Isaiah 62:12 And they shall call them, The holy people, The redeemed of the LORD: and you shall be called, Sought out, A city not forsaken. 1. A forsaken city! What a picture it presents. Streets once crowded with life, left desolate. Halls once ablaze with light — darkened. Every voice of music hushed, every dancer gone. No man of wisdom to advise. No soldier to defend. No peopled homes. No schools with children. No trade. No port. No active work for God or man. A city forsaken! Bereft, indeed! 2. But "A city not forsaken"! How different I with its crowded streets; its marts of trade; its palace of legislature; its courts of administration and justice; its glory of magnificent architecture; its busy river; its turrets ablaze with the glory of their gold; its towers of strength; its bulwarks of defence; its processions of royalty; its merchants; its scholars; its citizens, good, bad and indifferent; its sanctuaries; its slums; its manifold life and stir. Ay, verily, "a city not forsaken" is a place of interest and power; a place to live in; where the pulse beats; where men feel the blessings of community, and find the possibilities of success; where trade has its markets; where intellect is sharpened, and where extremes meet — the place of the temple, the arena, the theatre, the gymnasium, and the forum. (C. H. Kelly.) Parallel Verses KJV: And they shall call them, The holy people, The redeemed of the LORD: and thou shalt be called, Sought out, A city not forsaken. |
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