Isaiah 62:6

Isaiah 62:6 says, 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,  God said He had set a watchman on the wall.  This refers to preachers, but I believe it also refers to all Christians.  We are to be ever alert to the threat of evil and we should never stay quiet when we see evil in the world.  God has given us the responsibility of being alert for evil and crying out when we see it, and this is not just the responsibility of preachers. 

Verse seven adds, And give him no rest, till he establish, and till he make Jerusalem a praise in the earth.  Isaiah said this watchman would have no rest until God was established and until He made Jerusalem the praise of the earth.  This will happen when Jesus Christ returns to claim His church, and until then we must continue to reach out to the lost world with the gospel 

Verse eight continues, 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:  Isaiah said God made a promise that the people of Israel would be protected by His strong right arm and would not be enslaved again.  I believe this means spiritually, and once we accept Jesus Christ as our personal Savior and Lord, we are secured by His power and will never be under the death sentence of sin again.

Verse nine concludes, 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.  Isaiah added that no one else would eat the fruits of their labor.  The fruits of our labor as Christians should be the spreading of the gospel, and if we accept God’s gift of salvation, no one else will be able to take it away from us. 

Verse ten states, 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 passage refers to the Jews being delivered from Babylon and rebuilding Jerusalem and other cities, but in the broader context, it applies to Jesus Christ coming to deliver those who put their faith in Him when He first came and to our continuing to put our faith in Him until He returns. Isaiah said that the people of Israel were to proclaim God’s word everywhere.  They were to go through His gates and lift up His standard.  Jesus Christ is the only gate that we can go through to be restored to a right relationship with God, and He is the standard that we should lift up.  We are also to proclaim this as we call on people to prepare the way for the return of Jesus Christ. 

Verse eleven adds, 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 people of Israel were promised that salvation was coming.  They would need to put their faith in this coming Messiah and He would bring their reward, which was everlasting life with God in heaven. Jesus Christ is the only One Who can bring us salvation. 

Verse twelve continues, And they shall call them, The holy people, The redeemed of the Lord: and thou shalt be called, Sought out, A city not forsaken.  Isaiah said once the people of Israel began to live by faith in God and the coming Messiah that they would be called a holy people and others would seek them out to learn how to become a part of God’s kingdom as well.    We, as followers of Jesus Christ are a holy people, or set aside from the world by our faith in Jesus Christ.  It would be nice if people sought us out to hear the gospel, but too often, we have a hard time getting people to accept Jesus Christ as their Savior and Lord when we seek them out.  Still, we should never stop trying to reach them.

Isaiah 62:1

Isaiah 62:1 says, 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.  Isaiah was a prophet, and Matthew Henry points out that the purpose of a prophet is to preach and pray. and he said he wasn’t going to rest until righteousness shined with brightness in Zion.  Isaiah may have spoken the wrods, but it was God Who was going to do what he prophesied.  He was not going to do this so he would be praised, but he was going to do it because God had called Him do it and for the sake of the people.  We as Christians need to be at work sharing God’s word today, and we should realize that the primary purpose of preachers is to preach and pray.  God has called other people to take care of the everyday business of the church if they will only answer His call.  Of course, the goal of the preacher should be to reach the lost and strengthen those who are believers in Jesus Christ and should never be to make themselves look powerful nor to make themselves rich materially.  Isaiah also said he would not hold his peace, which I believe means he would proclaim God’s word even if it put Him in danger.  As Christians, we should never allow fear to keep us from proclaiming God’s word.

Verse two adds, 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.  Isaiah said that when the word of God was proclaimed that the Gentiles would see the righteousness of the people of Israel.  This was not their righteousness, but the righteousness of God reflected in them.  When we become a follower of Christ, we should reflect His righteousness to those around us so that they will want to become a part of His kingdom. Isaiah also said they would have a new name.  Some denominations give themselves a new name when they accept Jesus Christ, but I don’t believe that this is what this verse means.  God would give them new name.  To me, it means that we will now be called God’s sons and daughters and not sons and daughters of Satan. 

