“You [Judah] shall no more be termed Forsaken, nor shall your land be called Desolate any more. But you shall be called Hephzibah [My delight is in her], and your land be called Beulah [married]; for the Lord delights in you, and your land shall be married [owned and protected by the Lord].” Isaiah 62:4 ->me: After reading this passage today in Isaiah 62, I really want to take a deep dive into the traditions, ceremony, and courting of Jewish marriage in the time of Isaiah. I feel like there is so much more here in the details of marriage in this time period that I may be missing about the strength of the statements being make here. I know how I felt when I was given the honor of marrying Marianne. I still am blown away that she would give herself and take me. What is interesting here is that the groom delights in his bride, cares for and loves her but she, likewise, respects her husband, leans on him to provide and these actions are a big part of why the groom delights in his wife. Her dependence on him fosters even more the unconditional love he has for her. Understanding this helps me see God’s love for me and His desire to protect and delight in me, delight in the love and worship I give Him…this is the relationship. This is the thing that is different from all other earthly religions.