Welcome to Week Nine of our study from the book of Isaiah and to Isaiah chapter 54. In this chapter, Israel is described both as a barren woman and a widow. Neither was a particularly prestigious or comfortable place to be. But before we get caught up in the use of gender, we ought to remember there is only ONE husband in this story and that is the Lord God himself. Israel, ALL of Israel, men included, are his bride.
This chapter also describes Israel enlarging her tent because her future offspring would possess the nations—a reference to the future influx of Gentiles into what we know as the church. It’s a prophecy of a future made possible by God’s suffering servant. Although God confirms he turned away from Israel for a brief moment, now he will lovingly restore her and remain with her forever. The sin that caused the rift was laid upon the servant and has been dealt with permanently. Because of the servant’s sacrifice God is able to declare us righteous and never turn away again.
As Pastor Sam would say, “It’s beautiful!”
Thank you to my wife Tracy for sharing her wisdom in writing this week’s guided prayers.
Index to Days 2 through 5
Day 1
Stigma Buster
Observe
The Lord tells the barren woman to sing and cry aloud, for she is about to have more children than the married woman. So many, in fact, that she’s going to need a bigger tent.
Isaiah 54:1-3
The Eternal Covenant of Peace
54 “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.
Genesis 13:14-17
14 The Lord said to Abram, after Lot had separated from him, “Lift up your eyes and look from the place where you are, northward and southward and eastward and westward, 15 for all the land that you see I will give to you and to your offspring forever. 16 I will make your offspring as the dust of the earth, so that if one can count the dust of the earth, your offspring also can be counted. 17 Arise, walk through the length and the breadth of the land, for I will give it to you.”
Genesis 28:13-14
13 And behold, the Lord stood above it and said, “I am the Lord, the God of Abraham your father and the God of Isaac. The land on which you lie I will give to you and to your offspring. 14 Your offspring shall be like the dust of the earth, and you shall spread abroad to the west and to the east and to the north and to the south, and in you and your offspring shall all the families of the earth be blessed.
Galatians 4:21-31
Example of Hagar and Sarah
21 Tell me, you who desire to be under the law, do you not listen to the law? 22 For it is written that Abraham had two sons, one by a slave woman and one by a free woman. 23 But the son of the slave was born according to the flesh, while the son of the free woman was born through promise. 24 Now this may be interpreted allegorically: these women are two covenants. One is from Mount Sinai, bearing children for slavery; she is Hagar. 25 Now Hagar is Mount Sinai in Arabia; she corresponds to the present Jerusalem, for she is in slavery with her children. 26 But the Jerusalem above is free, and she is our mother. 27 For it is written,
“Rejoice, O barren one who does not bear;
break forth and cry aloud, you who are not in labor!
For the children of the desolate one will be more
than those of the one who has a husband.”
28 Now you, brothers, like Isaac, are children of promise. 29 But just as at that time he who was born according to the flesh persecuted him who was born according to the Spirit, so also it is now. 30 But what does the Scripture say? “Cast out the slave woman and her son, for the son of the slave woman shall not inherit with the son of the free woman.” 31 So, brothers, we are not children of the slave but of the free woman.
In Israel, a woman who was barren carried a tremendous stigma. It was almost always seen as a judgment from the Lord. The Babylonian exile was more than just captivity for Israel, it was an enormous shame and disgrace. The Lord is promising a release from all of that. In Galatians chapter 4, Paul quotes from this passage in a reference to believers under the New Covenant, so we can understand that the expansion of the tent would be required by the influx of Gentile believers, who would eventually vastly exceed the number of physical descendants of Abraham.
- In our modern day and age, what carries a stigma that causes people to prejudge one another?
- How does God remove that stigma?
Heavenly Father, Thank you for your mercies that reach all of us who are called by your name. I could add, “both the greatest and the least,” but none of us are great; we are all barren, in need of your grace. Men, women, rich and poor, those in political power and those on the edges all must look to you for blessing. Thank you for this promise that your kingdom will, indeed, spread to fill the earth. Thank you for filling the barren parts of my soul with your peace. Amen.
Day 2
Meeting Expectations
Observe
The Lord described Israel like a barren woman and now he refers to them as a widow. In Israel, a woman who was without a husband, especially those women who found themselves husband-less late in life, were relegated to the place of being a burden. Provided for, but giving nothing in return. The word “reproach” means “the expression of disapproval or disappointment.”
Isaiah 54:4-6
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.
Psalm 73:25
25 Whom have I in heaven but you?
And there is nothing on earth that I desire besides you.
2 Corinthians 1:16-20
16 I wanted to visit you on my way to Macedonia, and to come back to you from Macedonia and have you send me on my way to Judea. 17 Was I vacillating when I wanted to do this? Do I make my plans according to the flesh, ready to say “Yes, yes” and “No, no” at the same time? 18 As surely as God is faithful, our word to you has not been Yes and No. 19 For the Son of God, Jesus Christ, whom we proclaimed among you, Silvanus and Timothy and I, was not Yes and No, but in him it is always Yes. 20 For all the promises of God find their Yes in him. That is why it is through him that we utter our Amen to God for his glory.
A woman could not become a widow without first becoming a wife. Such happy expectations came with that! The “wife of youth” imagined a future full of children, grandchildren, and honor. To find herself a widow would be crushing not only in how she would have to live but also in her unmet expectations. So what could be joyous enough that a widow could forget all the reproach she had suffered? Suddenly finding a wonderful husband; and the Lord promises Israel that he will be her husband. Widowhood in Israel might come with enough food to survive and a place to live, but it did nothing to meet emotional needs or dispel the sense of being forsaken. The promise of the Lord is true and he will supply all those needs.