Verse three continues, Thou shalt also be a crown of glory in the hand of the Lord, and a royal diadem in the hand of thy God.  Matthew Henry says this is one new name that those who come to God in faith will be called.  They will be called a crown of glory in the hand of the Lord.  The crown will not be to adorn the one who is called a crown, but will be to adorn God, Who made salvation possible.  We are never to serve God because we expect to be glorified, but we are to serve Him so that He will be. 

Verse four states, 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.  Then, we have two name changes stated in this verse.  The name Hephzibah means ‘ My delight is in her.’  As stated earlier, we will no longer be strangers to God who displease Him, but we will be His child and He will delight in us, not because we have done anything to deserve it, but because we have accepted His gift of salvation.  Isaiah also said that their land would be called Beulah, which Matthew Henry says means married.  As Christians, we are the bride of Christ and are spiritually married to Him. 

Verse five adds, 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.   Matthew Henry says this refers to the people of Israel being married to their own land, or to the kingdom of God that they became a part of.  When they were a part of His kingdom, God would rejoice over them like a groom does over his bride.  God still does this with Christians today.

Isaiah 61:7

Isiaih 61:7 says, For your shame ye shall have double; and for confusion they shall rejoice in their portion: therefore in their land they shall possess the double: everlasting joy shall be unto them.  God said that for the shame that the Jews had suffered in captivity, which was caused by their own failure to trust God, that they would be given double what they lost when they returned after repenting and putting their faith in Him once more.  I don’t believe this meant twice the material wealth, since their houses nor the Temple were as great as they were before, but it means they were spiritually blessed so much more than before.  God also said they would rejoice in their portion.  We should always rejoice in the Lord when He meets our needs and never desire what someone else has been blessed with.  This was to be everlasting joy, no matter what their portion might be.  As followers of Christ, we should have everlasting joy, because we have been given everlasting spiritual life with God. 

Verse eight adds, For I the Lord love judgment, I hate robbery for burnt offering; and I will direct their work in truth, and I will make an everlasting covenant with them.  God said He loved judgment, which I believe means righteous judgment.  Other people may try to oppress Christians, but we don’t need to be their judge.  God is, and one day He will pass His judgment on those who refuse to accept His gift of salvation.  God is the God of truth, so sacrifices made just for show or for ones own glory will never be acceptable to Him.  Then, if we have put our faith in Jesus Christ, He enters into an everlasting covenant with us.  Once we accept Jesus Christ as our personal Savior and Lord, God seals us as His forever. 

Verse nine continues, And their seed shall be known among the Gentiles, and their offspring among the people: all that see them shall acknowledge them, that they are the seed which the Lord hath blessed.  God said that the Gentiles who saw the Jews would acknowledge that they were blessed by God.  This would be true of their descendants as well.  This was when they had returned to God and were being obedient to Him and not just because they were descendants of  Jewish parents.  God never intended for the nation of Israel to be declared better than other people because of the fact that they were born into the nation of Israel, but they were to be made better because of their relationship with Him.  We as Christians are not better than anyone else based on our own goodness, since we are all sinners saved by grace, so we should never feel that God loves us more than anyone else. 

Verse ten says, I will greatly rejoice in the Lord, my soul shall be joyful in my God; for he hath clothed me with the garments of salvation, he hath covered me with the robe of righteousness, as a bridegroom decketh himself with ornaments, and as a bride adorneth herself with her jewels.  Isaiah said that he would greatly rejoice in the Lord and be joyful in his God, and so should we as followers of Christ today.  This is made possible because we are covered by the robe of righteousness of Jesus Christ.  He is the Bridegroom and we as the church are the bride. 

Verse eleven adds, For as the earth bringeth forth her bud, and as the garden causeth 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.  God said He was going to cause righteousness and praise to Him to spring forth like the seeds or buds that were planted brought forth new life.  As Christians, we are to be rooted in our relationship with Jesus Christ and we should bring forth fruit as we reach out to the whole world with the gospel of Christ.

