Welcome to The MHB Podcast. This is Michael Baun. And welcome to my 124th episode. In this episode I want to return to our study of the book of Isaiah. We are in chapter 54. This chapter shows us the consequence of Christ’s sacrifice on the cross. His death brought life to the Church. Part of His resurrection and exaltation was to plant the seed of His church and watch it grow. The near fulfillment of Isaiah’s prophecy in this chapter regarded the welfare of the Israelites after they returned from Babylonian captivity. The distant fulfillment regards us as part of Christ’s gospel Church. Paul quotes verse one of this chapter in the book of Galatians when discussing the growth and liberty of the Church. This chapter shows us that the Christian Church, though it started out small, would be greatly enlarged by the inclusion of the Gentiles. The Gentiles were non-Jews who prior to Christ’s gospel were lost to the Church. We also see that, although God sometimes backs away from us, He never fully abandons us in life. His anger with Israel overflowed and so He temporarily hid His face and His blessings from them. But God always returns with mercy to those who seek Him. We see that, although Israel had been flattened into the dust by their oppression under Babylon, in time God would bring them into greater honor and splendor than ever before. This chapter shows us that knowledge, righteousness, and peace would not only prevail but would thrive. And Isaiah tells us that all opposition to Christ’s Church will be confounded and the Church will remain secure from her enemies. Let’s begin with verses 1-5:
Isa 54:1 “Sing, O barren one, who did not bear; break forth into singing and cry aloud, you who have not been in labor! For the children of the desolate one will be more than the children of her who is married,” says the LORD.
Isa 54:2 “Enlarge the place of your tent, and let the curtains of your habitations be stretched out; do not hold back; lengthen your cords and strengthen your stakes.
Isa 54:3 For you will spread abroad to the right and to the left, and your offspring will possess the nations and will people the desolate cities.
Isa 54:4 “Fear not, for you will not be ashamed; be not confounded, for you will not be disgraced; for you will forget the shame of your youth, and the reproach of your widowhood you will remember no more.
Isa 54:5 For your Maker is your husband, the LORD of hosts is his name; and the Holy One of Israel is your Redeemer, the God of the whole earth he is called.
Isaiah predicted the growth Israel would experience once they returned and settled back into their homeland. When they were in Babylon their condition was as unenviable as that of a childless widow. In ancient days to be a childless widow meant both social stigma and very real practical concerns like how to survive. But the redemptive hand of God returned Israel to their homeland where they rebuilt the ruins of Jerusalem. Their population was replenished and the city’s suburbs were rebuilt. A great many additional buildings were also constructed on new foundations. For many years, so much of this property was held as plunder for the Babylonians. Now it would be restored to its rightful owner. Once again God would be a husband to them. The shame of their captivity and the weakness they were reduced to under Babylon would be forgotten.
That’s really worth knowing if you’re currently struggling with sin. Back in chapter 43 of Isaiah God says that He blots out our transgressions for His own sake. He says He will not remember our sins. You always hear people say forgive but never forget. Well, God forgives and He forgets. It’s hard for us to relate to this because we struggle with forgetting the things we must forgive. But we’re bound to the limitations of human grace and God isn’t. So if you’re alive at this moment you’re never too far away from God to be restored to Him. And when I say restored, I mean really restored. Restored as if you had never transgressed in the first place. That is the power of the blood of Christ and that is the power of God’s grace. There could be many things preventing you from repentance and turning back to God, but don’t let guilt be one of them. You’ve done nothing that God can’t forgive.
Long ago God had promised Abraham to increase his progeny into a vast number of people. Once Israel was back in God’s favor, their numbers increased greatly. When they first came out of Babylonian captivity they were down to about 42,000 people. To give you some perspective on how many they lost, their approximate number during the Exodus long before was somewhere in the neighborhood of 630,000. So their population went from more than 500,000 down to less than 50,000 during their captivity. Once they returned home, and 500 years went by, their population was close to 3 million. This growth shows you how well a nation does when it’s covered by the blessing of God. But I think these verses are more aptly focused at the Kingdom of God in general.
