Read
A New Day for Jerusalem
1Jerusalem, stand up! Shine!
Your new day is dawning.
The glory of the Lord
shines brightly on you.
2The earth and its people
are covered with darkness,
but the glory of the Lord
is shining upon you.
3Nations and kings
will come to the light
of your dawning day.
Crowds Are Coming
The Lord said:
4 Open your eyes! Look around!
Crowds are coming.
Your sons are on their way
from distant lands;
your daughters are being carried
like little children.
5When you see this,
your faces will glow;
your hearts will pound
and swell with pride.
Treasures from across the sea
and the wealth of nations
will be brought to you.
6Your country will be covered
with caravans of young camels
from Midian and Ephah.
The people of Sheba
will bring gold and spices
in praise of me, the Lord.
7Every sheep of Kedar
will come to you;
rams from Nebaioth
will be yours as well.
I will accept them as offerings
and bring honor to my temple.
8What is that sailing by
like clouds
or like doves flying home?
9On those distant islands
your people are waiting
for me, the Lord.
Seagoing ships lead the way
to bring them home
with their silver and gold.
I, the holy Lord God of Israel,
do this to honor your people,
so they will honor me.
Jerusalem Will Be Rebuilt
The Lord said:
10Jerusalem, your city walls
will be rebuilt by foreigners;
their rulers will become
your slaves.
I punished you in my anger;
now I will be kind
and treat you with mercy.
11 Your gates will be open
day and night
to let the rulers of nations
lead their people to you
with all their treasures.
12Any nation or kingdom
that refuses to serve you
will be wiped out.
13Wood from Lebanon's best trees
will be brought to you—
the pines, the firs,
and the cypress trees.
It will be used in my temple
to make beautiful the place
where I rest my feet.
14 The descendants of enemies
who hated and mistreated you
will kneel at your feet.
They will say, “You are Zion,
the city of the Lord,
the holy One of Israel.”
15You were hated and deserted,
rejected by everyone.
But I will make you beautiful,
a city to be proud of
for all time to come.
16You will drain the wealth
of kings and foreign nations.
You will know that I,
the mighty Lord God of Israel,
have saved and rescued you.
17I will bring bronze and iron
in place of wood and stone;
in place of bronze and iron,
I will bring gold and silver.
I will appoint peace and justice
as your rulers and leaders.
18Violence, destruction, and ruin
will never again be heard of
within your borders.
“Victory” will be the name
you give to your walls;
“Praise” will be the name
you give to your gates.
19 You won't need the light
of the sun or the moon.
I, the Lord your God,
will be your eternal light
and bring you honor.
20Your sun will never set
or your moon go down.
I, the Lord, will be
your everlasting light,
and your days of sorrow
will come to an end.
21Your people will live right
and always own the land;
they are the trees I planted
to bring praise to me.
22Even the smallest family
will be a powerful nation.
I am the Lord,
and when the time comes,
I will quickly do all this.
Reflect
Hope has become a hot topic in psychology and in ministry. Researchers and ministry professionals alike are coming to realize that hope is more than just a squishy feeling – a determination to keep our rose-colored glasses on even in the darkest of circumstances.
Psychologists define hope as the will and determination to achieve a goal and a set of strategies to do so. They are finding that hope plays a key role in all types of success including academic and athletic.
Isaiah’s description of Israel’s new day reminds me of three important aspects of hope. First, hope is absolute necessary for all of us. It was a dark time in Israel and they daily felt the oppression and threat of their enemies. Such conditions lead to despair. Their circumstances dragged them down and they needed God’s promises to lift them up.
Second, in contrast to the psychology definition of hope, their hope didn’t rely on their own strategies. Rather they had a will and determination to keep living because their Lord promised them a new day. In his power, he says that he will rebuild and restore them.
The third important aspect of hope rests on who God is. In this case, Israel receives a specific promise from God. At other times, there is no promise of a new day for our circumstances. That is, we may not receive specific healing for a physical problem or restoration of a relationship or the job we hoped would provide security for our family. It’s at those times that our hope rests in knowing that our God loves us completely. Each of our days rests in his hands and that is the safest place for them to be.
Respond
Gracious Lord, you are my source of hope in this dark and difficult world. May my trust in you and your promises grow wider and deeper with each passing day. Amen.
Arnie Cole
DR. ARNIE COLE (Pepperdine) is the CEO of Back to the Bible—an international radio and internet ministry—and Director of Research and Development for the Center for Bible Engagement. He has spent much of his professional life tracking trends of human behavior. Dr. Cole is the co-author of seven books, including Seven Secrets of Worry-Free Living (BroadStreet Publishing). He and his wife, Char, are parents of adult children and operate an equestrian center in Nebraska.