Sermon – Isaiah 62:1-5 - Beulah Land

Rev. Jeffrey T. Howard

Pitts Creek and Beaver Dam Churches

Sermon – Isaiah 62:1-5 - Beulah Land

Third Sunday of Ordinary Time

January 27, 2013

Two weeks ago we heard the extraordinary proclamation from Isaiah that the creator of the world loves each and every one of us. God created us as objects of his love. And whenever you are in love with someone as much as God loves us you begin to think about a relationship. You think of marriage. Is it possible to even think that God wants to marry us? What would it mean to be married to God? God promises us his love and faithfulness, and he wants our love and faithfulness in return. So if we abide in God's love and faithfulness aren't we married to God? I think so. We will get to this, but first let's pray.

“Grant unto us, O Lord, to be occupied in the mysteries of thy heavenly wisdom, with true progress in piety, to thy glory and our own edification. Amen.” (John Calvin)

I have been married to Grace for seven years. We met in a classroom in the southern campus of San Francisco Theological Seminary where she recruited me to help with an international student ministry at Pasadena Presbyterian Church. She invited me to attend a committee meeting of the church a couple of weeks. I asked if we could meet for a couple of burgers before the meeting so I would have some idea about what I was getting into. The Sunday before the committee meeting Grace told me that it had been canceled because it had been scheduled for February 14^th, Valentines Day. It was then that I realized that I had an opportunity for a Valentines date. So I asked Grace to join me, not for burgers, but in a nice restaurant. This was our first date, and a year later we were married.

In ancient Israel the people of God were bound to God in a marriage covenant. God promised to bless his people, his spouse, with land, food, peace and prosperity. God loved his people and was faithful to his covenant with them. But the people of God were faithless. They worshiped other gods. They refused to obey God's commands. The poor went without adequate food and housing. The widows and orphans were not cared for. Greed had replaced justice and righteousness. As a result the ancient prophets came forth with a warning. God would remove his protection if the people remained faithless. In 722 BC God removed his protection from the northern kingdom, Israel, and they were conquered by the Assyrians. And by 587 BC the southern kingdom, Judah, was destroyed by the Babylonians. God had separated from his people because of their unfaithfulness.

Sixty years have the deportation to Babylon, God sent a savior, King Cyrus of Persia, to free his people from captivity. They returned to Jerusalem to begin the long difficult work of reconstruction. They rebuilt their farms and city. They rebuilt the temple in Jerusalem. But some remembered the glory of the old city and temple before the Babylonians came. They remembered the gold and jewels. The new temple seemed like a pale imitation of the temple they remembered. They were suffering from hardship and poverty. They feared that God had not returned, and that the separation between God and his people had become a divorce.

We have all experienced times with God seems to be far away. From time to time God seems to be missing. We experience great joy the our savior has come at Christmas, but then it seems that God's glory has dimmed. Sometime we fear that God had left us. Maybe God has divorced us.

This is what the people of Jerusalem were experiencing. Life was hard. War with their neighbors was constant. Taxes had to be paid to Persia. Their young men were drafted into Persian armies. The Glory of God was dimmed, maybe even missing entirely. Had God divorced his people?

A prophet arrived in Jerusalem and saw the downcast faces of the people of God. The work of rebuilding had overwhelmed them. The new temple they had erected was not nearly as impressive as the one Solomon had built. It was ready for the glory of God to return to light up the lives of God's people, but God had not yet returned. So the prophet began to pray and pledged to keep on praying until the glory of God returned. Here is what he prayed.

^NIV Isaiah 62:1 For Zion's sake I will not keep silent, for Jerusalem's sake I will not remain quiet, till her righteousness shines out like the dawn, her salvation like a blazing torch. ² The nations will see your righteousness, and all kings your glory; you will be called by a new name that the mouth of the LORD will bestow. ³ You will be a crown of splendor in the LORD's hand, a royal diadem in the hand of your God. ⁴ No longer will they call you Deserted, or name your land Desolate. But you will be called Hephzibah, and your land Beulah; for the LORD will take delight in you, and your land will be married. ⁵ As a young man marries a maiden, so will your sons marry you; as a bridegroom rejoices over his bride, so will your God rejoice over you.

The good news is that God will never leave us. We and God are married and our faithful God will never divorce us. We will be married to God forever. The Hebrew word for married is beula. Just as God calls married people to be fruitful and multiply, so too did God call the land married, a beula land, one that produces crops in abundance. So if you are faithful to God, God will be faithful to you and your land will be bountiful. This was the message to the returning exiles in Jerusalem. Rebuild your city and temple. Do the best you can. Be faithful to God. And God will bless you abundantly.

I know of a couple who lost their son many years ago. Their son died at age 34 of cancer. He left behind his young wife and two small children. At that moment God must have seemed to be very far away. But while this couple was driving their son back and forth to the hospital they would pass by a small country church. After their son died they decided to try out this church, even though they had not been active in church for many years. By going to church they showed their faithfulness to God. And God was faithful to them. God blessed them richly. They began to sing in the choir and serve on session. And over time God came very close. Remember these words.

⁴ No longer will they call you Deserted, or name your land Desolate. But you will be called Hephzibah, and your land Beulah; for the LORD will take delight in you, and your land will be married. ⁵ As a young man marries a maiden, so will your sons marry you; as a bridegroom rejoices over his bride, so will your God rejoice over you.

Jesus began his ministry reminding us of our relationship with God. He went with his mother to a wedding in a town called Cana. But the wine was running out. So Jesus demonstrated God's overwhelming love for his people by changing water into wine. If all you have left is water where there was once wine, if a loved one dies, if a house is foreclosed on, if a spouse leaves you, if your health fails, remember that you God loves you and will turn your water into wine and your grief into joy.

When bad things happen to you join your voice with the voice of the prophet and pray unceasingly. Pray that God will remember his covenant with you. Pray that God will be faithful to you. Pray that God will fill you with so much glory that the people around you will notice the change. Pray that God's glory will fill the world with his transformative power. And pray that you will be faithful in your relationship with God. Let's pray.

Loving God, you have gathered us into church bringing together believers with gifts and strengths. We are the body of Christ. We pray for all Christians around the world that they will love one another just as you love us so that we may love our neighbors showing your glory in a darkened world. We pray for all the teachers and leaders of the church and of the governments of the world. Grant them wisdom to rule with justice and mercy. We pray for all who have entered into families as husbands and wives. Strengthen their relationships, and help them to care for their children and aging parents. Encourage us to use you our gifts for your glory. This we pray in your son's name. Amen.