Today's readings are Isaiah 62.1-12 and Luke 2.1-20.
Our text in Isaiah 62 focuses on those who are recipients of God's favor. We see verses 1-5 describing our Lord's chosen people. Verses 6-10 interrupt to tell about salvation in general. Then in verses 11-12 we see special names given to those favored by God.
In verses 1-5 we see that the people who have the Lord's favor are shining in righteousness. They are visibly distinct from the rest of the world. They have been named by God. They serve as his royal standard. They are no longer forsaken or desolate, but they are the delight of God. He compares them to a bride he has taken in marriage. These people are rejoiced over by God. What can this mean, though, except that those outside of God's favor are quite the opposite. We need only to be observant to see that some people don't have lives that shine. Many are downtrodden, even visibly so. There are those in our society who don't seem to have a clear identity formed by God. They seek their own way, their own identity. Rather than flying the flag of our Lord and Savior they seek to fly their own standard. These people are in fact forsaken and desolate. They bring shame to God. They are facing a future outside of the loving and protective care of God.
Lest we think too highly of ourselves, we should observe that we all fall short of the description our Lord has given us in verses 1-5. Though God has called us and set us apart in his mercy, we consistently live as though he did nothing of the sort. Then when we occasionally find ourselves living out the identity our Lord has imputed to us we exalt ourselves and fall into trusting ourselves rather than our Lord.
What is our hope then? We see in verses 6-10 that we are invited to call on God to fulfill his promises. Waht is the promise of the Lord? He promises provision. He promises to call people to honor him. And in verse 10 we see that our Lord has called all people to himself. He has done this, of course, through the perfect life, death, and resurrection of Christ, God incarnate, on our behalf. He has been lifted up. He draws all men to himself. That means you, that means me. He calls us to come to him in belief. Has he called us righteous? We are righteous, despite all evidence to the contrary. Has he called us his royal standard? Then we are his royal standard. Has he said we are his delight? Then we are his delight. Let us look to him in faith, trusting that he will fulfill his promises.
What are the names our Lord leaves us with? He calls us "Salvation comes." He calls us "The Holy People." He calls us "Redeemed." He calls us "Sought Out." He calls us a "City Not Forsaken." These are the names our Lord has given us through Christ's work on our behalf. These are the names he has purchased for us through his blood shed. These are the promises he has given us.
Lord, may we walk as partakers of your promises today.
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