Today let’s look at Isaiah 54. Last time we looked at what could be said to be the climax of Isaiah. That was that God’s chosen servant was a servant of suffering. It was a prophecy that “He was pierced for our transgressions, he was crushed for our iniquities.” (5) That was for us. By that God’s righteousness came to many people. That result is chapter 54. To be said in one word, it is “the promise of restoration. God’s people who were in the condition of being abandoned from God will be restored. With huge expectations and joy they will return to their homeland. Then Israel will once again be established as a country. How will God restore Israel?
- Enlarge the place of your tent (vs. 1-3)
First of all please look at verses 1 to 3. I will read verse 1.
he “barren woman“ (1) is Israel. Also “you who were never in labor“ (1) is also Israel. They were destroyed by Babylon and became like women who can’t bear children. To such an Israel the Lord says, “sing“ (1) and “burst into song, shout for joy“. (1) That is “because more are the children of the desolate woman than of her who has a husband.” (1) “The desolate woman“ (1) is also Israel. They were destroyed by Babylon in 586B.C. and became a captive people. That was truly like a “desolate woman“. (1) However in the latter days they will not be so. They will become more “than of her who has a husband.” (1) They will bring birth to much more offspring than the ordinary women who had no problem in bearing children.
That is just like Hannah that appears in the Old Testament. She was a barren woman and couldn’t bear any children. Her husband, Elkanah, had another wife, Peninnah. She was blessed with children and had many children. This was trying and painful for Hannah. It couldn’t be helped so while in agony she prayed at the Lord’s temple. Then the Lord answered her prayers. A boy, Samuel, was born. That’s not all. After that 7 sons and daughters were born. She said, “She who was barren has borne seven children, but she who has had many sons pines away.” (I Samuel 2:5)
To be put in other words, it was an incredible recovery. A blessing will come that Israel had never thought of before. It will so great that the place that they are living in now will become cramped. Therefore, what God says is written in verses 2 and 3.
Verses 2 & 3
Israel by Babylon had completely lost everything, but the Lord will restore them again. They “will spread out to the right and to the left.” (2) Their “descendants will dispossess nations and settle in their desolate cities.” (2) Therefore, “enlarge the place of your tent, stretch your tent curtains wide, do not hold back; lengthen your cords, strengthen your stakes.” (2)
Even today in the Middle East there are nomads called Bedouins. When their family gets bigger and their tents are cramped, they tie tents together and enlarge their place of living. Like this, the descendants of Israel will increase and their place of living will be enlarged and widen. Israel who was in 70 A.D. destroyed by Rome and dispersed throughout the whole world according to the promise of God returned to Palestine and the country of the Republic of Israel was established. That was in May 1948. After that many Jews have returned to Israel and it continued to increase to 3,750.000 people in 1980 and to 7,870,000 last year in 2013. It is just as the Bible promised. They will “spread out to the right and to the left” (2) and settle in “desolate cities.” (2) Therefore, “enlarge the place of your tent, stretch your tent curtains wide,
That isn’t just a promise to the Jewish people. This can also be said of those who have believed in Jesus Christ and have been saved, in other words of Christians, the spiritual Israelites. In the course of time God will explosively increase the amount of people who believe in Jesus Christ and are saved. Now it may be like the “barren woman… who never bore a child” (1), but in the course of time there will be more children “than of her who has a husband.” (1) Therefore, we must “enlarge the place of your tent, stretch your tent curtains wide, don’t hold back; lengthen your cords, strengthen your stakes.” (2) It will certainly happen so we must prepare before then not after it happens.
This passage spurred William Carrey, the 18th century missionary to India who is called the father of missions, on to world missions. About this passage he said, “Expect great things from God. Plan great things for God.” He said that God will enlarge it so expect great things from God.
