NOTES for Isa 62:1-12

There is a time for everything: for standing silently before God and for the ministry of the word. First, trust in God and readiness to follow Him must take root in the heart; then comes the hour when He calls us to preach. Such a time also comes for Isaiah’s compatriots: having become more spiritually mature through a series of trials, they must proclaim the Truth to all nations. God’s light must first shine in Jerusalem, but it will not shine only for its inhabitants; it is intended for every nation.

If so, it is not enough for preachers to repeat memorized formulas. They must become conductors of the light that illumines the world, and this means being able neither to cloud that light nor to block it with their own darkness. This is much harder than delivering ready-made verbal formulas in a well-trained voice, but is there any point in going out to preach if we are not open to the influence of the One whom we proclaim? If we are ready to receive His transforming influence, He will also give us the words we need for preaching.