the imagery - The imagery of this passage-wedding finery and the lush and prolific garden-offers the certainty that righteousness and praise will spring up for Jerusalem. "As the earth brings forth its shoots . . . so the Lord GOD will cause righteousness and praise to spring up before all the nations." All the nations will witness to the restoration of Jerusalem; this will be a sign for all people.

new status with God - moving between God-speech and prophetic oracle is a bit tricky in this passage; but at 62:1-3 we hear the prophet speak personally on behalf of Israel and Jerusalem. The prophet resolves to intercede for Jerusalem so that her deliverance and salvation will shine like a bright burning torch. (Could this be a reference to the brightly lit Feast of Tabernacles?) [1] The nations will see the light of this triumph of Zion’s salvation. And God will personally call Jerusalem by a new name, which signifies a new status and relationship with God.

Think about names . . . do you know what your name means? How have you reflected in life the meaning of your name? How do names express a new relationship between two living things? (For example, I have learned to avoid giving mice a name when I have purchased it for the express purpose of feeding it to Christine, my corn snake. For some unknown reason, I find it difficult if not impossible to throw it to Christine; before it was just a white mouse, but now that mouse is Squeaky the Mighty. The name itself creates this tiny little string of relationship that now turns Squeaky from main entrée to pet . . . )

Notice the names that God calls Jerusalem . . . .Hephzibah and Beulah! What shift in relationship do these names suggest?

Please see Richard Eslinger’s homily on this passage. [2] Eslinger arranges the homily into three scenes. Scene One provides a discussion around the joyful clothing in garments of salvation that uses the church paraments on pulpit and table as a way that the church remembers such a salvation. Scene Two opens with the garden image and particularly the twin shoots of righteousness and praise that spring forth. Eslinger creates tension here suggesting that these belong to two different scripts in most congregations. Scene Three moves to the new name as the moment of rebirth and suggests the same for our congregations as well. Instead of First Baptist, First Methodist, First . . . , maybe we could do better by calling ourselves, Covenant, Rdeemer, St. Paul’s, etc. which points not to themselves, but to God.