Isaiah 62:1

For Zion's sake will I not hold my peace, and for Jerusalem's sake will I not rest, until the righteousness thereof goes forth as brightness, and the salvation thereof as a lamp that burns. And the Gentiles shall see thy righteousness, and all kings thy glory. And you shall be called by a new name, which the mouth of the Lord shall name. Thou shalt also be a crown of glory in the hand of the Lord, and a royal diadem in the hand of thy God. Thou shalt no more be termed forsaken. Neither shall the land be termed desolate, but you shall be called Hephzibah, and thy land Beulah. For the Lord delights in thee, and thy land shall be married. (Isaiah 62:1–4)

God's people were created to shine His righteousness into a dark world—and He will not rest until that promise is fulfilled.

God's Design: A People Who Shine

God's desire here in Isaiah 62, and His design for His people, is that they would be a shining light of righteousness to the nations of the world. Isaiah 1, however, reveals that this was not the case for the children of Israel in Isaiah's day. They were not shining forth the righteousness of God.

In Isaiah 1:21, God speaking through His prophet says:

How has the faithful city become a harlot? It was full of righteousness... but now murderers. Thy silver has become dross... thy princes are rebellious and companions of thieves. Everyone loves gifts or bribes and follows after rewards. They judge not the fatherless, neither does the cause of the widow come before them.

Because of rebellion and sin, God's chosen people had become defiled, far from shining righteousness. But God's intended plan was that they would be a nation of priests, brightly shining His grace, mercy, peace, and righteousness. And God promised to continue pursuing His backslidden people, constantly reaching out and calling them to return.

Unfortunately, that would not be the case during Isaiah's time. They continued to harden their hearts until, about 150 years after Isaiah's ministry, these same people went into exile in Babylon because of their sin. Yet He continued to call out to them, because His desire was that they would shine brightly—not merely to be a glorious people, but to be a bright shining people to the rest of the world.

Blessed to Be a Blessing

From the first calling of Abraham in Genesis 12, this was God's plan. He said, "I'm going to bless you, and you shall be a blessing, and in you shall all the nations of the earth be blessed." They were to be a people of priests bringing the light of God to a dark world. But they failed, and largely still fail to this day. To this day, Israel fails to apprehend the very thing that God apprehended them for.

In Romans 11, Paul makes it clear that there is coming a day when the Lord will fulfill His work in Israel. He still has a plan for them, and Paul says, "Do not be ignorant of this truth." Currently there is only a small remnant who follow after the Lord. That's exactly what we've seen in Isaiah since chapter 6, where God told Isaiah that the people would mostly rebel, but a remnant would return. Still today there is a small remnant of Jews by blood who follow Jesus as Messiah—messianic Christians—fulfilling the purpose to which God called them. But Revelation and Zechariah both reveal a coming day when Israel will, in large mass, turn to the Lord and be a bright shining light at the end of the age.

The Church Called to Shine

As a result of Israel's failure to shine God's light, God has called the church to fulfill that purpose during this period of history. In 1 Peter 2:9, God speaking to His church says:

You are a chosen generation, and a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a peculiar people... that you should show forth the praises of him who called you out of darkness, and into his marvelous light.

That is the same thing God originally intended Israel to do. The very next verse says, "In time past you were not a people, but now you are the people of God, which had not obtained mercy, but now you have obtained mercy." Whereas we should have received His judgment, we received His grace—and through that grace He calls us to shine. Just as God called Abraham while he was serving false gods and gave him mercy, so God has extended mercy to you and me, and given us a commission.

In Matthew 5:16, Jesus tells His disciples, "Let your light so shine before men that they may see your good works and glorify your Father which is in heaven." Not glorify us, but glorify Him because of the work He has done in and through us.

We must learn from the failures of Israel in the Old Testament. Some today say, "We're New Testament believers; we don't need the Old Testament." Not so. Paul says in 1 Corinthians 10 that "all these things were written for our admonition and instruction upon whom the ends of the age have come."

Scattered Lights in Dark Places

We are to go throughout the whole world and shine that light in dark places. It would be foolish for a city like Escondido to take every streetlight and put them all in one park—the most well-lit park in all the world. The city knows it needs to scatter those lights throughout the city, placing them in dark corners and dangerous places where they do the most good.

You may think your workplace is the darkest environment ever, but have you not noticed that God has placed you there for a specific purpose—to shine His light? God scatters us throughout His kingdom to shine for Him.

