God Gave the Wonderful Assurance of Salvation Through the
Coming Savior
With all the oppression, suffering, war, death, and evil in the world, believers often have a yearning for Christ to return. They long for God's Kingdom on earth. This yearning has been in the hearts of believers for centuries, yet Christ has not returned (2 Pe. 3:3–10). God's Kingdom has not yet come to earth. The prediction that the Jews will experience a great revival and that many will turn to the Lord Jesus has not happened. Neither has Jerusalem become the Holy City of God, a city that is truly righteous. Due to the promises still unfulfilled and all the wickedness and corruption in the world, there are always some believers who need to be reassured. Every human being experiences the need for assurance at some point in time. Even believers need to know that God is truly going to fulfill His promises of salvation. In these verses, God gives to Jewish and Gentile believers four wonderful assurances of salvation.
The Assurance of
Salvation Through the Coming Savior
1 Because
I love Zion, because my heart yearns for Jerusalem, I will not cease to pray
for her or to cry out to God on her behalf until she shines forth in His
righteousness and is glorious in His salvation. 2 The nations shall
see your righteousness. Kings shall be blinded by your glory, and God will
confer on you a new name. 3 He will hold you aloft in His hands for
all to see—a splendid crown for the King of kings. 4 Never again
shall you be called "The God-forsaken Land" or the "Land That
God Forgot." Your new name will be "The Land of God's Delight"
and "The Bride," for the Lord delights in you and will claim you as His
own. 5 Your children will care for you, O Jerusalem, with joy like
that of a young man who marries a virgin; and God will rejoice over you as a
bridegroom with his bride.
6-7 O
Jerusalem, I have set intercessorsa on your walls who shall cry to God
all day and all night for the fulfillment of his promises. Take no rest, all
you who pray, and give God no rest until He establishes Jerusalem and makes her
respected and admired throughout the earth. 8 The Lord has sworn to
Jerusalem with all His integrity: "I will never again give you to your
enemies; never again shall foreign soldiers come and take away your grain and
wine. 9 You raised it; you shall keep it, praising God. Within the
Temple courts, you yourselves shall drink the wine you pressed."
10 Go
out! Go out! Prepare the roadway for My people to return! Build the roads, pull
out the boulders, and raise the flag of Israel.
11 See, the Lord has sent His messengers to every land and said, "Tell my people, I, the Lord your God, am coming to save you and will bring you many gifts." 12 And they shall be called "The Holy People" and "The Lord's Redeemed," and Jerusalem shall be called "The Land of Desire" and "The City God Has Blessed" (Isaiah 62:1–12).[2]
A. Salvation
Is Assured Because Of God's Word (Vv. 1–5).
Down through the centuries, God worked through the Jews to
bring salvation to the world. And He will continue to work out His salvation
for the world. Under no circumstances will He hold His peace or keep silent.
Four reasons are given why the salvation of the world must be brought to
completion.
1)
The righteousness and salvation of
Jerusalem must shine forth like the dawn or like a blazing torch (Vv. 1–2).
Of course, this is a reference to the Messiah's presence and rule being
centered in Jerusalem. The glory of His righteousness and salvation must be
honored by the nations. For this reason, the city will be given a new name,
which means it will undergo a complete change.
2)
The Holy City of Jerusalem will become
the valuable possession of the Lord (v. 3). It will be like a crown, a
royal diadem held in the hand of God Himself.
3)
The Holy City will no longer be called Deserted or Desolate, not on the day of the Messiah's Kingdom. It will be
renamed Hephzibah, which means my delight is in her (v. 4).
Moreover, the land of Judah will be renamed Beulah,
which means married one. God will
look upon the promised land as belonging to Him, a land, and a people whom He
would never cast away.
4) The Holy City will be repossessed by believers (v. 5). And the Lord will rejoice over Jerusalem as a bridegroom rejoices over His bride.
God has determined that the Messiah will return to set up God's Kingdom on earth. The seat of government will be Jerusalem, which will be established as the capital of the world. From there, the righteousness and glory of God will shine forth throughout the whole world. When God's Kingdom has been brought to the world, salvation will be completed. This wonderful promise is assured and guaranteed by God's Word.
