Isaiah 54

Sing, barren, you who didn’t give birth! Break out into singing, and cry aloud, you who didn’t travail with child! For more are the children of the desolate than the children of the married wife, says the LORD. Wesley: Sing—The prophet having largely discoursed of the sufferings of Christ, and of the blessed fruits thereof, and here foreseeing that glorious state of the church, he breaks forth into this song of triumph. And as the foregoing chapter literally speaks of Christ, so doth this of the church of Christ. This church, consisting at first of the Jews, and afterwards of the Gentiles, had been barren, till the coming of Christ. The desolate—The church of the Gentiles, which in the times of the Old Testament was desolate, does now bring forth to God a more numerous posterity than that of the Jews.

After 53, the church of Christ sings; Jews first, then more numerous Gentiles. Sing; barren; desolate has more children than the married. Shared christology: Wesley's foregoing chapter is Christ; this is his church. Paul takes this up in Galatians 4:27.

The barren one is told to shout for joy. Calvin: after having spoken of the death of Christ, he passes on with good reason to the Church; we cannot behold it in Christ if he be viewed by himself; we must come to his body, because Christ suffered for the Church, and not for himself. Thou barren, that didst not bear: he calls the Church barren, because no offspring could be expected from her so long as she groaned under wretched bondage; and even apart from her external wretchedness, everything was corrupted and defiled by superstitions. He calls the Church not merely barren but a widow. I prefer the more simple view: this extraordinary fertility of the Church will be at variance with what usually takes place, so that men may not judge of her condition by the ordinary course of nature; and yet I acknowledge that she was at that time in widowhood; God had actually divorced that nation by driving it into banishment. This punishment will be temporary.

“Singing”—from the Servant's death to the body; exile as widowhood, then a fertility that breaks nature's odds. Barren sings; more children. Compare 53:10's seed: the same offspring.

Enlarge the place of your tent, and let them stretch out the curtains of your habitations; don’t spare; lengthen your cords, and strengthen your stakes. Wesley: Enlarge—That it may be capable of the Gentiles, who shall flock to thee in great numbers. Strengthen—That they may be able to support that great weight which the tents thus enlarged, shall be upon them.

Stretched for Gentiles who actually flock; stakes strong enough for the weight. Both hear: enlarge; stretch curtains; lengthen cords; strengthen stakes. Recall v. 1: the desolate's children need room.

Widen the place of thy tabernacles. Calvin: the Lord will not only restore his Church, but will bestow upon her a condition far more excellent. This prophecy began to be fulfilled under Cyrus, who gave the people liberty to return, and afterwards extended to Christ, in whom it has its full accomplishment. The Church conceived when the people returned to their native country; the conception was concealed, as it were, in the mother's womb; afterwards the people were increased, and after the birth the Church grew from infancy to manhood, till the Gospel was preached. The metaphor is borrowed from tabernacles; the Church has no solid building in the world; it appears to be wandering and unsettled. On the other hand, it resembles tents because earthly wealth, forces, and strength are not its support; its solid firmness relies on the invincible power of God.

Cyrus first, then Christ the full birth; tents because no earthly citadel. Both see: enlarge; cords; stakes. Calvin brings in Haggai 2:9, the latter house.

For you will spread out on the right hand and on the left; and your offspring will possess the nations and settle in desolate cities. Wesley: For—Thou shalt bring forth a multitude of children; for this word is commonly used of any extraordinary propagation of living creatures. On the left—On every side, in all the parts of the world. Thy seed—Thy spiritual seed, the church of the New Testament, which is accounted Abraham's seed, or children.

Spiritual seed, Abraham's children, filling the world, populating what exile emptied. Spread right and left; offspring possess the nations; desolate cities inhabited. See Genesis 28:14. Shared christology still: this seed comes from 53.

Because thou shalt be multiplied. Calvin: now follows the reason why he commanded the cords to be lengthened; a moderate space would not contain a numerous people, whom the Lord will gather into one from every quarter. Now, because Judea was hideous on account of its ruins and desolation, he says that the forsaken cities shall be inhabited.

Gathered from every quarter; Judea's ruins inhabited. Neither side disputes this: spread; nations; desolate cities.

Don’t be afraid, for you will not be ashamed. Don’t be confounded, for you will not be disappointed. For you will forget the shame of your youth. You will remember the reproach of your widowhood no more. Wesley: Ashamed—For the barrenness and widowhood, which once was the matter of thy grief and shame. Forget—Thou shalt not be upbraided with thy former barrenness in thy youthful state.

The shame of barren exile is actually forgotten, not a feint. Fear not; not ashamed; not disgraced; forget the shame of youth; widowhood remembered no more. Compare 52:2: the captive daughter now unashamed.

