God Visits His People

21 Dec 2025 — St. Jesri HT Purba & AI
Reading

Scripture: Isaiah 62:1–5

I. Introduction — Ice Breaker & Rhetorical Questions

Have you ever felt like your life was a deserted city? A worker once said, “I’m doing my best, but nothing changes. I feel like everything in me is in ruins.” Maybe you’ve been there too — dry in your spirit, carrying disappointment, walking through a season where God seems silent.

Israel knew that feeling. Their city was destroyed, their walls torn down, their hearts shattered. They wondered: “Has God forgotten us? Will He ever come for us?”

Isaiah 62 comes as God’s thundering answer: “I will not keep silent. I will not remain still.” This is the language of visitation — God stepping in, God acting, God restoring.

Today’s message is simple but powerful:

“God Visits His People.”

And Isaiah 62 shows us how God visits: He establishes righteousness, He restores identity, and He renews covenant love.

Point 1 — God Visits His People by Establishing Their Righteousness (vv.1–2)

Verse 1 begins with God declaring: “For Zion’s sake, I will not keep silent.” The Hebrew word for “keep silent” is ḥāšâ (חָשָׁה) — meaning: to be still, inactive, passive. But here God says the opposite: “I refuse to be inactive. I will not hold back My work.”

1. God does not remain silent about the pain of His people

  • Israel felt abandoned, but God was moving even when they couldn’t see Him.
  • For workers under pressure, for parents overwhelmed, for young adults anxious about the future — God is not passive.
  • Visitation means: God enters the story again.

2. God makes their righteousness shine like light (v.1)

  • The word “righteousness” is ṣĕdāqāh (צְדָקָה) — not just moral rightness but restored honor.
  • Israel’s shame would be replaced with dignity.
  • Some here today feel misjudged, misunderstood, or mislabeled — but when God visits, He restores your reputation.

3. God’s work becomes visible to nations (v.2)

  • “Your glory” uses the Hebrew tip’eret — meaning stunning beauty.
  • When God visits, change cannot be hidden. Healing becomes visible. Renewal becomes public.
  • Illustration: Like sunrise pushing away darkness one layer at a time — that’s how divine visitation works.
Cross References:
  • Isaiah 60:1 — “Arise, shine, for your light has come.”
  • Psalm 37:6 — He will make your righteousness shine like the dawn.

Transition: If God visits by establishing righteousness, He also visits by giving His people a completely renewed identity.

Point 2 — God Visits His People by Restoring Their Identity (vv.2–3)

Verse 2 says: “You will be called by a new name that the mouth of the LORD will give.”

1. God gives His people a new name (v.2)

  • “New name” — šēm ḥādāš — means a name untouched by the past.
  • Israel was no longer “abandoned” or “ruined.” They were now God’s delight.
  • Some here carry labels from failure, trauma, or criticism. But when God visits, He renames you.

2. God calls His people a “crown of splendor” (v.3)

  • “Crown” — ʿăṭārâ — a royal symbol of honor.
  • This means God doesn’t just save us — He lifts us, He honors us.
  • An honest businessperson, a faithful parent, a young adult pursuing purity — these are crowns in God’s hand.

3. This identity is secured “in the hand of the LORD” (v.3)

  • Meaning: Your worth is not in human approval.
  • No failure, season of dryness, or criticism can steal what God places in His own hand.
Cross References:
  • Isaiah 43:1 — “You are Mine.”
  • Revelation 2:17 — God gives a new name to the faithful.

Transition: But God’s visitation doesn’t stop with righteousness or identity. The climax of Isaiah 62 is this: God visits to restore relationship — a covenant love as intimate as a bridegroom and bride.

Point 3 — God Visits His People by Renewing His Covenant Love (vv.4–5)

1. God replaces old labels with love (v.4)

  • Old names: Azubah — “forsaken,” and Shemamah — “desolate.”
  • New name: Hephzibah — “My delight is in her.”
  • Some here feel forgotten. But God says, “You delight My heart.”

2. God rejoices over His people like a bridegroom (v.5)

  • "Rejoices" is yāśîś — a joy that bursts out.
  • This is not distant, formal love — but overflowing delight.
  • Illustration: A groom seeing his bride walk down the aisle — overwhelmed with love and pride. That’s how God views you.

3. Covenant love brings stability and wholeness

  • When God visits, emotional and spiritual fractures begin to heal.
  • Families find new direction, workers find courage, young people find identity, and the elderly find renewed hope.
Cross References:
  • Hosea 2:19–20 — God betroths His people forever.
  • Ephesians 5:25–27 — Christ loves the church as His bride.

Conclusion — A Call to Response

Isaiah 62 declares a powerful truth: God visits His people. He does not stay silent. He establishes righteousness. He restores identity. He renews covenant love.

Call to Response:
Church, will you invite His visitation today? Will you pray: “Lord, visit my life. Restore my name. Heal my heart. Lead my steps. Let Your delight rest on me.”

Poetic Ending:
When the night feels long, God brings the dawn. When your name is wounded, He gives a new one. When your heart feels abandoned, He rejoices over you again. Let His visitation become the rhythm of your journey.

Quatrain (Pantun-style):
Morning light breaks through the gray,
Hope returns in gentle hue.
When God visits on our way,
He turns the old and makes it new.