Read Isaiah 62:1-12.

Note: In verse four, the term, “Hephzibah,” means, “my delight is in her;” and “Beulah,” means, “married.”

Introduction⤒🔗

A survey indicated that four out of five Christians pray at least once a day. The general content of their prayers was described as follows:

• 90% thank God for what they have, (as does 73% of the non-Christian population)
• 74% pray for people they know, (as does 58% of the non-Christian population)
• 71% pray for their own spiritual growth, (as does 52% of the non-Christian population)
• 66% pray for their health, (as does 61% of the non-Christian population)
• 31% pray about the events happening in the world, (as does 31% of the non-Christian population)
• 28% ask for the LORD’s guidance for public leaders, (as does 19% of the non-Christian population)
• 7% ask for material things they need or want, (as does 17% of the non-Christian population)

One observation the researchers made was that the content of the Christian’s prayers is strikingly similar to that of the non-Christian.¹

Another observation that can be made from considering the Christians’ prayers is the startling omission of any petition for the coming of God’s kingdom. It appears that many Christians are losing sight of one of the foremost petitions that should be the primary focus and concern of our prayers: Thy kingdom come.

Because of the instruction and incentives provided by God’s Word, let us be sure to make the coming of God’s kingdom a primary petition—if not the primary petition—in our prayers.

Pray for the Coming of God’s Kingdom, because You are Commanded to Do So←⤒🔗

In verse 6a the LORD declares that He has set watchmen upon the walls of Jerusalem. These watchmen are not apprehensively on the lookout for signs of an approaching enemy; on the contrary, they are expectantly looking for the coming of the LORD and His kingdom. The LORD further declares that these watchmen are never to hold their peace day or night. But they are not constantly crying out a warning to the citizens of an approaching enemy; they are constantly crying out to God for the fulfillment of His promises to bring His kingdom to its full fruition.

In verse 6b these watchmen are identified as “the LORD’s [palace] recorders.” The palace recorder, or remembrancer, was an official position in the ancient Middle Eastern court whose responsibility was to remind the king of his appointments and commitments; the remembrancer was a type of royal secretary. These divinely-appointed “[palace] recorders” are given this charge: “give yourselves no rest, ⁷and give him no rest, until he establishes Jerusalem and makes her the praise of [all] the earth.” That is to say, the LORD’s remembrancers are to take no rest and give the LORD no rest until He has fulfilled His promises and brought His kingdom to the earth in all of its eternal glory.

With this Old Testament passage before us, consider how the New Testament describes what should be the Christian’s mind:

...the grace of God that brings salvation has appeared to all men, ¹²teaching us to deny ungodliness and worldly passions, and to live self-controlled, upright and godly lives in this present age, ¹³as we wait for the blessed hope: the glorious appearing of our great God and Savior, Jesus Christ. Titus 2:11-13

Our citizenship is in heaven, and we eagerly await a Savior from there, the Lord Jesus Christ. Phil. 3:20

...what kind of people ought you to be? [You ought to live] in holy conduct and godliness, ¹²as you look forward to the day of God and earnestly desire its coming. 2 Pet. 3:11-12

Let us consider, too, what the New Testament Scriptures indicate should be the foremost focus of our prayers:

This is how you should pray: Our Father in heaven, hallowed be your name. ¹⁰Your kingdom come, your will be done, on earth as it is in heaven. Matt. 6:9-10

He who testifies about these things says, Indeed, I am coming swiftly. Amen! Come, Lord Jesus! Rev. 22:20

The greeting and the prayer of the New Testament church was, “Maranatha” (1 Cor. 16:22); a Greek term that means, “O Lord, come!”

Let us expectantly pray for the coming of God’s kingdom, because we are commanded to do so.

Pray for the Coming of God’s Kingdom, Being Inspired to Do So by God’s Great Promises←⤒🔗

In verse 1a, the LORD promises that His people’s righteousness shall “shine forth like the dawn, and her salvation like a blazing torch.” This is not an inherent personal righteousness, (as we learn from Isaiah 64:6, “all our righteous acts are like filthy rags”). On the contrary, as the Apostle Paul testifies, it is the righteousness of God we come to possess by faith in Christ, he speaks of “not having my own righteousness which is derived from the law, but that which is through faith in Christ, the righteousness that is from God [received] by faith” (Phil. 3:9). This truth was prophesied through Jeremiah, when he indicated that the promised Messiah would bear the name, “the LORD is our righteousness” (Jer. 23:6).