Fear not, for thou shalt not be ashamed. Calvin: he strengthens the hearts of believers and addresses the whole Church; the calamity was universal, and the Church appeared to be totally ruined. He bids her be of good cheer; the issue of her troubles will be such that she shall not be ashamed. Thou shalt forget the shame of thy youth: the calamities which befell the Church while she was still young, the remembrance of which will be wholly obliterated by the prosperity which she shall afterwards enjoy. Widowhood is a term used because God had forsaken, and, so to speak, had divorced her.

Universal ruin, then the issue that wipes youth's shame. Zion will not be ashamed, and her widowhood will be forgotten. Compare 50:1: the missing bill is not a cancelled covenant.

For your Maker is your husband; the LORD of Armies is his name. The Holy One of Israel is your Redeemer. He will be called the God of the whole earth. Wesley: Thy maker—Will own thee for his spouse. The Lord—Who hath the sovereign command of all men and creatures, and therefore can subdue the Gentiles to thee, and can make thee to increase and multiply in so prodigious a measure, even in thine old age, notwithstanding thy barrenness in the days of thy youth. The God—The God and father of all nations, whereas formerly he was called only the God of Israel.

Maker owns her; LORD of hosts can multiply her in old age; God of the whole earth, not Israel only. Maker is husband; LORD of hosts; Holy One of Israel your Redeemer; God of the whole earth. Shared christology: the Redeemer of 53 is this husband. The sovereign command actually subdues.

For thy Maker is thy husband. Calvin: captivity might be said to be a kind of divorce; he now says, He who created thee shall be thy husband. He calls himself the Maker of his Church, not only because he created the Church as he created other men, but because he condescended to adopt her as his heritage; this privilege may be regarded as a new life. Whose name is Jehovah of hosts: this refers to his power, that we may be permitted to glory in it, seeing that we are his children. Thy Redeemer: he calls himself the Redeemer, in order that he may more fully confirm the people in that hope; that, although the former deliverance appeared to be cancelled, because the people were again led into captivity, yet they shall be restored. Shall be called the God of the whole earth: the name of God had formerly been, in some respects, confined to Judea, but by the preaching of the Gospel the Gentiles have been called to the same hope of salvation. The Lord is the God of the Gentiles as well as of the Jews.

“Husband”—Maker by adoption; Redeemer after a deliverance that looked cancelled; God of the whole earth by the gospel. Wesley says as much: husband; hosts; Redeemer; whole earth. See Romans 3:29.

For the LORD has called you as a wife forsaken and grieved in spirit, even a wife of youth, when she is cast off, says your God. Wesley: Called thee—To return to him. As forsaken—When thou wast like a woman forsaken. And grieved—For the loss of her husband's favour. Of youth—As affectionately as an husband recalls his wife which he married in his youth.

An earnest summons to return; the affection of youth's husband, not a feint. Called; wife deserted; grieved in spirit; wife of youth cast off. Those who stay deserted do not stay because no call was spoken.

For as a woman forsaken. Calvin: he meets a doubt which might arise in the minds of believers amidst so distressing a calamity. It seemed as if the Lord had rejected them, so that they had nothing to look for but destruction. The Prophet therefore reminds them that they ought not to despair, because they have been thus forsaken; for God, according to his mercy, is ready to be reconciled, and is even willing to raise them from the dead. And a wife of youth: the hearts of young husbands are more easily reconciled than the hearts of older husbands, being attracted by youthful age and tender love. In like manner, he shows that God will be easily reconciled. True, thou wast divorced; but the divorce shall not be of long duration. The Lord will show himself ready to be reconciled, and will even, of his own accord, be the first to invite thee to reconciliation.

He invites first; the divorce is not forever. Undisputed: forsaken wife; youth's wife recalled. Recall 50:1: the Husband did not cancel the bond. Mercy is ready, not undecided.

For a small moment I have forsaken you, but I will gather you with great mercies. Wesley: For a moment—In comparison of God's everlasting kindness. Gather thee—From all the places where thou art dispersed, from all parts of the world.

Exile is brief beside everlasting kindness; the gathering is from all the world, sincere. Neither side disputes this: brief moment deserted; great compassion; I will gather you. Compare v. 1: the barren now gathered. The gatherer already speaks compassion.

For a little moment I forsook thee. Calvin: the Prophet shows what will be the nature of this divorce, namely, that she shall be speedily restored to her former condition. He magnifies the mercy of God, and extenuates the sorrow; this divorce shall last but for a moment, but his mercy shall be everlasting. When he says that he forsook his people, it is a sort of admission of the fact. We are adopted by God in such a manner that we cannot be rejected by him on account of the treachery of men; for he is faithful. What the Prophet says in this passage must therefore refer to our feelings and to outward appearance, because we seem to be rejected by God when we do not perceive his presence and protection. And it is necessary that we should thus feel God's wrath, that we may know that we are justly chastised. But we must also perceive his mercy; and because it is infinite and eternal, we shall find that all afflictions in comparison of it are light and momentary.

