My Delight is in Her

 By Dan & Brenda Cathcart

 The video version of this teaching is at: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KXactkB7_ns

 The scripture reading is Isaiah 61:10-63:9

 We read last week in Isaiah sixty that the glory of the LORD would shine on Jerusalem and that all her inhabitants would be righteous. These inhabitants are the remnant that Isaiah said would be gathered to Jerusalem in verse four. These are the same people that we read about in the opening verses of Isaiah sixty-one that the LORD has set free.

Isaiah 61:1-3 NKJV 1 "The Spirit of the Lord GOD is upon Me, Because the LORD has anointed Me To preach good tidings to the poor; He has sent Me to heal the brokenhearted, To proclaim liberty to the captives, And the opening of the prison to those who are bound; 2 To proclaim the acceptable year of the LORD, And the day of vengeance of our God; To comfort all who mourn, 3 To console those who mourn in Zion, To give them beauty for ashes, The oil of joy for mourning, The garment of praise for the spirit of heaviness; That they may be called trees of righteousness, The planting of the LORD, that He may be glorified."

Although the first nine verses of Isaiah sixty-one aren’t part of this week’s haftarah, these opening verses summarize last week’s reading and set the stage for this week’s haftarah. What is the remnant’s response to this liberty that God proclaims? What is God’s relationship with them and how do they become the righteousness that shines out of Jerusalem?

Our reading this week opens with Jerusalem’s response to this proclamation of liberty.

Isaiah 61:10-11 NKJV 10 I will greatly rejoice in the LORD, My soul shall be joyful 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 with ornaments, And as a bride adorns herself with her jewels. 11 For as the earth brings forth its bud, As the garden causes the things that are sown in it to spring forth, So the Lord GOD will cause righteousness and praise to spring forth before all the nations.

These words directly refer to the actions of the servant of the LORD in verse three. The words “beauty” and “joy” in verse three are the same Hebrew words translated “ornament” and “rejoice” in verse ten. In verse three, they are used as parallel words. The phrases, “joy for mourning” and “beauty for ashes” say the same thing in different words. One of the mourning rituals was to cover or anoint the head with ashes. The word beauty is number 6287 in Strong’s Concordance, “peh-ayr” meaning an embellishment especially that of a fancy head-dress. So, the ashes of mourning are replaced with the fancy head-dress of joy. In verse ten, that head-dress is described as the ornament of the bride-groom. The word peh-ayr is first used to describe the headdress of the priest in Exodus twenty nine. We see that Jerusalem rejoices in God’s salvation and the righteousness with which He bestows on them. The beauty of Jerusalem adorned in her bridal clothes will draw the eyes of all the nations.

We may ask how could Jerusalem, which was constantly steeped in idolatry and rebellion and whose inhabitants were exiled for their harlotry, ever become this beautiful bride shining with righteousness. Isaiah tells us that God never gives up on His chosen people.

Isaiah 62:1 MKJV 1 For Zion's sake I will not be silent, and for Jerusalem's sake I will not rest, until its righteousness goes out as brightness, and her salvation as a burning lamp.

God determined that He would not rest until salvation and righteousness shine brightly out of Jerusalem, or as Isaiah 61:11 said “righteousness and praise spring forth!” God will not keep His silence until this happens. The Psalmist writes that God has spoken and continues to speak.

Psalms 50:1-4 MKJV 1 A Psalm of Asaph. The mighty God, the LORD, has spoken, and called the earth from the rising of the sun to its going down. 2 Out of Zion, the perfection of beauty, God has shone. 3 Our God comes, and He is not silent; a fire shall devour before Him, and it shall be very stormy all around Him. 4 He shall call to the heavens from above, and to the earth, so that He may judge His people.

God speaks to His people through various means. One of the ways God speaks is through His creation that the Psalmist referred to. Paul declares that God’s sovereignty is displayed in all of creation.

Romans 1:18-20 MKJV 18 For the wrath of God is revealed from Heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men, who hold the truth in unrighteousness, 19 because the thing which may be known of God is clearly revealed within them, for God revealed it to them. 20 For the unseen things of Him from the creation of the world are clearly seen, being realized by the things that are made, even His eternal power and Godhead, for them to be without excuse.