B. Salvation
Is Also Assured Because Of The Watchmen's Proclamation (V. 6).
Who are the watchmen? In ancient history, they were men who were assigned the task of guarding the city against a surprise attack. In the present passage, watchmen refer to both prophets and righteous believers. All righteous believers are to be watchmen and prayer warriors. True believers are to cry out day and night to the Lord, never being silent and never giving themselves rest. They are to cry out for God to fulfill His promises, establishing Jerusalem as the center of God's government on earth. Believers are to cry for the Lord to return to set up God's Kingdom on earth.
C. Salvation
Is Assured Because Of The Lord's Sworn Oath, His Strong Promise (Vv. 8–9).
The Lord has sworn that Jerusalem will be restored and never again invaded by enemies (v. 8). This will take place after Christ returns to set up God's Kingdom on earth. No longer will the food and possessions for which the people have labored be stolen from them. Instead, they will eat their own food and be allowed to worship freely in the promised land. Peace will reign throughout Jerusalem and the entire world during the Messiah's Kingdom. The Lord's sworn oath guarantees the promise of peace.
D. Salvation
Is Assured Because Of The Lord's Worldwide Summons and Invitation (Vv. 10–12).
What is the summons? The people are to "go … prepare the way … build the highway" of salvation, for the salvation of God—the Savior Himself—is soon coming. Preparations must be made. A special roadway needs to be built or an existing roadway upgraded to be ready for His arrival. All obstacles that would keep a person from receiving and welcoming the Savior must be removed. Along with that, a high-flying banner must be raised so all the nations will know of His coming.
Note that the proclamation of His coming is to be shouted out to the very ends of the earth: "Your Savior comes! His reward is with Him" (v. 11). When the message of salvation is proclaimed, some people will respond and become true followers of the Savior. These true believers will be given a new name, the Holy People, the Redeemed of the Lord (v. 12). And the Holy City of Jerusalem will be known as a city Sought Out, a city no longer forsaken.
Thought 1. God's Summons Is Meant for The
World Today as Much as It Was in Isaiah's Day. We must "Go … prepare
the way … build the highway" of salvation, for the Lord Jesus Christ, the
Savior of the world, has already come. In view of this, we must respond to the
message and accept His wonderful salvation. God gives us great assurance about
the certainty of salvation, the assurance that we will be saved from sin,
death, and the judgment to come. If we truly receive Christ as our Savior, He
will flood us with a deep sense of …
·
being forgiven our sins
·
being accepted by God
· inheriting eternal life
V "Being confident of this very thing,
that he which hath begun a good work in you will perform it until the day of Jesus Christ" (Ph. 1:6).
V "For our gospel came not unto you in
word only, but also in power, and in the Holy Ghost, and in much assurance; as
ye know what manner of men we were among you for your sake" (1 Th. 1:5).
V "I am not ashamed: for I know whom I
have believed and am persuaded that he is able to keep that which I have
committed unto him against that day" (2 Ti. 1:12).
V "And the Lord shall deliver me from
every evil work and will preserve me
unto his heavenly kingdom: to whom be
glory forever and ever. Amen" (2
Ti. 4:18).
V "Let us draw near with a true heart in
full assurance of faith, having our hearts sprinkled from an evil conscience
and our bodies washed with pure water. Let us hold fast the profession of our faith without wavering; (for he is
faithful that promised;) And let us consider one another to provoke unto love
and to good works: Not forsaking the assembling of ourselves together, as the
manner of some is; but exhorting one another: and so much the more, as ye
see the day approaching" (He.
10:22–25).
V "Who are kept by the power of God
through faith unto salvation ready to be revealed in the last time" (1 Pe. 1:5).
V "My little children, these things write
I unto you, that ye sin not. And if any man sin, we have an advocate with the
Father, Jesus Christ the righteous: And he is the propitiation for our sins:
and not for ours only, but also for the
sins of the whole world. And hereby we do know that we know him if we keep
his commandments. He that saith, I know him, and keepeth, not his commandments,
is a liar, and the truth is not in him. But whoso keepeth his Word, in him
verily is the love of God perfected: hereby know we that we are in him" (1 Jn. 2:1–5).