At the present time, this righteousness is obscure in the Christian’s life, the new heart still dwells in the old sinful body. There is still a great deal of resistance to the working of the Holy Spirit. The fruit of the Holy Spirit is planted in the Christian’s life, but it only appears in its immature form.

What is anticipated here in Isaiah 62:1 is the day when the divine righteousness of Christ shall radiate from our lives with the brilliance of the noonday sun and like a blazing lantern illuminating a pitch-dark cave. The revelation of Jesus’ glory as it was revealed on the mount of transfiguration is described in this way: “he was transfigured before them; and his face shone like the sun, and his garments became white as the light” (Matt. 17:2). On the day of our Lord’s appearing, when His work of sanctification has been fully realized in His redeemed people, we shall be like Him: “Then the righteous will shine like the sun in the kingdom of their Father” (Matt. 13:43).

We are furthermore told, “the nations will see your righteousness, and all kings [will see your] glory” (vs. 2a). On that day, when the world beholds the church, they shall see Christ, as His people radiate the splendor of their Savior with whom they are united in glory, and they shall marvel. On that day the splendor of kings shall be put to shame and be consumed by the all-surpassing glory of Jesus, the King of kings, as He reveals His divine glory in His people: “he shall come to be glorified in his saints, and to be marveled at by all those who have believed” (2 Thess. 1:10).

In verse two, the LORD promises that His people, who are represented by the personification of the land of Judah and the city of Jerusalem, shall be identified by a new name. The old name, “Forsaken,” shall be put away (vs. 4). “Forsaken” is the name the unrepentant sinner bears as he clings to his sins and remains outside of the Savior and apart from Him; note Romans 1:28, “even as they refused to have God in their knowledge, God gave them up.”

The new name is “Hephzibah,” (meaning, “my delight is in her”), “for the LORD will take delight in you.” This is the very way in which the Father addresses His beloved Son, our Lord Jesus Christ: “there came a voice out of the heavens, saying, ‘This is my beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased’” (Matt. 3:17). We shall eternally bear our Savior’s name and enjoy the divine favor of His Father, because on the day of His return we shall become His bride.

At present, we are engaged to Christ, as the Apostle Paul informs the Corinthian church, “I pledged you to one husband, to Christ, so that I might present you as a pure virgin to him” (2 Cor. 11:2b). We are being prepared for and are anticipating the day of His return, the day on which we shall be received as His beloved bride, perfectly united to Him in all the holiness of His divine being: “Christ loved the church and gave himself up for her, ²⁶so that he might sanctify her... ²⁷so that he might present the church to himself in glory, without blemish or wrinkle or any [other] such thing, but being holy and blameless” (Eph. 5:25-27). When we believed in the Lord Jesus Christ, we became “engaged” to Him; we are no longer our own, it is now our duty and desire to prepare for our great “wedding day.”

In verse three, the LORD promises that His people shall be a crown of beauty in His hand. Here is the blessing of being totally possessed by God: being held in the LORD’s hand as His precious jewel and treasured possession. The church, being the New Testament manifestation of the people of God, composed of both Jewish and Gentile believers in Jesus the Messiah, is God’s own heritage, and He shall come to claim His possession. The Apostle Paul expounds on this in Ephesians 1:14. In that passage he identifies the Holy Spirit as “a ‘deposit’ guaranteeing our inheritance, until the redemption of [God’s] possession, to the praise of his glory.” The presence of the Holy Spirit in the believer’s heart is the guarantee that we have been purchased by the blood of Christ to be God’s own possession, and that He shall surely come to claim us for Himself.

At the same time, Isaiah 62:3 is describing the blessing of being a royal honor and glory to the LORD of glory Himself: a crown of glory and a royal diadem for the LORD. The LORD has graciously chosen to glorify Himself in us by perfectly reproducing His character in us: “you are a chosen people, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people appointed to be [God’s] own possession, so that you might display the virtues of him who called you out of darkness into his marvelous light” (1 Pet. 2:9).

Let us pray for the coming of God’s kingdom, being inspired to do so by God’s great promises.

Pray for the Coming of God’s Kingdom, Being Motivated by God’s Own Commitment←⤒🔗

In verse one, the LORD pledges that He will neither hold His peace nor rest until He has fulfilled His promises: “For Zion’s sake, I will not keep silent, and for Jerusalem’s sake, I will not remain quiet, until her righteousness shines forth like the dawn, and her salvation like a blazing torch.”

