Isaiah 54:1. Sing, O barren, thou that didst not bear; break forth into singing, and cry aloud, thou that didst not travail with child: for more are the children of the desolate than the children of the married wife, saith the LORD.
This promise is made to the long-barren and desolate Gentile Church. She may well sing, for God has visited her in mercy, and, at this day, her children are more numerous than those of the Jewish Church. We have waited, but we have been well repaid for our waiting, for we have a larger and richer blessing than God's ancient people ever enjoyed.
Isaiah 54:2-4. Enlarge the place of thy tent, and let them stretch forth the curtains of thine habitations: spare not, lengthen thy cords, and strengthen thy stakes; for thou shalt break forth on the right hand and on the left; and thy seed shall inherit the Gentiles, and make the desolate cities to be inhabited. Fear not: for thou shalt not be ashamed: neither be thou confounded; for thou shalt not be put to shame: for thou shalt forget the shame of thy youth, and shalt not remember the reproach of thy widowhood any more.
O child of God, have you passed through a time of great sorrow, in which the Lord seemed to desert you quite? Have all your hopes been blighted, and have all your joys fallen, like untimely figs from the trees? Yet the days of your rejoicing shall be many, you shall soon put aside your sackcloth and ashes, and dancing and holy gladness shall be your portion.
Isaiah 54:5. For thy Maker is thine husband;
Rejoice, O Church of God, that thou hast such a husband! Rejoice, every member of the Church of God, that thou hast such a husband to help thee!» Thy Maker is thine husband;»
Isaiah 54:5. The LORD of hosts is his name; and thy Redeemer the Holy One of Israel; The God of the whole earth shall he be called.
Well might Paul write, in the Epistle to the Romans, «Is he the God of the Jews only? Is he not also of the Gentiles? Yes, of the Gentiles also;» and Isaiah here says, inspired by the same Spirit who taught Paul what to write, «The God of the whole earth shall he be called.»
Isaiah 54:6-7. For the LORD hath called thee as a woman forsaken and grieved in spirit, and a wife of youth, when thou wast refused, saith thy God. For a small moment have I forsaken thee;
A moment is a small period of time, but it is made to appear still smaller by that little word «small.»
Isaiah 54:7-8. But with great mercies will I gather thee. In a little wrath I hid my face from thee for a moment, but with everlasting kindness will I have mercy on thee, saith the LORD thy Redeemer.
Oh, what a blessed mouthful this text is! I might rather say, What a heart full! What a soul full! It fills, and overfills my soul, and gives me sweet content: «With everlasting kindness will I have mercy on thee, saith the Lord thy Redeemer.»
Isaiah 54:9. For 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 thee, nor rebuke thee.
See how our faithful and unchanging God lays the foundation for our hopes-« In oaths, and promises, and blood.»
Isaiah 54:10. For the mountains shall depart, and the hills be removed; but my kindness shall not depart from thee, neither shall the covenant of my peace be removed, saith the LORD that hath mercy on thee.
Or, as the Hebrew has it, «saith the Lord, the Pitier.» Was there ever a sweeter title to comfort our hearts than this, «the Lord, the Pitier»?
This exposition consisted of readings from Genesis 8:20-22; Genesis 9:8-17; and Isaiah 54:1-10.