Not all holidays are a happy celebration of a great event. In Israel this week, Tisha B’Av (the 9th of Av on the Jewish calendar) is a day of mourning and fasting for calamities that have befallen the Jewish people throughout history on this specific date. Most notably, both Solomon’s Temple (587 BCE) and the Second Temple (70 CE) were destroyed and burned with fire on the 9th of Av.
Also on this date, the Bar Kokhba Revolt was crushed on the 9th of Av in the second century, resulting in over half a million Jews being killed. And the Jews were expelled from England (1290 CE), France (1306 CE), Spain (1492 CE), and besieged in the Warsaw Ghetto (1942 CE) on this same day of the year!
No wonder this day evokes feelings of doom and foreboding for the Jewish people. Many fast and pray, remembering the past tragedies and seeking God’s protection from such events in the future. In Israel, this is a National Day of Mourning. Yet the Lord desires to give His people something beautiful in exchange for their sorrow. The Lord of Hosts declared:
The fast of the fourth month, the fast of the fifth [Tisha B’Av], the fast of the seventh, and the fast of the tenth, shall be joy and gladness and cheerful feasts for the house of Judah. Therefore love truth and peace. (Zechariah 8:19)
God has made a provision to change not only this day but every day from a day of dark woe to a beautiful celebration of joy for not only the Jewish people but all people who will embrace His Messiah. For Yeshua Himself, in Luke 4:16-21, fulfilled Isaiah’s prophetic proclamation,
The Spirit of the Lord God is upon Me, because the Lord has anointed Me to preach good tidings to the poor; He has sent Me to heal the brokenhearted, to proclaim liberty to the captives, and the opening of the prison to those who are bound; to proclaim the acceptable year of the LORD, and the day of vengeance of our God; to comfort all who mourn, to console those who mourn in Zion, to give them beauty for ashes, the oil of joy for mourning, the garment of praise for the spirit of heaviness… (Isaiah 61:1-3)
This phrase “beauty for ashes” is intriguing. What does this mean? What does it look like? The best of all we have to offer God is like filthy rags, like ashes, nothing of value. Yet God receives our worthlessness, our hurts, our sorrows, our bondages and exchanges it for something beautiful. He transforms our lives into something precious and lovely and priceless when we humble ourselves and surrender our hearts to Him.
For the LORD takes pleasure in His people; He will beautify the humble with salvation. (Psalm 149:4)
Salvation is the first and most important step in making us into beautiful vessels of honor for His purposes. Then, we are called to be beautiful in holiness, to live in a way that reflects God’s love to others so they too can be drawn to Yeshua and transformed. And how do we do this? What do we do that exhibits the beauty of holiness? The Scriptures give us four ways that our holiness is beautiful to our Father:
Our Worship
First, our worship and praises are beautiful to God.
Give unto the LORD the glory due to His name; worship the LORD in the beauty of holiness. (Psalm 29:2)
Rejoice in the LORD, O you righteous! For praise from the upright is beautiful. (Psalm 33:1)
Our Works
Second, our physical service is beautiful to the Lord. We can bless God with more than an offering of our finances. We can give a tithe our time to the Lord as well. What we do for Yeshua counts both now and in His eternal kingdom.
And let the beauty of the LORD our God be upon us, and establish the work of our hands for us; Yes, establish the work of our hands. (Psalm 90:17)
Your people shall be volunteers in the day of Your power; In the beauties of holiness, from the womb of the morning, You have the dew of Your youth. (Psalm 110:3)
Our Walk
The way we live in this world is beautiful to God when we honor Him in our daily lifestyle.
Do not let your adornment be merely outward—arranging the hair, wearing gold, or putting on fine apparel–Rather let it be the hidden person of the heart, with the incorruptible beauty of a gentle and quiet spirit, which is very precious in the sight of God. (1 Peter 3:3-4)
Our Witness
Finally, our testimony that we share with others reflects the beauty that God gives us to attract others to our Savior’s offer of salvation.
How beautiful upon the mountains are the feet of him who brings good news, who proclaims peace, who brings glad tidings of good things, who proclaims salvation, who says to Zion, “Your God reigns!” (Isaiah 52:7)
So when you look in the mirror today, don’t focus on your flaws. Instead, remind yourself that you are beautiful and precious in the Lord’s sight. Lift up your voice of praise and thank the Father for His transforming work in your life. And may the beauty of holiness be evident on your face as you step out to face the world to shine for Yeshua. Be blessed in all you set your hand to do today!
–dmrf