Sunday Morning Bible Study

July 23, 2000

Introduction

These prophecies are focused on the time when Jesus comes back.  Though the prophecies in this chapter seem aimed primarily at the city of Jerusalem, there are truths that apply to us Gentiles as well.

:1-5

:1  For Zion's sake will I not hold my peace…

Zion = Jerusalem

hold my peace – chashah – to be silent, quiet, still, inactive

I believe that the Father is speaking here. God is saying that He isn’t going to rest until Jerusalem is safe and restored.

Lesson

God isn’t finished with you.

Sometimes I have a hard time finishing something once I’ve started it.

I once replaced an exhaust fan in our bathroom, but accidentally left a hole in the ceiling when I did it.  It took me well over five years to get that hole fixed.

I’ve got projects all over the place that I’ve started, but I don’t always get around to finishing things.

God isn’t like that.  He plans on finishing the work He’s done in you.

(Phil 1:6 KJV)  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:

Illustration

Have you ever watched a show on TV that really draws you in, the story is intense, and you wonder how the show will end, when you see the words “To Be Continued…” ?

You feel kind of let down, wishing you could see how the story ended.

But you tuned in the following week to see how the story did end.

Sometimes we hit spots in our lives where it looks as if things are going to end on a really bad note.  Hold on.  God isn’t finished.  He will finish.

Illustration

Elena Bonner, wife of Soviet dissident Andrei Sakharov, says that as he wrote his memoirs she typed, edited, and nursed the work, doing everything she could to make sure it survived seizure by the government.  Sakharov worked on his memoirs in Gorky, rewriting sections because they kept vanishing.  Then one day he met Elena at the train station and with trembling lips told her, "They stole it." She says he looked like a man who had just learned of the death of a close friend.  But after a few days, Sakharov returned to his work. According to his wife, each time he re-wrote his memoirs there was something new -- something better.

Something new, something better.  That's a perfect description of what Jesus does in our lives.  He will continue to “rewrite” the story of our lives.  And the rewrite keeps getting better and better.

:1  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.

I will not rest – shaqat – to be quiet, be tranquil, be at peace, be quiet, rest, lie still, be undisturbed

righteousness – tsedeq – justice, rightness, righteousness; what is right or just or normal, rightness, justness (of weights and measures)

go forth – yatsa’ – to go out, come out, exit, go forth

salvation – y@shuw‘ah – salvation, deliverance

burneth – ba‘ar – to burn, consume, kindle, be kindled

:2  thou shalt be called by a new name

new – chadash – new, new thing, fresh

name – naqab – (Qal) to pierce, bore; to prick off, designate

A name in the Bible often speaks of a person’s nature.

It’s possible that there will be an actual renaming of the city of Jerusalem, but I think that God is referring to the things of verse 4, how people will change the way they talk about Jerusalem.  Jerusalem will have a “whole new look”.

:2  which the mouth of the LORD shall name.

shall name – shem – name; reputation, fame, glory; memorial, monument

:3 Thou shalt also be a crown of glory in the hand of the LORD

be a crown –  ‘atarah – crown, wreath

glory – tiph’arah – beauty, splendour, glory

Jerusalem will be a treasure for all to see.

:3  and a royal diadem in the hand of thy God.

royal – m@luwkah – kingship, royalty, kingly office

diadem – tsaniyph – turban, headdress

: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.

be termed –  ‘amar – to say, speak, utter; (Niphal) to be told, to be said, to be called

Forsaken –  ‘azab – (Qal) to leave; to depart from, abandon, forsake, neglect

Ps 22:1  My God, my God, why hast thou forsaken me?

Ps 27:10  When my father and my mother forsake me, then the LORD will take me up.

The Jews have felt very forsaken, especially those who have endured the Holocaust.

Desolate – sh@mamah – devastation, waste, desolation

shalt be called – qara’ – to call, call out, recite, read, cry out, proclaim

Hephzibah – Chephtsiy bahh – “my delight is in her”; King Hezekiah was married to a gal named Hephzibah (2Ki. 21:1).  It’s interesting to think that Isaiah lived during this time.

