Pastor Rev. Steven Wagner Telephone: 573-437-5190

Rt 3, Owensville MO. 65066

BEAUTY, OIL, PRAISE

Scripture: Isa 61:1-3

(Isa 61:1 KJV) The spirit of the Lord GOD is upon me; because the LORD hath anointed me to preach good tidings unto the meek; he hath sent me to bind up the brokenhearted, to proclaim liberty to the captives, and the opening of the prison to them that are bound;

(Isa 61:2 KJV) To proclaim the acceptable year of the LORD, and the day of vengeance of our God; to comfort all that mourn;

(Isa 61:3 KJV) To appoint unto them that mourn in Zion, to give unto them beauty for ashes, the oil of joy for mourning, the garment of praise for the spirit of heaviness; that they might be called trees of righteousness, the planting of the LORD, that he might be glorified.

A. Isa 61:1 is talking about the Lord Jesus Christ coming to bless all people especially those in need, to be a salvation to all man kind.

B. Isa 61:2 is proclaiming that now is the expectable time of the Lord, now is the day of salvation,

a. Jesus has come that he might comfort all that mourn.

C. Isa 61:3 ties all three verses together, "to appoint unto them that mourn in Zion"

a. What does mourn mean? and what does Zion mean?

1. Mourn= anguish, wail, lament, cry, etc.

2. Zion= Zion was used by biblical writers in a variety of ways. Many of the psalmists used the term to refer to the Temple built by Solomon (2:6; 48:2; 84:7; 132:13).

(Isa 61:3 KJV) To appoint unto them that mourn in Zion, to give unto them beauty for ashes, the oil of joy for mourning, the garment of praise for the spirit of heaviness; that they might be called trees of righteousness, the planting of the LORD, that he might be glorified.

A. Beauty for ashes, what does ashes mean?

a. Ashes is a place you find yourself when every thing has gone wrong,

b. Your enemy is about to destroy you, you have just sinned and fill like you have failed God, you are overwhelmed by every day pressures in this life, you don't no where to turn etc.

c. Literally it is a place where you have your back up to the wall and your crying out for someone to help you.

d. Ashes was a symbol in the Bible of being in deep mouning about something

e. It symbolized you were serious about something, you were laying before God everything and pleading for his mercy, pleading for his help.

B. Bible examples:

(Est 4:1 KJV) When Mordecai perceived all that was done, Mordecai rent his clothes, and put on sackcloth with ashes, and went out into the midst of the city, and cried with a loud and a bitter cry;

(Est 4:2 KJV) And came even before the king's gate: for none might enter into the king's gate clothed with sackcloth.

(Est 4:3 KJV) And in every province, whithersoever the king's commandment and his decree came, there was great mourning among the Jews, and fasting, and weeping, and wailing; and many lay in sackcloth and ashes.

(Est 8:15 KJV) And Mordecai went out from the presence of the king in royal apparel of blue and white, and with a great crown of gold, and with a garment of fine linen and purple: and the city of Shushan rejoiced and was glad.

(Est 9:22 KJV) As the days wherein the Jews rested from their enemies, and the month which was turned unto them from sorrow to joy, and from mourning into a good day: that they should make them days of feasting and joy, and of sending portions one to another, and gifts to the poor.

(Psa 30:11 KJV) Thou hast turned for me my mourning into dancing: thou hast put off my sackcloth, and girded me with gladness;

(Isa 12:1 KJV) And in that day thou shalt say, O LORD, I will praise thee: though thou wast angry with me, thine anger is turned away, and thou comfortedst me.

(Ezek 16:8 KJV) Now when I passed by thee, and looked upon thee, behold, thy time was the time of love; and I spread my skirt over thee, and covered thy nakedness: yea, I sware unto thee, and entered into a covenant with thee, saith the Lord GOD, and thou becamest mine.

(Ezek 16:9 KJV) Then washed I thee with water; yea, I thoroughly washed away thy blood from thee, and I anointed thee with oil.

(Ezek 16:10 KJV) I clothed thee also with broidered work, and shod thee with badgers' skin, and I girded thee about with fine linen, and I covered thee with silk.

(Ezek 16:11 KJV) I decked thee also with ornaments, and I put bracelets upon thy hands, and a chain on thy neck.

(Ezek 16:12 KJV) And I put a jewel on thy forehead, and earrings in thine ears, and a beautiful crown upon thine head.

(Ezek 16:13 KJV) Thus wast thou decked with gold and silver; and thy raiment was of fine linen, and silk, and broidered work; thou didst eat fine flour, and honey, and oil: and thou wast exceeding beautiful, and thou didst prosper into a kingdom.

C. So when the scripture says To appoint unto them that mourn in Zion, to give unto them beauty for ashes, it is saying that Jesus has appointed to every child of God that will trust him in there problems, bad times, catastrophes, that will cry out MOURN that he will give them beauty for ashes.

a. he will bless them with far more than we could ever expect.

A. Oil symbolizes the anointing of the Holy Spirit.

a. actually this means the presence of God, his power, his strength, his ministry is merged into your earthly body and you become anointed by God.

b. When we mourn, when we go to Zion and cry out to God he will anoint us with his spirit and we are able to stand, we are able to fight, we are able to minister above our problems, above the things we are going through, to rise above those things around us and

c. like the psalmist David pray this prayer

(Psa 23:5 KJV) Thou preparest a table before me in the presence of mine enemies: thou anointest my head with oil; my cup runneth over.

