Second Sunday after the Epiphany (2)

Scripture

Isaiah 62:1–5 (NIV)

For Zion’s sake I will not keep silent,

for Jerusalem’s sake I will not remain quiet,

till her vindication shines out like the dawn,

her salvation like a blazing torch.

The nations will see your vindication,

and all kings your glory;

you will be called by a new name

that the mouth of the Lord will bestow.

You will be a crown of splendor in the Lord’s hand,

a royal diadem in the hand of your God.

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.

As a young man marries a young woman,

so will your Builder marry you;

as a bridegroom rejoices over his bride,

so will your God rejoice over you.

Sermon: “Do You Get It Yet?”

In the English language, the word “you” is an interesting one. Because it is both singular and plural. So when I say you, it’s hard to tell whether I mean one person or the whole group. Now there are those who are dissatisfied with this and so they try to make a distinction betwen the singular and plural. You all, or ya’ll, or you’ns, or yins, or yous. All in an attempt to create certainty about talking to one you, or many yous.

And Americans are incredibly individualistic. This series has been called “The Promises of God” and each week, as we have read through the texts, Isaiah has used that infamous “you”. So, it’s completely possible you heard these promises and felt blessed because you understood these promises to be directed at you.

A quick review of the promises we’ve looked at were in week 1, God said through Isaiah, “This is who you are”. He calls us to “Rise and Shine”. Which is a call to realize that belonging to God is not something to shy away from, it’s not something to be hidden. God calls you to be the light of the world. Last week, God said through Isaiah, “You are mine.” An affirmation for you that regardless of what you go through or what you face, He will provide. He will meet your needs. He is greater than any difficulty or struggle you face. And today, God, through Isaiah tells the nation of Israel what they will be.

First, He says, “the nations ‘will see’ your vindication.” Other translations say, “the nations will see your righteousness”. Second, He says, “you will be called by a new name”. Third He says, “You will be a crown of splendor”. Fourth, He says, “You will be called Hephzibah”, which means “My delight is in her.” And fifth, He says, “your God will rejoice over you.”

Notice, there is one thing all these phrases have in common. Did you catch it? They all use the word, “will” which indicates a future rather than a present reality. If I “saw” something, it was in the past, if I “see” something, it’s in the present. And if I “will see”, something, it refers to the future. It has not happened yet. And each of these phrases deal with the future. Five times, God says, “you will”.

And the fact that God speaks of the future tells them something. First, they have a future. God is in essence promising that here. Second, their future is good. We might say, even better than last week when God said, “you will go through the fire, and the flood”. Even though He promised to be with them. That was a promise of going through it. This is a promise of overcoming. That was a promise of His presence. This is a promise of their victory.

Now, when we put these three promises together. We hear a promise of the past. Stop being who you were and “rise and shine”. We hear a promise of the present, “you are mine”. And we hear a promise of the future, “you will be”. So God says to you, “Rise and Shine”, He says to you, “You are mine”. And He says to you, “you will be.”

And that’s the truth but it’s not the whole truth. Remember how I said at the beginning about that tricky word, “you”. God used Isaiah to speak to the nation of Israel. And the nation of Israel was not one “you”, but a group of “you”. And as we affirmed two weeks ago, the word of God runs from Genesis to Revelation. In other words, God’s message is as true for us today as it was for the nation of Israel then. So not only do they get to live in these promises, so do you and I, and not just you and I but we as the church, as the body of Christ.

And I don’t want us to miss this. God initiates the start of the church, He stands with it in the present, and He delivers it in the future. And where is the church? This building of wood and nails and electrical wiring? Hardly. The church is the people of God. All of yins.