Isaiah 62:1-5
1 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.
2 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.
3 You shall be a crown of beauty in the hand of the Lord,
and a royal diadem in the hand of your God.
4 You shall no more be termed Forsaken,
and your land shall no more be termed Desolate;
but you shall be called My Delight Is in Her,
and your land Married;
for the Lord delights in you,
and your land shall be married.
5 For as a young man marries a young woman,
so shall your builder marry you,
and as the bridegroom rejoices over the bride,
so shall your God rejoice over you.
“… and you shall be called by a new name that the mouth of the Lord will give. …”
Abram becomes Abraham. Sarai becomes Sarah. Jacob becomes Israel. Cephas becomes Peter. Saul becomes Paul. New names are not unknown in the Scriptures. Instead, name changes signify a change in identity, a new vision, and a step forward in God’s relationship with humanity.
For the people of Israel, who’ve known the names of Forsaken and Desolate because of their exile in Babylon, God is granting new names. “My Delight is in Her” and “Married” are Israel’s new monikers. They represent God’s renewed relationship with the people who were once disobedience and sent away. Now, because of the love and grace of God, that relationship has been healed. Restoration has happened. The Lord has re-formed a beautiful communion with the people of Israel.
At our baptisms, we are given a new name – the name of Christ. That name signifies our relationship with God as child, heir, and recipient of new life. Through water and Word, we are delivered from the forsakenness of sin and the desolation of death into a new life of light and life. Instead, God’s delight is in us; and we are united with our Lord as if married.
Prayer: Thank you, Lord, for the gift of a new name and a new life through the waters of baptism. May my life this day reflect Your love in all my words and actions. Amen.