Bible Study: Isaiah 62:1-12

Today's lesson foretells of the redemption of Israel and states the duty of the man of God.

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Isaiah Chapter 62

Lessons from the text

The Responsibility of the Man of God

A true man of God has been called into his office.  As verse 6 says, God sets "watchmen" over His people.  These are, for the most part, preachers.  However, it also extends to Bible teachers.  Anyone who is called to expound the word of God has an extra accountability than the general Christian; God holds such people responsible for what they teach.

God says that a watchman is to set a standard.  Anyone who teaches what is right and what is wrong is setting moral standards by which people are to adhere.  If those teachings are incorrect, God will hold that person accountable for leading people astray.  Such is why it is very important if you are a preacher or teacher to make certain that you are being Scripturally accurate.

Additionally, if you have been commissioned by Jesus to proclaim the word of God, you have the responsibility to proclaim it.  Paul writes "how shall they believe in him of whome they have not heard? And how shall they hear without a preacher?  And how shall they preach, except they be sent?" (Rom. 10:14-15)

If God has told you to preach, then failing to do so not only lets down God, but it also prevents people from hearing the word and thus having the opportunity to be saved.  It is a very serious thing to neglect God's commission.  So if you have been called to preach or teach, be diligent and faithful to your office!

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Verse by Verse Commentary

1  God will not give up on what He starts.  He planted a seed for a faithful nation in Abraham and He will see it through until Israel shines with faith, obedience, and righteousness.  God goes to extraordinary lengths to accomplish His will.  The history of the Jewish nation demonstrates how God will work and work with someone or something, shaping it towards His vision of what it should be.  Even so, the faithful believer can trust that God will continue to work in one’s life until one is the shining light God’s desires one to be.

2  While this verse refers to the glory of a redeemed nation of Israel, some spiritual truths are made apparent which extend to all believers.  That is, part of salvation entails being given a new name by God.  See Revelation 2:17.  When a person is saved, that person is “born again” (Jn. 3:3-8).  Naming something is taking ownership of that thing, and so God giving a person a new name at the spiritual birth that occurs the moment one accepts Jesus as Lord and Savior is God taking ownership of that person as His child and His responsibility.  Once God fulfills His plan of salvation in one’s life, then others can see God’s light in one.

3  God says that His people are like a jeweled crown.  Having been grafted into the nation Israel, the Gentile believers are also heir to this promise as they will live in this New Jerusalem (Rev. 21:2,7).  He holds the Jewish nation in His hand on two accounts:  first, God has His own crown of authority and does not need to prove His sovereignty through the Jews, and second, He is presenting the nation for display.  When one has something beautiful, one desires to put it on display to let its full beauty be seen.  Even so God desires to put His people in a spotlight to reveal the glory of salvation that resides in them.

4  Israel is currently divorced from God because of their sins.  After rejecting Jesus as Messiah, God turned His attention to the Gentiles.  In Isaiah God calls Israel a wife who has played the harlot (Isa. 1:21).  As God cannot bless sin, He has put away Israel from Him.  To Israel and others it may appear that God has completely forsaken Israel, but because of His covenant with them, God will restore Israel and bring her back into righteousness.  She will no longer be bereft of her God.

5  God is promising that Israel while it is about to go into captivity, their descendants will be able to embrace their heritage and their nation wholeheartedly instead of having to reject it and be ashamed of it because of its idolatry and political corruption.  Patriotism can only thrive when the nation is worth patronizing, and God promises that the nation Israel will one day be full of righteousness and salvation worth clinging on to.  As the Jews will be happy to join to their nation, so God will be proud of and pleased with Israel.

6-7  As groundwork for this restored Israel, God sets watchmen who will work continuously for the spiritual well-being of the nation.  These are the prophets, preachers, and teachers of God's word ( Eze. 33:7).  They proclaim God's judgment out of necessity, for God will not allow them to be quiet.  Jeremiah describes it as a fire in his bones that he could not shut in (Jer. 20:9).

8-9  God promises to remove His wrath from Israel.  God gave Israel the promise land, but after they had tasted of peace and bounty, they forsook God and chased idols.  As punishment, God allowed invading armies to be victorious over the Jews, forcing them to pay tribute to foreign oppressors and finally deporting them from heir homes (Jdg. 6:1-6).  When God restores Israel, He promise to never again turn them over to the hand of their enemies.  They will be able to work and produce in peace.  More importantly, instead of forsaking God when at peace, the nation will praise God for the peace and bounty.

10  God tells the watchmen, in this case Isaiah, to go through the city and out into the highways setting standards.  God’s words establish moral standards, teaching man right from wrong and how to attain salvation.  To gather stones implies gathering supplies for a building.  The believers are each unique but once gathered form a mighty structure for God.

God calls a person to repentance, but the man of God is responsible for guiding that person into the kingdom of God.  Elsewhere God calls the religious leaders shepherds (Eze. 34:1-6).  The man of God has this extra accountability and should not take the position lightly.

11  One of the blessed assignments of the man of God is to proclaim the coming salvation.  Before Jesus came, they spoke of the good news of the coming of the Messiah to bring forgiveness for sin.  Now, they speak of the coming judgment on sinners and the redemption of the body and everlasting life in New Jerusalem, which is the reward for believing that Jesus is the Son of God.  Noteworthy is that salvation is a person; Jesus is salvation for Zion (Jerusalem) and all who trust in Him.  See Revelation 22:12.

12  The time of sin will be forgotten and the Jews will be known as God's Holy People, made into priests.  Instead of being mocked for being separated from God, they will be praised as being sought after by God.  Even while God may allow judgment on the nation for its sins, God will never forsake Israel and will one day redeem the nation.

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Thank you for your faithfulness in studying God’s word.
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