“HEPHZIBAH”
"Thou
shalt also be a crown of glory in the hand of the LORD, and a royal diadem in
the hand of thy God. 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." Isaiah 62:3-4
The
One speaking in these verses is the Lord Jesus Christ, our God and Savior. He
gives this name, “Hephzibah,” to his
church and to every believer in his church. The name means, “My delight is in
her.” Christ delighted in his elect from everlasting as the objects of his love
(Pro. 8:31). He delighted in us at Calvary, when he endured the painful,
shameful, ignominious death of the cross for us as our Substitute (Heb. 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 (Ezek. 16:8-14). He delights in our company (Song of
Sol. 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 (Rev. 21:2-3); Eph. 5:27). The
words, “so shall thy sons marry thee,” might
be better translated, “so shall thy Restorer marry thee.” The sense of the text is this - Christ, our Restorer, our Redeemer
and Savior, is married to us. He delights in us and rejoices in us as a young
man who marries a virgin delights in and rejoices over her. Here are five
things about saved sinners in which Christ our God delights.
He delights in his election of us (Deut. 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 (Psa. 147:10-11). The fear
we have for him is a fear which 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 (Psa. 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 (Pro. 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 (Pro. 11:13). They are
faithful even to their own hurt (Pro. 11:17). They are gracious, virtuous, and
honorable (Pro. 11:16). And they are merciful (Pro. 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 (Heb. 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.
Grace Baptist Church of Danville - Grace For
Today Radio Message #628
2734 Old Stanford Road -
Danville, Kentucky 40422-9438
Donald S. Fortner, Pastor -Telephone 606-236-8235 - Email grace@mis.net