- What expectation have you hoped for but not experienced?
- How has the Lord met your unfilled expectations?
Dear Lord, You know the unmet desires of my heart. You know each of my disappointments. You know the shameful choices I have made. You even know the sorrows that are still to come in my life. Yet you have called me to be your bride, and you have made me your own. I see from your Word that your plan of redemption was established from the beginning, and you will replace the shame and sorrow of your people with your protection, your name and your love. Thank you Lord.
Day 3
Sweet Restoration
Observe
To Israel in the grip of the Babylonian exile, it had to feel like time was glacially slow. But the 70 year exile, which resulted from Israel’s persistent sin, would be only a brief moment compared with God’s everlasting love for them.
Isaiah 54:7-8
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.
Psalm 30:5
5 For his anger is but for a moment,
and his favor is for a lifetime.
Weeping may tarry for the night,
but joy comes with the morning.
2 Corinthians 4:17-18
17 For this light momentary affliction is preparing for us an eternal weight of glory beyond all comparison, 18 as we look not to the things that are seen but to the things that are unseen. For the things that are seen are transient, but the things that are unseen are eternal.
2 Peter 3:8-9
8 But do not overlook this one fact, beloved, that with the Lord one day is as a thousand years, and a thousand years as one day. 9 The Lord is not slow to fulfill his promise as some count slowness, but is patient toward you, not wishing that any should perish, but that all should reach repentance.
For the Israelites living through the exile, 70 years no doubt felt like 700, and so it seems to us at times. We have all experienced times of wandering away from God, where it felt like we were exiled in a spiritual desert. But the Lord reminds us that his everlasting love for us will cause him to gather us and have mercy on us. Take note of that: the certain restoration of our relationship with him will come because of his compassion and love, not because we have managed to somehow fix ourselves.
- What causes you to feel distant from God?
- How does the Lord gather you back to himself?
Father God, I know that, although you turned away from the nation Israel at times to correct and teach, you do not turn away from me. Your judgment was poured out on Christ. You no longer judge me, but you see the perfection of your son when you look at me. What a wonder! But, day-to-day, my heart still needs your teaching, and I yearn for your correction, as your child. Get my attention, Lord, and tune my heart to your voice, and help me to follow you. Amen.
Day 4
Forever at Peace
Observe
The Lord promises to never forsake Israel (and, by extension, we Gentiles who have enlarged the tent).
Isaiah 54:9-10
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.
Genesis 8:21
21 And when the Lord smelled the pleasing aroma, the Lord said in his heart, “I will never again curse the ground because of man, for the intention of man’s heart is evil from his youth. Neither will I ever again strike down every living creature as I have done.
Genesis 9:11
11 I establish my covenant with you, that never again shall all flesh be cut off by the waters of the flood, and never again shall there be a flood to destroy the earth.”
Genesis 9:16
16 When the bow is in the clouds, I will see it and remember the everlasting covenant between God and every living creature of all flesh that is on the earth.”
One of God’s earliest and most dramatic promises came after the flood. He promised the survivors he would never again bring a flood like that one upon the earth and offered the rainbow as a sign. To this day believers can look at a rainbow and remember God’s eternal promise. This prophecy invokes another image, that of mountains eroding, so we imagine the nearly immeasurable amount of time it would take for a mountain to crumble; and even when such an enormous amount of time should pass, God’s love and peace will still be with us.
- Who do you love in a way you believe will not end?
- What is it about that love that makes you confident of its continuing?
- How does this help you understand God’s promise of steadfast love?
Heavenly Father, Our lives are so brief that it is hard to comprehend that your love is everlasting. Yet this is your promise, Lord, and you have always kept your promises. You are faithful, and your love is never ending. Your promise itself is a compassion, a truth on which I can rely when life is shifting and crumbling around me. Even before I experience your peace, I can hold on to your promise. Amen.
Day 5
Prosperity, Peace, and Protection
Observe
This prophecy concludes with the Lord describing how he will cause his people to live.
Isaiah 54:11-17
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.”
John 16:33
33 I have said these things to you, that in me you may have peace. In the world you will have tribulation. But take heart; I have overcome the world.”
Isaiah 26:3
3 You keep him in perfect peace
whose mind is stayed on you,
because he trusts in you.
Romans 8:1
Life in the Spirit
8 There is therefore now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus.
Romans 8:28
28 And we know that for those who love God all things work together for good, for those who are called according to his purpose.
Romans 8:38-39
38 For I am sure that neither death nor life, nor angels nor rulers, nor things present nor things to come, nor powers, 39 nor height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord.
If someone is afflicted and tossed about in the storm, they feel poor no matter how much they have in the bank. On the other hand, God promises the afflicted that his care for them will make them feel rich. If our trust is in the Lord’s protection, we will neither feel oppressed nor fearful. Instead we have peace, for ourselves and for our children. If God is our protection and heaven is our home, no weapon can be successful against us. Even criticism will not wound us. These things God promises to those who are his servants and who rely on him for their righteousness.
- If you made a list of everything God might give you that made you feel rich, how far down that list would you have to go before you listed money?
- How does having God’s approval protect you from things such as oppression, fear, and criticism?
Father God, What a glorious picture you have painted here of your people, living in peace and security, where oppression and fear have been eliminated. Yes, Lord, I pray “Yes, make it so.” Some of your people in this world, even now, both near and far away, live in great fear and under far worse oppression than I have ever experienced. I pray for their protection. Thank you that we all share together in the heritage of your kingdom and that we all hope together in the promise of your word. Amen.