Also the father of the Salvation Army, William Booth’s mother from the time he was still an infant always said to him as he was growing up, “The world is waiting for you.” She brought him up saying, “you are going to grow and grow and grow up to be a vessel that will be used for God’s great work.” She had the assurance that William would be used in God’s great plan and daily challenged him by saying this.
We are also the same. We should expect great things from God. We should undertake great things for God’s glory. Not for our honor, but for God’s honor. Let’s enlarge the place of our tent, stretch our “tent curtains wide, don’t hold back;” (2) Let’s lengthen our cords and strengthen our stakes. Then let’s receive the blessing of what God does.
- You will not suffer shame (Vs. 4-6)
Next please look at verses 4 to 6. Verse 4 says, “Do not be afraid; you will not suffer shame. Do not fear disgrace; you will not be humiliated.You will forget the shame of your youth and remember no more the reproach of your widowhood.
“The shame of your youth” (4) and “the reproach of your widowhood” (4) refers to the time when Israel was taken by Babylon. They lost their language, lost their culture, and could not worship the God of Israel freely. Of course, they lost the temple. That was for them real shame, guilt, and an insult. However, now there is nothing to be afraid of. That is because they “will not suffer shame.” (4)
Please look at verse 5. “For your Maker is your husband-the LORD Almighty is his name- the Holy One of Israel is your Redeemer;he is called the God of all the earth.”
Here God calls himself, “your husband”. (5) “Your Maker is your husband.” (5) In other words, God and Israel’s relationship is spoken figuratively as a relationship of a married couple. “Your husband” (4) is “your Maker”. (4) His name is “the LORD Almighty.” (5) He is “the Holy One of Israel” (5) and “the God of all the earth.” (5) He is the husband of Israel. If so, there is nothing that they need to fear. He will take full responsibility and will save them.
Then verse 6 says, “The LORD will call you back as if you were a wife deserted and distressed in spirit-a wife who married young, only to be rejected, says your God.”
The relationship between God and Israel from the beginning was the relationship of a married couple. It was based on a covenantal relationship of love and truth. Even so, Israel turned its back on her husband, God, and committed the sin of adultery. They worshipped idols. Therefore, God abandoned them temporarily. Therefore, they are here called, “a wife deserted and distressed in spirit.” (6) Their condition when they were taken by Babylon was truly like this. However, God has not abandoned them. This verse begins with, “the Lord will call you back.” (6) God is looking at Israel who betrayed the marital relationship as “a wife who married young.” (6) No matter what God’s love doesn’t change. We are not truthful, but God is true. God is faithful to the end to the covenant that he made with us.
In the Bible the Church is Christ’s bride. The Groom, Christ, by his own blood redeemed her. Therefore we have been joined with the Christ, the Groom. I am a man, but a bride. Like marriage we are joined together in a strong relationship. That means that the Groom, Christ, will no matter what never abandon us. To the end He will take care of us.
Only now, more than already being in an officially married relationship, it may be better said that we are in the condition of being engaged. That is because Christ hasn’t still returned. When Christ returns, we will officially become Christ’s bride. Like this we will be with the Lord forever. That is called in Revelations “the wedding of the lamb.” (Rev. 19:7) That is the time when we will really marry.
However, Jesus will never break off the engagement. That is because there is a guarantee. The guarantee is the Holy Spirit. God gave us his own Spirit as a guarantee that he will someday marry us. Therefore, it will certainly happen. At that time we will be forever with the Lord. No matter what, he will not abandon us. This is really a great encouragement, isn’t it?
- Eternal kindness (Vs. 7-10)
Lastly let’s look at verses 7 to 10. First please look at verses 7 and 8. “For a brief moment I abandoned you, but with deep compassion I will bring you back. In a surge of anger I hid my face from you for a moment, but with everlasting kindness [loving-kindness; loyalty; covenant love] I will have compassion on you, says the LORD your Redeemer.”
