›Isaiah 62
›Children of the Light
1 For Zion’s sake I will not keep silent,
and for Jerusalem’s sake I will not be quiet,
until her righteousness goes forth as brightness,
and her salvation as a burning torch.
2 The nations shall see your righteousness,
and all the kings your glory,
and you shall be called by a new name
that the mouth of the LORD will give.
3 You shall be a crown of beauty in the hand of the LORD,
and a royal diadem in the hand of your God.
4 You shall no more be termed Forsaken,
and your land shall no more be termed Desolate,
but you shall be called My Delight Is in Her,
and your land Married;
for the LORD delights in you,
and your land shall be married.
5 For as a young man marries a young woman,
so shall your sons marry you,
and as the bridegroom rejoices over the bride,
so shall your God rejoice over you.
(Isaiah 62:1-5, ESV)
6 On your walls, O Jerusalem,
I have set watchmen;
all the day and all the night
they shall never be silent.
You who put the LORD in remembrance,
take no rest,
7 and give him no rest
until he establishes Jerusalem
and makes it a praise in the earth.
8 The LORD has sworn by his right hand
and by his mighty arm:
“I will not again give your grain
to be food for your enemies,
and foreigners shall not drink your wine
for which you have labored;
9 but those who garner it shall eat it
and praise the LORD,
and those who gather it shall drink it
in the courts of my sanctuary.”
(Isaiah 62:6-9, ESV)
10 Go through, go through the gates;
prepare the way for the people;
build up, build up the highway;
clear it of stones;
lift up a signal over the peoples.
11 Behold, the LORD has proclaimed
to the end of the earth:
Say to the daughter of Zion,
“Behold, your salvation comes;
behold, his reward is with him,
and his recompense before him.”
12 And they shall be called The Holy People,
The Redeemed of the LORD;
and you shall be called Sought Out,
A City Not Forsaken.
(Isaiah 62:10-12, ESV)
›Main Point
› This chapter closes out the section which started with chapter 60
› In these chapters God has shown He will be the Light for the people
› This newness is made manifest by God’s grace and displayed…in their love for God
› Whereas once they were forsaken, now, they have been redeemed from darkness to light
Application Points
›Children of the Light
– Over the last few chapters we have seen God is going to provide a great salvation to His people
– They had been stumbling in darkness…but now Light shines
– This is not going to be accomplished by their might
– They have been far from deserving
– It is not the people who brings about this salvation
– He takes that which should be abandoned and transform it into something cherished
– The people worthy of disdain are not cherished, loved, and accepted by God
– He brings about this salvation so that they can be what they were always destined to be
Application Points
›Children of the Light (2)
– In the person of Jesus Christ we see this most significantly
– He was disdained, rejected, ignored
– We remember, “My God, My God, why has thou forsaken me?”
– Yet, Christ also knew Isaiah
– Isaiah describes people who go through significant trials, and in their faith they last
– Jesus is the only One who has, was, or ever will be, able to fully accomplish this
– It is no wonder He would mimic the ancients, as well as establishing the fulfillment of the salvation He gives to us
– He is the salvation
– He is the One we see so clearly, the One so worthy, the very Light of our lives
Application Points
›Children of the Light (3)
– This light does not lead to negligence
– They live in His radiance, they live seeking to honor Him
– They are the Holy People, the Redeemed
– In the world but not of the world
– Sharing with others so they too can experience the great joy in knowing God is here, God loves, and God has redeemed
– To walk the way made clear by Christ
– To show that while humanity should be forsaken in their sins, God has been gracious to seek us out
“6 For while we were still weak, at the right time Christ died for the ungodly. 7 For one will scarcely die for a righteous person—though perhaps for a good person one would dare even to die— 8 but God shows his love for us in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us. 9 Since, therefore, we have now been justified by his blood, much more shall we be saved by him from the wrath of God. 10 For if while we were enemies we were reconciled to God by the death of his Son, much more, now that we are reconciled, shall we be saved by his life. 11 More than that, we also rejoice in God through our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom we have now received reconciliation.”
(Romans 5:6-11, ESV)
“12 So then, brothers, we are debtors, not to the flesh, to live according to the flesh. 13 For if you live according to the flesh you will die, but if by the Spirit you put to death the deeds of the body, you will live. 14 For all who are led by the Spirit of God are sons of God. 15 For you did not receive the spirit of slavery to fall back into fear, but you have received the Spirit of adoption as sons, by whom we cry, “Abba! Father!” 16 The Spirit himself bears witness with our spirit that we are children of God, 17 and if children, then heirs—heirs of God and fellow heirs with Christ, provided we suffer with him in order that we may also be glorified with him.”
(Romans 8:12-17, ESV)
Application Points
›Children of the Light (4)
– God has done all of these things
– To bring a people who would not only bask in the Light, but spread it everywhere they go
– We are called for the very glory of God Himself
– To live our lives for the everlasting showing the world this everlasting way by living in holiness, righteousness, justice, and truth
– We are the city which is not forsaken
– You and I have become the Holy People
– This faith bears fruit in our lives
– True faith in God does end with just a piece or parts, but the whole of us being transformed day by day
– Beauty all desire which can never lose its splendor because it is found in goodness, kindness, gentleness, patience, truth, and love
Application Points
›Children of the Light (5)
– I hope in the end of these things we would rejoice in what Isaiah has been describing to us
– It is near to us, as near as our breath, as near as our hearts
– It is God Himself
– There is no greater news, no greater end, than this, that we should be the children of God
– We are not alone
– We are not forsaken
– But we are found, and God Himself rejoices over what He sees in us in this Redemption
– What are we waiting for?
– This dark world needs us to shine
– Let us always keep our eyes on the prize
– Let us always be reminded of who we are
– We are children of the Light
Application Points
› The Gospel of Christ
– Origins
– Fall
– Redemption
– Glorification
