Isaiah 61:10 I will greatly rejoice in the Lord, my soul shall be joyful in my God; for he hath clothed me with the garments of salvation, he hath covered me with the robe of righteousness, as a bridegroom decketh himself with ornaments, and as a bride adorneth herself with her jewels.

11 For as the earth bringeth forth her bud, and as the garden causeth the things that are sown in it to spring forth; so the Lord God will cause righteousness and praise to spring forth before all the nations.

Isaiah 62:1 For Zion’s sake will I not hold my peace, and for Jerusalem’s sake I will not rest, until the righteousness thereof go forth as brightness, and the salvation thereof as a lamp that burneth.

2 And the Gentiles shall see thy righteousness, and all kings thy glory: and thou shalt be called by a new name, which the mouth of the Lord shall name.

3 Thou shalt also be a crown of glory in the hand of the Lord, and a royal diadem in the hand of thy God.

4 Thou shalt no more be termed Forsaken; neither shall thy land any more be termed Desolate: but thou shalt be called Hephzibah, and thy land Beulah: for the Lord delighteth in thee, and thy land shall be married.

5 For as a young man marrieth a virgin, so shall thy sons marry thee: and as the bridegroom rejoiceth over the bride, so shall thy God rejoice over thee.

6 I have set watchmen upon thy walls, O Jerusalem, which shall never hold their peace day nor night: ye that make mention of the Lord, keep not silence,

7 And give him no rest, till he establish, and till he make Jerusalem a praise in the earth.

10 Go through, go through the gates; prepare ye the way of the people; cast up, cast up the highway; gather out the stones; lift up a standard for the people.

11 Behold, the Lord hath proclaimed unto the end of the world, Say ye to the daughter of Zion, Behold, thy salvation cometh; behold, his reward is with him, and his work before him.

12 And they shall call them, The holy people, The redeemed of the Lord: and thou shalt be called, Sought out, A city not forsaken.

MEMORY VERSE: Cry out and shout, thou inhabitant of Zion: for great is the Holy One of Israel in the midst of thee.

—Isaiah 12:6

CENTRAL THOUGHT: Not only did Jesus shed His blood for the Church of God, but He continually guards and keeps her as His beloved bride and is, from His place at the right hand of God, sending strength and help through His ministers to edify and build her up.

WORD DEFINITIONS

Isaiah 62:4 “Hephzibah”: From a Hebrew word which means, My delight is in her. “Beulah”: From a Hebrew word meaning married.

Isaiah 62:5 “So shall thy sons marry thee”: The term has been interpreted several ways: 1. “So shall thy sons possess, enjoy, or dwell in thee” (Septuagint; Vulgate; Targum). 2. “So shall thy builder, or restorer, marry thee” (Barnes’ Notes on the Bible). 3. “The people of a country are, in their collective unity, as the bridegroom, and the country is as the bride. They are bound, as the husband is to the wife, to cherish and protect it, to be ready to live and die for it” (Ellicott’s Commentary for English Readers). See this link for reference: https:// biblehub.com/commentaries/isaiah/62-5.htm (Definition added by Angela Gellenbeck)

LESSON BACKGROUND

The first part of Isaiah 61 refers to Christ in His ministry and salvation to the souls of men in captivity and sin. As a result of His sacrifice and gracious favor to men, He said that the old waste and former desolations would be built up (verse 4); that they would be named the priests of the Lord and ministers of our God (verse 6); and that all that see them should acknowledge them, that they are the seed which the Lord hath blessed (verse 9).

For this cause, the Messiah (Jesus Christ) exults in His Father and pledges eternal care and service to His Church, to cause it to spring forth righteousness and praise before the nations. He wants the world to be able to see His Church functioning. He wants a visible Church, clearly witnessed by the people of the earth. Christ wants the righteousness to go forth as a lamp that burns. Although Satan works hard to keep the true Church in obscurity and has been successful at times to dim its brightness, Christ is at the right hand of God to strengthen and help His saints to overcome the flood of the devil.

