God speaking through Isaiah to Israel, some day yet in the future: “Thou shalt also be a CROWN OF GLORY in the hand of the LORD, and a ROYAL DIADEM in the hand of thy God.” Isaiah 62:3
Never would my fingers type such a high claim for any man, apart from Scripture verses like this! Calling a man … a “crown” of the Lord’s? Especially a “crown of glory!”
But here is such an exalted claim, flowing directly from the pen of Isaiah the Prophet! In a chapter that is filled with encomiums for Israel! (What an interesting word, “encomium.” It’s from the Greek, of course. And it’s a blend of “en” meaning “internal, inside” and “komos” meaning “reveling, partying,” but here used in a good sense! God is having a party, exulting Within Himself, in view of Israel’s new status as a saved people!)
The noun “crown” is derived from a verb that means “to encircle, to surround.” And that’s exactly what a crown does as it sits on one’s head. But here the Jews are called even more, a Crown of “Glory” to our Lord … a not-so-often used noun meaning “splendor, beauty, honor, excellence! (Seldom used, only 51 times … in comparison to the other Old Testament word for glory, 200 times!)
Look at our Text again: “Thou (Israel) shalt also be a crown of glory IN THE HAND OF THE LORD, and a royal diadem IN THE HAND OF THY GOD.” Here is Israel “in God’s Hand!” (And I thought that was mostly a New Testament term! Jesus in John 10:28, for example. “And I give unto them eternal life; and they shall never perish, neither shall any man pluck them out of my HAND.”)
Then … Scripture (our Text today) uses a classic example of parallelism. The “Crown of Glory” is equated (or at least favorably compared) to a “Royal Diadem!”
Wow!
“Royal” means “belonging to the King!” And “Diadem” means “one’s attire,” but specifically one’s head wear! (We Christians are told to “put on” the Lord Jesus Christ! Now here, Almighty God is “wearing” Israel, the “Apple of His Eye!”
(My proof Texts … Galatians 3:27 … “For as many of you as have been baptized into Christ have PUT ON Christ.” Furthermore in Judges 6:34, the Holy Spirit “put on” Gideon! “But the Spirit of the LORD … CAME UPON … Gideon, and he blew a trumpet.” Where “came upon” is the verb “labash,” meaning “to dress or wear or clothe!”)
Now, to the point of today’s Lesson. Although I have already enjoyed the thoughts the Lord has given to share with you all!
Paul the Apostle in the New Testament (at least 700 years after Isaiah’s Ministry) uses this Prophet’s terminology!
He, Paul, called the Philippians … “his joy and his crown!” (If God can have a crown, saved Jews … then Holy Spirit inspired Paul can have a crown, saved gentiles!) The verse I have in mind: “Therefore, my brethren dearly beloved and longed for, MY JOY AND MY CROWN, so stand fast in the Lord, my dearly beloved.” Philippians 4:1
Wow!
And again in 1 Thessalonians 2:19 … “For what is our hope, or joy, or CROWN of rejoicing? Are not even ye (you in the plural) in the presence of our Lord Jesus Christ at his coming?”
Saved people, as “crowns” unto the Lord!
As “trophies of His marvelous Grace!”
Indeed.
Oh, how He loves us old ex-sinners!
— Dr. Mike Bagwell
It is called “inter-textuality” … when one Bible Passage quotes or alludes to another Bible Passage. (Particularly when the New Testament so uses the Old!)
And Isaiah 62:3 is a “seed bed” of such phenomena!
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