2Ki 21:1  Manasseh [was] twelve years old when he began to reign, and reigned fifty and five years in Jerusalem. And his mother’s name [was] Hephzibah.

Beulah – ba‘al (actually, here it’s form is b@oolah) – (Qal) to marry, be lord (husband) over; to rule over.  This is the root word that the god Baal gets its name from.  It means “married”.

delighteth – chaphets – to delight in, take pleasure in.  , desire, be pleased with.  The root of “Hephzibah”.

shall be married – ba‘al – to marry, rule over, possess, own; (Niphal) to be married.

Lesson

He turns desolation into delight.

God would be taking this city of Jerusalem and changing it from a place of desolation, of disappointment, into a place of His delight.

We all know what it’s like to have someone be REALLY disappointed in you.  Have you ever received a Performance Review like this?

Illustration

QUOTES TAKEN FROM “ACTUAL” EMPLOYEE PERFORMANCE EVALUATION PAPERS

“Since my last report, this employee has reached rock bottom and has started to dig.” 

“Works well when under constant supervision and cornered like a rat in a trap.”

“He would be out of his depth in a parking lot puddle.”

“This employee should go far, and the sooner he starts, the better.”

“Got a full 6-pack, but lacks the plastic thing to hold it all together.”

“He would argue with a sign post.”

“When his IQ reaches 50, he should sell.”

“If you gave him a penny for his thoughts, you’d receive change.”

“If you stand close enough to him, you can hear the ocean.”

“The wheel is turning, but the hamster is dead.”

Though you may FEEL like God thinks about you like this, the truth is that you are His delight!!!

How could it be that God could take someone “forsaken” like me, and make me His delight?

It happened at the cross, where Jesus took all the bad things in my life and cleared them away by dying in my place.

(Isa 53:4-5 NIV)  Surely he took up our infirmities and carried our sorrows, yet we considered him stricken by God, smitten by him, and afflicted. {5} But he was pierced for our transgressions, he was crushed for our iniquities; the punishment that brought us peace was upon him, and by his wounds we are healed.

:5 as a young man marrieth a virgin, so shall thy sons marry thee

marrieth – ba‘al – (Qal) to marry, be lord (husband) over; to rule over

:5 and as the bridegroom rejoiceth over the bride, so shall thy God rejoice over thee.

rejoiceth – masows – exultation, joy, rejoicing

rejoice – suws – to exult, rejoice; display joy

(Isa 62:5 NLT)  Your children will care for you with joy, O Jerusalem, just as a young man cares for his bride. Then God will rejoice over you as a bridegroom rejoices over his bride.

Lesson

You are God’s delight.

The picture is that of newlyweds.  Newlyweds are supposed to have great joy with each other.

When a person turns to the Lord, it gives God GREAT JOY!!!

(Luke 15:4-10 KJV)  What man of you, having an hundred sheep, if he lose one of them, doth not leave the ninety and nine in the wilderness, and go after that which is lost, until he find it? {5} And when he hath found it, he layeth it on his shoulders, rejoicing. {6} And when he cometh home, he calleth together his friends and neighbours, saying unto them, Rejoice with me; for I have found my sheep which was lost. {7} I say unto you, that likewise joy shall be in heaven over one sinner that repenteth, more than over ninety and nine just persons, which need no repentance. {8} Either what woman having ten pieces of silver, if she lose one piece, doth not light a candle, and sweep the house, and seek diligently till she find it? {9} And when she hath found it, she calleth her friends and her neighbours together, saying, Rejoice with me; for I have found the piece which I had lost. {10} Likewise, I say unto you, there is joy in the presence of the angels of God over one sinner that repenteth.

Do you consider yourself a person that God delights in?  Can you say to yourself, “God delights in ___________” and put your name in the blank?  If you are a sinner who has turned to Jesus, it’s the truth.  Not because I told you, but because God’s Word has told you.

