Zion’s Salvation and New Name
“For Zion’s sake I will not keep silent, and for Jerusalem’s sake I will not keep still, until her righteousness shines like a bright light, her salvation like a blazing torch. Nations will see your righteousness, and all kings your glory. You will be called by a new name that the mouth of the LORD will bestow. You will be a crown of glory in the hand of the LORD, a royal diadem in the palm of your God.
No longer will you be called Forsaken, (Hebrew Azubah) nor your land named Desolate; (Hebrew Shemamah) but you will be called Hephzibah, and your land Beulah; (“Hephzibah” means “my delight is in her.” “ Beulah” means “married.”) for the LORD will take delight in you, and your land will be His bride. For as a young man marries a young woman, so your sons will marry you; and as a groom rejoices over his bride, so your God will rejoice over you.
On your walls, O Jerusalem, I have posted watchmen; they will never be silent day or night. You who call on the LORD shall take no rest for yourselves, nor give Him any rest until He establishes Jerusalem and makes her the praise of the earth.
The LORD has sworn by His right hand and by His mighty arm: “Never again will I give your grain to your enemies for food, nor will foreigners drink the new wine for which you have toiled. For those who harvest grain will eat it and praise the LORD, and those who gather grapes will drink the wine in My holy courts.”
Go out, go out through the gates; prepare the way for the people! Build it up, build up the highway; clear away the stones! Raise a banner for the nations. Behold, the LORD has proclaimed to the ends of the earth, “Say to Daughter Zion: See, your Savior comes! Look, His reward is with Him, and His recompense goes before Him.” And they will be called the Holy People, the Redeemed of The LORD; and you will be called Sought Out, A City Not Forsaken.”
Spiritually, things are going downhill rapidly in Jerusalem, and Isaiah is in despair. The more Isaiah prophesies, the more people seem to stop their ears, even finding new ways of offending God. And yet, God keeps giving Isaiah more messages about the future of Jerusalem.
“For Zion’s sake I will not keep silent, and for Jerusalem’s sake I will not keep still, until her righteousness shines like a bright light, her salvation like a blazing torch.” By this point, it’s quite possible that Isaiah has become an embarrassment to his upper-class family. While Isaiah’s relatives tolerated his messages in the beginning, now they are fed up and prepared to disown him. But God has called Isaiah and God continues to speak with Isaiah; what else can Isaiah do besides speak God’s messages?
“You will be a crown of glory in the hand of the LORD, a royal diadem in the palm of your God.” At present, Jerusalem is anything but these things! Pagan altars clog the streets and practicing Jews are sneaking off to the high places and Asherah shrines. Isaiah sees all these things; yet, God continues to describe a glorious future for Jerusalem, calling those things that do not exist now into existence eventually.
“On your walls, O Jerusalem, I have posted watchmen; they will never be silent day or night. You who call on the LORD shall take no rest for yourselves, nor give Him any rest until He establishes Jerusalem and makes her the praise of the earth.” God wants believers to pray for the peace of Jerusalem and for the future that He intends for her. At present, Jerusalem is a divided and embattled city. Parts of Jerusalem are controlled by various factions and attacks are frequent.
“Behold, the LORD has proclaimed to the ends of the earth, “Say to Daughter Zion: See, your Savior comes! Look, His reward is with Him, and His recompense goes before Him.” And they will be called the Holy People, the Redeemed of The LORD; and you will be called Sought Out, A City Not Forsaken.” Isaiah is crying aloud in the streets of Jerusalem that Messiah WILL come and will redeem Jerusalem and transform her. But as far as Isaiah’s relatives are concerned, he is “meshuggeneh!” (Yiddish for foolish and crazy.)
APPLICATION: These prophecies over Jerusalem are glorious in their majesty and simplicity. God is literally planning to transform Jerusalem – no more shrines, no more altars, no more Asherah poles, no more burning of children to Molech, no more violence, no more terrorist attacks of any sort.
“This is all very well,” you might say. “But WHEN is Messiah returning?” Ah, now you are asking the same question that the disciples asked Jesus. And Jesus told the disciples that nobody knew the day or the hour, but only his Heavenly Father. For God, time is dynamic and not static; that means that the return of Messiah may depend on people’s actions. Another time, Jesus promised the disciples that the Gospel had to be preached to the ends of the earth before he would return.
Once more, these verses can operate on several different levels. Originally, Isaiah was describing Jerusalem; however, God can activate these promises in the life of anyone who will trust Him. Many of us may feel forsaken and desolate, but God wants us to know that He delights in us and He will be our protector. While the world still waits for the return of the Messiah, we can know Jesus Christ individually and can celebrate His presence in our lives right now. John 3:16 tells us that “God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whosever would believe in Him would not perish but would have eternal life.” That same love that sent Jesus to die for our sins on Calvary is still available today. You can pray to receive that love!
PRAYER: Father God, thank You for loving us and for caring for us. Lord, many of us are hurting, lonely, and hopeless. Please enter these trembling hearts and reassure all who approach You that You really do love them with an everlasting love and that You want to transform their lives. In the mighty and precious Name of King Jesus. Amen.
Burunche's Blog 
Leave a comment