The text chosen to preach about on the 2nd Sunday after the Epiphany for January 20, 2008, is Isaiah 62:1-5 with special reference to verse 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.”

God is speaking to His people who are undergoing a Babylonian captivity through which they consider themselves to be forsaken and desolate. Which Christian has not at times felt forsaken by God as he looks at his circumstances in life, watching hopes for the future come to naught and plans for a good day overcome by a flood of disappointments? But what does it mean for the people of God to move from being forsaken and desolate to Hephzibah and Beulah?

Obviously, a little Hebrew background is necessary. The first word “Hephzibah” can be understood as the people now being a delight to God and the second word “Beulah” means to be married. The key to the text from an L&G perspective is how did this change in their status before God take place? What moves a people from being forsaken and desolate to being a delight to God and in fact, His bride?

The text clearly does not credit anything in the people for that change of status. Instead, the change in status, which is just another way of talking about salvation, is found in the appearance of the One Who is coming with your salvation, “His reward is with Him and His work before Him.” The result of His work is that the forsaken, desolate people will now be regarded as “Holy People, the Redeemed of the Lord.”

The word “redeemed” cannot be overemphasized. For in that new status, we find the reason for the change in status. To be redeemed means that a price needed to be paid for the freeing of the slave. That price was paid by Him on the accursed tree as He was your substitute in taking upon Himself the curse of the Law punishment so that you are now free from eternal death.

In fact, He did this while you were still His enemy! And why did He do it for you? No reason, which satisfies human minds, is ever provided. Instead, it is because the true God is the God of mercy (not giving you what you deserve) and the God of grace (giving you what don’t deserve). In verse 1, the righteousness that goes forth as brightness is none other than the Baby in the crib; the Healer of the sick, the Forgiver of the sinner, the crucified and risen One for you and for me.

The Christian believer may at times feel forsaken or desolate but in Christ, promises trump feelings. And His promises, which never fail, are that He will never leave nor forsake you; that when you call upon Him, He will be there and also will return on that final day of judgment to bring you to be with Him after your mortal has been dressed in immortality.