In verse eight, the LORD takes the solemn oath that He will most certainly grant to His people the blessings of His kingdom. The LORD has sworn “by lifting his right hand, and by his mighty arm;” that is to say, He is both committed, (as seen by the lifting of His hand in taking an oath), and able to do all that He has spoken, (as seen by the mention of His mighty arm). The pledge is presented in Old Testament terms; namely, that the people of God shall enjoy the blessing of the bountiful fruits of their labors in the presence of the LORD their God:

Never again will I give your grain as food for your enemies, and foreigners will never [again] drink the new wine you have labored hard to produce. ⁹On the contrary, those who harvest [the crop] will eat it and praise the LORD, and those who gather [the grapes] will drink [the wine] in the courts of my sanctuary. Isa. 62:8b-9

In verse ten, the LORD Himself oversees the construction of a highway and the removal of all obstacles, so that His people may return to Him and enter into His kingdom. In Isaiah 40:3 the way is prepared for the LORD to come to His people, as the command is given, “Prepare the way for the LORD! In the desert make level a highway for our God!” Here in Isaiah 62:10 the LORD is preparing the way for His people: “Prepare the way for the people! Construct, construct the highway! Remove the stones!” By way of illustration, the scene presented in these chapters of Isaiah is analogous to the building of the transcontinental railroad in the American west: one team of workers started laying track in Nebraska and headed west, another team started laying track in California and headed east, the two teams connected in the state of Utah.

In verse eleven, the LORD publicly proclaims in the hearing of all the nations that His kingdom shall surely come: “Listen! The LORD has made a proclamation to the ends of the earth, Say to the daughter of Zion, Look! Your Savior is coming! Look, [he is bringing] his reward with him, and his recompense accompanies him.” The LORD has gone on “public record,” He has publicly committed Himself, and He has put it in writing in the Bible. Therefore, we can be assured that for His own honor, He will certainly fulfill His promise: His kingdom will surely come.

Let us pray for the coming of God’s kingdom, being motivated by God’s own commitment.

With regard to this matter of God’s commitment to fulfill His promises serving as a stimulus to prayer, rather than an occasion for spiritual complacency on the part of Christ’s church, we should consider what is said about Daniel’s prayer as recorded in Daniel 9:2. There we learn that Daniel’s prayer was motivated by God’s promise and God’s purpose: “I, Daniel, understood from the Scriptures, according to the word of the LORD that came to Jeremiah the prophet, the number of years [appointed] to complete the desolation of Jerusalem, [namely], seventy years.” Daniel is referring to such passages as Jeremiah 25:11-12 and Jeremiah 29:10-12,14b,

This whole country will become a desolate wasteland, and these nations will serve the king of Babylon for seventy years. ¹²But when the seventy years are fulfilled, I will punish the king of Babylon and his nation, the land of the Babylonians, for their guilt, declares the LORD, and I will make it desolate forever. Jer. 25:11-12

¹⁰This is what the LORD says: When seventy years are completed for Babylon, I will come to you and fulfill my gracious promise to bring you back to this place; ¹¹for I know the plans I have for you, declares the LORD, plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future. ¹²Then you will call upon me and come and pray to me, and I will listen to you. ¹⁴...and bring you back from captivity. I will gather you from all the nations and places where I have banished you, declares the LORD, and will bring you back to the place from which I carried you into exile. Jer. 29:10-12,14b

Daniel discerns that the time for the fulfillment of the LORD’s promises has come, and thus he engages in earnest prayer for their fulfillment. The certainty of God’s promises and purposes becomes the motivation for action, (in this present case the motivation for active prayer), not an excuse for complacency.

By way of illustration: When your favorite soccer player is coming in all alone on the opposing goal keeper and is about to score a sure goal, the certainty of his success motivates you to enthusiastic action, (you stand up and cheer him on), not to lethargic complacency. In the same way, the commitment of God to bring His kingdom should motivate us to enthusiastic prayer, not lethargic complacency. One dimension of prayer is this: the privilege of being used by God as the means by which He brings about the fulfillment of His plans; one aspect of Christian prayer is partnership with God.

Conclusion←⤒🔗

According to the survey referred to earlier, it appears that many Christians are losing sight of the first great petition of prayer, the petition that should be the primary focus and concern of our prayers, namely, the coming of God’s kingdom.

Because of the instruction and the incentives provided in the Word of God, especially in such a passage as Isaiah 62, let us make the coming of God’s kingdom the primary petition in our prayers.