Isaiah 61:1

Isaiah 61:1 says, The Spirit of the Lord God is upon me; because the Lord hath anointed me to preach good tidings unto the meek; he hath sent me to bind up the brokenhearted, to proclaim liberty to the captives, and the opening of the prison to them that are bound; Though this verse does apply to Isaiah by the Spirit of the Lord GOD being on him to proclaim good tidings and liberty to the captives of Babylon, in its greater context, it applies to Jesus Christ, who Himself said this scripture was fulfilled in Him.  This is found in Luke 4:17-19, 21.  We can proclaim the freedom from sin for those who confess their sins and accept Jesus Christ as their personal Savior and Lord, but we cannot free them from the penalty of sin.  Only Jesus Christ can.  Isaiah was anointed by God to be a prophet, but Jesus Christ was anointed by God to be the only One Who could forever set the captives free from the bondage of sin.

Verse two adds, To proclaim the acceptable year of the Lord, and the day of vengeance of our God; to comfort all that mourn;  The acceptable year of the Lord was when Jesus Christ came too set people free from the penalty of sin and to bring comfort to those who mourned.  Of course, for this to be true, people had to accept the gift of salvation that God gave everyone when He sent Jesus Christ to die for our sins.  Now, we await the acceptable year of the Lord God for Jesus Christ to return to call His people home forever.

Verse three continues, To appoint unto them that mourn in Zion, to give unto them beauty for ashes, the oil of joy for mourning, the garment of praise for the spirit of heaviness; that they might be called trees of righteousness, the planting of the Lord, that he might be glorified.  God said this was done to bring them joy and rejoicing in the Lord for the freedom that He gave them over the penalty of sin.  Though the people of Israel were freed from bondage in Babylon, this was a temporary freedom.  When we are freed from the penalty of sin by putting our faith in Jesus Christ as our Savior and Lord, it is an everlasting freedom, and we should rejoice and give all the praise to Him.  We are then to be trees of righteousness, and this not our own righteousness, but the righteousness of Jesus Christ.  We are to proclaim the gospel to all people, and we are to do so for the glory of God. 

Verse four states, And they shall build the old wastes, they shall raise up the former desolations, and they shall repair the waste cities, the desolations of many generations.  This verse applies to the people of Israel when they returned from captivity in Babylon.  They were to rebuild the Temple and the cities that had been destroyed.  This also applies to what happens in the life of an individual when they accept Jesus Christ as their Savior and Lord.  Until a person accepts Him, their life is in spiritual ruin, and only by faith in Him can it be rebuilt. 

Verse five adds, And strangers shall stand and feed your flocks, and the sons of the alien shall be your plowmen and your vinedressers. Isaiah said that when the restoration took place people from other countries would be working for them.  When we become a follower of Christ, the things of this world should not be our primary concern. We should not be entangled by the things of this world as Matthew Henry states it.  This did not mean that the people of Israel were sit back and have others do all their work for them, nor should we expect to do so today as Christians. 

Verse six continues, But ye shall be named the Priests of the Lord: men shall call you the Ministers of our God: ye shall eat the riches of the Gentiles, and in their glory shall ye boast yourselves.  God said that the people of Israel were to be priests of the Lord and ministers of their God, Who is the only God.  The Levites had been the priests, but now every Israelite was to serve as a priest of God.  We are set free from the penalty of sin if we put our faith in Jesus Christ, but we are set free to serve God and proclaim the gospel to all people. Matthew Henry said eating the riches of the Gentiles didn’t mean that the people of Israel were going to seize them.  The Gentiles would become a part of God’s people if they accepted Jesus Christ as their Savior and Lord, and this would bring their riches into the kingdom.  The glory that they were to boast about was the glory of God in redeeming them, and this should be the thing that we boast about today.  We don’t boast to bring honor and glory to ourselves, but we boast of the mercy of God in redeeming us. 

