•Isaiah 54
•Cause and Effect
1 “Sing, O barren one, who did not bear;
break forth into singing and cry aloud,
you who have not been in labor!
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.
(Isaiah 54:1-5, ESV)
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.
(Isaiah 53:6-10, ESV)
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.”
(Isaiah 54:11-17, ESV)
•Main Point
• These verses describe the servants work of redemption
• The bride of God returned to Him
• This barrenness of the soul and separation from God was not the end
• It means they too can become servants through faith and obedience because they have been redeemed
Application Points
• Cause and Effect
• Should there be an action there will be evidence of the action
• Me not looking both ways in crossing the street
• Leads to me getting hit by a car
• When things happen we can see their effects
• When God acts int eh world, then we will see the effects of His actions
• Through the life and death of the servant would come freedom for the people
• This is not any kind of freedom
• The servant satisfied God’s justice through His faith and obedience
Application Points
• Cause and Effect (2)
•This is the cause, the act
• Through the work of the Servant such reconciliation is possible
• This is the effect of the cause
• To enter into the loving arms of their God
• When a loving husband cherishes his bride, she knows and feels this, and when he holds her in his arms, she feels safe and secure
• So it is with God and us
• Though we had been barren in sin and deserted, He finds us and cherishes us
• He causes a garden to grow
• This reconciliation has a purpose, a meaning, and it is great
Application Points
• Cause and Effect (3)
•The other way Isaiah describes it is with the rebuilding of a city
• As we can imagine the grandeur of the city made with such precious stones, how much grander is it for a living being?
• We see it when we hear the stories who were in sin, but through Christ, have been changed
• There is beauty here
• Beauty in the transformation
• What can cause the desolate and broken city to become a city filled with good things?
• It is found in the God of all things who transforms us more and more into His image
• Where love reigns
Application Points
• Cause and Effect (4)
•In our time it is easy to take sin easy, to let minor things slide, to let ourselves be tarnished
• If only we saw it all from the perspective of God
• This should be encouragement enough for us to seek obedience to God in all things
• So it is for us in our faithfulness
• God has provided for us a means to overcome
• Let us not waste the opportunity to thank the Lord for what He has accomplished
• Let’s seek to dispossess any blemish by seeking the Servant
Application Points
• Cause and Effect (5)
•He is the cause, the effect is found within each of us who believes
• Let us continue to be refined, redeemed, and let us rejoice in what He has accomplished
• We are set free from sin, bondage, and all that has caused us to be barren
• How blessed is the transformation!
• How blessed are we to know this redemption
• How wonderful knowing our Kind is the cause of this effect
Application Points
• The Gospel of Christ
• Origins
• Fall
• Redemption
• Glorification