Righteousness That Is from the Lord

Returning to Isaiah 62, the prophecies of chapters 62 and 63 are, for the most part, yet to be fulfilled. God still has a plan for the children of Israel. "For Zion's sake will I not hold my peace," He says. "I'm continuing to plead with them that they would turn to me so that they would shine with righteousness." The Gentiles will one day see Israel glorified with God's righteousness.

But, as we saw last week in Isaiah 61, it must be a righteousness that comes from the Lord. We do not stand in our own. Next week in Isaiah 64:6 we will read, "We are all an unclean thing, and all our righteousness is as filthy rags." Among men your works might look good, but when you set them next to God's righteousness, they look like filthy rags. So if we are going to shine with righteousness, it must be His. Remember Isaiah 61:10: "I will greatly rejoice in the Lord... for He has clothed me with the garments of salvation, and He has covered me with the robe of righteousness." That is where true joy comes from—recognizing you are clothed in the righteousness of God.

In the Gospels, the religious people of Jesus' day stood in their own righteousness. The Pharisees were looked up to as holy, but it was only outward. Jesus called them whitewashed tombs—good on the outside, full of dead men's bones within. So He told His disciples in Matthew 5:20, "Except your righteousness exceed that of the scribes and the Pharisees, you will in no way enter the kingdom of heaven." Our righteousness must exceed theirs, because it must be from God.

A New Name, No Longer Forsaken

God says He will one day glorify His people with His righteousness and call them by a new name. This is not a different name than Israel, but they will no longer be called forsaken or desolate. Verse 4 says, "You shall no more be termed forsaken; neither shall your land be any more called desolate." And verse 12 says, "They shall call them the holy people, the redeemed of the Lord, and you shall be called sought out, a city not forsaken."

Verse 3 says they shall be "a crown of glory in the hand of the Lord and a royal diadem in the hand of thy God." Many teachers have wondered why they appear in the hand of the Lord and not worn upon His head. The idea is that they are a restored treasure—returned back to Him. They had sold themselves to false gods, but God says, "There's coming a day when I will glorify you again, and you will be a special treasure unto me."

Back in Isaiah 49:14 they accused God of forsaking them: "The Lord has forsaken me and the Lord has forgotten me." But the reality was that they had forsaken Him. Isaiah 1:4 says, "Ah, sinful nation... they have forsaken the Lord." And as a result they became desolate—Isaiah 1:7: "Your country is desolate; your cities are burned with fire."

A Word to Our Own Nation

We can apply this to our own nation today. We wonder why we go through such troubles and desolation, and I would suggest one reason is that we as a people have forsaken the Lord. We have "In God we trust" written on all our money, but for the last fifty years or so we have actually trusted in the money and not the God. We constantly cry, "God bless America!"—but if we want His blessing, we need to be a people who bless Him.

Instead, we've told Him to take a hike. We want nothing to do with Him in the public square, in education, in the media—and yet we want His blessing. Judah in the seventh and eighth centuries BC did the very same thing. They wanted God's blessings but did not want to bless and serve Him. They had forsaken Him, and that is why they were desolate.

Hephzibah and Beulah: God's Delight

But God promises a future day when His people will be glorified, clothed in His righteousness, no longer forsaken or desolate. "You will be called Hephzibah"—which means My delight. And "Beulah." They had accused God of divorcing them, but He says, "There's coming a day when I will delight in you and be married to you once again."

God's desire is that His people would bring Him joy. Revelation 4:11 makes clear that you and I were created for the pleasure of God. People wonder why God created man. Some say it was so He could have a relationship, but God is a united, relational being—He does not need man for friendship. He created man to bring Him pleasure.

Have you ever wanted to create something simply because it brings you pleasure? You paint a picture or redesign a room, and looking on what you've made brings you joy. That is how God is. He created us to bring Him joy and pleasure. Yet His creation has turned against Him, and through man's sin the whole creation has fallen. But there is coming a day of rejoicing and restoration: "I will rejoice in you as a man rejoices in the wife of his youth."

Watchmen Who Will Not Be Silent

I have set watchmen upon thy walls, O Jerusalem, which shall never hold their peace, day nor night... give Him no rest till He establishes, until He makes Jerusalem a praise in the earth. (Isaiah 62:6–7)

God has set watchmen to cry out in intercessory prayer day and night on behalf of Jerusalem. As Psalm 122 says, "Pray for the peace of Jerusalem, for they shall prosper that love thee."

