A letter to the wounded hearted.
You know there is comfort—only, you have yet to experience
it, for the pain lingers like a night with no dawn. Nothing has changed for so
long, and your strength is giving out in the storm.
O
afflicted one, storm-tossed and not comforted,
behold, I will set your stones in antimony,
and lay your foundations with sapphires.
behold, I will set your stones in antimony,
and lay your foundations with sapphires.
- ANTIMONY-
What is your wounded heart barren of? Life beyond a graveyard
marriage? The heartbeat of a child? Community from an isolated prison of shame?
Love overcoming fear and anger? Forgiveness from stains of hurt? Hope after
years of repeated wounds?
“Sing, O barren one, who did not bear;
break forth into singing and cry aloud,
For the children of the desolate one will be more
than the children of her who is married,” says the Lord.
2 “Enlarge the place of your tent,
and let the curtains of your habitations be stretched out; do not hold back; lengthen your cords
and strengthen your stakes. 3 For you will spread abroad to the right and to the left,
and your offspring will possess the nations
and will people the desolate cities.
break forth into singing and cry aloud,
For the children of the desolate one will be more
than the children of her who is married,” says the Lord.
2 “Enlarge the place of your tent,
and let the curtains of your habitations be stretched out; do not hold back; lengthen your cords
and strengthen your stakes. 3 For you will spread abroad to the right and to the left,
and your offspring will possess the nations
and will people the desolate cities.
4 “Fear not, for
you will not be ashamed;
be not confounded, for you will not be disgraced;
for you will forget the shame of your youth,
and the reproach of your widowhood you will remember no more.
5 For your Maker is your husband,
the Lord of hosts is his name; and the Holy One of Israel is your Redeemer,
the God of the whole earth he is called. 6 For the Lord has called you
like a wife deserted and grieved in spirit, like a wife of youth when she is cast off,
says your God. 7 For a brief moment I deserted you,
but with great compassion I will gather you. 8 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.
be not confounded, for you will not be disgraced;
for you will forget the shame of your youth,
and the reproach of your widowhood you will remember no more.
5 For your Maker is your husband,
the Lord of hosts is his name; and the Holy One of Israel is your Redeemer,
the God of the whole earth he is called. 6 For the Lord has called you
like a wife deserted and grieved in spirit, like a wife of youth when she is cast off,
says your God. 7 For a brief moment I deserted you,
but with great compassion I will gather you. 8 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.
9 “This is like the
days of Noah to me:
as I swore that the waters of Noah
should no more go over the earth,
so I have sworn that I will not be angry with you,
and will not rebuke you.
10 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, who has compassion on you.
as I swore that the waters of Noah
should no more go over the earth,
so I have sworn that I will not be angry with you,
and will not rebuke you.
10 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, who has compassion on you.
11 “O afflicted
one, storm-tossed and not comforted,
behold, I will set your stones in antimony,
and lay your foundations with sapphires.
12 I will make your pinnacles of agate,
your gates of carbuncles,
and all your wall of precious stones.
13 All your children shall be taught by the Lord,
and great shall be the peace of your children. 14 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. 15 If anyone stirs up strife,
it is not from me; whoever stirs up strife with you
shall fall because of you. 16 Behold, I have created the smith
who blows the fire of coals
and produces a weapon for its purpose. I have also created the ravager to destroy; 17 no weapon that is fashioned against you shall succeed,
and you shall refute every tongue that rises against you in judgment. This is the heritage of the servants of the Lord
and their vindication from me, declares the Lord.”
behold, I will set your stones in antimony,
and lay your foundations with sapphires.
12 I will make your pinnacles of agate,
your gates of carbuncles,
and all your wall of precious stones.
13 All your children shall be taught by the Lord,
and great shall be the peace of your children. 14 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. 15 If anyone stirs up strife,
it is not from me; whoever stirs up strife with you
shall fall because of you. 16 Behold, I have created the smith
who blows the fire of coals
and produces a weapon for its purpose. I have also created the ravager to destroy; 17 no weapon that is fashioned against you shall succeed,
and you shall refute every tongue that rises against you in judgment. This is the heritage of the servants of the Lord
and their vindication from me, declares the Lord.”
Isaiah
54
These words,
written for a people long before us, remind us of the heart of our God, gently
binding our hearts with hope, that He is a God who doesn’t forget us even when
He is quiet. He is a God who sees our strife, and reminds us: it isn’t from
Him. He speaks out loud the words we are desperate to hear: we are loved. That
there is so much more meant for this life than the barrenness, shame, grief in
spirit, and disgrace life has offered up thus far. And the emptiness of this
life only points to the fullness of the next. That’s what these chapters
illuminate best: Your empty [tent] now-- will be full. Your sad heart will sing
most joyful. Your afflicted heart will swoon. But even now, while the storm
rages, may we lift our voices, even if only to a whisper, this song:
For the mountains may depart
and the hills be removed,
but [His] steadfast love shall not depart from [us]
Steadfast: defined as: not subject to change. For all the things that we pray to change, the irony is we have what we really need, and His love never will change.
Steadfast
Loved.
Together in
Grace,
Amy
Footnote: Unlike
the people this was written for, the imagery of pain is not a result of
punishment from wandering from His law and falling into Babylonian hands. Through
Christ we are free from the law. The pain you or I are experiencing is not a
result of God’s desire to punish. That is not the God of these verses. Once we’ve
come to know Him, we live in Christ’s righteousness, and He sees us as His
bride. The debt’s been paid; forgiveness complete. His love for us will never
change, no matter what we’ve done, no matter what we’ve been told, or no matter
what we tell ourselves.