:6-9

:6 I have set watchmen upon thy walls

I have set – paqad – to attend to, muster, numbe; (Hiphil)  to set over, make overseer, appoint an overseer; to commit, entrust, commit for care, deposit

watchmen – shamar – to keep, guard, protect, save life; watch, watchman (participle)

The watchmen had a job of watching for the invading enemy army.  They would sound an alarm to summon the troops if an enemy came against a city.  But these watchmen don’t sound trumpets.  They pray.

:6  O Jerusalem, which shall never hold their peace day nor night:

never hold their peace – chashah – to be silent, quiet, still, inactive; (Qal) to be silent, be still

:6  ye that make mention of the LORD, keep not silence.

make mention – zakar – (Hiphil)  to cause to remember, remind

(NAS) “You who remind the LORD”

Even though God has promised to restore Jerusalem, these “watchmen” are to keep “reminding” God of His promises.

keep not silence – d@miy – cessation, quiet, rest, silence, pause, peacefulness

Lesson

Be a watchman.

We need more prayer warriors, people who have their eyes open, people who respond to the enemy’s advance by praying.

God is saying that He’s set these watchmen on the walls, and their job is to remind Him, God, of His promises regarding Jerusalem.

Here’s one of God’s promises that we might do well in praying:

(1 Tim 2:1-4 NASB)  First of all, then, I urge that entreaties and prayers, petitions and thanksgivings, be made on behalf of all men, {2} for kings and all who are in authority, in order that we may lead a tranquil and quiet life in all godliness and dignity. {3} This is good and acceptable in the sight of God our Savior, {4} who desires all men to be saved and to come to the knowledge of the truth.

Is it correct to pray for people who don’t believe?  Yes!  God desires that they would be saved.  Pray for them.

:7 And give him no rest, till he establish

give – nathan – to give, put, set

rest – d@miy – cessation, quiet, rest, silence, pause, peacefulness

establish – kuwn – to be firm, be stable, be established;  (Polel)  to set up, establish; to constitute, make; to fix; to direct

Don’t give God any rest until He finishes His work for Jerusalem.

(Luke 11:5-10 NIV)  Then he said to them, "Suppose one of you has a friend, and he goes to him at midnight and says, 'Friend, lend me three loaves of bread, {6} because a friend of mine on a journey has come to me, and I have nothing to set before him.' {7} "Then the one inside answers, 'Don't bother me. The door is already locked, and my children are with me in bed. I can't get up and give you anything.' {8} I tell you, though he will not get up and give him the bread because he is his friend, yet because of the man's boldness he will get up and give him as much as he needs. {9} "So I say to you: Ask and it will be given to you; seek and you will find; knock and the door will be opened to you. {10} For everyone who asks receives; he who seeks finds; and to him who knocks, the door will be opened.

The friend goes and gives his neighbor what he needs not because he’s a friend, but because he wants to get some sleep!

Keep in mind, I think this is God Himself asking us to “keep Him up late” listening to our prayers.  Don’t think you’re going to bother Him.

Lesson

Keep praying

Don’t be a watchman that just makes a lot of noise with a trumpet. Pray.  Keep praying.

:7 and till he make Jerusalem a praise in the earth.

he make – suwm – to put, place, set, appoint, make

praise – t@hillah – praise, song or hymn of praise

:8 The LORD hath sworn by his right hand, and by the arm of his strength,

sworn – shaba‘ – (Niphal)  to swear, take an oath; to swear (of Jehovah by Himself); to curse

right hand – yamiyn – right, right hand, right side

arm – z@rowa‘– arm, forearm, shoulder, strength

strength –  ‘oz – might, strength

:8  Surely I will no more give thy corn to be meat for thine enemies

corn – dagan – wheat, cereal, grain, corn

meat – ma’akal – food, fruit, meat

:8  and the sons of the stranger shall not drink thy wine, for the which thou hast laboured:

wine – tiyrowsh – wine, fresh or new wine, must, freshly pressed wine

laboured – yaga‘– to toil, labour, grow weary, be weary

(Isa 62:8 NLT)  The LORD has sworn to Jerusalem by his own strength: "I will never again hand you over to your enemies. Never again will foreign warriors come and take away your grain and wine.

