Year 3, Day 38: Isaiah 54

Bearing Fruit

I’m going to risk going out on a fairly controversial platform as I begin this blog post.  In the beginning of this chapter we have frequent references to “the desolate one” and the “one who did not bear.”  Now, I know that originally these words were words spoken to a people who were in captivity.  Because they were in captivity, life was more difficult and there was a greater likelihood that babies born would not make it to adulthood.  That is the original context; that is to whom Isaiah is trying to bring comfort.

However, I think there is a deeper and more subtle undertone to these words.  Throughout the Bible, God’s biggest complaint about the Hebrew people is that they were not active about telling the world about God.  They were simply not interested in sharing with the world their special relationship with God.  In fact, one could even say at times they weren’t interested in their special relationship with God themselves!  I think it is quite possible that the Holy Spirit is speaking through these words to remind us that spiritually, the Hebrew people are the desolate one.  They are not out inviting Gentiles into a relationship with God at all!

If this is true, then the end of verse 1 can take on a really cool twist.  The children of the desolate one will be more than the one who is married.  If the Hebrew people are the desolate one, then Christians can be seen as the “children” of the desolate one.  The desolate one didn’t do anything to bring about the children, but the children are here nonetheless! 

Jesus Himself was a Jew.  Jesus picked Jewish disciples.  Those disciples made more Jewish disciples at first.  But eventually Christianity really took off when it became a Gentile movement.  When Paul and His disciples began to preach among Gentiles – we see an explosion of faith around the world!  The traditional Jews would have nothing to do with Christianity, but in one respect we can certainly be called their children!  And we can certainly say that Christianity as spread far and wide and there are Christians in most (if not all) nations!

The Love Poem Of Isaiah

The rest of this chapter reads much like a love poem.  A scorned lover forgives and embraces His love once more.  The author of the love poem does not forget the manner in which He was scorned.  Rather, He reminds the Hebrew people how He has been scorned in ages past and how He has forgiven in the past.

I think this is one of the great aspects of God.  As unfaithful as we may be, God does not turn Hs back on us.  God does not forsake us.  He doesn’t move along to the next person and abandon us.  Sure, we may utterly abandon Him should we desire it, but He never abandons us where we repent and turn back to Him.  But no matter what we have done, where we have been, or what we have said there is always the option of grace, forgiveness, and restoration.

What’s really neat is the joy with which God speaks about this process of forgiveness and restoration.  So often we as human beings are bitter about forgiveness.  We are angry when we have to “be the bigger person” and forgive.  We are bitter because God has called us to take the high road and model forgiveness when we’ve been hurt.  But that is not the attitude of God!  If anyone should be allowed to adopt an attitude of bitter forgiveness it is God!  But no.  God shows a better way.  He opens His arms wide and embraces our return.  With everlasting love He has compassion upon us.

How sweet is the sound of amazing grace indeed!

In this, God makes two very bold declarations.  The first one is that He promises to rebuild the forgiven.  He doesn’t simply forgive.  He doesn’t simply welcome us back but keep us where we deserve to be in our lowliness.  No, God forgives and then helps to rebuild!  He takes us and helps make us into something great – something we have no right to become!  That’s amazing.

And then God gives one more incredible promise: no weapon fashioned against you shall succeed.  Again, on a worldly scale this seems like such an empty promise.  We know the Greek Empire utterly enslaves the Hebrew people.  The Romans do the same.  Christian martyr after Christian martyr is slain all throughout human history.

But on a spiritual level – the only mindset that matters -  this promise is absolutely true.  Who shall separate us from the love of God?  Read Romans 8:35-39.  Nothing shall separate us from the love of God.  No weapon formed against us shall succeed.  Amen!

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