Scripture reading: Psalm 147: 147:1 Praise the LORD! For it is good to sing praises to our God; for it is pleasant, and a song of praise is fitting.
2 The LORD builds up Jerusalem; he gathers the outcasts of Israel.
3 He heals the brokenhearted and binds up their wounds.
4 He determines the number of the stars; he gives to all of them their names.
5 Great is our Lord, and abundant in power; his understanding is beyond measure.
6 The LORD lifts up the humble; he casts the wicked to the ground.
7 Sing to the LORD with thanksgiving; make melody to our God on the lyre!
8 He covers the heavens with clouds; he prepares rain for the earth; he makes grass grow on the hills.
9 He gives to the beasts their food, and to the young ravens that cry.
10 His delight is not in the strength of the horse, nor his pleasure in the legs of a man,
11 but the LORD takes pleasure in those who fear him, in those who hope in his steadfast love.
12 Praise the LORD, O Jerusalem! Praise your God, O Zion!
13 For he strengthens the bars of your gates; he blesses your children within you.
14 He makes peace in your borders; he fills you with the finest of the wheat.
15 He sends out his command to the earth; his word runs swiftly.
16 He gives snow like wool; he scatters hoarfrost like ashes.
17 He hurls down his crystals of ice like crumbs; who can stand before his cold?
18 He sends out his word, and melts them; he makes his wind blow and the waters flow.
19 He declares his word to Jacob, his statutes and rules to Israel.
20 He has not dealt thus with any other nation; they do not know his rules. Praise the LORD!

Sermon text: Isaiah 61:10-62:3: 10 I will greatly rejoice in the LORD; my soul shall exult in my God, for he has clothed me with the garments of salvation; he has covered me with the robe of righteousness, as a bridegroom decks himself like a priest with a beautiful headdress, and as a bride adorns herself with her jewels. 11 For as the earth brings forth its sprouts, and as a garden causes what is sown in it to sprout up, so the Lord GOD will cause righteousness and praise to sprout up before all the nations.
62:1 For Zion’s sake I will not keep silent, and for Jerusalem’s sake I will not be quiet, until her righteousness goes forth as brightness, and her salvation as a burning torch. 2 The nations shall see your righteousness, and all the kings your glory, and you shall be called by a new name that the mouth of the LORD will give. 3 You shall be a crown of beauty in the hand of the LORD, and a royal diadem in the hand of your God.

Introduction

Abram, “exalted father,” became Abraham, “father of many nations.” Jacob, “one who follows on another’s heels,” became Israel, “prince.” And, of course, we cannot forget Saul the persecutor of the Church, who we know better as St. Paul the Apostle. Each of these men experienced life-changing encounters with God that changed not only their names but their very identities. The men they became demonstrated the life-changing power of God. When God calls a person to His service, the calling changes everything.

In Isaiah’s prophecy that we read today, we find another example of a new name representing a transformation. As we read Isaiah’s beautiful imagery, imagine how an encounter with the God who created you can change your life — not only for today, but for eternity.

Sermon

When Isaiah wrote the today’s sermon text in the eighth century B.C., the people of Judah still faced a century of warfare followed by 70 years of exile. However, Isaiah wasn’t prophesying only to the people of his time; this prophecy also extended to those who would return from exile in the sixth century B.C. to rebuild Jerusalem and their shattered nation. These people would need to know that God would fulfill His promise to restore the nation and renew His covenant with the descendants of those who had broken His covenant in Isaiah’s time.

However, as with much prophecy we read in Scripture, the meaning of this passage extended down throughout history. The first part of chapter 61 forms a Messianic passage often heard around Christmas time.

Some scholars believe that Isaiah personifies Jerusalem in the passage we read today. If so, Jerusalem has plenty to celebrate. However, this passage, while speaking to those returning from exile to rebuild Jerusalem, also resonates with believers of the new covenant as well.

First, we find that Isaiah praises God for the blessings of restoration. Isaiah said that he would “greatly rejoice in the LORD,” followed by the verb “exult.” The first verb denotes singing, but the second verb describes ecstatic celebration. The combination of the 2 vividly describes an emotional, visible outpouring of celebration. Everyone who witnessed the rebirth of Jerusalem would marvel at its restoration, giving her inhabitants an excellent opportunity to tell others of God’s glorious work.

