“Hephzibah — The Lord delighteth in thee.”

Isaiah 63:4

Our God gives this name, “Hephzibah,” to his church and to every believer in his church. It means, “My delight is in her.” Christ delighted in his elect from everlasting as the objects of his love (Proverbs 8:31). He delighted in us at Calvary, when he endured the painful, shameful, ignominious death of the cross for us as our Substitute (Hebrews 12:2). He delights in us now as the objects and beneficiaries of his gracious operations, washed in his blood, robed in his righteousness and adorned with the beauty of his Spirit (Ezekiel 16:8-14). He delights in our company (Song of Solomon 7:6). He delights to see our faces, and hear our voices! And he will delight in us hereafter, when he presents us to himself a glorious church, without spot, or wrinkle, or any such thing (Revelation 21:2-3); Ephesians 5:27).

He delights in his election of us (Deuteronomy 10:15). Election is a blessed gospel doctrine in which God’s saints delight. And our election by God delights him. His grace is immutable. He delights in his election of us as fully now as he did when he first chose us.

Our Lord delights in the godly fear and hope we have in him (Psalm 147:10-11). The fear we have for him is a fear he has given. It is reverence for and trust in him. And the hope he has given us is “a good hope through grace” of life everlasting in Christ.

Our Savior delights in the way of his saints (Psalm 37:23). He delights in our way, because our way is the way he has ordained, and he orders our steps in it. He delights in our way, because he sees the whole thing. If only we could see our way as he sees it, we would delight in it as he does. It is the way by which he brings us to himself!

God delights in the character of his people, too. Grace changes people in their very character. All who are in Christ are new creatures in Christ. Part of that new creation is the holy character that is formed in one who is born again. God delights in honesty, uprightness and truth (Proverbs 11:1; 20; 12:22); and he makes his people honest, upright and truthful. “The upright in heart” are people made upright by God. They praise him in their character. They protect the name of others (Proverbs 11:13). They are faithful even to their own hurt (Proverbs 11:17). They are gracious, virtuous and honorable (Proverbs 11:16). And they are merciful (Proverbs 11:17).

Moreover, God delights in the prayers of his saints (Pro. 15:8). All true prayer comes from God, goes to God, bows to the will of God, glorifies God and delights God (Hebrews 4:16). As God our Savior delights in us, let us delight in him. As he loves us, let us love him. As he is faithful to us, let us be faithful to him.

 

 

 

 

 

Don Fortner

 

 

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