It will be interesting to see if Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Barak actually hands over half of Jerusalem to the Palestinians. Even if he does, and even if Israel actually goes along with the agreement, when Jesus comes back, it will be forever a united Jerusalem, ruled by the Lord.

Israel and the Midianites

One of the pictures this brings to mind is what happened during the days of Gideon (Judg. 6:2-5).  It was a hard time.  Every year as you finished reaping in your fields, the Midianites would come in and take all your food.  Kind of like the movie “Bugs Life”, where the grasshoppers took the ants’ food every year.

(Judg 6:2-5 NLT)  The Midianites were so cruel that the Israelites fled to the mountains, where they made hiding places for themselves in caves and dens. {3} Whenever the Israelites planted their crops, marauders from Midian, Amalek, and the people of the east would attack Israel, {4} camping in the land and destroying crops as far away as Gaza. They left the Israelites with nothing to eat, taking all the sheep, oxen, and donkeys. {5} These enemy hordes, coming with their cattle and tents as thick as locusts, arrived on droves of camels too numerous to count. And they stayed until the land was stripped bare.

For us now, life isn’t fair.

As parents, we often try our best to make sure that when we do something for one child, that the other children get something of equal value. I think it’s good not to allow one child to be a “favorite”.

But sometimes we do our children a disservice by giving them the impression that life is always going to be “fair”.  Are we setting them up for complaining to their boss that they didn’t get as bid a raise as the other guy and that he isn’t being “fair”. 

Life isn’t fair.  I think sometimes we just need to get used to that idea.

Lesson

One day, life will be fair.

There will be a day when everything will be made right.

: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.

gathered –  ‘acaph – to gather, receive, remove, gather in

praise – halal – to shine;  (Piel)  to praise; to boast, make a boast

brought it together – qabats – to gather, assemble; (Piel) to gather, gather together, take away

courts – chatser – court, enclosure

holiness – qodesh – apartness, holiness, sacredness, separateness

:10-12

:10 Go through, go through the gates;

go through –  ‘abar – (Qal) to pass over, cross, cross over, pass over, march over, overflow, go over

gates – sha‘ar – gate

:10  prepare ye the way of the people

prepare ye – panah – to turn; (Piel) to turn away, put out of the way, make clear, clear away

:10  cast up, cast up the highway; gather out the stones; lift up a standard for the people.

cast up – calal – (Qal)  to cast up a highway; to cast up a way; to lift up (of song)

highway – m@cillah – highway, raised way, public road

gather out – caqal – (Piel)  to stone, pelt with stones; to free from stones (of vineyard, highway)

stones –  ‘eben – stone (large or small)

lift up – ruwm – (Hiphil)  to raise, lift, lift up, take up, set up, erect, exalt, set on high; to lift up (and take away), remove; to lift off and present, contribute, offer, contribute

standard – nec – something lifted up, standard, signal, signal pole, ensign, banner, sign, sail; standard (as rallying point), signal; standard (pole); ensign, signal.  A “standard” was a way of announcing something, a way to rally the troops.

The way it is written, it’s almost as if the Lord is on His way, and the people are being encouraged to get the city ready for Him. When we get to chapter 63, we’re going to see the Lord coming to Jerusalem.

:11 Behold, the LORD hath proclaimed unto the end of the world,

hath proclaimed – shama‘–  (Hiphil)  to cause to hear, tell, proclaim, utter a sound; to sound aloud (musical term); to make proclamation, summon; to cause to be heard

end – qatseh – end, extremity

world – ‘erets – land, earth

:11 Say ye to the daughter of Zion, Behold, thy salvation cometh

thy salvation – yesha‘– deliverance, salvation, rescue, safety, welfare

(Isa 62:11 NIV)  'See, your Savior comes!

:11 behold, his reward is with him, and his work before him.

reward – sakar – hire, wages

work – p@‘ullah – work, recompense, reward

:12 And they shall call them, The holy people

shall call – qara’ – (Qal)  to call; to proclaim; to summon, invite, call for, call and commission, appoint, call and endow; to call, name, give name to, call by

holy – qodesh – apartness, holiness, sacredness, separateness.  people –  ‘am – nation, people

The Jews will be called “Holy People”, another name for this is “saint”.

