that covers my efforts and allows me to stand with you. Thank you for being so awesome. I love you.