Though God has already promised to bring about this restoration, He still tells us to cry out to Him until He fulfills it. In Luke 11, Jesus tells of the man who goes to his neighbor at midnight asking for bread. The neighbor at first refuses, but because of the man's persistence—his importunity—he finally rises and gives him what he needs. Jesus applies it: "Ask, and it shall be given... seek, and ye shall find... knock, and it shall be opened." Keep asking, keep seeking, keep knocking.

Perhaps we have not laid hold of God's promises because we have not asked, or we asked and stopped. The Lord says, "Keep asking until I fulfill my Word." He has promised to establish His kingdom upon the earth, yet in Matthew 6 He calls us to pray, "Your kingdom come, your will be done on earth as it is in heaven." Somewhere in the sovereignty of God is His desire for us to be involved in His plan by prayer. It is a phenomenal thing that we have the ability to move God by prayer.

Jerusalem: From Cup of Trembling to Praise

God will fulfill His Word. Today, on November 3, 2010, Jerusalem is not a praise in the earth. It is more like what Zechariah 12 describes—a cup of trembling to all people. Everybody is trying to figure out what to do with Jerusalem. That is one of the indications that we are living in the last days.

But there is coming a day during the millennial reign of Christ when Jerusalem will be a praise in all the earth, and all nations will gather there not to attack it but to worship God. Isaiah 2:2 says, "It shall come to pass in the last days that the mountain of the Lord's house shall be established... and all nations shall flow unto it." Out of Zion shall go forth the law and the word of the Lord from Jerusalem. But this will not come until Jesus, the King of kings, the Prince of Peace, rules and reigns here upon the earth.

God Swears to Protect His People

The Lord has sworn by His right hand and by the arm of His strength, Surely I will no more give thy corn to be meat for thine enemies... but they that have gathered it shall eat it and praise the Lord. (Isaiah 62:8–9)

God swears by Himself because He can swear by no other. As Hebrews 6 says, "When God made a promise to Abraham, because He could swear by no one greater, He swore by Himself."

This is as much a promise of God's protection as a prophecy of Israel's future devotion. In Deuteronomy 28, God said one curse for disobedience would be that their enemies would plunder their harvest. Throughout their history, especially during the time of the judges, that is exactly what happened—when they disobeyed, their enemies consumed their substance. But God says, "There's coming a day when the plunderers will no longer take away your fruitfulness." The absence of plundering is an indication that they are once again fully devoted to the Lord, and so He protects them.

Prepare the Way: Salvation Is a Person

Go through, go through the gates, prepare ye the way of the people... lift up the standard for the people. Behold, the Lord has proclaimed... say ye to the daughter of Zion, behold, thy salvation comes. Behold, His reward is with Him and His work is before Him. (Isaiah 62:10–11)

God calls His people to prepare the way for this blessed promise. But notice that salvation is not a thing—it is a person. "Behold, thy salvation comes; His reward is with Him." Who is that salvation? Jesus, absolutely.

We saw almost the same words in Isaiah 40:9–11: "Behold your God... His reward is with Him and His work before Him. He shall feed His flock like a shepherd." Isaiah 40 pictures the Messiah's first coming, preceded by a forerunner—John the Baptist, who came preparing the way. When the Messiah came the first time, He came to feed His flock and gently lead them; John 10 reveals Jesus as the good shepherd.

But He is coming a second time, and we are to prepare the way. When He comes again, His work is before Him and His reward is with Him—He is coming to reward His people for their work. Revelation 22:12 says, "Behold, I come quickly, and my reward is with me to give to every man according to his work."

Remember the parable of the talents in Matthew 25. The master gave five, two, and one talent to three servants and went away. When he returned he squared his accounts. To the faithful servants who doubled their talents he said, "Well done, good and faithful servant... I will make you ruler over many." But the servant who buried his one talent he called wicked and cast out. So the Lord will return, and His reward is with Him to reward those who have worked diligently.

The Holy People, Sought Out and Never Forsaken

They shall call them the holy people, the redeemed of the Lord, and you shall be called sought out, a city not forsaken. (Isaiah 62:12)

In Christ we have already received this title. If you are a Christian tonight, 1 Peter 2:9 already calls you "a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, a holy people." Why are we called holy? Because we are the redeemed of the Lord—not because we have worked holiness into our lives, but because He has clothed us with His righteousness and purchased us back.