Lesson

We are saints.

I think the Catholic Church has done a great deal to give us a picture of what a “saint” is.  It’s someone who lives in a stained-glass window and has a yellow ring around their head.  It’s someone who is so good that they float above the ground and probably never eat food and never have to use the restroom.  Right?  Wrong.

The Bible says that all believers are “saints”.  In the New Testament, the word “saint” is used 62 times, and no references to glowing halos.  It’s simply used for those who are a part of the church.

When we come to trust in Jesus, He sets us “apart” from the rest of the world and makes us “holy”.

Lesson

We are becoming saints.

Though we already are called “holy” by the Lord, because of what He did for us on the cross, we are also on a journey to becoming more and more “holy”.

(1 Th 4:1-4 KJV)  Furthermore then we beseech you, brethren, and exhort you by the Lord Jesus, that as ye have received of us how ye ought to walk and to please God, so ye would abound more and more. {2} For ye know what commandments we gave you by the Lord Jesus. {3} For this is the will of God, even your sanctification, that ye should abstain from fornication: {4} That every one of you should know how to possess his vessel in sanctification and honour;

(1 Th 4:7 KJV)  For God hath not called us unto uncleanness, but unto holiness.

God wants us to be more like Him and less like the world.  Part of this process involves learning to be “crucified” with Christ.  It’s learning to die to my selfish desires.

Illustration

There are three marks of one who is crucified. One, he is facing in only one direction. Two, he can never turn back. And three, he no longer has any plans of his own.

A. W. Tozer (1897–1963)

Illustration

Are we prepared for what sanctification will do? It will cost an intense narrowing of all our interests on earth and an immense broadening of our interest in God.

Oswald Chambers (1874–1917)

Let God take you through the process of being more “holy”, just as he did with a sea captain named John Newton.

Illustration

John Newton (1725-1807)

John Newton was nurtured by a devoted Christian mother who dreamed that her only son would become a preacher. But she died when John was a child, and he followed his sea-captain father to a sailor’s life. John didn’t care for the discipline of the Royal Navy: he deserted ship, was flogged, and eventually was discharged.

He then headed for regions where he could “sin freely,” and ended up on the western coast of Africa, working for a slave trader who mistreated him. Newton’s life during that period bore the appearance of a Prodigal Son’s: “a wretched looking man toiling in a plantation of lemon trees in the Island of Plaintains—clothes had become rags, no shelter and begging for unhealthy roots to feed his hunger.” After more than a year of such treatment, he managed to escape from the island, in 1747.

The following year his ship was battered by a severe storm. Newton had read The Imitation of Christ, and during the life-threatening voyage he became a Christian. Ironically, Newton then served as captain of a slave ship for six years. He gradually came to abhor slavery and later crusaded against it.

Newton became greatly influenced by George Whitefield and the Wesleys. He married his long-time sweetheart and began studying for the ministry and preaching in whatever vacant building he could procure. Known as the “old converted sea captain,” he attracted large audiences. He was ordained within the Anglican Church, and in 1764 he took a church in Olney.

Newton felt dissatisfied with the hymns of the traditional song books. He began writing his own, many autobiographical in nature, including “Amazing Grace!”

In his old age, it was suggested that Newton retire because of bad health and failing memory. He replied, “My memory is nearly gone, but I remember two things: That I am a great sinner and that Christ is a great Savior!”

-- "The Golden Age of Hymns," Christian History, no. 31.

:12  The redeemed of the LORD: and thou shalt be called, Sought out, A city not forsaken.

redeemed – ga’al – to redeem, act as kinsman-redeemer, avenge, revenge, ransom, do the part of a kinsman

sought out – darash –  (Qal)  to resort to, frequent (a place), (tread a place); to consult, enquire of, seek

not forsaken –  ‘azab – (Niphal)  to be left to; to be forsaken