V "My little children, let us not love in
word, neither in tongue, but in deed and in truth. And hereby we know that we
are of the truth and shall assure our hearts before him" (1 Jn. 3:18–19).
V "Hereby know we that we dwell in him,
and he in us, because he hath given us of his Spirit. And we have seen and do
testify that the Father sent the Son to be
the Saviour of the world. Whosoever shall confess that Jesus is the Son of God,
God dwelleth in him, and he in God" (1 Jn. 4:13–15).
V "And this is the record, that God hath
given to us eternal life, and this life is in his Son. He that hath the Son
hath life, and he that hath not the Son of God hath not life. These things have
I written unto you that believe on the name of the Son of God; that ye may know
that ye have eternal life and that ye may believe on the name of the Son of
God. And this is the confidence that we have in him, that, if we ask anything
according to his will, he heareth us: And if we know that he hear us,
whatsoever we ask, we know that we have the petitions that we desired of him"
(1 Jn. 5:11–15).
V "Now unto him, that is able to keep you from falling, and to present you faultless before the presence of his glory with exceeding joy, To the only wise God our Saviour, be glory and majesty, dominion, and power, both now and ever. Amen" (Jude 24–25).[3]
Two More Points for Edification.
A.
Vers. 6, 7. —The Work of The Praying Men
Amongst Us.
"Upon thy walls, o Jerusalem, I have set
watchers; all day and all night they are never silent: ye that are Jehovah's
remembrancers, take ye no rest and give no rest to him until he establishes and
until he makes Jerusalem a renown in the earth" (Cheyne). If the watchers
are men, the idea is that during all the years of Israel's captivity, her
watchmen, remembrancers, or praying men, are to keep at their work without
ceasing, as it were, every day reminding God of his people and of his promise.
The figure of the verse is taken from the Temple service, in which there was
appointed a constant watch day and night by the Levites. The watches in the
East, even to this day, are performed by a loud cry from time to time by the
watchmen, both to mark the time and to show that they are constantly attentive
to their duty. Possibly the first reference of the figure is to angel-guards
appointed by Jehovah, but we may reasonably use the figure for the
earth-messengers of Jehovah, the pious, praying souls who are his intercessors
among his people. As Intercessors,
These Men—
I.
Keep God reminded of his people. It is a minor objection, indicating very
superficial thinking that "God cannot need to be reminded of anything."
The answer is easy. If God is pleased graciously to reveal himself in certain
relations, he graciously condescends to accept all the conditions involved in
those relations. Children tell their parents what the parents know, and both
children and parents are blessed in the telling. The prayers preserved for us in
the Bible are full of things that God must know. It might be a thought full of
help and cheer to us all that while, busied with our earth-cares, we may be
forgetting God, our pious brothers and sisters, our praying men and women, Zion's
watchmen, are keeping God reminded of us. The bells that sound for morning
prayers throughout our land are a voice that God hears as truly as man. Praying
men keep Zion's walls ever before her King.
II. Keep God's people ever reminded of their God. Of this, there is abundant necessity. Both prosperity and adversity tend to make us forgetful of our God. Even the steady ongoing that has no ups and downs makes the thought of God fade in our minds. So we need the witness of our watchers, our praying men, and their muezzin, or call to prayer. Especially bring out that we need to be kept in mind of the Lord's provisions and promises—the assurance of our full and final redemption. They who pray amongst us, "Thy kingdom come," keep us constantly reminded that there is a necessary preparation for all who are to share in the Kingdom.—R. T.
B. Ver. 10. —The Mission of Those Who Remove
Hindrances.
