Read Isaiah 61:10–62:7
Questions from the Scripture text: In Whom does the Servant greatly rejoice (Isaiah 61:10a–b)? What has God done for Him (v10c–d)? With what beauty and festivity (verse 10e–f)? What two things are the beauty of the Servant (Isaiah 61:11c)? To what extent does it flourish, before whom (Isaiah 61:11)? What will the Servant not do (Isaiah 62:1)? For whose sake? Until when? What will the nations and kings see about Zion (Isaiah 62:2)? What new thing will she have at that time? Where/what is her greatest beauty (Isaiah 62:3)? What names will they lose, and which will they gain (Isaiah 62:4)? How/why? Who will be committed to her like young husbands (Isaiah 62:5a–b)? In what way will God Himself rejoice over her (verse 5c–d)? How will the Lord protect them (Isaiah 62:6a–b)? What do these “watchmen” do (verse 6c–7)?
How is Zion’s desolation turned to delight? Isaiah 61:10–62:7 prepares us for the first serial reading in public worship on the Lord’s Day. In these nine verses of Holy Scripture, the Holy Spirit teaches us that the Christ rejoices in the Lord, Who clothes Him with righteousness and joy for Christ’s Zion.
There is wonderful marriage language in this passage (Isaiah 61:10, Isaiah 62:4-5). The Servant’s joy in the Lord becomes His people’s joy in the Lord. His beauty (Isaiah 61:10) is displayed as He produces righteousness and praise in all the nations (Isaiah 61:11), a righteousness that blazes in the Servant’s Zion (Isaiah 62:1). She is made to be so beautiful with Christ’s righteousness that she is called a crown of glory in YHWH’s hand (Isaiah 62:2). Isaiah 62:6-7 describe a determined, unresting intercession for the beauty of Zion is not just of plural watchmen (Isaiah 62:6-7) but of Christ Himself as the great Watchman (Isaiah 62:1), Who intercedes for His people. Christ’s joy, Christ’s righteousness, and Christ’s beauty come to Christ’s people through Christ’s almighty and persistent intercession!
How can your sin and alienation from God be remedied? What do you have from Christ instead? How?
Sample prayer: Lord, forgive our discouragement and despair, and give us to hope in our glad, glorious Christ, in His Name, AMEN!
Suggested songs: ARP72C “May Waving Grain on Hilltops Thrive” or TPH403 “Glorious Things of Thee Are Spoken”
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