Oaks of Righteousness: Isaiah 61:3

One of our favorite verses at Rooted and Grounded, is Isaiah 61:3, where Isaiah refers to God’s people as “Oaks of Righteousness” and His people as displays of His splendor as we are planted by the Lord. Rooted and Grounded’s mission has been to create beautiful art that is a reminder and an inspiration of God’s word. The name, “Rooted and Grounded,” is based off of Ephesians 3:17 that talks about being rooted and grounded in God’s love. Isaiah 61:3 fits perfectly alongside that! The Lord wants to plant us in his love and His word so that we can grow as strong as the mighty oak! 

Oaks of Righteousness meaning

Through Jesus’ death on the cross and His resurrection, we have been made the righteousness of God in Christ Jesus. Now, for those who are in Christ, we are a new creation and God only sees his righteousness when he looks at us. As we are rooted and grounded in the Word of God, we can now grow up in grace and wisdom of God and become “oaks of righteousness” before the Lord! Oaks give such a visual representation of strength and beauty and a large oak would require many roots, deep into the ground to keep the tree strong and steady. 

The Lord is always so good to give us parables and great visuals of what he is trying to teach us in His word. Isaiah 61 is the same, and gives us a picture of how God wants to provide for His people. God is so good and is always ready to exchange our weaknesses for his strength. This image of the tree is just the same. The mighty oak draws from the soil it is planted in, and grows and grows, from glory to glory until it is strong in those roots and immovable. Strong winds and storms no longer sway the mighty oak, for its roots are strong at the foundation. Just the same, the Lord wants us to dig down deep and get close to Him, so that nothing can sway or move us!

What is the righteousness that God desires?  

2 Corinthians 5:21 says that we have been made the righteousness of God through Christ. What a wonderful thing it is to know that when we come to God as believers in Christ, that God already sees us as righteous! Isn’t that awesome? When we get rooted and grounded down into God’s word, we can grow up and be as tall and strong as a mighty oak! As Isaiah 61 says the Lord freely gives beauty for ashes, joy instead of mourning and praise instead of despair. He is such a good God that leads us from despair and ashes and mourning, and grows us into the strongest of oaks! 

Who was Isaiah in the Bible?

Isaiah was a Hebrew prophet of the Lord. He lived around 700 years before the birth of Christ and famously gave many prophecies that Jesus went on to fulfill, as the son of God and the Messiah. The book of Isaiah is full of wisdom and prophecy based on the deep covenant bond between Israel, God’s people, and the Lord. Isaiah 61 is often titled “The Year of the Lord’s Favor” and is all about God’s goodness to us, and how He redeems and restores us back to Him. Isaiah proclaimed many of God’s promises to us as His people and it is such a powerful book of the Bible to study and read over and over again. 

For More Biblical Inspiration

We hope this commentary on the “Oaks of Righteousness” verse - Isaiah 61:3 is uplifting and encourages you to draw on the Lord’s strength and grow in Him. He is so patient and kind to us and longs to see us strong in the roots of His love for us. 

Just like the Isaiah 61 verse 3 art, Rooted and Grounded has many other beautiful pieces of art and home decor that can help remind you of God’s promises in his word. Along with this hand lettered art piece, check out our other hand lettered designs for more inspiration. If you don’t find your favorite bible verse there, also take a look at our scripture section for both wood signs and hanging canvas. You’re sure to find something that will look great in your home and encourage your heart!