September 30 – Hephzibah: The Lord Delighteth in Me!

September 30
Isaiah 60:1-62:5
Philippians 1:27-2:18
Psalm 72:1-20
Proverbs 24:11-12

Isaiah 60:2-3 – This passage forms the tenth movement of Handel’s Messiah. Verse three foreshadows the Great Commission – universal, no longer tribal.

Isaiah 60:19 – Revelation 21:23 and 22:5 echo this verse, but notice the addition in Revelation 21:23 – the lamp of the city is the Lamb!

Isaiah 61:1-2 – Jesus’ first synagogue message in Nazareth after his baptism (Luke 4:16) was from Isaiah – interestingly this was not His request but was given Him (Luke 4:17), and He quoted from this verse and presumably Isaiah 60:3 . Notice Jesus stopped in the middle of verse 2. This was not the day of vengeance but the day of mercy so far. Yet the synagogue crowd tried to stone him (Luke 4:29).

The traditional site of the synagogue is believed to be under this church in Nazareth.

Isaiah 62:4 – The woman called Forsaken shall now be called Hephzibah – the LORD delighteth in me! What a gracious and forgiving God we serve!

Philippians 1:29 – Suffering is a gift of God.

Philippians 2:7 – This is referred to as the Kenosis passage, as Jesus debased himself unto the death of the cross.

Philippians 2:10-11 – Yes, every knee shall bow and tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord.

Philippians 2:14 – Murmurings? Paul had to warn the Corinthians about that (1 Corinthians 10:10), and the Israelites had done unto Moses (Exodus 15:24)

Psalm 72:1 – Who is this King? That has dominion unto the ends of the earth (Psalm 72:8). The answer is in v.18 – this is the LORD God’s reign on earth.

Proverbs 24:11-12 – Paul echoed this thought in I Corinthians 9:16. “Thousands are dying, every day now, with no hope or light. How can we standby without telling of Christ’s great sacrifice!“