The Lord “for a brief moment…abandoned” (7) Israel. More that abandoning, it is better said that the Lord for a brief moment punished Israel. The Lord sent Israel to Babylon, but he didn’t give her a certificate of divorce and kick her out completely. It was for a mere 70 years. To say 70 years, seems like a lot of years, but “with the Lord a day is like a thousand years, and a thousand years are like a day.” (II Peter 3:8) Therefore, that it was “for a brief moment”. (7) Normally it would not be strange for them to have been abandoned eternally, but even so God didn’t do that. “For a brief moment” (7) he abandoned them, “but with deep compassion” (7) he brought them back.
The origin of this word “compassion” is “internal organs“ so it means that the heart is moved to the point that the internal organs are shaken up. It means to have deep sympathy. Even if Israel who one-sidedly betrayed God, who showed no compunction about turning their backs on God was abandoned “for a brief moment,” (7) God will “with deep compassion” (7) bring them back. God’s compassion never runs out. It’s limitless. It is inexhaustible. It is an inestimable compassion and you too are also the object of this compassion.
Please look at verse 8. Here it says, “In a surge of anger I hid my face from you for a moment, but with everlasting kindness I will have compassion on you, says the LORD your Redeemer.”
The Lord will “with everlasting kindness…will have compassion.” (8) The center of the marriage ceremony is the vows. “I promise to be true to you in good times and in bad, in sickness and in health. I will love you and honor you all the days of my life.” However, how much of this vow is being fulfilled? It’s been a while back, but it was said that one fourth of all couples that marry in Japan get divorced. That’s one couple ever 2 minutes and eighteen seconds. If either one of the partners break the vow, then at that point, the agreement is not being met. However, God no matter how much we betray him, doesn’t ever renounce the agreement. Until the very, very, very end God takes care of us. God’s loving kindness is everlasting. It doesn’t matter whether we follow him or don’t follow him. God’s loving kindness is one sided.
It isn’t the “if” kind of conditional love. It doesn’t have conditions such as if you have money, if you have talent, if you do what I say, or if you can cook. It is “in spite of” love. In other words it is love without conditions. That is the love that Jesus showed on the cross.
Romans 5:6-8 says, “At just the right time, when we were still powerless, Christ died for the ungodly. Very rarely will anyone die for a righteous man, though for a good man someone might possibly dare to die. But God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us.”
When we were still powerless,” (Romans 5:6) in other words, even though we were enemies with God, “still sinners”, (Romans 5:8) Christ willingly “died for us” (Romans 5:8) on the cross. “Very rarely will anyone die for a righteous man, though for a good man someone might possibly dare to die. But God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us. ” (Romans 5:7,8) In other words, love is a hard thing, going to the point of giving your life. However, has our love really been true?
The writer Ayako Miura in her book, “There is a road” she said that she wondered if a bear came out when she was walking together with her husband, Mitsuyo Miura, if she would leave her husband and flee or not. Ayako Miura was born and raised in Asahikawa. Therefore, from the time she was little she heard stories of bears as she grew up so she had the image of a bear being a very big enemy. Consequently, she thought if a bear came out, she would probably leave her husband and run like a rabbit. Her husband is full of integrity. When Ayako Miura was in the hospital for 12 years with spinal carries, he waited for 5 years for her while she was undergoing medical treatment, and then married the 2 year older Ayako. It was good that the sickness got better because if it hadn’t gotten better, he might have waited forever and ever. Therefore, she intends of course with thankful thoughts to love her husband. However, that is simply an intention, and when the time came she doesn’t know what she will do. Even if she meets a bear she definitely won’t yell out, “Mitsuyo, I’ll let the bear eat me so hurry and flee!” She says that she is bound to push him towards the bear and quickly flee.
Emergencies may bring out such barbarity and cruelty, but man is human. However God’s love is different. God loved us so much that he gave his most important life. That is the love of Christ’s cross.
