62 For Zion’s sake I will not keep silent,
And for Jerusalem’s sake I will not keep quiet,
Until her righteousness goes forth like brightness,
And her salvation like a torch that is burning.
2 The nations will see your righteousness,
And all kings your glory;
And you will be called by a new name
Which the mouth of the Lord will designate.
3 You will also be a crown of beauty in the hand of the Lord,
And a royal [a]diadem in the hand of your God.
4 It will no longer be said to you, “[b]Forsaken,”
Nor to your land will it any longer be said, “[c]Desolate”;
But you will be called, “[d]My delight is in her,”
And your land, “[e]Married”;
For the Lord delights in you,
And to Him your land will be married.
5 For as a young man marries a virgin,
So your sons will marry you;
And as the [f]bridegroom rejoices over the bride,
So your God will rejoice over you.
Though I think this was directed at Israel at the time, and hasn’t happened to them as a nation yet, there are similarities to the way Jesus spoke to His followers, and thus applied much of this to those outside Israel. Many there are who might feel that they are forsaken or desolate (v. 4), but God does not wish that it should be so.
Rather, John told us clearly that God loved the world so much that He sent His one and only Son to die in our place. Thus He did not keep quiet or silent, for my sake, and for yours. His desire is that your “righteousness goes forth like brightness” and your “salvation like a torch that is burning”, not that you should suffer the wages of sin (which Paul told the Romans “is death”).
As we see God use words like “My delight is in her” and married, bridegroom, and bride, you might wonder what Jesus ever said that compares. Yet if we look at John 14, there is this hidden meaning as Jesus stated, “In My Father’s house are many dwelling places; if it were not so, I would have told you; for I go to prepare a place for you. If I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again and receive you to Myself, that where I am, there you may be also.”
Now, in that day, they likely understood it very well and may have thought it a little weird–if they had forgotten Isaiah 62 anyway. But this was a mirror of the traditional practice of marriage and proposal back in those days. The groom would go away and build a place for his new wife and family. Then he would come back to get his bride and bring her to live with him. It was usually a room added onto the family home, thus Jesus’ mention of “In My Father’s house are many dwelling places…”
Likewise, Jesus uses the parable of the ten virgins in Matthew 25 to paint a very similar picture. In the story, Jesus is the groom, and we are the bride–I know guys, that seems strange, but let it sink in for a moment. We put on a tough exterior, but we also are prone to feeling forsaken, lost, abandoned. God told Israel that it was not so 2600 years ago, and He’s calling to you today, reminding you that you are His desire.
“As the bridegroom rejoices over the bride, so your God will rejoice over you.” That is God’s final word on the subject, and nothing you can say or do changes the fact that He is crazy about you. His love is so intense that He sacrificed Himself to pay the penalty for your rebellion (and mine). You are not worthless, but rather cherished, and loved, and His delight.