Isaiah 60:17

Isaiah 60:17 says, For brass I will bring gold, and for iron I will bring silver, and for wood brass, and for stones iron: I will also make thy officers peace, and thine exactors righteousness.  God said He was going to bring the people of Israel much better things than they now had.  Brass would be replaced with gold, iron with silver, brass with wood, and stones with iron.  He also said that their leaders would rule with peace and righteousness.  I don’t believe that this was a call to the people of Israel to serve God for material blessings, but it was a call for them to obey God, and then spiritually at least, these greater blessings would come.  We should never come to God through faith in Jeus Christ because we expect Him to bless us materially if we do.  This was also a promise that their leaders when they were following God’s will would always be looking out for the good of the people and not just for their own gain. 

Verse eighteen adds, Violence shall no more be heard in thy land, wasting nor destruction within thy borders; but thou shalt call thy walls Salvation, and thy gates Praise.  Though there may have been times when there was no violence, wasting or destruction in the land of Israel, I believe this refers to the coming kingdom of God when Jesus Christ returns to claim those who have put their faith in Him. There will never be a time in this present world when there will be no violence, wasting and destruction in this lifetime since the majority of people refuse to obey God if they even acknowledge Him at all.    

Verse nineteen continues. The sun shall be no more thy light by day; neither for brightness shall the moon give light unto thee: but the Lord shall be unto thee an everlasting light, and thy God thy glory.  This verse makes it even clearer that God was referring to a time after Jesus Christ returns.  The sun and moon at that time will not be our source of light, but Jesus Christ Himself will be.  He will be an everlasting Light Who brings honor and glory to the Heavenly Father.  Even as we walk the earth today as followers of Christ, He should be our spiritual light, and we should never look to the sun and moon or stars for spiritual guidance.  For example, horoscopes should never be thought of as the guiding force in our lives, since they are based on the sun, moon and stars. 

Verse twenty states, Thy sun shall no more go down; neither shall thy moon withdraw itself: for the Lord shall be thine everlasting light, and the days of thy mourning shall be ended.  God said that when Jesus Christ, the Light, returns that there will no longer be the darkness of night in the world.   I believe this also refers to spiritual darkness that sin brings into the world.  Also, in the coming kingdom of God, there will be no reason for mourning. 

Verse twenty-one adds, Thy people also shall be all righteous: they shall inherit the land for ever, the branch of my planting, the work of my hands, that I may be glorified.  God said that when this day comes that people would live in righteousness and inherit the land forever.  When Jesus Christ returns, those who have put their faith in Him will go to heaven forever. 

Verse twenty-two continues, A little one shall become a thousand, and a small one a strong nation: I the Lord will hasten it in his time.  This verse refers back to the growth of the nation if Israel, but it also refers to the growth of God’s everlasting kingdom.  The kingdom of God started with one man believing and it exploded from that man’s belief to form a great nation.  Still, the people often failed, and the nation of Israel fell, but when Jesus Christ returns, those who are His people will go to an everlasting kingdom that will never fail.  In the meantime, we need to be sharing the gospel so that His kingdom can continue to grow until He does return.

 

Isaiah 60:9

Isaiah 60:9 says, Surely the isles shall wait for me, and the ships of Tarshish first, to bring thy sons from far, their silver and their gold with them, unto the name of the Lord thy God, and to the Holy One of Israel, because he hath glorified thee.  The people of Israel were very poor at this time, having been captives in Babylon, but God said He was going to provide for their needs by the gifts of those who were not Jews.  This seems to refer to when Nehemiah was rebuilding the walls and city of Jerusalem and other people who weren’t Jews being ordered to help them financially.  God will always provide a way for those who are doing His will to do so if they remain faithful to Him.

Verse ten adds, And the sons of strangers shall build up thy walls, and their kings shall minister unto thee: for in my wrath I smote thee, but in my favour have I had mercy on thee.  Continuing with the thought of other people, those who were not Jews, helping rebuild the walls, Isaiah said that God was going to work through strangers to help rebuild the walls and that the kings of these strange lands would help fund the rebuilding.  I believe that God can still do this today, but until we accept Jesus Christ as our Savior and Lord, we are all strangers to the kingdom of God.  Isaiah said the people of Israel were in need of help because they had been punished for not putting their faith in God, but now that they had repented, He was going to show His mercy to them.  Until we become a follower of Christ, we are under the wrath of God because of our sin, but when we accept Jesus Christ as our Savior and Lord, we are under God’s mercy. Once we are saved, we may at times not allow God to be our Lord, but there will never be a time when He is not our Savior. 

