In the Old Testament of the Bible, God often uses analogy to speak to His people. In Isaiah 54, God speaks through the Prophet Isaiah about the spiritual state of the Jews. In this passage of Scripture, He is speaking prophetically to three types of people, representing three different spiritual states. These are – the spiritually barren, the widowed, and the wife who feels deserted and distressed. God powerfully declares through the Prophet Isaiah, the miracle of fruitfulness that He is about to perform in their lives.
God Speaks to the Spiritually Barren
Just as God spoke through the Prophet Isaiah to the people of Zion concerning the advent of Christ, this same message remains true for every believer in Christ today. For there are many areas in each of our lives at times, where we may have been barren, or may not have seen good spiritual fruit produced. This may be because we are brand new Christians or believers in Christ, who have just begun our journey in following Him. Or it may be that there are still certain areas in our lives that God needs to change, so that we can produce fruit that is fitting of Him.
When we are bearing good spiritual fruit, the truth of God’s word that we know and believe to be true, is also made manifest, or practically outworked in our lives. Up until now, something may have prevented that fruitfulness of God in certain areas of our lives, and the fruit we may have been producing, may not have been good. Those areas of our lives then, that have not yet brought forth good spiritual fruit, can be likened to a barren woman who has not yet been able to give birth to a child. Yet God tells this same ‘woman,’ to “burst into song,” and to “shout for joy,” in anticipation of what He is about to do.
“’Sing, O barren woman, you who never bore a child; burst into song, shout for joy, you who were never in labour; because more are the children of the desolate woman than of her who has a husband,’ says the Lord.”
Isaiah 54:1
The Hebrew word for ‘desolate’ used here is ‘Shamem.’ The outline of its Biblical usage is to ‘stupefy, be deflowered, deserted, appalled, awestruck, stunned, causing horror, devastate, ravage, astounded.’ – See Strong’s Concordance.
Begin to Prepare Your Hearts for Increase
God’s expectation for us as His people, is for us to begin by getting excited and to make a loud noise! He then instructs us to make preparation for the increase! Much like a mother would make preparations for the birth of her baby that is about to be born, or for guests that she knows are about to arrive; God wants us to have such an expectation of Him fulfilling His word in our lives, that we begin to act in such a way, that we make preparation for what He is about to do! The Prophet Isaiah says,
“Enlarge the place of your tent, stretch your tent curtains wide, do not hold back; lengthen your cords, strengthen your stakes.”
Isaiah 54:2
- God wants us to prepare for increase.
- Making preparation is an act of faith!
Let God Speak to Your Future
God not only speaks to us concerning those things that affect us now, but He speaks to the future generations as well. Those negative spiritual things that have passed down through the generations that have been harmful, will no longer cause harm. They will be removed from their place, and God’s rule will be set up to inhabit those places instead. Again, the Prophet Isaiah says,
“For you will spread out to the right and to the left; your descendants will dispossess nations and settle in their desolate cities.”
Isaiah 54:3
- God speaks to the fruitfulness of future generations.
- The enemy will be dispossessed.
- God’s rule will be set–up in the enemy’s place.
God Speaks to Our Fear of Shame
Regardless of what our background or past has been, when we come to Christ, we begin to identify with Him. God tells us that the mistakes we have made in the past (or in our youth) will be forgotten, as God brings us a new focus and a new life to walk in.
“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.”
Isaiah 54:4
The Hebrew word for ‘shame’ used here is ‘Bosheth’ Meaning ‘confusion, ashamed or shameful thing.’ – See Strong’s Concordance. Instead, Christ wants us to learn to identify ourselves with Him. The Apostle Paul says,
“Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; the old has gone, the new has come!”
2 Corinthians 5:17
“For those God foreknew He also predestined to be conformed to the likeness of His Son, that He might be the firstborn among many brothers.”
Romans 8:29
God Speaks to the Widow
God also speaks to the pain and grief of being a widow. This may represent a literal widow or widower – when someone whose husband or wife they have shared their lives with has died. But it may also represent the loss of a spouse through separation or divorce; a husband or wife who no longer walks with the Lord; the loss of a work or ministry colleague; a particular church fellowship or ministry name; or any form of broken relationship. It can represent the loss of anything or anyone we used to bear spiritual fruit with.
Widows, in Biblical times, and in many countries still today, are dependent on the grace and generosity of others if they do not have income of their own. And without a husband present, they can no longer bear children. But although God often works through others and uses others to help us, our ability to produce good spiritual fruit, does not depend on our circumstances or on any one particular person. God Himself redeems our situation. He draws our attention to Himself as the source of all that we need. He then qualifies His ability to be our source with His authority – For He is the Lord Almighty; the God of all the earth.
“You will…..remember no more the reproach of your widowhood. 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.”
Isaiah 54:4 & 5
The Hebrew word for ‘reproach’ used here is ‘Cherpah.’ Meaning ‘reproach (resting upon a condition of shame or disgrace), shame or rebuke.’ The outline of its Biblical usage is ‘to scorn or taunt (upon an enemy).’ – See Strong’s Concordance.
