CHAPTER 54

(712 B.C.)

GODS EVERLASTING LOVE FOR ISRAEL

¹Sing, O barren, you who did not bear; break forth into singing, and cry aloud, you who did not travail with child: for more are the children of the desolate than the children of the married wife, says the LORD. (The singing of this Chapter will be the moral result of the weeping of the prior one. The Tribes of Israel, having wailed because of Him, will then sing because of Him. This is a great moral principle. Before the heart can taste the joy of Gods Salvation, there must be the recognition and confession of its guilt and its rejection of Christ.

The barren woman, at least in this case, is Israel. Two periods of her history are pointed to: 1. As the married wife, i.e., when in official relationship with God and 2. When out of relationship as the desolate woman.

During the first period of her history, she gave birth to many sons; but during the second period, which is yet to come, she will give birth to a countless multitude.

As well, Paul quoted this very Passage, using it to prove that more will be saved under the New Covenant than under the Old [Gal. 4:27]. As such, the Church has many more children, i.e., followers of the Lord, than Israel of old! Moreover, the Gentiles, who were once barren, can now sing, because of having been included in the great Salvation plan [Jn. 3:16]. So, in essence, this Passage, as given, has two meanings.)

²Enlarge the place of your tent, and let them stretch forth the curtains of your habitations: spare not, lengthen your cords, and strengthen your stakes (the entirety of this Chapter speaks of the coming Glad Day, when Israel will have prayed the 51st Psalm and, thereby, blotted out the terrible sin of crucifying Christ, as is outlined in the previous Chapter, and has finally accepted Christ as their Messiah and Saviour. As such, they will sing and then be blessed in a manner that is beyond description);

³For you shall break forth on the right hand and on the left; and Your Seed shall inherit the Gentiles, and make the desolate cities to be inhabited. (The first phrase speaks of Israels Restoration, which will take place in the coming Kingdom Age.

And Your Seed shall inherit the Gentiles, refers to Christ as the Seed settling the dispute between Israel and the Gentiles concerning the Land of Israel. This means that this dispute, which rages at the present, will not be settled until the Second Coming.)

⁴Fear not; for you shall not be ashamed: neither be you confounded; for you shall not be put to shame: for you shall forget the shame of your youth, and shall not remember the reproach of your widowhood any more. (The shame of Israels youth was idolatry, with the reproach of her widowhood, her present rejection. This reproach has lasted now for about 2,000 years.

The words, fear not, have to do with Israel, when she realizes that the Christ she crucified is truly her Messiah. Realizing that He has just destroyed the Antichrist, what will He in turn do to her? The answer will be extremely comforting.

He will not only not hurt them, but instead will forgive them, wash them, cleanse them, and renew His Covenant with them.)

⁵For your Maker is your husband; the LORD of Hosts is His Name; and your Redeemer the Holy One of Israel; The God of the whole Earth shall He be called. (The words, Maker and Husband, refer to the Lord as being such to Israel.

At the present time, Jesus is not recognized as God by the world. However, when He comes back in the clouds of Heaven in Power and Glory and restores Israel, which He shall, He will then be recognized as The God of the whole Earth, which refers not only to the Jews, but to the Gentiles, as well [Rom. 3:29].)

⁶For the LORD has called you as a woman forsaken and grieved in spirit, and a wife of youth, when you were refused, sa ys your God. (The word called is actually recalled, i.e., recall you to Himself summon you to return and once more resume the office of the wife.

The words, When you were refused, refer to Israel being cast off, and Jehovah taking her back into the old relationship as a man takes back the wife of his youth, when she had been for a long time cast off. This will take place in the Kingdom Age.)

⁷For a small moment have I forsaken you; but with great mercies will I gather you.

⁸In a little wrath I hid My face from you for a moment; but with everlasting kindness will I have mercy on you, says the LORD your Redeemer. (Regarding eternity, it has only been a small moment respecting Israels lost condition. As well, the words, little wrath, seem inappropriate; however, compared to what God could have done, He rather restrained Himself.

Compared to the kindness which the Lord will show Israel, which is everlasting, His Wrath is truly only for a moment. This is indicative of Gods manner [Ps. 30:5].)

⁹For this is as the waters of Noah unto Me: for as I have sworn that the waters of Noah should no more go over the Earth; so have I sworn that I would not be wroth with you, nor rebuke you. (The Promise of this Verse is: as God assured Noah that He would never again destroy the Earth with a flood, so does He promise Israel that He will never again rebuke her with His Wrath. This speaks of the coming Millennial Reign, when Israel will have come back to Him and repented of her past. The Lord will not use wrath again, because there will be no need for such to be done, due to Israels continued faithfulness.)

¹⁰For the mountains shall depart, and the hills be removed; but My kindness shall not depart from you, neither shall the Covenant of My peace be removed, says the LORD Who has mercy on you. (This will take place at the Second Coming, when Israel will then accept Christ as Saviour and Lord [Zech. 13:1].)

¹¹O you afflicted, tossed with tempest, and not comforted, behold, I will lay your stones with fair colours, and lay your foundations with sapphires. (The present condition of Jerusalem is that of the first part of this Verse, and the remainder of the Verse, with those following, picture her future happiness and glory.)

¹²And I will make your windows of agates, and your gates of carbuncles, and all your borders of pleasant stones. (One should compare Jerusalems present with her future and realize that her future could have been her present. This beauty is because of Christ; without Christ, such is impossible!)

¹³And all your children shall be taught of the LORD; and great shall be the peace of your children. (The Messiah Himself, in Jn. 6:45, quoted this Verse. The truth of this Verse was not the case in His First Advent, but it will be so in His Second.)

¹⁴In Righteousness shall you be established: you shall be far from oppression; for you shall not fear: and from terror; for it shall not come near you. (In that coming Glad Day, when Israel accepts Christ as her Messiah, she then will be totally and completely free from oppression, fear, and terror.

Such can be said in the Christian heart, and at the present, for all whose Righteousness is established in Christ and not in self, which can only be done by the Believer exhibiting Faith constantly in Christ and the Cross [Lk. 9:23-24].)

¹⁵Behold, they shall surely gather together, but not by Me: whosoever shall gather together against you shall fall for your sake. (The words, But not by Me, address themselves to the many times in the past that God had had to bring chastisement upon Israel, and for her many sins.

The Prophet is referring here to Satan being loosed from the pit at the conclusion of the Kingdom Age, and going out to deceive the nations of the Earth.

In effect, the Lord is saying, This will happen, but it will not be from Me, and will be quickly stopped, for Israels sake.)

¹⁶Behold, I have created the smith who blows the coals in the fire, and who brings forth an instrument for his work; and I have created the waster to destroy.

¹⁷No weapon that is formed against you shall prosper; and every tongue that shall rise against you in judgment you shall condemn. This is the heritage of the servants of the LORD, and their Righteousness is of Me, says the LORD. (Irrespective of the efforts made by Satan to come against the people of God, it must ever be remembered that the Lord is in control of all things. This means that no weapon that is formed against the Believer shall prosper. More particularly, it refers to Israel, but, in general, it refers to all who trust the Lord, because this is the heritage of the servants of the LORD, and that includes all Believers, and for all time. However, it must be remembered that it is alone the Righteousness of the Lord which closes the door to every enemy and weapon.)