Throughout Scripture the imagery of marriage is used to depict Israel’s relationship with God. He is the Groom, she is the bride. But even this marriage has its ups and downs.
Many of the messages given by the prophets in the Old Testament warn Israel of the judgment coming as a result of their unfaithfulness to God. They broke their covenant vows and worshipped pagan idols. As punishment for their idolatry, God rejected them for a time. You may recall the stories of Nehemiah and Daniel, main characters during the times of the exile, or diaspora, when Israel was captured and spread among the kingdoms of their enemies.
Isaiah 54:1-8 is prophesying both this exile and Israel’s ultimate return to God. In ancient times, barrenness was a disgraceful state for a woman. It brought them much shame. If a woman was divorced or widowed without children to care for them, they were often destitute. The passage depicts Israel as this rejected woman, full of disgrace. But that isn’t how this story ends.
Preparing the guest rooms
Israel’s household will soon be filled to overflowing. Israel will not be ashamed any longer, and will forget their reproach. While God set Israel aside for a time, He will restore their relationship in love.
“I deserted you for a brief moment, but I will take you back with great compassion. In a surge of anger I hid My face from you for a moment, but I will have compassion on you with everlasting love,” says the Lord your Redeemer. – Isaiah 54:7-8
Why? The Maker is her husband. The Lord of hosts, the Holy One of Israel, the God of the whole earth, Jehovah is their Redeemer.
Even more exciting is the connection the Apostle Paul made for us, those who do not belong to Israel but believe in Christ as our Savior.
For as many of you as have been baptized into Christ have put on Christ like a garment. There is no Jew or Greek, slave or free, male or female; for you are all one in Christ Jesus. And if you belong to Christ, then you are Abraham’s seed, heirs according to the promise. – Galatians 3:27-29
In God’s great kindness, He has called us. We are also His bride, His beloved.
Celebrating God’s love
God proves His love to us in unmeasurable ways every day, but just as the Israelites did, I still have a hard time accepting and living under His love. Sometimes this is because God’s love is so much greater than the earthly relationships influencing our understanding of love. Our parents are a huge influence in this area. Our boyfriends, husbands and past relationships impact our understanding of love as well. But God’s love is pure, unselfish, and abundant.
God’s love is a reality that we will never fully understand this side of heaven, despite all God has done demonstrate it. The greatest example of His love is the sacrifice of His precious Son. Like Israel, we too were barren. We were lost in our sins—slaves to wickedness and the Wicked One—but God paid our ransom. Jesus Christ shed His blood and returned to life to redeem us, enabling us to have a personal relationship with Him!
When I set aside my selfish ideas of how my life should be and focus on God’s love for me, I am overwhelmed with feelings of repentance, unworthiness, gratitude and a desire to give back to God a portion of what He’s given to me. My feeble attempts at loving Him never seem enough. Yet again, God promises to take our little offerings of love, and like the lunch of the young boy who was willing to give everything to Jesus, He multiplies them many times over.
Singing for joy
At the beginning of the passage God instructs the barren and widowed to sing. Singing can be hard when you are sad, but God is returning the joy of their relationship. He encourages Israel to respond with song. It may be that life has stolen your singing voice, but I encourage you to not allow your circumstances to steal your praise.
In a recent post, I talked about how difficult it is to sing in my grief, but that hasn’t stopped me from praising God. I still respond in my spirit to the words as others sing. I also use journaling and writing to praise Him for His goodness to me. Singing is wonderful, but there are other ways to praise and give thanks. Find a way to rejoice in your relationship with God. Allow your praise to strengthen your love for Him.