Advent
December 23, 2014

Scripture Reading: Isaiah 61:10-62:3

For Zion’s sake I will not keep silent,
   and for Jerusalem’s sake I will not rest,
until her vindication shines out like the dawn,
   and her salvation like a burning torch.
The nations shall see your vindication,
   and all the kings your glory;
and you shall be called by a new name
   that the mouth of the Lord will give.
You shall be a crown of beauty in the hand of the Lord,
   and a royal diadem in the hand of your God. —Isaiah 62:1-3

What’s in a name? That which we call a rose by any other name would smell as sweet.
–William Shakespeare

So says Juliet to Romeo as she declares her love for him is greater than the feud between their two families. What Juliet says in this tragedy is true, but they both died for it. The families were not willing to give up their feud even for the sake of their children.

Isaiah 62 recounts God’s assigning new names to the city of Jerusalem. The first verse even begins with its older name Zion. Name changes throughout the Bible generally denote a new phase of life and perhaps a deeper relationship with God. Abram became Abraham. (Genesis 17:5) Jacob’s name was changed to Israel. (Genesis 35:10) Jesus changed Simon’s name to Peter to denote his role in the church. (John 1:42) Even Paul chose to use his Latin name when he began his ministry to the Gentiles over his Hebrew name Saul.

Reading further into the chapter we see that Isaiah uses metaphor to describe Jerusalem’s names as having been Forsaken and Desolate but that they shall be called My Delight is in Her. The Jews were no longer the people they had been by the world’s standards before being taken into exile, but they were still God’s people and their return to relationship with God is ultimately all that really mattered. Isaiah’s words might serve the world well today regarding Jerusalem.

Isaiah’s words do serve us well in our own lives as we prepare for the coming of the Christ child whose name we now claim to describe our Savior, our source of a deeper relationship with God.

Prayer: Lord I lift Your name on high
               Lord I love to sing Your praises
               I’m so glad Your in my life
               I’m so glad You came to save us.*Amen.

* Written by Rick Doyle Founds, Copyright: Universal Music – Brentwood Benson Publ.

All scriptures are quoted from the New Revised Standard Version Bible: Anglicized Edition, copyright 1989, 1995, Division of Christian Education of the National Council of Churches of Christ in the United States of American. Used by permission. All rights reserved.