Verse eleven continues, Therefore thy gates shall be open continually; they shall not be shut day nor night; that men may bring unto thee the forces of the Gentiles, and that their kings may be brought.  God said that the gates of Israel should be open continually so that the helpers from the Gentiles could enter with their help and bring in the gifts from their rulers.  The doors of the church today should always be open to anyone who will come in, and hopefully if they aren’t a Christian, a part of the family of God, they will become a part of it and then help with the work of the church.   

Verse twelve states, For the nation and kingdom that will not serve thee shall perish; yea, those nations shall be utterly wasted.  God said that those who would not serve the people of Israel would perish and their names would be forgotten.  Those who refuse to accept God’s gift of salvation will perish spiritually and their names will be forgotten because it isn’t written in the Lamb’s Book of Life.  Even those who may help the church but do not accept Jesus Christ as their Savior and Lord will perish spiritually and their names be forgotten by God, even if it is posted everywhere in the world. 

Verse thirteen adds, The glory of Lebanon shall come unto thee, the fir tree, the pine tree, and the box together, to beautify the place of my sanctuary; and I will make the place of my feet glorious.  God said that timber was going to come from Lebanon to help with the building so that His sanctuary would be beautiful and the place where He put His feet would be glorious.  The temple was seen as God’s resting place, and as Christians, our bodies are the temple of the Holy Spirit and we should do everything we can to make them as beautiful spiritually as we can, which means we must be obedient to the leadership of the Holy Spirit.  

Verse fourteen continues, The sons also of them that afflicted thee shall come bending unto thee; and all they that despised thee shall bow themselves down at the soles of thy feet; and they shall call thee; The city of the Lord, The Zion of the Holy One of Israel.  God said that the sons of those who had afflicted the people of Israel would come bending a knee to them and those that despised would bow at their feet.  I believe this means that they would bow to the God of the people of Israel and not just to the people.  We as Christians should never want people to bow to us, but we should expect them to bow to God.  God also said that Jerusalem, or Zion, would be called the city of the Lord, the Zion of the Holy One of God.  As a part of the church, those who are God’s people by accepting Jesus Christ as our Savior and Lord, we should be known for being His temple today.  

Verse fifteen says, Whereas thou has been forsaken and hated, so that no man went through thee, I will make thee an eternal excellency, a joy of many generations.  God said that they had been forsaken and hated and no one wanted to come through them to get to God, but He was going to make them a joy to many generations.  As followers of Christ, at times we may be despised and hated, but if someone comes to Jesus Christ for salvation, then they will see that we have everlasting excellency because of His sacrifice for us on the cross.  It is the excellency of Jesus Christ that we should reflect to the world and not our own excellency because of who we are or anything that we have done. 

Verse sixteen adds, Thou shalt also suck the milk of the Gentiles, and shalt suck the breast of kings: and thou shalt know that I the Lord am thy Saviour and thy Redeemer, the mighty One of Jacob.   God said they would be as precious to the world as a baby.  Just as a mother provides food for a baby, people around Jerusalem were going to tenderly provide for the needs of the people of Israel.  This was to be done so that people would know that their God was the only God, Who was also their Savior and Redeemer. People of the world do not often treat us with kindness today, but we are still called on to reach out to them with the gospel.  Jesus Christ is still the only Savior and Redeemer, just as He was, has been and always will be.

Isaiah 60:1

Isaiah 60:1 says, Arise, shine; for thy light is come, and the glory of the Lord is risen upon thee. This chapter is a part of the covenant of God with the people of Israel, or even with all who will come to Him in repentance by faith.  This includes the church today, which is made up of all born again believers.  Isaiah called on the people to arise and shine, not because of their goodness but because God had redeemed them by His mercy.  They weren’t to shine the light on themselves but were to shine by the Light of God.  We should never attempt to make ourselves the object of importance in our relationship with God, but we should always let the Light of God shine through us and on Him. 

