The Answer to the Promise

When the prophet Isaiah wrote this passage, the Israelites were in exile in Babylon.  They were cut off from their homes, cut off from the temple, and (so it seemed) cut off from the very presence of God.  Their captors mocked them, calling them "Deserted", and their land "Desolate".  

However, the Lord promised that he would bring the Israelites out of captivity, and back to the Promised Land.  They would no longer bear the mocking nicknames their enemies had branded them with; instead, God would give them new names, names that signify God's deep love for them.  

This promise is for us today, as well as for the Israelites in the days of Isaiah.  Jesus, whose birth we celebrate at Christmas, seeks us out.  He brings us out of exile in the land of sin and death, into the Kingdom of God.  He gives us new names, names that signify his deep love for us.