What Are the Oaks of Righteousness and Why Do They Give Us Hope?
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When my husband and I went on our honeymoon we were able to stay at a beautiful resort. As we walked and biked around, we would see large oak trees standing tall behind plaques with names of former presidents of the United States. Each president who visited the property planted an oak tree. The first presidential oak was planted by President Calvin Coolidge in 1928. As I stood in awe of the varying oaks that were firmly planted in the ground, it reminded me of their strength through storms, hurricanes, and long lives. Isaiah 61 talks about believers being oaks of righteousness. As we study the concept of an oak tree today, may we have a greater appreciation for the meaning of this statement.
What Is the Meaning of the Oaks of Righteousness?
The meaning of oaks of righteousness is that we are solidly founded in Christ no matter what hardships come our way. The word oaks, ’ê·lê, occurs four times in the Bible. It refers to mighty men (Exodus 15:15, Ezekiel 17:13), rams (Isaiah 60:7), and trees. (Isaiah 61:3) Each one of these translations all comes down to the concept of strength and stability.
Lori Stanley Roeleveld from Crosswalk shares, “This promise of comfort and of calling to be oaks of righteousness is for all who call on the name of Jesus. Our mourning or lament over sin is replaced with the oil of gladness and the garment of praise because of Jesus. Through His righteousness, we become oaks of righteousness.”
What Is the Context of Isaiah 61?
It is important that we always look at the context to see if a promise of God still applies to us today. Isaiah wrote this to God’s people mourning in Zion. However, this message of hope can be confidently applied to the lives of every person who places faith in Jesus. Many times, the enemy wants us to view ourselves as weak and incapable. What our God tells us though, is that we are oaks, we are strong and firm because of Him as our foundation. Even in trials and sadness, we have Christ with us.
We see over and over again that the righteous (Those redeemed by God) will never be shaken. (See Psalm 12:3, Psalm 55:22, Psalm 62:2, Psalm 62:6, Psalm 112:6, Proverbs 10:30, and Acts 2:25).
Isaiah 61:3 says, “To grant to those who mourn in Zion— to give them a beautiful headdress instead of ashes, the oil of gladness instead of mourning, the garment of praise instead of a faint spirit; that they may be called oaks of righteousness, the planting of the Lord, that he may be glorified.”
In the midst of their mourning, the Lord gave them the image of a tree. From the beginning of time, a tree has been a symbol of life. I love how in our brokenness God reminds us through Isaiah that we have new life and can have joy in Him.
Where Else Does the Bible Use Tree Imagery?
The Bible uses tree imagery throughout. From the very beginning, God created the tree of life and the tree of the knowledge of good and evil (Genesis 2:9).
The tree that is planted by the water (Psalm 1:3).
Wisdom is described as a tree of life (Proverbs 3:18).
Solomon calls his bride an “apple tree among the trees” (Song of Solomon 2:3).
Fig trees are examples of fortresses (Nahum 3:12).
There are many times in the New Testament that talk about knowing a tree by its fruits (Matthew 7:17-19, Matthew 12:33, Luke 6:43-44).
Jesus once withered a fig tree that did not produce fruit (Matthew 21:19-21).
When Jesus called the disciple Nathanael, He mentioned seeing him under the fig tree (John 1:50).
And let us not forget that Jesus Himself was killed on a tree (Acts 5:30, Galatians 3:13, 1 Peter 2:24).
Olive trees are mentioned throughout Scripture. A particular example is those grafted into the family of faith that Gentiles (Romans 11).
The Tree of Life in Heaven stands in the middle of the city streets and bears 12 fruits. (Revelation 22:2).
Why Should We Take Hope in the Oaks of Righteousness?
We should take great hope in the oaks of righteousness verse because it gives us the perspective of trusting that God is greater than our difficulties. Not only is He mighty, but He also makes us mighty oaks, modeling Him. Though we experience intense pain, overwhelming sadness, or crippling anxiety, we can be reminded that our life trials are not the foundation from which we stand. We stand on the Rock, our God who anchors us into the ground by His sacrifice on the cross. He holds us steady, and He keeps us grounded.
This world is coming against Christ. Believers around the world experience persecution and oppression in some way, shape, or form. However, if we can look at and memorize Bible verses like Isaiah 61:3, we can fight back the attacks. Even in some of the most difficult storms, oak trees remain. Florida is a state known for its hurricanes. The University of Florida Gardening Solutions says, “Research conducted by University of Florida scientists showed that sand live oaks are the most resistant to wind damage.”
Oak trees are also long-lasting. We do not only keep the benefits of being God’s children at salvation, but we embrace them each day. He carries us the distance. He helps us to grow deeper in His Word, stretches out further to others around us, and reach up higher towards the callings He has set before us.
At first thought, a tree appears immobile in my mind. However, a tree is constantly soaking up nutrients and growing deeper roots that we cannot always see. In those times alone with the Lord when no one is watching, He is pruning us and strengthening our roots in Him. Then as we look over the years, we see significant growth in width and height.
Tree to My Door says, “The Oak Tree can live up to 1000 years old but are generally mature at 75, and live on average 150-250 years.” This tells me that oak trees are enduring and steady. This reveals that when the Lord intentionally used the term oak tree of righteousness, that our standing as children of God is eternal and guaranteed by the blood of Jesus.
What are you mourning over right now? Are you feeling pressed from every direction? 2 Corinthians 4:8-10 reminds us, “We are hard-pressed on every side, but not crushed; perplexed, but not in despair; persecuted, but not abandoned; struck down, but not destroyed. We always carry around in our body the death of Jesus, so that the life of Jesus may also be revealed in our body.” Oak trees do not avoid the darkness of the storms, but they stand secure and survive them. We might feel as if life is overtaking us, but when we have Jesus, we are safe in His arms.
For the Lord to compare you and me to an oak is a great honor and a joy. The power of Christ lives in us to walk with us through any circumstance. We have the hope that we can stand firm and stand up confidently. We can be authentic to Christ in our difficulties and be reminded of our identities in Him.
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