Verse two adds, For, behold, the darkness shall cover the earth, and gross darkness the people: but the Lord shall arise upon thee, and his glory shall be seen upon thee.  Isaiah said that the world was filled with spiritual darkness, but that God was going to arise upon them, and His glory would be seen, or shine, through them.  This was done when Jesus Christ came to die for our sins and be the Light of the world. We as followers of Christ are not the Light of the world, but in the darkness of the world, we are to shine the Light to God, Jesus Christ, on the sinful world.  We need to always reflect His Light to the world. 

Verse three continues, And the Gentiles shall come to thy light, and kings to the brightness of thy rising.  This Light would not be limited to the Jews but would shine on the Gentiles as well.  Since the Jews believed that anyone who was not a Jew was a Gentile, this means that God’s light was to shine on all the world.  God never limited His saving grace to the Jews, and He doesn’t limit it to certain groups of people today.  We as Christians should never believe that we are superior to anyone else because God loves us more than other groups of people.  Jesus Christ died for the sins of our enemies just as surely as He died for our friends and us. 

Verse four states, Lift up thine eyes round about, and see: all they gather themselves together, they come to thee: thy sons shall come from far, and thy daughters shall be nursed at thy side.  Isaiah said the people of Israel needed to lift up their eyes and see what was happening.  I believe that the people of Israel had been feeling downcast, but Isaiah said God now expected them to look up in faith and see the great numbers of people who were coming to put their faith in Him.  Men and women, boys and girls, were coming from afar off to put their faith in and worship God.  We as Christians need to lift our eyes up in faith and see the fields white with harvest today and spread the gospel to the lost everywhere. 

Verse five adds, Then thou shalt see, and flow together, and thine heart shall fear, and be enlarged; because the abundance of the sea shall be converted unto thee, the forces of the Gentiles shall come unto thee.  Isaiah said when they began to look around in faith, that the Jews would see great multitudes of Gentiles coming to God, and that their hearts would be enlarged because of this.  As Christians, our hearts should be enlarged with love for those whom God has shined His Light on and who have come to live in that Light.  We should never be upset because we don’t believe that some people deserve to be saved are saved, because we ourselves don’t deserve to be saved either.  Our salvation should shine the light on God’s grace. 

Verse six continues, The multitude of camels shall cover thee, the dromedaries of Midian and Ephah; all they from Sheba shall come: they shall bring gold and incense; and they shall shew forth the praises of the Lord.  Isaiah said that people were coming from afar with camels and dromedaries bearing gifts to God.  Even if they cannot bring valuable worldly gifts to God, anyone who becomes a part of God’s family by faith enriches the kingdom of God.  All who come are called for a purpose after they come, and when they fulfill that purpose, the whole body of Christ is enriched. 

Verse seven says, All the flocks of Kedar shall be gathered together unto thee, the rams of Nebaioth shall minister unto thee: they shall come up with acceptance on mine altar, and I will glorify the house of my glory.  Isaiah continued speaking about the Gentiles coming from afar, saying they would bring gifts that would be acceptable to God on His altar.  The Jews had very strict laws about what was an acceptable offering, and in Jesus’s day, they were even making money from selling what they proclaimed to be acceptable offerings.  We should always bring our tithes and offerings to God and not be concerned with what other Christians give or don’t give.  The only acceptable gift that we must first give to God is our life by accepting His gift of salvation.  Since God gives us the right of freewill and the ability to say no to His gift of salvation, this is the only thing that He does not own.  So, in order for us to enjoy the gift of salvation, we must give our life to God.  He will never force us to become a part of His kingdom. 

Verse eight adds, Who are these that fly as a cloud, and as the doves to their windows?  I believe this was a rhetorical question, or maybe one that the Jews might be asking, since God knew who they were.  Gentiles were flocking or flying to put their faith in God.  It would be nice if people were flocking to the church today, but that is not the case.  Still, we need to reach out to all people with the gospel and gladly accept those who respond.