The key to holiness is for the sinner to be redeemed by a holy God. In Exodus 3, Moses sees the burning bush and God tells him, "Take the sandals from your feet, for the place on which you stand is holy ground." Was there something miraculous about the dirt? No—it was holy because the presence of holy God was there. You and I are now the temple of the Holy Spirit, made holy because God dwells in us.

We are called "sought out" because God sought us. Romans 3:11 says none seek after God; we like sheep have gone astray. But Jesus tells of the shepherd who leaves the ninety-nine to find the one. Those sought, redeemed, and made holy by the Lord will never be forsaken.

In Christ you will never be forsaken—even though we still fail and fall short. Hebrews 13:5 says, "Be content with such things as you have, for he has said, I will never leave you nor forsake you." Notice the exhortation: conduct yourself righteously because God promised never to forsake you—not so that you might avoid being forsaken. Psalm 37:28 says, "The Lord loves judgment, and forsakes not his saints." That truth ought to stir us to walk in righteousness and bring Him joy.

Before Restoration: The Day of Vengeance

This glorious restoration is yet to be fulfilled, but before it comes, the prophecies of Isaiah 63:1–6 will come first. There is coming a day of vengeance and judgment.

Who is this that comes from Edom with dyed garments of Bozrah... traveling in the greatness of his strength? I that speak in righteousness, mighty to save. Wherefore are you red in your apparel, and your garments like him that treads the winepress? I have trodden the winepress alone... For the day of vengeance is in my heart, and the year of my redeemed is come. (Isaiah 63:1–4)

Imagine Isaiah standing in Jerusalem, perhaps on the Temple Mount, looking east toward the Mount of Olives. He sees a man approaching, glorious in rich clothing yet arrayed in battle—armor, a sword, perhaps an entire army behind him. "Who is this?" he asks. The man answers, "I who speak in righteousness, mighty to save." Only God speaks in righteousness (Isaiah 45:19), and Jesus alone is mighty to save, "able to save to the uttermost those who come to God by Him" (Hebrews 7:25).

Isaiah looks closer and asks, "Why is your clothing red, like one who treads the winepress?" Jesus answers, "I have trodden the winepress alone... for the day of vengeance is in my heart." The day of the Lord, mentioned twenty-nine times in Scripture, is never a good thing. It always speaks of darkness, despair, judgment, and wrath. It will come like a thief in the night upon all who are not looking for Him.

The Winepress of God's Wrath

The same imagery appears throughout Scripture. In Isaiah 2, during Christ's righteous reign, nations beat their swords into plowshares. But in Joel 3:9–10 it is reversed: "Prepare for war... beat your plowshares into swords." God gathers the nations to the valley of Jehoshaphat to judge them: "Put in the sickle, for the harvest is ripe... the winepress is full... Multitudes, multitudes in the valley of decision, for the day of the Lord is near."

Revelation 14:17–20 shows the same vision: an angel with a sharp sickle gathers the clusters of the vine of the earth and casts them into "the great winepress of the wrath of God," and the blood flows out even to the horses' bridles. And Revelation 19:11 says, "I saw heaven open, and behold a white horse, and he who sat on him was called Faithful and True, and in righteousness he does judge and make war." His robe is dipped in blood, His name is the Word of God, and the armies of heaven follow Him in white linen, clean—because He treads the winepress alone. On His robe and on His thigh is written, "King of Kings and Lord of Lords."

After that day of vengeance, when God pours out wrath upon a Christ-rejecting world, the year of the Lord's redeemed will come—the millennial reign of Christ. Isaiah 61 told us Jesus came the first time to proclaim "the acceptable year of the Lord," but He is coming the second time to proclaim "the day of vengeance of our God." After that, He will comfort all who mourn, giving "beauty for ashes, the oil of joy for mourning."

Vengeance Belongs to the Lord

And I looked, and there was none to help... therefore my own arm brought salvation unto me... I will tread down the people in my anger and make them drunk in my fury. (Isaiah 63:5–6)

When Jesus comes to judge, He will do it alone. Romans 12:19 says, "Vengeance is mine; I will repay." The Lord alone executes justice upon those who reject Him. He will humble the haughty looks of man and destroy all who set themselves against Him. Isaiah 34 speaks of this judgment in Edom and Bozrah; Isaiah 35 speaks of the restoration that follows. Isaiah 24 speaks of judgment on the whole earth; Isaiah 25–27 of the rejoicing afterward.

