“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. Isaiah 54:10
Isaiah 54 paints three scenes of sorrow in verses 1, 6, and 11. The choice of these scenes is significant, because our natural inclination is to seek happiness in three places: children, marriage, and money.
- The barren woman: “Sing, O barren one, who did not bear; break forth into singing and cry aloud!” (Isa. 54:1).
In the ancient world, the key to survival was to have children—lots of them. Sons and daughters worked your land and cared for you when you were old. Without them the barren woman faced loneliness and poverty. - The deserted wife: “A wife deserted and grieved in spirit, like a wife of youth when she is cast off” (54:6).
Maybe you know what this is like. You married young. It seemed that things would work out well, but it wasn’t long before he lost interest in you. All your dreams of joy were shattered. You felt that your life was over. - The ruined city: “O afflicted [city], storm-tossed and not comforted” (54:11).
What a picture this is for those who have lost their property or their possessions. One writer translates Isaiah’s words as “a tempest-driven city.” That’s the world in which many of us live. Maybe you are living under relentless pressures, and they are draining your soul.
Our pride, our joy, our happiness, and our security get wrapped up in the children we raise, the person we marry, and the possessions we have. So, if your children go off the rails, or your marriage is on the rocks, or your career is in ruins, you feel that your life is a total loss.
Which of these pictures do you most identify with today? Why?
