September 1, 2024 - Hephzibah and Beulah (Isa. 62:4 5)

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Hephzibah and Beulah (Isaiah 62:4-5)

Rev. Myung-Sin Choi

“4 You shall no longer be termed Forsaken, Nor shall your land any more be termed Desolate; But you shall be called Hephzibah, and your land Beulah; For the Lord delights in you, And your land shall be married. 5 For as a young man marries a virgin, So shall your sons marry you; And as the bridegroom rejoices over the bride, So shall your God rejoice over you.”

Introduction

Last week, there was an opportunity that I got to meet pastors in Dallas. There were about 30 pastors from different denominations who gathered there. The topic that we spoke about was about baptism and what is the correct way for baptism. During that time, one of the baptist pastors said that baptism by immersion is the correct way for baptism because Jesus Christ was also immersed in water as well during baptism. When I heard this discussion from these pastors, I realized that these pastors don’t know anything about baptism. If you look at baptism in the Bible in Acts 2, there were 3,000 disciples who were baptized. They weren’t taken into a body of water and baptized. Also, another example was Cornelius. When the Cornelius’ household was baptized, it doesn’t say anything about them being baptized within a body of water in the Bible. Then, why were the disciples not baptized in the body of water and they were only sprinkled with water. What is the meaning of baptism? When it comes to baptism, the importance is imputation. What was the meaning of Jesus’ baptism? The importance was imputation. When Jesus was baptized by John the Baptist, all of mankind’s sin was put onto Jesus Christ. Jesus was sinless, He was baptized so that He can take on all of the sins of mankind. Then, why are we baptized? Our baptism signifies the meaning of us receiving the righteousness of God through Jesus Christ. When Jesus Christ was crucified on the cross, we received righteousness as a result. It doesn’t have any significance if you are baptized in the body of water or sprinkled with water or not. Through the Triune God, when we confess of the name of Jesus Christ then the baptism of the Holy Spirit comes upon us. This is the key importance of baptism. Last week we spoke about how God gave us a new name. God gave us a new name when we became a new body through Jesus Christ. We have been given a new life. Then, what kind of new name did God give to us? The new name that God gave to us was the name of Hephzibah. 

1. New Name Given by God

1) Hephzibah

Verse 4 - It speaks about how we are no longer forsaken and desolate. The meaning of “Hephzibah” means that “For the Lord delights in us.” This means that we are children of God, we are God’s delight. The land of Judah committed a sin of worshiping idols instead of looking up to God. God’s wrath came upon them and abandoned Judah due to His anger. After Judah fell into destruction and lost their temple, they fell into captivity. God abandoned and forsook them. But God poured down His grace upon the Israelites. 

God helped them return back to them through the remaining ones as written in Isaiah 6:13 “But yet a tenth will be in it, And will return and be for consuming, As a terebinth tree or as an oak, Whose stump remains when it is cut down. So the holy seed shall be its stump.” - Even though many Israelites were taken as captives, only 50,000 Israelites were able to return back to Israel. Those who were able to return, God gave them a new name and that name was Hephzibah, which means God’s delight. 

Isaiah 44:28 “Who says of Cyrus, ‘He is My shepherd, And he shall perform all My pleasure, Saying to Jerusalem, ‘You shall be built,’ And to the temple, ‘Your foundation shall be laid.’ ” - Before Israel was captured, he confessed this Bible verse. He made this prophecy. This means that God’s word will absolutely be fulfilled. We have to hold onto, “My shepherd.” This means that it was God who fulfilled this prophecy not Cyrus. When was this fulfilled? After Cyrus freed the Israelites, the real shepherd will appear and that true shepherd was Jesus Christ. Hephzibah means that the forsaken will become God’s delight. They received God’s grace and they were able to become God’s delight. Through Jesus Christ coming to Earth, this allowed God’s delight to come upon us. We are not just merely human beings but we are God’s delight. 

2) Beulah

Beulah means those who are forsaken will be found and receive love once again. What does the land mean in verse 4. The land is referring to Jerusalem. God will be delighted with this land. This means that God will rebuild His temple in Jerusalem. This means that this land will be like they are married. This means that this land will be blessed. 

What is important is what is written in Haggai 2:7 “ ‘And I will shake all nations, and they shall come to the Desire of All Nations, and I will fill this temple with glory,’ says the Lord of hosts.” - The description of the land of Beulah will receive God’s glory. The people of Jerusalem thought that this great temple would bring great joy to their city but when this temple was built, not all nations saw the glory of this temple. What does this mean? 

John 2:19 “Jesus answered and said to them, ‘Destroy this temple, and in three days I will raise it up.’ ” - Jesus Christ was talking about the true temple. Through the cross of Jesus Christ, Jesus Christ was speaking His body as the temple. What was glorified when Jesus Christ died on the cross? Through His death and resurrection, this allowed the temple of God to be glorified. We can see that God received the greatest glory when Jesus Christ died on the cross and raised up the church. You have to see how much joy God receives when we come and gather at the church to give Him worship. You are the ones who give God glory. We are God’s glory. 

2. The Main Character At the Wedding Banquet

1) Those who are in the covenant

Verse 5 - Imagine how much joy there is when you get married. They were able to enter into God’s covenant. You become an important figure before God. During Wednesday service, we received an important message. 

