“Sing, O barren one, who did not bear;
break forth into singing and cry aloud,
you who have not been in labor!
For the children of the desolate one will be more
than the children of her who is married,” says the Lord.
2 “Enlarge the place of your tent,
and let the curtains of your habitations be stretched out;
do not hold back; lengthen your cords
and strengthen your stakes.
3 For you will spread abroad to the right and to the left,
and your offspring will possess the nations
and will people the desolate cities.
4 “Fear not, for you will not be ashamed;
be not confounded, for you will not be disgraced;
for you will forget the shame of your youth,
and the reproach of your widowhood you will remember no more.
5 For your Maker is your husband,
the Lord of hosts is his name;
and the Holy One of Israel is your Redeemer,
the God of the whole earth he is called.
6 For the Lord has called you
like a wife deserted and grieved in spirit,
like a wife of youth when she is cast off,
says your God.
7 For a brief moment I deserted you,
but with great compassion I will gather you.
8 In overflowing anger for a moment
I hid my face from you,
but with everlasting love I will have compassion on you,”
says the Lord, your Redeemer.
9 “This is like the days of Noah to me:
as I swore that the waters of Noah
should no more go over the earth,
so I have sworn that I will not be angry with you,
and will not rebuke you.
10 For the mountains may depart
and the hills be removed,
but my steadfast love shall not depart from you,
and my covenant of peace shall not be removed,”
says the Lord, who has compassion on you.
11 “O afflicted one, storm-tossed and not comforted,
behold, I will set your stones in antimony,
and lay your foundations with sapphires.
12 I will make your pinnacles of agate,
your gates of carbuncles,
and all your wall of precious stones.
13 All your children shall be taught by the Lord,
and great shall be the peace of your children.
14 In righteousness you shall be established;
you shall be far from oppression, for you shall not fear;
and from terror, for it shall not come near you.
15 If anyone stirs up strife,
it is not from me;
whoever stirs up strife with you
shall fall because of you.
16 Behold, I have created the smith
who blows the fire of coals
and produces a weapon for its purpose.
I have also created the ravager to destroy;
17 no weapon that is fashioned against you shall succeed,
and you shall refute every tongue that rises against you in judgment.
This is the heritage of the servants of the Lord
and their vindication from me, declares the Lord.” Isaiah 54 ESV
Isaiah 54
1-3. Sing, O barren one - Their is far more significance to this when you have read the rest of the Old Testament. In these eastern cultures there was a stigma with bareness, as we can recall Samuel's mother Hannah being in great distress over not having children. It was a competition between Rachel and Leah, and Sara did not at first believe her own bareness could be overcome, even if God had said, "in Isaac shall thy seed be called." In China they had forced quotas in view of population control, and since the family name is passed through the male children, and if a husband dies it is the son that takes care of the mother, many girls were discarded because of this. It is a very lopsided population to this day. The Jews during their captivity were away from their land, and at times, like in Egypt, it was commanded of the midwives that their male children be killed.
Enlarge the place of your tent - There is coming a time when Israel will need more room because she has out grown her previous territory. This full reality will be during the Messiah's reign, children born of the gospel. It also points to the bringing in of the gentiles, enlarging Abraham's tent.
…12But to all who did receive Him, to those who believed in His name, He gave the right to become children of God— 13children born not of blood, nor of the desire or will of man, but born of God. 14The Word became flesh and made His dwelling among us. We have seen His glory, the glory of the one and only Son from the Father, full of grace and truth.… John 1: 12-14
4-8 - For you will forget the shame of your youth - This is all and only possible because of what we read in the chapter before, that Christ takes our sin and shame upon Him. Some have taught that Israel has been replaced to be no more, because of their rejection of Christ at His coming, but again, read Isaiah 53, God told us that would happen. He has still kept a remnant of Israel, and He will restore the believing remnant, at the end of the time of the gentiles, to their land. This is based on His word, His covenant promise, His ability to fulfill what He has declared. This will fulfill His unilateral covenant with Abraham.