“Moment”—forsaken to our feeling and in just chastisement; not cast off as to adoption; mercy infinite. No dispute here: a little moment; great mercies gather.

In overflowing wrath I hid my face from you for a moment, but with everlasting loving kindness I will have mercy on you, says the LORD your Redeemer. Wesley: With everlasting kindness—With kindness to thee and thy seed through all succeeding generations.

The hid face is a moment; the kindness runs through generations. Neither side disputes this: overflowing anger for a moment; hid face; everlasting love; compassion; the LORD your Redeemer. Compare v. 5: the same Redeemer. Those who still see a hid face do not see it because no compassion was spoken.

Calvin: he again repeats and enforces this statement, that they may not be at all discouraged by adversity. Amidst that frightful darkness, it was not easy for the captives to behold God's smiling face. We quickly lose courage and faint, if the Lord be not nigh. The afflictions of the Church are always momentary, when we raise our eyes to its eternal happiness. We ought to remember what Paul has taught us (2 Corinthians 4:17), that all the afflictions of believers are light and easy to be endured, and are justly considered to be momentary, while they look at the eternal weight of glory. There would be no propriety in comparing the seventy years of the captivity of the Jews to a moment, if it were not contrasted with the uninterrupted progress of the grace of God.

Seventy years are a moment only beside uninterrupted grace. Both affirm: anger a moment; everlasting compassion; Redeemer. See 2 Corinthians 4:17. Both hear everlasting love.

This is like the waters of Noah to me: as I have sworn that the waters of Noah will no more go over the earth, so I have sworn not to be angry with you or rebuke you. Wesley: This—This covenant of grace and peace made with thee shall be as certain and perpetual as that which I made with Noah, that there should never be another flood to drown the world. Wrath—So as to forsake thee utterly.

As certain as Noah's; he will not forsake utterly. Where they meet: like Noah's days; swore; waters no more; not angry; not rebuke. See Genesis 9:11. The oath already stands.

Calvin: he compares that captivity to a deluge, which destroyed the face of the earth; for it appeared as if the Church was utterly ruined. This calamity will resemble the deluge; so that, as he was satisfied with a single deluge and would never again send another, so he is satisfied with this one destruction, so to speak, of the Church, and will never again permit the face of it to be destroyed. That I will not be wroth with thee must not be taken in an absolute, but in a comparative sense: he will never chastise his people so severely as not to mitigate the severity of the punishment. Although therefore tyrants indulge in wanton rage, and Satan employ his utmost efforts, yet he will never suffer the Church to be ruined.

Babylon as the Church's one deluge; not wrathless in every stripe, but never ruined again. Noah's waters; sworn; not that wrath. Recall 53:10: the same will of the LORD.

For the mountains may depart, and the hills be removed, but my loving kindness will not depart from you, and my covenant of peace will not be removed, says the LORD who has mercy on you. Wesley: The mountains—Shall sooner depart from their places than any kindness shall depart from thee. The covenant—That covenant whereby I have made peace and friendship with thee, and have promised to thee all manner of happiness. God will not cast off his Christian church, as he cast off the church of the Jews, the New covenant is established upon better and surer promises than the Old. The Lord—Who doth this not for thine own merits, but merely for his own grace and mercy.

Mountains go first; kindness stays; New covenant surer than the Old, by grace not merits. Both traditions hear: mountains may depart; steadfast love shall not; covenant of peace will not be removed; the LORD who has mercy. Both hear the covenant unmoved. The storm-tossed stones of 54:11–17 are the next unit, kept whole.

For the mountains shall indeed be moved. Calvin: he confirms the former statement, and declares that sooner shall the whole world be turned upside down than his mercy shall fail. The comparison is drawn from those things which appear to be strongest and most deeply rooted, in order to show that the foundation of the Church is far more durable. My mercy: it ought to be remarked what is the nature of the foundation of the covenant; for we can have no friendship with God unless he have mercy upon us, and receive us by free grace. The covenant of my peace: he calls it the covenant of peace, because the Lord offers to us all that belongs to perfect happiness; under the word peace the Hebrew writers include all prosperity. Since therefore this covenant contains solid and perfect happiness, it follows that all who are excluded from it are miserable. Saith Jehovah, who hath compassion on thee: he will be reconciled in no other way, and for no other reason, than because he is compassionate and ready to pardon.

Church's foundation more durable than mountains; mercy the base; peace as complete happiness; compassion the only reason. Wesley concurs: mountains move, kindness does not; free grace, not merits. Calvin brings in Psalm 102:26 for the unshaken Church. After the Head of 53, the body is promised this peace.