“Awake, awake, Zion, clothe yourself with strength! Put on your garments of splendor… ” -Isaiah 52:1 NIV
Did you know that the context of this scripture was written during an era when God’s people were chained up and held in captivity? It’s true. God is saying through the writer, freedom is on the horizon!
The thing I find most interesting is that the plan for freedom is heard in the words “Awake, awake”. For Gods people to be free from all captivity and oppression, we need to make sure we are awake! I know what you’re thinking…or I think I do? You’re already awake aren’t you? Obviously, this is figurative so it’s not snaying we are asleep physically. God is saying for us to live in freedom, and to be clothed with strength and splendor, we need to wake up to understanding!
Watch this! He tells them to clothe themselves with strength and garments of splendor. Two important factors in this are words to live by…
1) You must clothe yourself. No one else can dress you, you must dress yourself.
2) What does it mean to put on garments of strength and splendor? The answer rest within the subject of righteousness!
If freedom will come, it will come to those with understanding of how to put on the righteousness of Christ as you would a garment. We should understand that righteousness is a gift given to us by believing in Christ, however, we ourselves are responsible to put it on; wear the gift like a garment of His strength and glory.
“Shake off your dust; rise up, sit enthroned, Jerusalem. Free yourself from the chains on your neck, O captive Daughter of Zion, now a captive.” -Isaiah 52:2
Look at the powerful things that happen from captivity to freedom as a result of understanding to get up and clothe yourselves with Him and His righteousness!
“Shake off your dust”, “Rise up”, “Sit-enthroned”, “Free yourself from the chains on your neck”.
This is why righteousness becomes the main factor in warfare. If you can dress yourself with the righteousness of Jesus, you can shake off the dust of your past or present, you can rise up to new heights in your lifestyle, you can exercise authority and power! These are all restoration concepts! We just need to wake up to this understanding of Who He is (Jesus) and What He brings to our lives as believers. God has given us the ability to change and go back to reclaim what has been lost.