Matthew 1:2, 5, 6, 16 “Abraham begot Isaac, Isaac begot Jacob, and Jacob begot Judah and his brothers. 5 Salmon begot Boaz by Rahab, Boaz begot Obed by Ruth, Obed begot Jesse, 6 and Jesse begot David the king. David the king begot Solomon by her who had been the wife of Uriah. 16 And Jacob begot Joseph the husband of Mary, of whom was born Jesus who is called Christ.” - Some of these people mentioned here like Rahab and Ruth were Gentiles. Their past was filled with much wrath and shameful past but their names were written in the Bible. Then, you have the name of Mary, the mother of Jesus. Mary was just a woman in the countryside but this woman became the mother of Jesus. Then, how did this woman, Mary, receive this great blessing to become a mother of Jesus? Even though some of these women and people had a shameful past, they entered into God’s covenant. Which means that they entered into Christ. Those who enter into Christ, you will receive a new name, Hephzibah. You will become the one who gives delight to God. 

Zephaniah 3:17 “The Lord your God in your midst, The Mighty One, will save; He will rejoice over you with gladness, He will quiet you with His love, He will rejoice over you with singing.” - Those who become Hephzibah, those who bring God’s delight, they bring so much joy to God. God is rejoicing so much that He is rejoicing with gladness. He is so moved with joy and gladness. When we pray before God, God is so happy and filled with joy. He answers us with much joy and happiness. This is the blessing that we have received as God’s spiritual heir. 

2) Those who have received new life

We hear about the word, “Remnant.” What does remnant mean, it means those who remain and hold onto God’s covenant. Remnants have life. Those who have life, then your life is completely different than those who have no life. Do you see the difference between non-believers who don’t have life and believers who have life? 

Romans 6:4 “Therefore we were buried with Him through baptism into death, that just as Christ was raised from the dead by the glory of the Father, even so we also should walk in newness of life.” - The moment you accept Jesus Christ, then we have died on the cross with Christ. When we die on the cross with Christ, then all of our sins have been completely forgiven and finished. Those who have died, you will resurrect just like Jesus and you will gain new life. Only when we die completely then can we gain new life. It is not about just fainting and passing out but we must die completely with Jesus on the cross. Then, we can gain a new life. Apostle Paul said that we will walk in the newness of life. We need to live a new life with a new body. We are different from the people of this world. I don’t know if I should say this but I think about the pastors who have departed. Some of them said that we are holding onto the wrong doctrine. If we are holding onto the wrong doctrine, then only God knows the truth. But if those pastors made that accusation due to their own advantage and gains then that will become a different problem. I become concerned because of this. I am worried about those pastors who departed. Look at the history of the remnants in the Bible. They were taken as captives but only 50,000 remnants were able to return back. They were able to return back and start anew. During the Early Church times, they obeyed God’s word and followed God but only 120 people gathered in Mark’s Upper Room. The rest left. There were thousands of people who heard the gospel of Christ but only a few gathered. With that 120 people, God started the Early Church. Because of those people, the gospel continued throughout the years. 

Jesus tells us in Luke 18:8 “I tell you that He will avenge them speedily. Nevertheless, when the Son of Man comes, will He really find faith on the earth?” - when Jesus Christ comes back for His second coming, He said that He wondered if He will find faith remaining on this earth. Many people go to church but they still live however they want. There are so many people who have fallen into postmodernism and homosexuality. People live the life that they want to live. 

Jesus tells us in Matthew 24:13 “But he who endures to the end shall be saved.” - Those who endures to the end are referring to the remnants who endure till the end. I truly believe our remnants will become these remnants who will endure till the end. Live the victorious life.

3. The Watchmen Who Liberates

1) The fundamental place of deception

Why are people being deceived? They are being deceived by the fundamental lies. 

John 1:12 “But as many as received Him, to them He gave the right to become children of God, to those who believe in His name.” - If you are a child of God, you need to live like a child of God. Back in the days, the royal family would call themselves as children of the heavens. Only the children of God are considered as God’s. Only the children of God are considered as children of the heavens. Believe in this. 

Galatians 1:3 “Grace to you and peace from God the Father and our Lord Jesus Christ.” - If you enjoy the covenant, then this is the blessing that you will receive. There are so many lies that are being told in churches. 

2) Living church life in deception

Hold onto Galatians 1:4 “Who gave Himself for our sins, that He might deliver us from this present evil age, according to the will of our God and Father.” - Completely discard your old past. 

When we allow our old past and old self to die, then we can fulfill 1 Corinthians 3:16 “Don’t you know that you yourselves are God’s temple and that God’s Spirit dwells in your midst?” - Our master is God. We have gained a new life in Christ. 

3) Next generation who is being deceived

Many of our children are being lied to. What we must hold onto always is John 16:13 “But when he, the Spirit of truth, comes, he will guide you into all the truth. He will not speak on his own; he will speak only what he hears, and he will tell you what is yet to come.” - We must always relay the truth of God. We must relay to our children and next generations. 

Then, we can enjoy Galatians 1:5 “To whom be glory forever and ever. Amen.” - Enjoy this covenant. 

Conclusion

1 Corinthians 6:19 “Or do you not know that your body is the temple of the Holy Spirit who is in you, whom you have from God, and you are not your own?” - Hold onto this Bible verse. The new life inside of us means that this new life belongs to us. This is how we must live. When we make Jesus Christ our master of our lives, then God will take control over our lives. God will protect and bless us through the Holy Spirit. Be victorious in the name of Jesus Christ.