O you that are cast down, you poor trembling ones that fain would be at one with God, but feel as if you could not find him, believe in the Lord your God, and trust in his Son, Jesus Christ, for there are glad times coming for you! All your former dabs of sadness shall be forgotten, and you shall have such joy and delight as you can hardly imagine at present. - C. H. Spurgeon
For your maker is your Husband - Israel won't be ashamed in the end, though seemingly a widow now, put off for her sins, God offers her a new life in Him.
Through the centuries, many a hurting woman has taken this promise for herself. Forsaken by a husband, or forsaken of a husband, they have found beautiful comfort in the promise that God would be a husband to them, when all others forsook them. The principle is true; God will supply and meet our emotional needs, and rescue us from our disgrace and shame, when others forsaken us. Enduring Word
…9When they heard this, they began to go away one by one, beginning with the older ones, until only Jesus was left, with the woman standing there. 10Then Jesus straightened up and asked her, “Woman, where are your accusers? Has no one condemned you? 11“No one, Lord,” she answered. “Then neither do I condemn you,” Jesus declared. “Now go and sin no more.”… John 8: 9-11
I hid My face from you - Every time Israel went into captivity it was because she left God, for idols, for greed, for lust, "all we like sheep have gone astray", and it is Christ Who alone keeps the law, fulfills the law, Who mediates a better covenant. Israel may feel forsaken being removed from her land, suffering at the hands of her enemies, but it is Christ who keeps her from being utterly cast off, "My God, My God, why hast Thou forsaken Me?"
9-10. This is like the days of Noah to Me - God destroyed the whole world except for 8 people He spared inside the Ark. When the ark settled and the land was ready to receive them, God placed a rainbow in the sky, a mark to look upon, that He would never destroy the whole earth by flood again. This is the meaning of the rainbow, that God keeps His word, and it should call this story to our remembrance each and every time we see one.
Nor shall my covenant of peace be removed - Noah went through the flood, but he lived through it just as God had promised. Regardless of the tempest, and even when the mountains are laid low, though everything else changes, God's word remains. Israel will come into full realization of this in the new kingdom. They will be reconciled to God through their redeemer, Jesus Christ.
11-17. All your children will be taught by the Lord - Jesus, the prophet, priest and king, He will rule and teach, and it shall be a time of peace for Israel. It will no longer be concealed to them because of their unbelief, for they will see and believe.
1When Jesus saw the crowds, He went up on the mountain and sat down. His disciples came to Him, 2and He began to teach them, saying: 3“Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.… Matthew 5: 1-3
…26I will give you a new heart and put a new spirit within you; I will remove your heart of stone and give you a heart of flesh. 27And I will put My Spirit within you and cause you to walk in My statutes and to carefully observe My ordinances.28Then you will live in the land that I gave your forefathers; you will be My people, and I will be your God.… Ezekiel 36: 26-28
If anyone stirs up strife - He will be their defender, and even during the Millennial kingdom their will be those of other nations that may try to rise up, the children of those who survived the Great Tribulation, but judgment will be swift.
No weapon that is fashioned against you shall succeed - God declares His right as the Creator. He made the blacksmith, the steal he works, and He made the mouth of those that slander. They have no need to fear the weapons of their enemies, for it is nothing that Christ is alarmed by, not even the tossing of the sea. To be certain, only righteousness and truth shall prosper under His reign.
. The tongue which rises against you can really hurt. “Satan leaves no stone unturned against the Church of God. He uses not simply the hand; but, what is oftener a sharper weapon, the tongue. We can bear a blow, sometimes, but we cannot endure an insult. There is a great power in the tongue. We can rise from a blow which smote us to the ground; but we cannot so easily recover from slander, that lays the character low.” (Spurgeon) Yet, we can trust in the LORD’s triumph. “The more accusers, the more acquittals; the more slander, the more honor; so the enemy may slander us as much as he pleases.” (Spurgeon)
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