Isaiah 61:10-62:3
61:10 I will greatly rejoice in the LORD, my whole being 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 with a garland, and as a bride adorns herself with her
jewels.
61:11 For as the earth brings forth its shoots, and as a garden
causes what is sown in it to spring up, so the Lord GOD will cause
righteousness and praise to spring up before all the nations.
62:1 For Zion's sake I will not keep silent, and for Jerusalem's
sake I will not rest, until her vindication shines out like the
dawn, and her salvation like a burning torch.
62:2 The nations shall see your vindication, and all the kings your
glory; and you shall be called by a new name that the mouth of the
LORD will give.
62:3 You shall be a crown of beauty in the hand of the LORD, and a
royal diadem in the hand of your God.
New clothes for Christmas. Salvation and righteousness, as beautiful
as wedding garments. As festive and joyous as the crocus and
jonquils that burst up through the snow before you know it. And what
shall our gift in return be? Only to put on our new clothes and
shine like torches, like the stars in the crown and sceptre we
become for the One who gives such marvelous gifts. New clothes for
Christmas! Tom in Tn(USA)
Wow, Tom in TN, the "New Clothes for Christmas" is so right-on! Will
we take those new clothes into the new year and solemnly, devotedly
enter into a new covenant?! wanapreech Newfoundland, PA
Tom - I also liked your new clothes concept. This passage also
speaks of vindication. The clothes of the prisoner vs. the clothes
of the released.
It is a vindication the nations will see (62:2) and so the world
should see that we are saved (this being made possible by the
"clothes" we wear). So our "clothes" are more than our salvation,
but the lives lived by the saved.
I wonder though how we, as believers, are a crown and diadem in the
hand of God? How are we symbols of God's rulership? Perhaps by how
things go for us when we live under His Lordship ... and how things
go when we don't.
Jeff in WI
I'm struck by the image of the "new name," as it relates to ancient
baptismal rites (left over in the form that we have: "what is the
Christian name of this child?"), particularly when coupled with the
Luke passage, as Christ is presented at the temple by his parents.
We are post-Christmas, and we can reflect on what our "name" is:
Christian, child of God, beloved.
SS Vicar
