ISAIAH LESSON 71


     We will begin this lesson in 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."

     "Zion" is literally the mount in Jerusalem. We know, also, that
Zion is sometimes used to speak of Jerusalem itself. Zion is, also,
symbolic of the church of the Lord Jesus Christ. This verse above is
as if God Himself is speaking. God wants a family. He will not rest,
until that is accomplished. The plan from the foundation of the earth
was for Jesus {Jehovah Saviour} to offer His body to pay the penalty
for sin, for all mankind. Jesus did this, not for His sake, but for
our sake, that we might be saved. The Righteousness and the Light are
both Jesus Christ. There was no righteousness on the earth. The Bible
says all have sinned and come short of the glory of God. If God were
to have a family, there had to be a better covenant. Man was incapable
of keeping the first. Jesus is the Candlestick. He is the Lamp. There
is salvation in no other.

     Isaiah 62:2 "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."

     Many times when God called someone to serve Him, He changed their
name. Jacob {trickster} was changed to Israel. Abram's name was
changed to Abraham. The meaning of the name had to be correct for the
call on his life. We all took on the name of Christ, when we were
saved.  Our name was changed to Christian. The name just means that we
are a believer in, and a follower of Christ. Each individual has a new
name that no one knows but God. I believe when we receive that private
name from God, it will describe us as we really are. Revelation 2:17
"He that hath an ear, let him hear what the Spirit saith unto the
churches; To him that overcometh will I give to eat of the hidden
manna, and will give him a white stone, and in the stone a new name
written, which no man knoweth saving he that receiveth [it]."  There
is another Scripture that says He will write His name on us.
Revelation 3:12 "Him that overcometh will I make a pillar in the
temple of my God, and he shall go no more out: and I will write upon
him the name of my God, and the name of the city of my God, [which is]
new Jerusalem, which cometh down out of heaven from my God: and [I
will write upon him] my new name."

     Isaiah 62:3 "Thou shalt also be a crown of glory in the hand of
the LORD, and a royal diadem in the hand of thy God."

     Jesus will be proud of these that belong to Him. He will present
His church to the world as a precious stone, or crown.

     Isaiah 62:4 "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."

     The word "Hephzibah" means my delight is in her. "Beulah" means
to be master, or to be married. These 2 words make me believe this is
speaking of the bride of Christ. The land that had been so desolate
would now be as a garden of Eden. God's people will no longer be
scorned. They are His. The bride of Christ {Christians} is sometimes
spoken of in the same manner as New Jerusalem. Jesus has claimed His
bride at this point.

     Isaiah 62:5  "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."

     We are told that Jesus is coming back for a chaste virgin bride.
This just means they have been spiritually faithful to Him.
II Corinthians 11:2 "For I am jealous over you with godly jealousy:
for I have espoused you to one husband, that I may present [you as] a
chaste virgin to Christ."

     Isaiah 62:6 "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,"

     The "watchmen", in verse 6 above, are speaking of prophets, and
ministers of the Word of God. The minister in a church must watch for
the character of the people he, or she, is ministering to. It is the
responsibility of the pastor of the church to make sure the doctrine
is correct and to make sure the congregation is aware of God's wishes.
Today, all ministers should be sounding an alarm for the moral decay
in our country. This Old Testament Scripture describes what preachers
ought to be doing today. Joel 2:17 "Let the priests, the ministers of
the LORD, weep between the porch and the altar, and let them say,
Spare thy people, O LORD, and give not thine heritage to reproach,
that the heathen should rule over them: wherefore should they say
among the people, Where [is] their God?"

     Isaiah 62:7 "And give him no rest, till he establish, and till he
make Jerusalem a praise in the earth."

     Many of the congregation think the minister is stepping on his
individual toes, when they preach over and over to repent. The Jews
then, and the Christians now, are actually representing Christ in
everything they do. God gets the praise, when we live like Christ
before the Lord.

     Isaiah 62:8 "The LORD hath sworn by his right hand, and by the
arm of his strength, Surely I will no more give thy corn [to be] meat
for thine enemies; and the sons of the stranger shall not drink thy
wine, for the which thou hast laboured:"

     God will restore the Jews to Jerusalem. God promised Abraham that
his descendents would inherit the promised land. What He promises, He
does. God will come to their assistance and restore them in their
land. God will keep us in His perfect care, as well. Jesus is the
Right hand of God. The blessings God has provided for His own will not
be stolen by the enemy.

     Isaiah 62:9 "But they that have gathered it shall eat it, and
praise the LORD; and they that have brought it together shall drink it
in the courts of my holiness."

     We see from this Scripture, that we are not to sit idly by and
let others do the work. We reap what we sow. God will prosper the
crops of those who are His own. He will not let others take it away
from them. Praising God for the good crop is just as important, as
planting the right seed in the right ground. God is the One who makes
it grow.  There will be no fear of the enemy, when we have done God's
will. God will protect His own.

     Isaiah 62:10  "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."

     This message is primarily to the house of Israel in captivity.
When God frees them, they are to immediately head for the promised
land. They are to leave a clear path behind them for others to follow.
They are to remove all the obstacles they can that would prevent
others from coming. They are to set a standard that others might see
clearly and follow. Look at this carefully with me. This could, also,
be speaking to the Christians who are headed for their promised land
{heaven}. They should clear the way for those coming behind. They
should not put up obstacles that might cause others not to be able to
make it. Most of all, their standard of living should be so above
reproach that it would lead others to Christ.

     Isaiah 62:11 "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."

     The "daughter of Zion" is most assuredly speaking of the
Christians. Isaiah stresses one more time that the Messiah is coming
to save the people from their sins. He is salvation for all mankind.
His reward to all who will believe is everlasting life. He worked 6
hours on the cross to pay for our sin.

     Isaiah 62:12 "And they shall call them, The holy people, The
redeemed of the LORD: and thou shalt be called, Sought out, A city not
forsaken."

     Again, Israel was redeemed from captivity in Babylon, but I
believe this is speaking of something greater than that. This is a
promise to that individual who has been a slave to sin. Jesus paid the
price for sin on the cross with His precious blood. When we are saved,
we become a righteous people. We take on the righteousness of Christ.
Actually, we become a new creature in Christ. Christ lives in us, and
that is the hope of glory. We are promised that He will never leave
us, nor forsake us. We are sons of God. We are family.
                          Isaiah 71 Questions


1.  What is "Zion" in the literal sense?
2.  Zion is symbolic of the _________.
3.  Who appears to be speaking in verse 1?
4.  What was the plan for salvation from the foundation of the earth?
5.  Who is the Righteousness and the Light?
6.  _____ have sinned and come short of the glory of God.
7.  What did the name Jacob mean?
8.  What did God change Jacob's name to?
9.  Abram's name was changed to __________.
10. Quote Revelation chapter 2 verse 17.
11. Quote Revelation chapter 3 verse 12.
12. Jesus will present His church to the world as a _________ _______.
13. "Hephzibah" means what?
14. What does "Beulah" mean?
15. Then what is verse 4 saying to us?
16. The bride of Christ is spoken of as 2 things. What are they?
17. Quote 2 Corinthians chapter 11 verse 2.
18. Who are the "watchmen" in verse 6?
19. Where do we find the Scripture in the Old Testament that tells us
    what ministers should be doing today?
20. When the preacher preaches over and over on repentance, what do
    some of the congregation believe?
21. Verse 8 says, God has sworn by His ________ ________.
22. Quote Isaiah chapter 62 verse 10.
23. What does that Scripture have to do with us?
24. Who is the "daughter of Zion"?
25. What happens to us, when we become Christians?