What had God done to deserve this testimony? God had “covered” His people with “the robe of righteousness.” We often find descriptions of God providing clothing in the Old Testament. God specified, to the exact detail, the clothing of the priests in Exodus. God would later describe the infant nation Israel as “naked” in Ezekiel 16 and tell how He had clothed her.

God’s choice of fashion would greatly exceed that expected of the city. Jerusalem had served as the greatest offender of the covenant: Her kings had committed idolatry with the priests, her people had oppressed the poor of the land, and the apostasy of Judah had poured from Jerusalem to infect the entire nation. However, God would forgive the city and clothe her with “righteousness.” The city that once served as the hotbed of apostasy would serve as the example of right living before the nations. The city that once housed every form of sin would be known for its righteousness before her God.

This clothing would testify to the love of God for His people. Notice how Isaiah continues by comparing the robe of righteousness with the clothing of a bridegroom and bride. Most couples wear their best clothing for their wedding; many of us probably bought or rented clothing far beyond our best to wear at our weddings. (Personally, I haven’t worn a tuxedo since my own wedding.) God often compared Jerusalem to His bride. Now, even though she had broken the covenant with her sin and suffered her just retribution, God would restore her beauty as that of a newly wed bride.

Some would wonder whether God would truly restore the city. Nebuchadnezzar would burn Jerusalem to the ground in 586 B.C., razing it almost to the foundation stones. Isaiah continued by describing God’s faithfulness to His people. God would restore His people as surely as “the earth brings forth its sprouts, and as a garden causes what is sown in it to sprout up.” The earth will always nourish the seeds she receives, whether or not the plants themselves survive to produce a harvest. God will always fulfill His word, be it in the restoration of a destroyed city or in the salvation of a people.

Isaiah himself said he would “not keep quiet” until God fulfilled His promise. All the world would see Jerusalem’s righteousness as “brightness” and her salvation as a “burning torch.” Jerusalem, as a city on a hill, stood out in the darkness of night. God would establish Jerusalem’s righteousness before the nations so that all would see His love for her.

And yes, all the nations would see Jerusalem! “The nations shall see your righteousness, and all the kings your glory.” Furthermore, Isaiah proclaims that God would give Jerusalem a “new name;” the city would seem a “crown of beauty” and a “diadem” in the hand of God. All the world would find themselves drawn to Jerusalem as a testimony of God’s sovereignty and love.

This passage truly lifts our hearts! If God would do this for Jerusalem, what would He do for the rest of the world?

Keep in mind that, although Jerusalem was restored, this prophecy remained mostly unfulfilled. Jerusalem never achieved its greatness from the time of Solomon. After its restoration under the Persians, the city barely registered as important at all. During the succeeding empires, Jerusalem often found itself eclipsed by cities such as Antioch in Syria or Alexandria in Egypt. Many of these prophecies found in Isaiah will find their ultimate fulfillment in Jesus’ glorious kingdom in the millennial reign.

However, these prophecies speak volumes to Christians today.

First, we find Jesus using the terminology of clothing in His parable of the prodigal son (Luke 15) where the father commands his servants to bring the “best robe” for his returning son. When we confess Jesus as Lord, believing God raised Him from the dead, we receive the salvation that can come only from God Himself. When the ancient Church baptized new members, they received a new white robe at their baptism. The new robe signified the new life of believers before the world. When we proclaim Jesus as Lord, we find ourselves clothed with righteousness as we begin living according to Jesus’ words in the Gospels and the words of Scripture as a whole.

Secondly, we find that God faithfully upholds His word to His people. When we receive Jesus as Lord, the Holy Spirit Himself becomes the “guarantor” of our salvation (Ephesians 1:13-14). God’s faithfulness to His people will remain even should the earth itself fail to stand.

Lastly, we find that we, too, will receive a “new name.” Jesus promised a “new name” to the believers in 2 churches in the Revelation: Pergamum and Philadelphia. Believers will receive a new name in the life to come. This new name will testify to God’s work in our lives and to His faithfulness to His saints.

What about our church? Decades ago, our church was named “New Hope.” Our church stands today as a testimony to God’s work over a century and a half ago. Everyone who comes to our congregation should find a new hope to accompany their new name. We should seek, in the new year, to bring new hope to the lives of those who need to hear of the garment of salvation. We must serve God here so that all who see Him in our lives can seek His work in their lives.

New names; new hopes. I know of no better way to start a new year than by celebrating God’s love for us and His work in our lives. Tell someone this week about God’s love for you and His faithfulness to you.