God speaks to His people through the watchmen that He appoints. Isaiah describes the watchmen on the walls of Jerusalem.

Isaiah 62:6-7 MKJV 6 I have set watchmen on your walls, O Jerusalem, who will not always be silent all the day nor all the night; you who remember the LORD, do not be silent. 7 And give Him no rest until He establishes and makes Jerusalem a praise in the earth.

The watchmen are those who remember the LORD. They are the remnant! Their duty is to continually call out to God giving Him no rest until God establishes what He said He would do. Moses was a watchman before the LORD. In Psalm Ninety, Moses cries out for God to remember and return to His people.

Psalms 90:13-17 NKJV 13 Return, O LORD! How long? And have compassion on Your servants. 14 Oh, satisfy us early with Your mercy, That we may rejoice and be glad all our days! 15 Make us glad according to the days in which You have afflicted us, The years in which we have seen evil. 16 Let Your work appear to Your servants, And Your glory to their children. 17 And let the beauty of the LORD our God be upon us, And establish the work of our hands for us; Yes, establish the work of our hands.

Another duty of the watchmen is to sound the alarm and warn the people that judgment is coming. God appointed Ezekiel as a watchman.

Ezekiel 3:17 NKJV 17 "Son of man, I have made you a watchman for the house of Israel; therefore hear a word from My mouth, and give them warning from Me:

God describes the role of the watchman to Ezekiel.

Ezekiel 33:1-4 NKJV 1 Again the word of the LORD came to me, saying, 2 "Son of man, speak to the children of your people, and say to them: 'When I bring the sword upon a land, and the people of the land take a man from their territory and make him their watchman, 3 'when he sees the sword coming upon the land, if he blows the trumpet and warns the people, 4 'then whoever hears the sound of the trumpet and does not take warning, if the sword comes and takes him away, his blood shall be on his own head.

The role of the watchman is to blow the trumpet and sound the alarm! This Sunday evening, September 29^th, the Feast of Trumpets begins. God’s command on this day was to blow the trumpet as a remembrance.

Leviticus 23:24 NKJV 24 "Speak to the children of Israel, saying: 'In the seventh month, on the first day of the month, you shall have a sabbath-rest, a memorial of blowing of trumpets, a holy convocation.

Every year, the trumpets are blown by the watchmen, those who remember the LORD, to call on God not to rest until He establishes His people in righteousness! The trumpets are blown to warn the people of the coming sword of judgment and to return to the LORD. The results of this diligence on the part of the watchmen and the zeal that God has for His people will be that the righteousness of Jerusalem will shine so bright that all the nations will see it.

Isaiah 62:2 MKJV 2 And the nations will see your righteousness, and all kings your glory; and you will be called by a new name, which the mouth of the LORD will name.

The remnant experienced a taste of that righteousness through Yeshua’s earthly ministry. Yeshua revealed Himself to be the servant of the LORD spoken of by Isaiah when He read the words of the prophet in the synagogue in Nazareth and declared that Isaiah’s words were fulfilled by Him.

Luke 4:17-21 MKJV 17 And the book of the prophet Isaiah was handed to Him. And unrolling the book, He found the place where it was written, 18 "The Spirit of the Lord is on Me; because of this He has anointed Me to proclaim the Gospel to the poor. He has sent me to heal the brokenhearted, to proclaim deliverance to the captives, and new sight to the blind, to set at liberty those having been crushed, 19 to proclaim the acceptable year of the Lord." 20 And rolling up the book, returning it to the attendant, He sat down. And the eyes of all in the synagogue were fastened on Him. 21 And He began to say to them, Today this Scripture is fulfilled in your ears.

After Yeshua’s death and resurrection, the Sanhedrin or Jewish Council, tried to silence the spread of the good news of salvation. John and Peter were taken before the council and commanded to keep silent.

Acts 4:18-20 MKJV 18 And they called them and commanded them not to speak at all, nor to teach in the name of Jesus. 19 But Peter and John answered and said to them, Whether it is right before God to listen to you more than to God, you judge. 20 For we cannot but speak the things which we have seen and heard.

John and Peter were faithful watchmen! The call of the watchmen was sounded and those who heard, both Jew and Gentile, responded. Jerusalem will be made into a city of righteousness through the efforts of the watchmen!  The results will be a city fitting to be the bride.

