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Isaiah 62:1 – 63:6
The Lord Delights in You
Introduction: Chapter 62 is a continuation of the Messiah’s proclamation in 61:1-2. Therefore the chapter is a continued description of the Messiah’s “Jubilee.”
As we begin, I want you to consider how Jesus spoke of this text. In Luke 4:16-21, Jesus came to Nazareth and attended the synagogue on the Sabbath. He was given a scroll of Isaiah in order to do the traditional reading. The text he chose was Isaiah 61:1-2, in which the Messiah spoke of the Lord’s anointing that he might proclaim liberty to the captives and year of the Lord’s favor. After the reading, Jesus sat silent for a moment while “the eyes of all in the synagogue were fixed on him.” Then he said, “Today this scripture has been fulfilled in your hearing.” Jubilee had come! Hallelujah, what a Savior!
God’s Eagerness to Bring Righteousness (1-5)
It is so interesting and exciting to get pictures of God’s personality and emotions. This text is introduced with God showing his restless excitement for what he is doing through the Servant/Messiah. He will act with strength and urgency to make Jerusalem righteous and shine as brightness before the world. It will cause the nations to see her as God always intended – a beautiful work of art created by the Lord for his glory (Eph. 2:10).
Look what God is going to do for his people that causes his excitement:
A “new name” indicates a new character and new relationship like when a woman marries. She will be exalted in this new relationship to the point that God will “show her off.” She will be a crown and diadem in his hand, indicating her special relationship with him and how he will guard her and protect her.
Instead of being called Forsaken and Desolate as she had been because of her sins, now she will be called My Delight Is in Her and Married (Beulah).
Verse 4e and 5a both begin with “for,” giving the reason her relationship with him will be changed. It is because “the Lord God rejoices over you.”
Please be aware, we are not called righteous, a crown of beauty, my delight is in her, or married because of anything we have done or deserved. It is only by God’s work that we have been made such. This is evident by the fact that we were called “Forsaken” and “Desolate.” There was a reason we were forsaken and desolate. As 59:1-2 pointed out, it was our sins and rebellion that put us in that condition. But God decided not to leave us in that state, not only saving us but making us beautiful to himself and to the world.
Consider, have you ever thought that God delights in you and rejoices over you? Knowing our own sins and shortcomings, we do not tend to think that way. We are usually thinking that God can barely tolerate us even on a good day and is otherwise angry with us. But it is not so! He not only delights in us, but will call us married. Cf. Eph. 5:23-25.
Note also that there are two pictures here: not only the wedding, but the honeymoon. There is the wedding and marriage, but then there is the bridegroom “rejoicing over the bride.” It is a rejoicing that God continues throughout eternity. It is a forever honeymoon where God fulfills his promise to love and cherish us.
In verse 5, “your sons will marry you” indicates that the citizens of the city/nation will love and marry God’s kingdom/nation.
Watchmen on the Walls (6-12)
Verses 6-7 The Lord is not the only one who will not keep silent and will not rest until Jerusalem is made righteous. There will be “watchmen,” the people who are also anxious for redemption who will “never be silent” nor “let God rest until he establishes Jerusalem and makes it a praise in the earth.” Consider Anna in the temple: “She did not depart from the temple, worshiping with fasting and prayer night and day. And coming up at that very hour she began to give thanks to God and to speak of him to all who were waiting for the redemption of Jerusalem” (Luke 2:37-38).
Verses 8-9
We are given a true picture of the original intention of the land promise. There is protection from all enemies so that God’s people can enjoy the fruit of their labor (1 Cor. 15:58).
Notice “the Lord has sworn by his right hand.” As in Hebrews 6:13-18, God has not just promised, but sworn by himself so that his promise is an absolute surety in our minds and we will have “strong encouragement” to hold fast to the hope set before us.
Verses 10-12
The excitement of this chapter just builds more and more. God will not keep quiet; he must act to bring the people to righteousness. Watchmen are placed on the walls who take no rest in bringing the Lord in remembrance of his promises. Then suddenly the call goes out to all the nations. God has removed all the obstacles and made a highway so that the world can come to him. The obstacles are man’s sin and unrighteousness, but the Lord removed those so that the people are called “The Redeemed of the Lord.” That phrase references the book of Ruth concerning the role of the next of kin who becomes a savior for his family who are hopelessly in debt.
The end of verse 11 proclaims that the one who comes with this salvation has his “reward” and “recompense” before him. Then notice the continuing words of verse 12: “And they shall be called…” “They” refers to the Messiah’s reward. Therefore, the Messiah’s reward for his work is the people he has redeemed. Paul said it this way in Eph. 1:18, “that you may know…what are the riches of his glorious inheritance.”
