Isaiah 54:4-17 “Do not fear, for you will not be ashamed; neither be disgraced, for you will not be put to shame; for you will forget the shame of your youth, and will not remember the reproach of your widowhood anymore. For your Maker is your husband, the Lord of Hosts is His name; and your Redeemer is the Holy One of Israel; He is called the God of the whole earth. For the Lord has called you like a woman forsaken and grieved in spirit, like a youthful wife when you were refused,”
Says your God.
“For a mere moment I have forsaken you, but with great mercies I will gather you. With a little wrath I hid My face from you for a moment; but with everlasting kindness I will have mercy on you,” says the Lord, your Redeemer.
“For this is like the waters of Noah to Me; for as I have sworn that the waters of Noah would no longer cover the earth, so have I sworn that I would not be angry with you, nor rebuke you.
For the mountains shall depart and the hills be removed, but My kindness shall not depart from you, nor shall My covenant of peace be removed,” says the Lord, who has mercy on you.
“O you afflicted one, tossed with tempest, and not comforted, behold, I will lay your stones with colorful gems, and lay your foundations with sapphires. I will make your pinnacles of rubies, your gates of crystal, and all your walls of precious stones.
All your children shall be taught by the Lord, and great shall be the peace of your children. 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. Indeed they shall surely assemble, but not because of Me. Whoever assembles against you shall fall for your sake.
“Behold, I have created the blacksmith who blows the coals in the fire, who brings forth an instrument for his work; and I have created the spoiler to destroy.
No weapon formed against you shall prosper, and every tongue which rises against you in judgment you shall condemn. This is the heritage of the servants of the Lord,
And their righteousness is from Me,” says the Lord.”
Matthew 23:37-39 “O Jerusalem, Jerusalem, the one who kills the prophets and stones those who are sent to her! How often I wanted to gather your children together, as a hen gathers her chicks under her wings, but you were not willing! See! Your house is left to you desolate; for I say to you, you shall see Me no more till you say, ‘Blessed is He who comes in the name of the Lord!’”
At first you might wonder what the promises in Isaiah 54 have to do with Jesus’ lament over Jerusalem recorded in Matthew 23. The promises recorded in these verses from Isaiah refer to Israel and especially to Jerusalem. While Isaiah was simply a prophet, Jesus came as prophet, priest, and king. Matthew records a time when Jesus is prophesying over Jerusalem, for Jesus knows that the Romans will eventually attack Jerusalem in 70 AD and destroy Herod’s temple, as well as much of the rest of the city. Jesus is also foreseeing the time when Jerusalem will finally acknowledge him as Messiah and King. Isaiah prophesied that the Messiah, the Redeemer would come and would transform His people and Jerusalem itself.
We are still waiting for the fulfillment of this promise; however, many of the other predictions in Isaiah have already come true. Several years ago, an elderly friend told me that she became a Christian when she watched the State of Israel being established and the Jews streaming in from all over the world, just as Isaiah had prophesied.
God’s prophecies work on many different levels. The comforting words from Isaiah 54 are meant for us just as much as they were meant for those waiting for the Messiah. We have a Redeemer; His Name is Jesus, (Savior), Emmanuel, (God with us.) Because God is with us and has sent Jesus to redeem us, we can celebrate, not only at Christmas, but at all times.
We can claim the promises of Isaiah 54:17 when those around us mock us for our beliefs. We can claim the promises regarding our children; in fact, we can pray these promises over our children, begging God for their salvation and their peace.
We can rest in this promise: For the mountains shall depart and the hills be removed, but My kindness shall not depart from you, nor shall My covenant of peace be removed,” says the Lord, who has mercy on you.” (Isaiah 54:10)
2024 has been a difficult year for many people. Economically, things have been bad in many places. Storms, drought, floods, etc. have all taken their toll on many parts of the world. This Christmas, we need God’s promises as much as we ever have. The great news is that God keeps His promises and God provides, even when we see no way of His doing so.
As we approach Christmas, let us worship the One who is our Redeemer, our Savior, our Master, and our Lord. Let us worship Jesus!
PRAYER: Father God, thank You for loving us and for caring for us. Lord, many of us are suffering. Please meet us at our point of need and show Yourself mighty on our behalf. In the mighty and precious Name of King Jesus. Amen.
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