Discussion Questions←⤒🔗

1. What pledge does the LORD make to His covenant people? See Isa. 62:1 In Isaiah 62:1, what, in particular, does the LORD promise to accomplish in the lives of His people? Note, also, Isa. 61:3b. Unto this end, what is the Holy Spirit presently doing in our lives as Christians? See 2 Cor. 3:18. Are we yielding ourselves to His sanctifying work, or are we sinfully resisting Him?

For Zion’s sake I will not keep silent, and for Jerusalem’s sake I will not remain quiet, until her righteousness shines forth like the dawn, and her salvation like a blazing torch. Isa. 62:1

Part of the Messiah’s ministry with regard to Zion is:

to bestow on them a crown of beauty in place of ashes, the oil of joy in place of mourning, the garment of praise in place of the spirit of despair. Then they will be called “Oaks of Righteousness,” planted by the LORD, so that he may be glorified. Isa. 61:3

...we all...beholding...the glory of the Lord, are being transformed into the same image from glory to glory...by the Spirit of the Lord. 2 Cor. 3:18

2. What amazing thing does the LORD reveal to His people in Isaiah 62:2a? Compare this promise with the promise made to the LORD’s servant, Jesus Christ our Lord, see Isaiah 52:15a. What does this reveal to us about our destiny as Christians? Note 2 Thess. 2:14b,

The nations will see your righteousness, and all kings [will see your] glory; you will be called by a new name that the mouth of the LORD will bestow [upon you].Isa. 62:2

...so shall he cause many nations to be shocked. Kings shall cover their mouths at [the sight of] him; for what was not reported to them they [themselves] will see, and what was not explained to them they will understand. Isa. 52:15

[God] called you by our gospel for the obtaining of the glory of our Lord Jesus Christ. 2 Thess. 2:14

3. What precious promise is given to the LORD’s people in Isaiah 62:3? What is the significance of the imagery and the location of these jewels? As a Christian, do you appreciate the fact that you are the LORD’s cherished possession, purchased with His own blood? Note Titus 2:13b-14a. With regard to our identity as the LORD’s cherished possession, what role does the Holy Spirit presently occupy in our lives? See Eph. 1:13b-14,

Furthermore, you will be a beautiful crown in the hand of the LORD, a royal diadem in the hand of our God. Isa. 62:3

...our great God and Savior Jesus Christ ¹⁴...gave himself for us, so that he might redeem us from all iniquity and purify for himself a people for his own possession, zealous for good works. Tit. 2:13-14

...having heard the word of truth, [that is], the gospel by which you are saved, and having believed in it, you were sealed with the Holy Spirit of promise. ¹⁴He is a 'deposit' guaranteeing our inheritance, until the redemption of [God’s] possession, to the praise of his glory. Eph. 1:13-14

4. In light of the glorious promises the LORD has made to His people, what are His “palace recorders” (i.e. those royal servants appointed to “remind” the King of His promises) commanded to do? See Isa. 62:6-7. Are we as Christians imitating the palace recorders in the earnestness they are exhorted to exhibit in their divinely-given assignment?

You who are the LORD’s [palace] recorders, give yourselves no rest, ⁷and give him no rest, until he establishes Jerusalem and makes her the praise of [all] the earth.Isa. 62:6-7

5. In Isaiah 62:8-9, concerning what, does the LORD solemnly take an oath? What assurance does the LORD give us with regard to our labors for Christ? See 1 Cor. 15:58; note, too, Rev. 14:13,

The LORD has sworn by lifting his right hand—and by his mighty arm—[promising], Never again will I give your grain as food for your enemies, and foreigners will never [again] drink the new wine you have labored hard to produce. ⁹On the contrary, those who harvest [the crop] will eat it and praise the LORD, and those who gather [the grapes] will drink [the wine] in the courts of my sanctuary. Isa. 62:8-9

Therefore, my beloved brothers, be steadfast, immoveable, always abounding in the work of the Lord; knowing that your labor for the Lord is not in vain. 1 Cor. 15:58

Then I heard a voice from heaven say, 'Write: Blessed are those who die in the Lord from now on.' 'Indeed,' says the Spirit, 'so that they may rest from their labors; for their works will follow them.' Rev. 14:13

The nation of Edom was the archenemy of Israel. Edom refused to allow Israel to pass through their land when the Israelites were on their way to the Promised Land of Canaan.