"For Zion's Sake"
Isaiah 62:1
In Isaiah 62:1 we hear the
covenant pledge of Jehovah toward His elect, that loved and chosen people in
Christ. "For Zion's sake will I not hold my peace, and for Jerusalem's sake I
will not rest, until the righteousness thereof go forth as brightness, and the
salvation thereof as a lamp that burneth." God is not the idle bystander to the
affairs of this world and its people, especially as they pertain to His people.
He is actively controlling all things to assure the glorifying of His name and
the salvation of His people. He will not hold His peace nor rest until they are
all clothed in the brightness of the imputed righteousness of Christ. The dull
and dirty filthy rags of their self-righteousness shall be stripped away and
they shall look to Christ in God-given faith and confess Him to be "the Lord our
righteousness." Paul said, "9For ye know the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ,
that, though he was rich, yet for your sakes he became poor, that ye through his
poverty might be rich." (II Cor. 8:9) Christ was "made sin that we might be made
the righteousness of God in Him." He does all things for His glory and for the
sake of His people. But He does all things to and for His people in and because
of Christ. "And be ye kind one to another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another,
even as God for Christ's sake hath forgiven you." (Eph. 4:32) The apostles
reminds the Lord's believing people, "all things are for your sakes" so that it
might "redound to the glory of God." They shall all hear the gospel wherein the
righteousness of God is revealed, all be given life and faith whereby to lay
hold of Christ the Righteous and given the "gift of righteousness." In Christ
they shall "go forth in brightness," in the brightness of Christ's everlasting
righteousness which He wrought in His cross death and their salvation shall be
light a bright lamp burning, showing the glory, the grace, the wisdom and the
power of God in it. His preachers will face opposition but they will as Paul
"endure all things for the elect's sakes, that they may also obtain the
salvation which is in Christ Jesus with eternal joy." There will be times of
tribulation, difficulty but God has shortened them "for the elect's sake." He
has laid help on One that is mighty and He shall not fail! Like Boaz, He will
not "rest" until it's done! That great company of chosen, redeemed and called
sinners will shine with the brightness of His righteousness which He puts on
them forever and ever to the praise of the glory of His grace.