November 19, 2021 – Click here to listen
I was reading Isaiah chapter 62 as my Bible study chapter today and in verses 1-5 it speaks to Jerusalem and the return of its people from exile. The passage is a partial fulfillment of those times but will find greater fulfillment at the second coming of Christ. “You shall no more be termed Forsaken; neither shall your land any more be termed Desolate: but you shall be called Hephzibah, and your land Beulah; for Jehovah delights in you, and your land shall be married And the Gentiles shall see your righteousness, and all kings your glory: and you shall be called by a new name, which the mouth of the Lord shall name.
Wow! The mouth of the Lord Himself gives us the new name. It was interesting that the new name God gives them was Hephzibah which means, “My delight” and their land “Beulah” literally means “land of the married”. God speaks of the inhabitants of the Promised Land as no longer being “forsaken”. Speaking to the future when Christ’s bride, His church, will find His consummate favor.
We went to Israel with a Godly man, Squire Parsons, who wrote and recorded Sweet Beulah Land and he and his brothers sang this song when we stopped right in the middles of Lake Galilee. There was not a dry eye on the boat including mine.
There were several gospel singers on our trip and a horde of pastors. My wife and I took our pastor and his wife. Everywhere we went Squire and the other Gospel singers would sing a song pertinent to that site and the pastors would alternate reading Scripture and explaining the biblical significance of what occurred there. Our pastor preached on the steps leading to where the temple once stood that Jesus climbed when He would go in and preach and teach. It was on Easter morning and was glorious.
Today, this beautiful hymn is seldom sung in churches where praise songs and contemporary Christian rock music dominate the worship experience. If you listen to this song today it might seem to start a little slow and sound almost mournful but listen to the words and imagine. Let your mind take you to Sweet Beulah Land and experience the joy of knowing God and one day seeing Jerusalem restored with Jesus on the throne and teaching the children.
Song of Solomon 2:10
My beloved speaks and says to me:
“Arise, my love, my beautiful one,
and come away,
for behold, the winter is past;
the rain is over and gone.
The flowers appear on the earth,
the time of singing has come,
and the voice of the turtledove
is heard in our land . . .
Sweet Beulah Land! Have a great weekend and go to church this Sunday!