Isaiah 61:10-11

The Anointed One Is Clothed Suitably For His Task (Isaiah 61:10).

Isaiah 61:10

‘I will greatly rejoice in Yahweh,

My inner being will be joyful in my God,

For he has clothed me with the garments of salvation,

He has covered me with a robe of righteousness,

As a bridegroom puts on as a priest his head-dress,

And as a bride adorns herself with her jewels.

For as the earth brings forth her bud,

And as the garden causes the things that are sown in it to spring forth,

So the Lord Yahweh will cause righteousness and praise,

To spring forth before all the nations.'

Again we have the sudden change of person. The Anointed One now describes His joy in God. The thought of Yahweh takes over His heart. And this is because of the glorious task that He has had assigned to Him. In Isaiah 59:17 the Mighty Warrior put on righteousness as a breastplate, and a helmet of salvation on His head, but now He does not go forward to do battle, but in order to produce fruitfulness. For this He clothes Himself with priestly garments of salvation, including the priest's head-dress, and covers Himself with a robe of righteousness like a bride decking herself with jewels. They are the same basic attributes but worn in a totally different situation, a time of priestly activity and celebration instead of in a time of battle. He is at the equivalent of a wedding feast, clothed ready for the final sealing of the everlasting covenant at the covenant ceremony, accomplished through His priestly ministration (compare Revelation 19:7; Revelation 21:2).

‘As a bridegroom dons as a priest His head-dress, and as a bride adorns herself with her jewels.' The Anointed One likens Himself to a priestly bridegroom. He is priest to His people, and loves them. He also likens Himself to the bride wearing her jewels. He is suitably clothed for His purpose. It is salvation that is represented by His priestly head-dress, and righteousness that is represented by His jewels. It is clear that as a Priest the salvation is blood bought, tying in with chapter 53, and that as a bride it is based on righteousness.

So the Anointed One knows that salvation for His own is still a necessity and righteousness must be at the root of it all, but now both have been accomplished and made available. Being clothed in salvation and righteousness indicates that He has been given both to dispense as He wills. Rights in them are now provided to Him for Him to pass on. The righteous Servant can as a result of His own sacrifice of Himself make many to be accounted righteous (Isaiah 53:11) and can finalise His deliverance to His seed (Isaiah 53:10) in accordance with Yahweh's will.

It is to be like a new beginning, the buds breaking forth, the garden vegetation blooming, as the sovereign Lord Yahweh causes righteousness and praise to spring forth before the nations. In view of what is said earlier we may connect this with the general pouring out of the Spirit on His own true people (Isaiah 32:15; Isaiah 44:1) in which He reveals His sovereignty, and on the bringing of light to the Gentiles (Isaiah 42:6; Isaiah 49:6). Thus the nations beholding His people, both Israelites and Gentiles, recognise that they have been first accounted righteous and then made righteous, and give praise to Yahweh on their behalf. It is noteworthy that whereas here the picture of the bridegroom is connected with the Anointed One, in Isaiah 62:5 it is connected with Yahweh Himself.

Alternately we might see Isaiah 61:10 as spoken by the redeemed through the mouth of Isaiah, as he rejoices in God's provision for him. God has taken away his filthy rags (Isaiah 64:6) and replaced them with the garments of salvation and the robe of righteousness. Thus instead of misery he has the joy of his coming union with God, and can look forward to the revivifying of God's people as righteousness and praise spring forth before all nations.