How do we know all this will come to pass? Because God has fulfilled His word of old, and He will fulfill what He has promised. "Though it tarries, wait for it."

Our Task Until He Comes

So what ought to be our work now? Should we try to force Him to come and fulfill these things? No. Yes, we pray for His return—Revelation 22 says, "The Spirit and the bride say, Come... even so, Lord Jesus, come." But until He comes, we have a task. We are told to go into all the world and shine righteousness into dark places, because there is not a single person upon whom we would wish the wrath of God to come.

God has tarried, waiting this long to bring repentance to the world. "He is not willing that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance" (2 Peter 3:9). God's desire is that our neighbors, coworkers, and friends who don't yet know Him would find refuge in Jesus Christ and not have to face His wrath. The wrath of God is terrible and dreadful—necessary because He is holy and just, but not something we would wish on anyone. So we are called to bring the gospel of Christ to those who tonight are still under judgment.

The Loving-Kindness of the Lord

I will mention the loving kindness of the Lord... and the great goodness toward the house of Israel, which he has bestowed on them according to his mercies. (Isaiah 63:7)

Even in the midst of His judgment, Isaiah recognizes that God is good. "Surely they are my people," God said, "so he was their Savior. In all their affliction he was afflicted, and the angel of his presence saved them." God personally reached out and redeemed His people time and again. When they suffered, He suffered with them. Every parent here understands that when your child suffers, you suffer too. As Jesus watched His people endure persecution, He suffered along with them, and in His love and pity He redeemed them and carried them all the days of old.

But they rebelled, and vexed his Holy Spirit: therefore he was turned to be their enemy, and he fought against them. (Isaiah 63:10)

From their perspective God became their enemy, but in reality it was the discipline of the Lord. Then, in the midst of their judgment, they remembered the days of old—how God brought them up through the sea with Moses, dividing the waters to make Himself an everlasting name. Picture the exiles in Babylon under harsh taskmasters, remembering, "There was another time when God delivered us; He led us through the Red Sea and glorified His name."

The Cry of the Lost Sinner

Look down from heaven... where is the zeal of thy strength... Doubtless thou art our father, though Abraham be ignorant of us... thou, O Lord, art our father, our redeemer. (Isaiah 63:15–16)

Here is the sinner in despair, oppressed because he rebelled, crying out to God: "Even though Abraham and Jacob would disown us, still You are our Father. Reach down and redeem us." Verse 17: "O Lord, why hast thou made us to err from thy ways... return for thy servants' sake." "We are thine," they say. "God, we are your people—redeem us."

Every individual in this world needs to come to this recognition: that they are in the prison house because of their own sin, and they must call out to God, "Would you redeem me?" What do you think God does when a sinner cries out like that? Do you think He looks down and says, "Get yourself out of that"? No. The heart of God longs to hear the cry of a sinful person saying, "God, would you redeem me?"—because God has already made provision through His Son.

Mighty to Save

This is the great message you and I have been given to carry into a dark world. Yes, there is a day of judgment coming, a time of God's wrath. And yet to this day God has been patient and long-suffering, not willing that any should perish. All of us are sinners before God, and He desires that we would turn to Him and say, "Father, would you redeem me when everyone else would disown me?" And what does He do? He saves to the uttermost those who come to Him through Jesus Christ. He is mighty to save.

Some of you here tonight know exactly where you came from, the life you once had, and you have seen the mighty redemption of our God. We all have family and friends who have not yet experienced that redemption. What good news we have to carry to a world in darkness. May we let our light so shine before men that they would see our good works and glorify our Father in heaven, coming to the knowledge of the truth and walking in light, as we walk in light, knowing the Lord. Amen.

Closing Prayer

Father, we ask that You would work Your word in our lives, that we'd be able to apply the reality of what we see in these passages—that You are on the throne, You are God, You are not restrained from redeeming, but You desire that we would call out to You. Lord, stir our hearts to share that truth with everyone we come in contact with, because whether they know it or believe it or not, the day of vengeance is coming, and they need to be rescued and redeemed from that day. We thank You that You have redeemed us and saved us. Give us the boldness to share that word of reconciliation with those who don't know it yet. We ask this in Jesus' name. Amen. God bless you.