The watchmen upon the walls of Zion are the ministers ever preaching the Word; warning comforting, exhorting, reproving, and directing. He wants every stone of hindrance and discouragement out of the way, a highway built up for souls to clearly follow, and a standard of holiness held up for the people. Jesus has come with His reward and has faithfully executed His work. The fruit of Christ’s ministry and sacrifices is a holy people, sought out from this world, and brought into the marvelous light of the gospel.

—Bro. Leslie Busbee

QUESTIONS

1. About what is Christ rejoicing in the Lord in our lesson?
2. Where will this righteousness and praise spring forth?
3. What does Christ want the righteousness of His saints to do?
4. By whom does God want the truth to be seen?
5. Instead of being called Forsaken and Desolate, what will be our spiritual name?
6. What do the watchmen do on the walls?
7. How can we prepare the way and lift up a standard for the people?
8. What will the saints of God be called?

    

COMMENTS AND APPLICATION

Besides the blessedness of having the love and fellowship of His bride, the Church, the Lord Jesus has another purpose in maintaining His Church in this world. He wants her to shine out the light of life to the world around. He wants her brightness to go forth as a lamp that burneth. She is to be a crown of glory and a royal diadem of jewels in His hand. This can only be through our close relationship with Him, our Beloved.

The thought of the land being called Beulah has been an inspiring one to the saints. Several beautiful songs have been written on this subject. The delight and joy that we have found in Christ is truly an indispensible treasure that we cannot afford to lose.

There are many burdening things and Satan comes hard against the Church, but it is for every one of us to keep the joy of the Lord always in our souls and on display in our lives. God wants Jerusalem to be a praise in the earth. We need to enter in and go through His gates of righteousness, and be partakers of the heavenly blessings. We should “make straight paths for your feet, lest that which is lame be turned out of the way; but let it rather be healed” (Hebrews 12:13).

Let us remember the words of our Lord: “Ye are the light of the world. A city that is set on an hill cannot be hid. Neither do men light a candle, and put it under a bushel, but on a candlestick; and it giveth light unto all that are in the house. Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father which is in heaven” (Matthew 5:14-16). This is a great responsibility, but the key to its fulfillment lies in keeping our close communion with Christ, and letting Him work His will fully in our lives.

—Bro. Leslie Busbee

REFLECTIONS

The beauty of the picture painted by these scriptures is so great, it captivates the heart of the believer who is seeking for truth and holiness. But it is truly more than just a beautiful picture or ideal. It is to be a reality experienced by real men and women; not just “back then” but today, in our day. Maybe you don’t think you see it just like this in reality. Is your vision dim? Have your own failures or the failures of people disillusioned you?

The answer lies in verses six and seven. An interesting meaning to the words “Ye that make mention of the Lord” quickens our understanding and brings hope and challenge: “Ye that are the Lord’s remembrancers.” We are challenged to two things. First, we, as seekers, must continually remind the Lord of His promises, prophecies, and provisions for Zion:

“Lord, You promised to make Zion a praise in the earth.” So we importune with God to send gospel workers and missionaries and Bible translators to all the earth. With our prayer, we offer ourselves. “Here am I, Lord, send me!”

“Father, You said that Zion’s righteousness and salvation would shine forth as a lamp that burns brightly. God, let your holiness be upon my life and in our midst, as you have foretold!” Give Him “no rest!” Keep praying until things start happening! Don’t give up. Don’t be discouraged.

Secondly, we are challenged, as watchmen, to never cease from warning, encouraging and witnessing to others. “Holy, holy, holy” is the watchword! Keep not silent! Never give up sharing, preaching, and teaching. In your home, on the job, in the prayer meeting, to the neighbors down the street, by your life and by your words, remind the world of holiness. BE the Zion who shines as a brilliant lamp that is ON FIRE!

—Sis. Angela Gellenbeck