- The loss of a person or situation does not stop our ability to produce fruit for God.
- Nothing alters the Lord Almighty’s plan for our lives.
- Our fruitfulness depends only on the faithfulness of God and our obedience to Him.
- God is our source for everything.
God Speaks to the Wife Who has Been Deserted
There can be times in our lives when we may feel like a wife who has been deserted. We may have started out well in our Christian walk, been productive in ministry and believed whole–heartedly the word of God. But sometimes things may happen to us, so that our ability to produce the fruit of God in our lives is affected. We may no longer ‘do the work of the ministry’ in the same way that we did before. Or we may not have the same faith to believe in the same way as we did before. We may have perceived or experienced a rejection by others. We may even feel deserted in our faith by God. In the Israelite’s case, because God is holy; He had briefly hidden His face from them because of their disobedience. But His kindness and compassion over-ruled.
- God wants to bring what has been a place of distress in our spirit, to a place of restoration, healing, and completion in Him.
“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. 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 I will have compassion on you,” says the Lord your Redeemer.”
Isaiah 54:6–8
Though the distressing circumstances we experience are not always the result of our disobedience, it may be that God wants to use those things that have happened in our lives, to bring us to a place of deeper understanding, integrity, righteousness and holiness in Him. Our response to God in our distress is vitally important, in order for Him to bring the healing and restoration to us that He desires. The writer of Hebrews likens these trials of hardship in our lives as a form of discipline. He reminds us that God has not forgotten us or stopped loving us, but that He is treating us as much – loved children of God who still belong whole-heartedly to Him.
“Endure hardship as discipline; God is treating you as sons. For what son is not disciplined by his father? If you are not disciplined (and everyone undergoes discipline), then you are illegitimate children and not true sons….but God disciplines us for our good, that we may share in His holiness. No discipline seems pleasant at the time, but painful. Later on, however, it produces a harvest of righteousness and peace for those who have been trained by it.”
Hebrews 12:7–1
God Wants Us to Come to Him in Faith
Again, speaking of Christ’s accomplishment, by His act of grace through His death the cross; God’s grace remains towards us as such; that He “remembers our sins no more” – See Isaiah 43:25. When we come to Him in faith for help, whatever our situation; He will not be angry with us for coming to Him, or rebuke us for coming to ask of Him for the help that we need. The Lord says, through the Prophet Isaiah,
“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.”
Isaiah 54:9
The writer of Hebrews confirms to us, that we may have confidence when we come to Christ in faith.
“Let us then approach the throne of grace with confidence, so that we may receive mercy and find grace to help us in our time of need.”
Hebrews 4:16
When we come to God for help, He will faithfully speak to us concerning those things that have ‘tripped us up’ in our spiritual walk. The things that happen to us, often represent what God calls a ‘shaking’ in our lives. The book of Isaiah speaks of mountains being shaken and of hills being removed. These ‘mountains’ Isaiah speaks of, may represent wrong strongholds in our thinking – or our own understanding of the things that have taken place in our lives, rather than God’s understanding.
His Covenant of Peace Will Not be Removed
We may also be shaken or tested in areas of our trust in others, or our faith in God. Some of those things we once took for granted, once tested, God will strengthen and restore. But the things we have believed or relied upon that were wrong; like the ‘hills’ in Isaiah, God will remove. Despite what distress we may suffer, we learn to let go of those people or things that we have wrongly looked to for security in the past. God’s love for us and His eternal purposes for our lives are the things that will never be shaken. His covenant of peace with us will never be removed. God promises by covenant with Him,
“Though the mountains be shaken and the hills be 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.”
Isaiah 54:10
Again, the writer of Hebrews confirms, – God’s eternal covenant through Christ will remain.
“Once more I will shake not only the earth but also the heavens.” The word “once more” indicates the removing of what can be shaken–that is, created things – so that what cannot be shaken may remain.”
Hebrews 12:26 & 27
- We need to be constantly looking to God in the midst of difficult situations.
- People may give well–meant advice, but God sees the things that man does not see.
- God chooses to restore those very things that belong to Him.
God’s Love For us Will Never Change
God is a loving God. His heart towards us is not harsh. For our own sake He wants us to be healed and restored. God’s desire for us is to allow Him to work in our hearts and lives in those situations where we have been barren, distressed or grieved. God’s undying love and faithfulness towards us is steadfast and strong. When we are healed, the things that have ‘tripped us up’ in the past will bother us no more. Those things that were once weak within us, will be turned into strength. Like a healthy tree, we will begin to produce much good fruit, and we will know a sense of purpose, that we didn’t have before.
Hallelujah!!
“Therefore, strengthen your feeble arms and weak knees. Make level paths for your feet, so that the lame may not be disabled, but rather healed.”
Hebrews 12:12 & 13
Jesus said,
“This is to My Father’s glory, that you bear much fruit, showing yourselves to be My disciples.”
John 15:8
Please see my article ‘God Will Restore’ for Part Two of this article – Understanding the necessity of having the right foundations.
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