Verse 12 is written to describe how people will describe these pilgrims who have come out of their captivity. They are given names such as “Holy, Redeemed of the Lord, Sought Out, and A City Not Forsaken.” It is important that we are known by those names. “Names” in Hebrew describe who a person has become; their very character. We live as holy and redeemed people who boast that the Lord has sought us out and has not forsaken us.
The Anointed One Comes (63:1-6)
To connect 63:1 with with the previous section, notice the words of 62:11d, “Behold your salvation comes…” and then 63:1, “Who is this who comes from Edom…’It is I, speaking in righteousness, mighty to save.’”
Remember in 62:6, God put watchmen on the walls. These watchmen not only put the Lord in remembrance but are hearing the Lord proclaim that his salvation comes. But as the watchmen look, they are surprised at what they see: “Who is this who comes from Edom…?” Remember the previous texts all the way back to 52:8 where the watchmen “see the return of the Lord to Zion,” and in 53:1 where “the arm of the Lord is revealed.” In the midst of hopelessness, Isaiah always gives us a surprising picture.
The surprise picture is one coming “with splendid apparel, marching in the greatness of his strength” but with “crimsoned garments.” In fact, in verse two the question is, “Why is your apparel red…like his who treads in the winepress?” Notice that there is no one marching with him; he comes alone (3a) because he alone brings salvation. This brings up a number of questions just as the question in verse two. Why Edom and Bozrah and why are his garments splattered as one treading a winepress.
First, just as in chapter 34, Edom is representative of the Lord’s enemies. Edom had been a perpetual enemy of God and his people. “Bozrah” means vintage, indicating the perfect place to illustrate the treading of a winepress.
Next, notice how he is walking. He is “marching in the greatness of his strength.” He is powerful, and it can be seen in even how he approaches. This is even more significant in that he has just returned from battle.
Further, he “speaks in righteousness, mighty to save.” Righteousness and salvation are commonly placed side by side (Rom. 1:16-17). Therefore, he does not just come in strength, his strength to save is based in “righteousness.”
Verse 4 explains verse 3. The One bringing salvation is God himself. But this salvation is first described as trodding the winepress of people with their lifeblood splattered on his garments. The reason is that salvation cannot be realized without vengeance poured out on the wicked who brought so much affliction to God’s people and the world. Therefore, “the year of redemption” or “year of my redeemed” had come. This reminds us of Revelation 6:9-11 where those under the altar cried out, “How long O Lord will you not avenge our blood?”
Verse 5 reminds us of the same words in 59:15-16. God is fulfilling his promise. Since there was no one to help his fallen, sinful people and no one to intercede, God was appalled and therefore his own arm brought him salvation and his wrath upheld him.
Verse 6 brings the conclusion of this section with God completely trampling the enemies. This not only brought their wickedness to and end but also meant that the redeemed would no longer be harassed by them. We still await the final fulfillment of this text. Consider Rev. 14:9-11 “If anyone worships the beast and its image and receives a mark on his forehead or on his hand, he also will drink the wine of God’s wrath, poured full strength into the cup of his anger, and he will tormented with fire and sulfur in the presence of the holy angels and in the presence of the Lamb. And the smoke of their torment goes up forever and ever, and they have no rest, day or night, these worshipers of the beast and its image, and whoever receives the mark of its name.”
Notice the final words: “I poured out their life blood on the earth.” This refers to an avenging of the blood they had shed. In Genesis 4:10, God said, “The voice of your brother’s blood is crying to me from the ground.” According to Leviticus 17:3, when an animal was killed, his blood was to be poured out on the ground and covered with dirt. Comparing Ezekiel 24:6-8, Israel had murdered and thus the blood had been left “on the bare rock,” thus not avenged or covered. In other words, innocent blood had been shed. Since the blood shed was unavenged, God set the blood on the bare rock to rouse his wrath against them.
Lessons:
The first lesson I get from this text is patience. God sees and knows and is anxious to redeem and save the world from those who would destroy righteousness.
Second is that God is not just grieved over our sin but appalled and astonished that no one could save. Therefore, he put on his garments and tread the winepress alone, trampling the enemy so that Satan and his allies could never again have power of his people.
And third, he did not just save us, but changed us. He transformed us into a crown of beauty. He gave us a new name: My Delight Is in Her and Beulah Land. Let us forever truly live as “Beulah Land!”
Berry Kercheville