Before the gospel of Jesus Christ spread across the world, religion was in a sad state of affairs. The Jews maintained many traditions that expressed their marriage to God, but overall the church was not very fruitful. People didn’t see any compelling reason to follow God and the upcoming generations weren’t very promising. The holiness set down from one generation to another had been greatly diminished. Outside the Jewish world the Gentiles had even less religion. If there were godly people among them at all, they were widely dispersed and brought little impact to the population. The children of God were like a broken and dysfunctional family, scattered far away from each other and with no interest in making any appearance. That was before Christ came.
After Christ came and the preaching of the gospel planted the Christian church, multitudes were converted from idolatry to the true and living God. These people became born again children of God who put on a new, divine nature. The Church of Christ would go on to outnumber anything the Israelites ever came close to. The Gentiles had long been considered far-off and godless, but these were just the kind of people Christ came to save. This is something to think about as you navigate your life. It’s not always the most outwardly religious people who maintain the closest connection with God. God is not fooled by the image a person might use to deceive other people. He knows your heart.
It brings great joy to God and to the Church when the Church grows and flourishes. There is celebration in heaven when even one sinner repents. And it’s not like you can be turned away from God for so long that He’s forgotten you. He’s never lost His desire for you to repent. Consequently, if a person who has lived a hard and miserable life as a sinner repents and comes to Christ – the Church should rejoice and be happy. It’s wrong to think you need to make up for all the mistakes you’ve made. Simply face them, confess them to God, and repent of them. It really is a simple process but simple doesn’t always mean easy. Learning to have the humility to get out of your own way can be very difficult in a world that is bent toward arrogance.
We see this idea of the Church growing and Isaiah refers to it here as a tent. This is meant to show that the Church is not permanently constructed and is movable. Make no mistake, the Church of Christ will endure forever and no opposition will be able to bring it down. But Isaiah’s reference is pointed more precisely at our individual churches we go to today. It’s a mistake to make an idol out of your church. If serving your church becomes more important than Christ’s Great Commission to reach the world then you know you need to step back and reevaluate your priorities. Many of us watched Notre Dame burn in April of 2019. It was terribly sad to see a structure with such a rich history reduced to ashes. But it gave us all a reminder of the temporal nature of our churches – even one as grand as Notre Dame. It just is the case that God will pull up the stakes and move the tent to wherever He purposes to place it. This was the case with the apostles when they first preached the gospel. They chose to go wherever the Lord was leading them. We have to be ready for that.
Another area where we must take caution is the size of our churches themselves. While God and the Church rejoice each time it is added to, we have to be sure that our church’s foundation is strengthened in Christ if we expect it to bear the weight of increase. The larger a church becomes, the more it becomes a target for corruption. Introduce enough money in to the situation and you’re bound to have difficulties. But if the leadership structure is secure in Christ then we should not fear growing into a large church. There are some people who malign all mega-churches as ineffective and unchristian. I think this is a misapprehension. If it’s managed properly, there’s no reason why a large church can’t be a boon to their community and to the Kingdom of God as a whole. By the power of God the gospel grew and prevailed mightily in all places as the apostles preached it. The gospel spread like rushing waters into all parts of the world. There were eastern and western churches. The gentiles inherited the seed of Christ’s Church and their cities which had once been destitute of the knowledge of God became inhabited by followers of Christ.
But it wasn’t always like that. There was a time when Christ Himself was the only Christian left after His disciples abandoned Him to the cross. When Christianity first began to spread there were only a handful of faithful followers and these were heavily persecuted. The Christian worldview faced significant reproach in the early days as princes and rulers refused to embrace it. But as the Holy Spirit continued to move, all of this began to change. Entire nations became disciples and even the Roman Empire itself converted to Christianity. The reproach Christianity faced in its early days was largely forgotten.
To what should we credit the growth and success of Christianity? To God Himself. God stands in relation to the Church as her husband, which is why believers make up the bride of Christ. Jesus created the Church and formed it into a people. Jesus redeemed the Church by rescuing the faithful from their bondage to sin. Jesus is the Lord of Hosts, whose power cannot be resisted, whose sovereignty is absolute, and whose dominion is universal. World leaders have armies. These leaders can encounter other world leaders who have equal or greater armies than themselves. But Jesus is the Commander of all armies. Jesus is the Holy One of Israel, which means He presided over everything in the Old Testament Church and was the Mediator of their covenant in the same way He is the Mediator of ours. It’s a false understanding to think of God in terms of Old Testament God and New Testament God. It’s all Jesus, through and through.
For a very long time before Christ came to earth He was known as the God of Israel. But with His death on the cross and His resurrection He tore down the partition wall between Jew and Gentile. Jesus is the Lord of the whole earth and all that is created belongs to the Creator. Paul told the Athenians that they knew Jesus as the Unknown God. In time His salvation will be seen to the ends of the earth and all the world will know Him as God and have an interest in Him. Let’s read verses 6-10:
Isa 54:6 For the LORD has called you like a wife deserted and grieved in spirit, like a wife of youth when she is cast off, says your God.
Isa 54:7 For a brief moment I deserted you, but with great compassion I will gather you.
Isa 54:8 In overflowing anger for a moment I hid my face from you, but with everlasting love I will have compassion on you,” says the LORD, your Redeemer.
Isa 54:9 “This is like the days of Noah to me: as I swore that the waters of Noah should no more go over the earth, so I have sworn that I will not be angry with you, and will not rebuke you.
Isa 54:10 For the mountains may depart and the hills be removed, but my steadfast love shall not depart from you, and my covenant of peace shall not be removed,” says the LORD, who has compassion on you.
Israel experienced much relief after they were discharged from their bondage in Babylon. This relief is symbolic of the comfort that is available to Christians today who put their faith in Christ and open themselves to the treasures of His grace. In captivity Israel was like a woman whose husband had died or had left her alone. Israel was grieved in spirit and became quite depressed. The people were full of discontent because they felt refused and rejected by God. It’s important to remember that these feelings can happen to you even if you are a Christian. There will be times when it seems as if God has refused and forsaken you. Even Christ experienced this on the cross when he shouted, My God, My God, why have you forsaken me? But you can take heart in knowing that these feelings are temporary and do not indicate that you’ve truly been forsaken and left in despair.
If you’re going through a situation where it seems God has forsaken you, beware of people who might try to make you believe this. It’s not uncommon for those whose relationship with God is lacking to try and attack your own. Misery loves company. When you’re going through hardship and it seems as if there is no comfort for you, when it seems as if God is not answering your prayers or your expectations, remember the Israelites. God hid His face from them for a time and it appeared as though He didn’t care about them nor had any kindness in mind for them. Remember that, while He hid His face from them, He never truly abandoned them and He never turned against them in the way He does the wicked. It’s true that He hid His face from them on account of His displeasure and His wrath. But it was very little wrath in comparison to what they actually deserved. God only caused Israel to suffer enough to get their attention and encourage their repentance. This is something to keep in mind as you follow Jesus. When you really love someone you are sensitive to their displeasure. Because of this sensitivity, it doesn’t require much displeasure in order for you to realize something is wrong. Then you can address it. But if you numb yourself to the displeasure of God, you can bet He’s going to dump the full vials of His wrath upon you in order to get your attention. And justly so. If you’re marching blindly toward an eternity separated from God, the most loving thing He can do is whatever it takes to turn you around.
The affliction of Israel under Babylon was light compared to what it could have been, and its duration was far shorter than it might have been. God is slow to anger and He is swift to show mercy. If you think God is displeased with you, rest assured that if you repent He will not remain angry with you for long. God doesn’t hold a grudge the way that human beings do. When you’re thinking about God it’s very important to remember that His wrath is little compared to the greatness of His mercy. God’s anger is only for a moment, but His kindness is everlasting. When we follow Jesus we never have to become despondent under our afflictions and we never need despair of potential relief. When God brought His people out of Babylon the returns of His mercy were sweet. He called them into covenant with Himself when they believed they were forsaken. He relieved them of their afflictions when the trials were most pressing. Israel believed themselves to be neglected, but God gathered them in from their dispersion and brought them home together as a people. He gathered them into His arms to protect them, embrace them, and bear them up. This happened because His anger subsided and His people were once again admitted into His favor. It’s important to remember that God gathers you back in because of His own mercy for you, not because you deserve to be brought back in. You don’t have to work to earn the favor of God – you already have it.
In the big picture God’s favor is constant and His kindness is everlasting. Those who follow Christ partake in a covenant of peace with God. This covenant of peace is founded on reconciliation and is inclusive of all good. After Noah’s Flood, God promised that no other deluge like that would ever sweep the earth. There would never be another flood to disturb the course of the seasons. Noah’s Flood was a terrifying display of God’s wrath that extended for a full year. Yet even in that case God returned with His mercy. It was everlasting mercy in the sense that He made an oath it would never happen again. And nothing like that has happened since, although the world has done much to provoke God’s wrath. God’s covenant of grace is equally inviolable as His promise never to repeat the Flood. Never will God be so angry as to cast off His people and break His covenant with them. Neither will God destroy the faithful as He will destroy the wicked – blotting out their names for eternity.
God’s promise is stronger than the most permanent parts of creation. Isaiah says that the mountains shall depart, the hills shall be removed, but God’s steadfast love will never depart from us. His promise will never be broken. When you think of what could shake up a mountain earthquakes probably come to mind. But there is no event and there is no shock to the system that can disturb the promises of God. A day will come when even planet earth is burned up but the covenant of peace between God and His people will continue in everlasting bliss. In Isaiah’s passage mountains and hills might signify formidable human beings. Great leaders of epic renown. These will depart and fade into history. The things of this world that appear to save us now will all go into the past with time. Even our friends and family will go away from us until we see them again. But God never departs from us. His kindness is never gone. Anyone or anything that stands in the way of the salvation of Christ’s Church will be removed. But God’s covenant of peace will go on forever. Jesus is the Lord that has mercy on His people and whomever Christ loves He loves to the end. God’s promises to us are immovable and inviolable because they are not built on our own merit. Our own efforts and attitudes change with the wind – human beings are very uncertain creatures. But God’s covenant is built on His own mercy, which is from everlasting to everlasting. Let’s read verses 11-17:
Isa 54:11 “O afflicted one, storm-tossed and not comforted, behold, I will set your stones in antimony, and lay your foundations with sapphires.
Isa 54:12 I will make your pinnacles of agate, your gates of carbuncles, and all your wall of precious stones.
Isa 54:13 All your children shall be taught by the LORD, and great shall be the peace of your children.
Isa 54:14 In righteousness you shall be established; you shall be far from oppression, for you shall not fear; and from terror, for it shall not come near you.
Isa 54:15 If anyone stirs up strife, it is not from me; whoever stirs up strife with you shall fall because of you.
Isa 54:16 Behold, I have created the smith who blows the fire of coals and produces a weapon for its purpose. I have also created the ravager to destroy;
Isa 54:17 no weapon that is fashioned against you shall succeed, and you shall refute every tongue that rises against you in judgment. This is the heritage of the servants of the LORD and their vindication from me, declares the LORD.”
This passage gives us precious insight into the love of God. We see God’s promise to continue loving His people despite their low condition. Not only would He restore their prosperity, but He would raise them to a greater level then any they had yet enjoyed. Christ was humiliated on the cross before He was exalted in His resurrection. The same is true for us. Only in our humility will God exalt us. We are not graced with God’s love once we become holy and Christian enough. We are graced with God’s love despite the fact that we are lowly sinners. The Christian life is not always circumstantially peaceful. I say circumstantially peaceful because even when we walk through difficult seasons we can still be filled with the peace of Jesus which goes beyond all comprehension. The truth is life itself is not circumstantially peaceful for anyone. All of us inhabit the sinking ship of our bodies in a tempest which guarantees no survivors. The Jews were thrust into Babylonian captivity where their external circumstances deteriorated and their internal fears grew acute. But this passage is telling us that when our lives become like boats tossed by the storm, without anchor, without anyone to comfort us, and without the likelihood of deliverance – we can and should still have faith. Because God is there with us. God is still in control. It’s in these dark and lonely moments that He promises to love us and restore us – even if that means rescuing us by taking us out of this world.
It’s common to hear philosophers say that pain is the most powerful element of reality. Regardless of your worldview you will experience pain and there’s no way for you to argue your way out of it. But I think the peace of Jesus Christ transcends pain and is more powerful than pain. God pays attention when His Church is afflicted and distressed. Only God can comfort us when we are in our most inconsolable conditions. And it’s not as if God is watching you indifferently. Your pain is His pain in the sense that He is afflicted with your afflictions – He has chosen to suffer alongside you. God bemoaned Israel and spoke to them with pity as they wept for themselves. But God didn’t just stop at pity, He engaged to lift Israel up out of their affliction. He encouraged them with the promise of the great things He would do for them. God’s intention is always to work things out for good for those who love Him and are called according to His purpose. He wanted to restore Israel to spiritual prosperity and secure that prosperity. He wants to restore you to spiritual prosperity and secure that prosperity for you.
The Church is like the city of the living God. Before the gospel of Jesus Christ the Church effectively laid in ruins. But God promised to lift it from disgrace and bring to it beauty and honor. The sapphire is the most precious of the stones mentioned in this passage, and in this illustration it is used for the Church’s foundation. This intimates Christ, who is the foundation of the Church. While the Jewish Church was laid low in a heap of ruins, the gospel of Christ would rebuild it, beautify it, and make it more splendid than ever before. The stones would be laid firm and fine, with all manner of fair, glistering colors. The apostles and prophets are also part of the precious foundation of the Church. In this metaphorical illustration the windows of this city are made of agates. The gates are made of carbuncles. The walls making up the perimeter are made of pleasant stones.
This metaphorical illustration is meant to show us that God is the One who builds His Church. Because God is the Builder, we can expect His construction to be very great and uncommon. It also shows us that the Christian Church which emerged after Jesus far exceeds the Jewish Church before Him. It’s not like this excellency is based in vanity either – the treasures of the Christian Church rest in wisdom as well as the gifts and graces of the Holy Spirit. These are infinitely more valuable than any worldly rarities. Proverbs says that wisdom is more precious than jewels. So when you gain an accurate understanding of spiritual treasures you begin to see worldly treasures for how relatively worthless they actually are. The children of God make pavement out of the material wealth this world holds in highest regard. These things are simply a means to an end for us – not the end in themselves.
Knowledge, holiness, and love are the beauty of the Church. These are the very image of God in which humanity was created. Knowledge, holiness, and love are the aspects in which we are renewed and restored. In the metaphorical illustration these were represented by carbuncles and other precious stones. These elements enrich and beautify the gospel Church which is built on the foundation of Jesus. The Church is glorious when it is full of the knowledge of God. When you invest your faith in Jesus Christ and become born again as a child of God, the Spirit of God becomes your educator as you read and listen to the Scriptures being taught. Only God has the capacity to personally preside over the education of innumerable followers. So how does God do this? Well, there are a couple ways to consider right away. First is that He calls and guides those who faithfully teach and preach Scripture. Secondly, He has also written some laws on your heart in such a way that you can sense when you’re exposed to false teaching. But most importantly He has preserved the Scriptures themselves to be our final authority. God personally presides over the transmission of knowledge from one generation to the next – so that all may have the opportunity of being enriched with it. Jesus said that His Holy Spirit teaches us all things and that everyone who has heard and learned from the Father will come to Him.
When Christians live in love and unity among each other their peace is great. Christians who aspire toward knowledge, holiness, and love partake in all which is good. On the opposite end of the spectrum, where there is no knowledge of God there is also no good. Psalm 119 says great peace have those who know and love God’s law. All who follow God are taught by God how to love one another. This love is what keeps the peace among the children of God and prevents them from falling apart and fading into history. It’s pretty interesting how the Church has survived empires. A cursory examination of history will show you that even the mightiest empires seemed to have expiration dates. But not the Church. It’s durability is enabled by divine providence. This type of durability is only possible among human institutions so long as holiness and righteousness reign. Things like manners, purity, and the due administration of public justice. Another point that is critical for any society of people is the value of honesty. In order to tear down a civilization you must first convince its individuals that there is no longer any reason to tell each other the truth. Holiness is the strength of any Church or state. The Kingdom of God, set up by the gospel of Jesus, is advanced through righteousness, holiness, peace, and love.
When Israel came out of Babylon the Church was in danger, but God promised to bring it protection and security. When things get stressful for us, often it’s because of external conflict and internal fear. Israel’s fear at this time was rooted in their oppression from Babylon. But God promised to remove the oppressor so that His people shall not fear. They would look back on their difficult time as if it happened so long ago. It would feel a great distance away from them. That’s how it works when you come out of a bad situation and take the time and the care to heal properly from it. Only by allowing yourself to heal will you arrive at a perspective in which your trouble feels far removed from you. When you rest in Jesus Christ, the oppressiveness of sin fades away and the fear of it becomes something far removed. If you have faith in Jesus, you need not fear Him the way you fear an oppressor. 1 John says that perfect love drives out all fear. God is the only Authority in your life whose rod will never become a serpent of oppression.
But that doesn’t mean there aren’t those who seek to enslave you. You can be certain that for the rest of your life the principalities and powers of hell will be interested in attacking you. Satan’s primary interest is the temptation and persecution of God’s people. So we should expect difficulty in the face of the evil in this world. But it’s important for us to remember that God does not order these attacks on you. God never sins and He never causes anyone to sin. Sometimes bad things happen to good people and this is just a consequence of living in a fallen world. The good thing about the fact that God does not order evil upon you is the security that all evil will end in its own ruin. You often hear people ask why God doesn’t do anything to stop evil. I think this is a false question. God has already defeated evil and placed upon it an inevitable expiration. In the grand design God will not allow wickedness to overcome His Church or His people.
We can depend on God with great assurance for the ultimate safety of His Church. Isaiah clearly asserts the power of God over the Church’s enemies. Not a single entity in creation has any power that wasn’t given to it by God. This means God can limit and restrain anyone or anything. Human beings have been waging war on each other since time immemorial. God gives us the intellect necessary to progress in technology, and we use this progress to produce weapons of war. But the important point is that we couldn’t have done it without God and that means God can limit it or take it away as His will sees fit. Armies of soldiers are developed to defend sovereign nations and attack enemies. These, too, are at the mercy of God. The United States wields the strongest military the planet has ever witnessed. But God uses all armies, even the U.S. Army, to achieve His own purposes.
God’s protection of His Church entails that no army will ever have the capacity to destroy it. Even those with the most skillfully made weapons and the fiercest soldiers will not prove strong enough to damage the people of God. Those who take up arms against the Church are ultimately working their own demise. But the attacks made against the Church will not only be from soldiers and weapons of war. Those who battle against the Church will also use their tongues. They will slander, misrepresent, and falsely accuse the Church in an attempt to make it appear odious to the people. In the book of Ezra the enemies of the Jews attempted to do just this thing by persuading the kings of Persia to turn against them. But God ensures that these attempts to undermine the Church will all fail to prosper. One way to overcome those who verbally attack you is to do good things for them. When you spread love in response to attacks you manifest God in the consciences of even your enemies. They will feel the guilt of conviction on their hearts. If the enemies of God refuse to repent then they will be condemned in the same way the wicked of Noah’s day were condemned. Noah faithfully built the ark while under the contempt of the wicked. But the day is coming when God Himself will reckon with evil people for the things they’ve said and done in defiance of Him.
But if you belong to God through your relationship with Jesus Christ, yours is the heritage of the servants of the Lord. This means God has provided an inheritance for you that is rich and certain. God’s promises are your heritage forever. The righteousness inside of you is directly of God Himself. Christ is made righteousness to you. This means that all which is good and right in you is of God, who shapes these things in you. And your legacy of righteousness will become a heritage for someone in the future. Think of all the things around you that were built by someone who came before you. We exist on the sacrifices of our predecessors. In this way, though you pass on into eternity, your impact will surely live on in this world as well. It’s just the truth that the world would not be what it is today had you never lived. And hundreds of years from now there may be some person who breathes easier because of what you have done. Take that responsibility seriously, because the opposite of it is also true. All the way up until your final breath, your life matters in this world. If you do what you can to work righteousness in this world and to advance the Kingdom of God – your life will be the reason someone, somewhere, someday, looks up to the heavens and says thanks to God.
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