The point of interest here is that, so far as
Jehovah was concerned, all things were arranged for the return of the exiles,
and the restoration of the long-depressed nation. But some men were hindering
the return by their hesitancies and doubtings and selfishnesses. Therefore
Jehovah pleads with all who trust his Word, urging them to clear the way of the
people and get these hindrances moved out of their path. There are always
hinderers to every good work, and there is always the Lord's call to us not to
let these hinderers do their evil work. They take the heart out of all good ideas,
and often do much worse mischief than the active opponents because they are a
foe within the city and have
deceptive ways which are seldom fully recognized.
I.
The
Work of The Hinderer. There is good
work done by the conservative-minded among us, which must not be confounded
with the work of the hinderer. It is good to have a drag put on the wheels of
impulsiveness. It is well to be compelled patiently to consider schemes that
have been thoughtlessly and enthusiastically taken up. But the hinderer is not
the man of prudence and caution but the man of selfishness and doubt. Some men
cannot see good in anything, even though the thing may be rich in promise to
other men. Others delight in prophesying failure and plucking the spirit out of
enterprise. Others see that proposed schemes will make heavy demands on self-denial,
and as they are not prepared for this, they put stones in the way. No good
thing was ever started that did not rouse the hinderers. And no good thing was
ever carried through that did not overbear and carry away, or brush aside, the
hinderers.
II. The Work of Those Who Remove Hindrances. They are either energetic men who will not be repressed or else men of faith in God who make their loyalty master difficulties. Men of firmness and persistency are needed in every sphere of Christian enterprise, and it is all the better if they have some pleasantness and even humor and can remove hindrances without offending hinderers. Men of faith are always needed, who, clearly seeing what God would have done, go steadily on towards its accomplishment, refusing to turn aside either to the right hand or to the left. If we cannot, or will not, help toward the on-coming of Christ's Kingdom, at least we can get out of the way of those who will work. —R. T.[4]
Lord, we thank you for those willing to stand
for you and speak the truth of your Word. Those teachers and preachers of your
Word look out for us and are concerned for our souls. They continually guard
over us, pleading with us to repent from our sins and return to you. We need
the watchmen of our souls.
Your Word says, 14 "How
then shall they call on Him in whom they have not believed? And how shall they
believe in Him of whom they have not heard? And how shall they hear without a
preacher? 15 And how shall they preach unless they are sent? As
it is written q "How beautiful are the feet of those
who preach the gospel of peace, Who
bring glad tidings of good things!"[5] For all those you have called to speak out
on your behalf, may we heed their warnings.
Father God, we also bless your Holy Name that
the people you have called that you have chosen to stand in the gap preaching
your Word are working tirelessly on your behalf. We know, Lord, that preachers,
and teachers of your Word are not the only ones serving you. Some plant your
Word in the hearts of men, others come along and water that Word, and then some
reap the reward of seeing those saved by coming to you in faith. All those who
partake in winning back souls are your chosen and willingly love to serve you.
Bless all those serving alongside you, Lord, and remind them that it is an
honor, privilege, and joy serving in your Kingdom. We bless you, Father God. May
we soon be with you in our eternal home that you have prepared for those you
have called your own.
In Jesus' Name, we pray, Amen.
“Because I Love Zion Because My Heart Yearns for Jerusalem,
I Will Not Cease to Pray for Her Or to Cry Out to God on Her Behalf Until She Shines Forth in His Righteousness and Is Glorious in His Salvation.”[1]
[1] Taylor, Kenneth Nathaniel. 1997. The Living Bible, Paraphrased. Wheaton, IL: Tyndale House.
a 62:6-7 intercessors, literally, “watchmen.”
[2] Taylor, Kenneth Nathaniel. 1997. The Living Bible,
Paraphrased. Wheaton, IL: Tyndale House.
[3] Leadership Ministries Worldwide. 2005. Isaiah: Chapters 36–66. Vol. II. The Preacher’s Outline & Sermon Bible. Chattanooga, TN: Leadership Ministries Worldwide.
[4] Spence-Jones, H. D. M., ed. 1910. Isaiah.
Vol. 2. The Pulpit Commentary. London; New York: Funk & Wagnalls Company.
q Is. 52:7; Nah. 1:15
[5] The New King James
Version. 1982. Nashville: Thomas Nelson.
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