Isaiah 62:3-5 NKJV 3 You shall also be a crown of glory In the hand of the LORD, And a royal diadem In the hand of your God. 4 You shall no longer be termed Forsaken, Nor shall your land any more be termed Desolate; But you shall be called Hephzibah, and your land Beulah; For the LORD delights in you, And your land shall be married. 5 For as a young man marries a virgin, So shall your sons marry you; And as the bridegroom rejoices over the bride, So shall your God rejoice over you.

Names in the Bible are important; they have meaning. When God changes someone’s name, we need to take notice. The first person whose name God changed was Abram. The name Abram, number 87 in Strong’s Concordance means “high father”. God changed Abram’s name to Abraham, number 85 in Strong’s Concordance meaning “father of a multitude.” Through faith, Abraham became a father of a multitude. This will be realized through his spiritual offspring who have faith like his.

There are many other instances of God changing a person’s name. In this passage of Isaiah, God changes the name of Jerusalem from Forsaken to Hephzibah. The name Hephzibah is number 2657 in Strong’s Concordance meaning “My Delight is in her.” The land will be called “Beulah,” from 1166, ba-al meaning to be master or to marry.  Jerusalem will no longer be forsaken of God; But God will delight in her! It seems strange to call the land married and especially for the sons to marry the land. However, there is a play on words here. The word for son, bane, number 1121, can also be translated as builder. The Young’s Literal Translation of Isaiah sixty-two four and five sheds light on this.

Isaiah 62:4-5 YLT 4 It is not said of thee any more, `Forsaken!' And of thy land it is not said any more, `Desolate,' For to thee is cried, `My delight is in her,' And to thy land, `Married,' For Jehovah hath delighted in thee, And thy land is married. 5 For a young man doth marry a virgin, Thy Builders do marry thee, With the joy of a bridegroom over a bride, Rejoice over thee doth thy God.

God’s goal is that Jerusalem shine forth in righteousness. God will bring it about, but it has not yet happened! Isaiah continues his instructions. The builders are to prepare for the righteous to come to the city.

Isaiah 62:10 NKJV 10 Go through, Go through the gates! Prepare the way for the people; Build up, Build up the highway! Take out the stones, Lift up a banner for the peoples!

The stones are anything that hinders the people coming to the LORD. Isaiah tells us idolatry is a stumbling block.

Isaiah 57:13-14 MKJV 13 When you cry, let your gathering deliver you; but the wind shall carry them all away. Vanity shall take them; but he who puts his trust in Me shall possess the land, and shall inherit My holy mountain. 14 And He shall say, Raise up! Raise up! Clear the way! Make the stumbling-block rise out of the way of My people.

After taking away the stones, the builders are to raise a banner. The banner in ancient times was a signal of a rallying point. The troops coming to gather for a battle would look for the raised banner to know where to gather. The way to Jerusalem is to be cleared of barriers, the highway is to be built up, and the banner raised! I think of the pilgrimage feasts when three times a year all the males of Israel would flock to Jerusalem to worship the LORD. The roads would need to be repaired and made ready for all of the traffic. The pilgrims would take their direction by seeing the banners flying over the city. They would enter through the open gates upon which would have the words of the Sh’ma. The Hebrew word for the phrase “Go through” as in “go through the gates” is “abar,” number 5674, meaning to cross over. They would cross over the threshold of the gates entering the city of God!

The invitation to enter the city of God is to all people!

Isaiah 62:11-12 MKJV 11 Behold, the LORD has sent a message to the end of the earth, Tell the daughter of Zion, Behold, your salvation comes. Behold, His reward is with Him, and His work before Him. 12 And they will call them, The Holy People, The Redeemed of the LORD; and you will be called, Sought out, a city not forsaken.

The servant of the LORD, Yeshua the Messiah, will meet His people in Jerusalem! The city will be sought out by those who remember God, by those who have been released from slavery to sin, by those whose mourning has been turned to joy!

Isaiah tells us Messiah comes from the direction of Edom.

Isaiah 63:1-2 NKJV 1 Who is this who comes from Edom, With dyed garments from Bozrah, This One who is glorious in His apparel, Traveling in the greatness of His strength? -"I who speak in righteousness, mighty to save." 2 Why is Your apparel red, And Your garments like one who treads in the winepress?