In Sept. of 1954 the Tōya Maru Ferry sank during typhoon 15 in the Tsugaru Strait between the Japanese islands of Hokkaidō and Honshū. It is said that 1,155 people aboard were killed in the accident. This incident was the biggest casualty in Japanese sea disaster history. When Toya Maru beached onto Nanae Beach, on the outskirts of Hakodate, there weren’t enough life jackets. Two missionaries, Dean Leeper and Alfred Russell Stone were riding on the Toya Maru. Each of them gave their life jackets to Japanese youths. They said “Now in Japan you young people are necessary” then the 2 missionaries lost their lives in the foreign sea. At that time Leeper was 33 years old and Stone was 52 years old. Leeper had a wife and 4 children.
In the midst of a storm and the ship that you are riding in turns over, can you really do a sacrificial act of giving your life jacket to another person? It is a desperate time for you. No one can make you take the rouble to take off the life jacket that you have put on yourself. Even if you didn’t do it, no one will criticize. Everyone wants to live. It is a time when no one has time to think about others.
In such an emergency the two missionaries gave the life jackets that should have saved their lives to total strangers, youths of another country they had just met..
“Greater love has no one than this, that he lay down his life for his friends.” (John 15:13)
Christ to save you, me, and all the people in the world from sin was put on the cross and died in our place. It doesn’t matter what kind of person you or I are. He loves you with unconditional love. Please believe in the Savior and make eternal life yours. If so, you too will receive encouragement. No matter what difficulties, what hopeless conditions there are, you won’t be depressed, and will be able to sing joyfully in the hope that never changes.
Please look at verses 9 and 10. “To me this is like the days of Noah, when I swore that the waters of Noah would never again cover the earth. So now I have sworn not to be angry with you. never to rebuke you again.
Though the mountains be shaken and the hills removed, yet my unfailing love for you will not be shaken nor my covenant of peace be removed, says the LORD, who has compassion on you.”
“This” (9) is that God will not be angry again or rebuke them again.”This is like the days of Noah.” (9) God promised to never send a flood to destroy the world again. Like this God is promising that he will not destroy Israel. The sign of the covenant is the cross. In Noah’s age it was the rainbow. When the rainbow is in the sky, God looks at it, and remembers the eternal covenant between God and all flesh on the earth. Now the sign of the covenant is the cross. When God looks at the cross, it is a sign of the covenant, and the promise that he will never judge all people. If you look at Jesus who was put on the cross and died in your place, from the time that you say that you believe in Jesus, God’s wrath will for sure not come upon you. Christ took everything upon himself, and received that punishment on the cross.
“For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life. For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but to save the world through him.” (John 3:16,17)
Let’s read verse 10 together. “Though the mountains be shaken and the hills removed, yet my unfailing love for you will not be shaken nor my covenant of peace be removed,says the LORD, who has compassion on you.”
“Though the mountains be shaken and the hills removed, yet my unfailing love for you will not be shaken nor my covenant of peace be removed.” (10) This love is called “Hesed” in Hebrew. This is the mercy that God gives specially to his people. This love has been given so we can love each other. Therefore, these are wonderful words. This is the love of God that is poured out on His people. It is God’s mercy. Also “nor my covenant of peace be removed.” (10) This “peace” is “shalom”. This is not just not having war and not having fighting, but a positive state of rightness and well-being. Such peace only comes from the Lord.
Is there anyone here that is concerned about problems of health or job or are carrying the load of problems at school? Is there anyone who thinks he is at the end of his rope and that God has abandoned him? Please be relieved. From the moment you believe in Jesus Christ you will enter into the covenant of the everlasting kindness of God. No matter what happens that promise will not be broken. “Though the mountains be shaken and the hills removed,” (10) you will definitely not be shaken. Therefore, even if before our eyes something that is unthinkable happens, even if you are suffering from something that you think that no one knows about happens, even if you are suffering so much that you forget about God, please remember that God’s “unfailing love for you will not be shaken nor my covenant of peace be removed.” (10)