Awake, awake, Oh Zion, clothe yourself with strength. Put on your garments of splendor, Oh Jerusalem, the holy city. The uncircumcised and defiled will not enter you again. Shake off your dust; rise up, sit enthroned, Oh Jerusalem. Free yourself from the chains on your neck, Oh captive Daughter of Zion” (Isa. 52:1–2)
In our previous discussion, we spoke about this scripture and how it aligns with us girls. We ended the discussion by saying that there are 7 steps to be taken towards our freedom. We will discuss those steps in detail today.
Awake
Shake off the slumber. When things are going wrong, it is a natural response to want to sleep and cover our heads hoping that when we wake up all will be well. I have been there more times than I would care to admit, but that does not change anything. In fact, while we are sleeping life passes us by.
Thessalonians 5:6, ESV So then let us not sleep, as others do, but let us keep awake and be sober.
Clothe yourself in strength
His strength, not your own
Put on your garments of splendor – there are so many things we are instructed to put on in the Bible. Here are a few garments of splendor:
The armour of God in Ephesians 6
The Lord Jesus in Romans 13:14
The armour of light in Romans 13:12 – to see where you are and where you are going
Then there are other garments such as a compassionate heart, kindness, humility, meekness, and patience” (Col. 3:12).
“And above all theseput on love, which binds everything together in perfect harmony” (Col. 3:14).
Shake off the dust
Dust, whether in your eyes or elsewhere, is very irritating, and often becomes a health hazard causing numerous allergies. When trying to get rid of it, whether by sweeping it away or shaking it out, it just causes more dust that settles somewhere else. So when getting rid of it, we need to make sure that we get rid of all of it. You often find dust in areas that have not been cleaned or used recently. Dust is often seen as a sign of abandonment. It is also a sign of the past or being forgotten. The daughter of Zion sits surrounded by dust, as if she has been forgotten and abandoned, but God has not forgotten nor abandoned her. This message from the messenger is proof of this. Do you feel forgotten or abandoned? Are there areas in your life that you may have forgotten about or abandoned? What about that dream in your heart that moved you to action? What about that calling you received when you were young? Have the years caused you to forget about it, simply because years have gone by and nothing has materialized. That is how I felt about Embracing EVE. I was 18 when I received the calling. At the writing of this post I am 57 years old. As the years went by I gave up on this dream. That was until I heard the message of the Isaiah 52. It took nearly 40 years for this dream to be realized, so it’s time for your dream to materialized as well. So heed the call and Shake Off the Dust that has gathered on that dream.
Rise up
When you have sat for a long time, it often takes some effort to rise up. The Daughter of Zion had been sitting in the dark cell for a very long time, so I understand her reluctance to respond to the word of the messenger. It may be the same with you. You may have been downtrodden for so long, that it is difficult for you to imagine rising up, but there is an invitation extended to you. Will you accept it, daring to believe that change is just around the corner. It is time to get up from the ash heap of life and become all He has called you to become. You have been called to reign so rise up.
Sit enthroned
The word “enthroned” means to be positioned somewhere where you look or feel important. That is a very interesting definition, since the Bible says that you are seated with Christ in heavenly places according to Ephesians 2 verse 6. I hear you say, “ Who me?” Yes you and why not you. You are that important to God, so take you rightful place and enjoy all the benefits that have been prepared for you.
Free yourself from the chains on your neck
Many times when we are called up to change our circumstances, we look around for others to help us. If we read the scripture again, we see that the messenger does not offer her any help. In fact, he just gives her the message and then leaves. Why would he do that? I believe he wanted her to realise that she had all she need to help herself, all the while leaning on the strength of the Lord. Remember, 2 Corinthians 12:9 KJV And he said unto me, My grace is sufficient for thee: for my strength is made perfect in weakness. …So if you are feeling weak, let Him become your strength.
So you see, you have everything you need to be free. Will it be easy? Probably not, but is will be well worth it. Read the scripture again, and allow faith to rise in your heart and hope to bubble over you again.
Awake, awake, Oh Zion, clothe yourself with strength. Put on your garments of splendor, Oh Jerusalem, the holy city. The uncircumcised and defiled will not enter you again. Shake off your dust; rise up, sit enthroned, Oh Jerusalem. Free yourself from the chains on your neck, Oh captive Daughter of Zion” (Isa. 52:1–2)
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