Letters From Grandpa #534

• LETTERS FROM GRANDPA
• 534

Dearest grandchild,

Today’ letter will be about the promise of God that Jesus would give you a crown of beauty instead of ashes (Isaiah 61:3).

To help us understand this promise let us consider the story in the Bible about a beautiful girl named Tamar. She was the daughter of King David and sister of Absalom. (Her story is recorded in 2 Samuel 13:1-22) Amnon was the firstborn son of David and he fell madly in love with Tamar who was his half sister. In fact, he devised a plan to rape her. To accomplish this evil deed he pretended to be sick. Then he asked his father, King David, to have Tamar fix a meal for him. When Tamar obeyed the king, Amnon asked everyone to leave them alone. That’s when he raped her. Then, adding insult to injury, after raping her “Amnon hated her more than he loved her.” (2 Samuel 13:15).

Then “He called his personal servant and said, “Get this woman out of my sight and bolt the door after her.” So his servant put her out and bolted the door after her. She was wearing an ornate robe, for this was the kind of garment the virgin daughters of the king wore. Tamar put ashes on her head and tore the ornate robe she was wearing. She put her hands on her head and went away, weeping aloud as she went.” (2 Samuel 13:17-19) How sad! How unbelievably sad!

Ashes are a symbol of sorrow and trouble! That’s why Tamar put ashes on her head! There are many other examples in the Bible associating ashes with sorrow and trouble. When Mordecai learned that all his fellow Jews were going to be killed he tore his clothes, put on sackcloth and ashes, and wailed loudly (Esther 4:1-3). When Satan afflicted Job with painful sores Job was near death and sat among the ashes (Job 2:8). When Nineveh was about to be destroyed the king of Nineveh took off his royal robes and sat sown in ashes (Jonah 3:6). When Jerusalem was about to be destroyed its citizens put on sackcloth and rolled in ashes (Jeremiah 6:26). When Jeremiah realized that Jerusalem would be desolate for seventy years he also fasted and prayed in sackcloth and ashes (Daniel 9:2-3). Etc. The “good news” is that Jesus has promised to give beauty for ashes!

This happened when Jesus taught in his home town synagogue in Nazareth. Jesus was asked to give the lesson and He asked for the scroll of the prophet Isaiah. (See Luke 4:14-30) He chose to read was from Isaiah 61:1-2. Here is the passage and we have taking the liberty of including verse 3.

“The Spirit of the Sovereign Lord is on me, because the Lord has anointed me to proclaim good news to the poor. He has sent me to bind up the brokenhearted, to proclaim freedom for the captives and release from darkness for the prisoners, to proclaim the year of the Lord’s favor and the day of vengeance of our God, to comfort all who mourn, and provide for those who grieve in Zion—to bestow on them a crown of beauty instead of ashes, the oil of joy instead of mourning, and a garment of praise instead of a spirit of despair. They will be called oaks of righteousness, a planting of the Lord for the display of his splendor.” (Isaiah 61:1-3)

After Jesus read these words “Then he rolled up the scroll, gave it back to the attendant and sat down. The eyes of everyone in the synagogue were fastened on him. He began by saying to them, “Today this scripture is fulfilled in your hearing.” (Luke 4:20-21) Jesus came to earth to fulfill this prophecy which specifically promises that He would help people who were in trouble! Don’t ever forget that Jesus loves you and is ready to help you when you get in trouble!

The original sin in Eden involved Satan’s lie that God doesn’t love us. As “proof” of his “lie” Satan pointed to the tree of the knowledge of “good and evil” with forbidden fruit. Adam and Eve, of course, already knew what was “good”. Everything God created was “good”. The problem was that they had no idea what “evil” was so Satan tricked them into wanting it. Soon, to their eternal regret, they were pulling weeds, suffering pain, facing death, digging graves, and shedding tears. That is the very nature of evil. God does love us and the only thing He forbids is something that is not good!

PLEASE DON’T EVER DOUBT GOD’S LOVE FOR YOU! Here is what some call the “Golden Verse” in the Bible! “For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life. For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but to save the world through him.” (John 3;16-17)

Job said that “Man is born to trouble like the sparks fly upward.” (Job 5:7) Yes! You will have trouble! The “Good News” is that Jesus, specializes in helping people who are in trouble. Centuries before Jesus was born Isaiah predicted would help the “poor”, the “brokenhearted”, the “captives”, the “prisoners”, those who “mourn”, and those who “grieve.” If any of these problems include you, get ready for a blessing. If you will come to Jesus for help He promises to bestow on you a crown of beauty instead of ashes, the oil of joy instead of mourning, and a garment of praise instead of a spirit of despair.

NOBODY EVER REGRETS COMING TO JESUS FOR HELP!

I love you,

Grandpa Boyce