(Psa 45:7 KJV) Thou lovest righteousness, and hatest wickedness: therefore God, thy God, hath anointed thee with the oil of gladness above thy fellows.

d. Instead of being down hearted, discouraged, and beaten we need to go to that place of mourning and allow Jesus to anoint us with oil and rise above it as this scriptures says,

(Eccl 9:8 KJV) Let thy garments be always white; and let thy head lack no ointment.

(John 16:20 KJV) Verily, verily, I say unto you, That ye shall weep and lament, but sthe world shall rejoice: and ye shall be sorrowful, but your sorrow shall be turned into joy.

A. God has given us a very unique piece of clothing we can wear.

a. Its called a garment of praise

b. Most people think praise is something you do when you come to church, or something you can do or not.

c. Praise is a weapon against the enemy, it is a very special garment that is like putting on the superman costume we are transformed into something, somebody else.

d. It is a peace of armor to fight off Satan as in Eph 6

(Eph 6:10 KJV) Finally, my brethren, be strong in the Lord, and in the power of his might.

(Eph 6:11 KJV) Put on the whole armour of God, that ye may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil.

(Eph 6:12 KJV) For we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high places.

(Eph 6:13 KJV) Wherefore take unto you the whole armour of God, that ye may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand.

(Eph 6:14 KJV) Stand therefore, having your loins girt about with truth, and having on the breastplate of righteousness;

(Eph 6:15 KJV) And your feet shod with the preparation of the gospel of peace;

(Eph 6:16 KJV) Above all, taking the shield of faith, wherewith ye shall be able to quench all the fiery darts of the wicked.

(Eph 6:17 KJV) And take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God:

(Eph 6:18 KJV) Praying always with all prayer and supplication in the Spirit, and watching thereunto with all perseverance and supplication for all saints;

e. It lifts our heaviness,

f. Satan can't stay where gods people are praising God,

B. Praise is our battle weapon

(2 Chr 20:21 KJV) And when he had consulted with the people, he appointed singers unto the LORD, and that should praise the beauty of holiness, as they went out before the army, and to say, Praise the LORD; for his mercy endureth for ever.

(2 Chr 20:22 KJV) And when they began to sing and to praise, the LORD set ambushments against the children of Ammon, Moab, and mount Seir, which were come against Judah; and they were smitten.

a. In Isa 61:3 it says Jesus has come to give us a garment of praise for the spirit of heaviness, he means that if we will come to Zion the place of prayer and praise him he will fight our battles for us and we will be overcomers.

b. To many times we want to do all the fighting, we want to take it into our own hands, but God has given us the only weapon we need and that is praise.

c. (Isa 61:10 KJV) I will greatly rejoice in the LORD, my soul shall be joyful in my God; for he hath clothed me with the garments of salvation, he hath covered me with the robe of righteousness, as a bridegroom decketh himself with ornaments, and as a bride adorneth herself with her jewels.

A. In Isa 61:3 it says

(Isa 61:3 KJV) To appoint unto them that mourn in Zion, to give unto them beauty for ashes, the oil of joy for mourning, the garment of praise for the spirit of heaviness; that they might be called trees of righteousness, the planting of the LORD, that he might be glorified.

a. The next words describes what will happen if we choose to participate in the previous words of God.

b. If we mourn in Zion, If we put on beauty instead of ashes, If we receive the oil, and if we put on the garment of praise, THEN AND ONLY THEN, will we be able to be called the trees of righteousness, and bring glory to God.

c. You see we are like trees planted in Gods Kingdom and we receive our nurturing from the Lord from, mourning, anointing and praise to God.

d. Only when we do these things and grow does it bring glory to God.

B. Lets look at some scripture:

(Jer 17:7 KJV) Blessed is the man that trusteth in the LORD, and whose hope the LORD is.

(Jer 17:8 KJV) For he shall be as a tree planted by the waters, and that spreadeth out her roots by the river, and shall not see when heat cometh, but her leaf shall be green; and shall not be careful in the year of drought, neither shall cease from yielding fruit.

a. You see if we are planted by the Lord and allowing him to feed our roots our spirits our souls then it doesn't matter what comes our way God will protect and take care of us.

(Psa 92:12 KJV) The righteous shall flourish like the palm tree: he shall grow like a cedar in Lebanon.

(Psa 92:13 KJV) Those that be planted in the house of the LORD shall flourish in the courts of our God.

(Psa 92:14 KJV) They shall still bring forth fruit in old age; they shall be fat and flourishing;

(Psa 92:15 KJV) To show that the LORD is upright: he is my rock, and there is no unrighteousness in him.

(Isa 60:21 KJV) Thy people also shall be all righteous: they shall inherit the land for ever, the branch of my planting, the work of my hands, that I may be glorified.

b. We can not survive without going to Zion to the place of mourning, and anointing, and praise, because that is where we receive our food to survive.

(John 15:5 KJV) I am the vine, ye are the branches: He that abideth in me, and I in him, the same bringeth forth much fruit: for without me ye can do nothing.

(Mat 5:16 KJV) Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father which is in heaven.

(John 15:8 KJV) Herein is my Father glorified, that ye bear much fruit; so shall ye be my disciples.

a. We can't bring forth good fruit unless we are living in that place to be fed by Jesus Christ.

(1 Cor 6:20 KJV) For ye are bought with a price: therefore glorify God in your body, and in your spirit, which are God's.

(2 Th 1:10 KJV) When he shall come to be glorified in his saints, and to be admired in all them that believe (because our testimony among you was believed) in that day.

(1 Pet 2:9 KJV) But ye are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, an holy nation, a peculiar people; that ye should show forth the praises of him who hath called you out of darkness into his marvellous light: