Isaiah
54:13-15 (ESV)
All your children shall be taught by the LORD,
you shall be far from
oppression, for you shall not fear;
and
from terror, for it shall not come near you.
If
anyone stirs up strife,
it
is not from me;
whoever
stirs up strife with you
shall
fall because of you.
This
is an interesting chapter because of the protection and blessing it promises to
Israel. The writer of Hebrews quotes God’s words in Joshua, “I will never leave
you” (Heb 13:5). Those five simple words reflect the message of Isaiah 54. God
says to Israel, “For a brief moment I deserted you, but with great compassion I
will gather you” (Is 54:7). The promise of God is that his people will never be
abandoned. It is one thing to be abandoned. It is another thing to be loved.
God goes on to say in the next verse, “‘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” (Is 54:8). God says he will not only never
abandon his people, but that he will overwhelmingly love them.
I’m
not sure that the promises of this chapter have yet been completely fulfilled.
Perhaps it is a promise to be fully experienced in the Millennium. At any rate,
there are some aspects of it that we can certainly claim as believers. The
Apostle Paul quotes from this chapter in Galatians 4 to make the point that as
believers we are children of Abraham and Sarah. We are children of freedom, not
children of slavery. In Genesis 12, Abraham was promised many descendants. God
said that he would make Abraham a great nation and bless all the nations of the
earth through him. That promise is being fulfilled through the gospel today.
I
believe that these promises in Isaiah 54 will be experienced literally in the
Jewish people in the millennium. I also believe that they are being experienced
now in the church. He says, “All your children shall be taught by the Lord” (Is
54:13). Jesus said that the Holy Spirit “will teach you all things and bring to
your remembrance all that I have said to you” (Jn 14:26). Isaiah promised, “Great
shall be the peace of your children” (Is 54:13). Jesus said, “Peace I leave
with you; my peace I give to you” (Jn 14:27). Isaiah promised, “In
righteousness you shall be established;
you
shall be far from oppression, for you shall not fear” (Is 54:14). Jesus said in
John 14:1, “Let not your hearts be troubled. Believe in God; believe also in
me.” Twenty seven verses later he said it again, “Let not your hearts be troubled,
neither let them be afraid” (Jn 14:27). The promises of Isaiah 54 parallel the
promises of John 14. It is the abiding presence of Jesus that guarantees peace
and protection even in the face of opposition.
Israel
was facing devastation and deportation. God promised peace and protection. As
believers in Jesus Christ, whatever the world threatens us with, we can know
the peace and protection of the abiding presence of Christ in our lives. We may
feel abandoned. We may feel alone. We may feel rejected. But God is saying,
“Don’t be afraid. Peace! You are my child and I am here in the darkness. I will
never leave you. I will never forsake you. Don’t be afraid.”
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