Isaiah 54:1-10
Alternative devotions for Tuesday 29th December
Review
In chapter 53, Isaiah revealed his prophetic vision of God’s work of redemption through the Servant. He saw the Servant take on Himself the punishment of death for the sake of the sins of humanity in order to bring God’s gift of redemption and salvation not just for His own people, Israel, but for all people across the world who will accept this gift. After such an earth shattering revelation, what can be said? It seems almost impossible to say more follow a revelation of this nature; what more can be worth saying? Yet here in the next chapter of Isaiah, we read further prophecies of Isaiah speaking of God’s complete and utter commitment to His scheme of redemption and His love for all.
Some say that these prophecies and poems speak only about Israel, but although these words naturally mention Israel, they say so much more. As we read them, it becomes clear that they can only be true for those who have responded to the work of the Servant. The prophecies use pictures and images from Israel’s past, but words such as these, ‘in a flood of my wrath I hid My face for a moment from you ... but I have compassion on you.’ (54:8) only make sense when we think of them as spoken by the Lord directly to those who have responded to the message and know that God has loved them. We also know from Isaiah’s past prophecies that this work of God through the Servant began with Israel but is available for all (see 52:10,15), so these words of love and reassurance are for all who accept them. They promise God’s consistent and eternal love, ‘your husband is the one who made you’ (54:5), ‘with great compassion I will gather you ...’ (54:7), and lastly, ‘even if the mountains move ... my steadfast love will not leave you’ (54:10).
At the beginning of the chapter, we are presented with two related family pictures of growth in the form of songs. The meter of the songs is lost in translation, but the first song in verse 1 is about a barren woman who gives birth and subsequently has more children than others. The second picture-song (54:2,3) describes the enlarging a nomadic tent-complex to allow for the increased number of family members because of the growth of those in the family.
But what do these two pictures mean? They tell us that after the Servant has done His saving work, the people of God must be prepared for substantial growth! More than this, while Israel has been like a woman married to the Lord who has been unfaithful and cast off because of her unfaithfulness (54:4,6,7, and see the prophecies of Hosea), Isaiah speaks here about a ‘barren woman’; but who is this? She is none other than the Gentiles! This is not necessarily clear from the poem itself, but it is the logical conclusion of all Isaiah’s prophecies to date. Note how joyful and happy the rest of this passage of the prophecy is; God is delighted that the Gentiles are able to hear and receive His love, and the ‘barren women’ will bear even more children than the married one (Israel – see 54:1)! Then, with the increase in numbers, the size of the family tent-complex will be enlarged (54:2f.). The Servant’s work has been successful!
This success is then celebrated in a complex prophecy-song (54:4-10) about the new relationship between God and His people as husband and wife, bound together by a marriage covenant. It tells of the strength of God’s love for His people, now that the relationship between them has been restored by the redeeming work of the Servant; God alone has done this, as the ‘Holy One of Israel’ (54:5). The song then uses a host of Old Testament motifs, flood, covenant, marriage, and redemption, explaining that God will not go back on His word (54:9). Finally, God promises His new family ‘the covenant of my peace will not be shaken’ (5:10); this work of the Servant is final. God will not change and His ‘covenant of peace’ stands forever (54:10).
1 Sing, O barren woman who never gave birth!
Break out into song and shout,
you who have not been in labour!
The children of the desolate woman
Will exceed those of the married woman,
says the Lord.
2 Make the pitch of your tent-sites bigger!
Stretch out your tent-curtains!
Don’t hold back;
lengthen your cords
and strengthen your stakes.
3 For you will expand to the right and the left;
Your descendants will inherit nations
and will occupy deserted cities.
4 Do not fear, for you will not be ashamed;
do not back down, for you will not be disgraced;
for you will forget the shame of your youth,
and never recall the taunt of your widowhood.
5 For your husband is the one who made you,
and the Lord of hosts is his name;
your Redeemer is the Holy One of Israel,
and He is called the God of the whole earth!
6 Like a forsaken woman grieved in spirit,
the Lord has called you back!
Like a wife of youth when she is cast off,
says your God.
7 For a brief moment I abandoned you,
but with great compassion I will gather you.
8 In a flood of wrath
I hid my face for a moment from you,
but with everlasting faithful love
I will have compassion on you,
says the Lord, your Redeemer.
9 This is for me like the days of Noah!
When I swore that the waters of Noah
would never again pass over the land.
So I have sworn I will not be angry with you,
or rebuke you.
10 For even if the mountains move
and the hills be removed;
My steadfast love will not leave you,
the covenant of my peace will not be shaken
says the Lord who has compassion on you.
© All text and pictures on this page copyright Paul H Ashby 2009 - all rights reserved
Precious child of Bethlehem, give me the patience to spend time with You, the courage to live my life for You, the faith to let You guide me in Your pathways, and the wisdom to listen always for your call. May I then remain consistent to my intent, and give sure and certain testimony to my faith in all circumstances. AMEN
Did you know that Jesus was born for you?
You have heard that Jesus died for you;
That He gave His life to forgive your sins;
That in dying He conquered sin and evil,
And made a way for you to go to heaven.
You have heard that Jesus rose for you;
He has conquered death to defeat all evil,
And live a life that demonstrates true love;
A true message of Good News for you.
You have heard that Jesus gave you His Spirit;
That He has poured His gracious gifts on you,
To enable you to live the life He has given;
And come at the end to your eternal home.
He was born for you; Jesus has come for you.
He became a human being just like you,
He felt pain and love and laughter, just like you;
So your faith is real, and God, your God, is true.
Prayer ideas
Wait on the Lord, and ask Him if there are any ‘New Year’s resolutions’ you should make
On-going prayers
- Pray for major industrial nations Pray today for Egypt, which is a major political influence in the Middle East and centre for tourism
- Give thanks for all the good things God has given you
- Pray for those who are homeless this Christmas time