There is a play on words in these two verses. The land of Edom with its capital of Bozrah was one of Israel’s enemies from its beginning. Edom was, also, a nickname for Jacob’s twin brother Esau who hated Jacob from before they were born. The name “Edom,” number 123, means red. The Servant of the LORD comes from Edom or “red” wearing garments that have been dyed “red.” Then the question is posed, “Why is your clothing red?” The answer reveals that it is red because God has executed judgment on those who hate His people.

Isaiah 63:3-5 MKJV 3 I have trodden the winepress alone; and of the peoples there was no man with Me; for I will tread them in My anger and trample them in My fury; and their blood will be sprinkled on My garments, and I will stain all My clothing. 4 For the day of vengeance is in My heart, and the year of My redeemed has come. 5 And I looked, and there was none to help; and I wondered that there was no one to uphold; therefore My own arm has saved for Me; and My fury upheld Me.

Although the nation of Edom is singled out for judgment, the play on words indicates that this judgment is for all of God’s enemies. Yeshua comes from executing judgment against His enemies and enters into Jerusalem bringing His reward with Him. The day of liberty and the day of vengeance are the same day! We opened with Isaiah sixty-one three declaring the acceptable year of the LORD and the day of vengeance. This day of vengeance is described as being accomplished by the Servant of the LORD. Yeshua describes that day as one of darkness turned to light.

Matthew 24:29-31 MKJV 29 And immediately after the tribulation of those days, the sun shall be darkened and the moon shall not give her light, and the stars shall fall from the heaven, and the powers of the heavens shall be shaken. 30 And then the sign of the Son of man shall appear in the heavens. And then all the tribes of the earth shall mourn, and they shall see the Son of man coming in the clouds of the heaven with power and great glory. 31 And He shall send His angels with a great sound of a trumpet, and they shall gather His elect from the four winds, from one end of the heavens to the other.

The Haftarah closes with a reiteration of God’s commitment to His covenant.

Isaiah 63:7-8 MKJV 7 I will mention the loving-kindnesses of the LORD, the praises of the LORD, according to all that the LORD has benefited for us, and the great good to the house of Israel by which He benefited them according to His mercies, and according to the multitude of His loving-kindnesses. 8 For He said, Surely they are My people, sons that will not lie; so He was their Savior.

Our goal, like God’s goal is to make Jerusalem righteous and, thus, a delight to the LORD. John describes the garments of righteousness which adorn the bride.

Revelation 19:7-8 MKJV 7 Let us be glad and rejoice and we will give glory to Him. For the marriage of the Lamb has come, and His wife has prepared herself. 8 And to her was granted that she should be arrayed in fine linen, clean and white. For the fine linen is the righteousness of the saints.

The remnant of the LORD rejoices in the coming of Yeshua, the Servant of the LORD! All of us who believe in Yeshua as our Messiah and the Servant of LORD are part of that remnant. We all rejoice in God’s salvation and in our righteousness. And that righteousness is not attained by anything we do, but it is the gift of God given to us through Messiah Yeshua. When we are clothed in the garments given to us by Yeshua, God says His delight is in us. What an amazing thought, that the God of all creation would take delight in me and in you!

Study Questions:

1.      Discuss the connection of this teaching to the Torah Portion Nitzavim Deuteronomy 29:9-30:20

2.      What are the names for Jerusalem in this haftarah portion? What do they mean both literally and in the context of this passage? What other names does God use for Jerusalem?

3.      What are some of the results of God making His people righteous?

4.      Young’s Literal Translation refers to “thy builders do marry thee” in Isaiah 62:5. Who are the builders? Who do they marry?

5.      Throughout these chapters of comfort in Isaiah beginning in chapter 40, Isaiah refers to the Servant of the LORD. What are some of the things the Servant of the LORD accomplishes? How do these chapters refer to this servant as both the Suffering Servant and the Servant King?

6.      What new insight did you gain from this teaching? How do you respond to this new insight? How will you realign your life based on this new understanding?

Bonus: The apostle Philip encountered a eunuch from the court of the Ethiopians in Acts 8:26-36 who was reading from Isaiah 53. Philip used these words from Isaiah to share the gospel. What do you think he said?

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