Isaiah 54-55
Security is not the absence of attack, but the presence of God.
Isaiah 54
Isaiah 54
Jehovah says:
“Shout joyfully, you barren woman who has not given birth! Become cheerful and cry out for joy, you who never had birth pains, For the sons of the desolate one are more numerous Than the sons of the woman with a husband.
Make the place of your tent more spacious. Stretch out the tent cloths of your grand tabernacle. Do not hold back, lengthen your tent cords, And make your tent pins strong.
For you will spread out to the right and to the left. Your offspring will take possession of nations, And they will inhabit the desolated cities.
Do not be afraid, for you will not be put to shame; And do not feel humiliated, for you will not be disappointed. For you will forget the shame of your youth, And the disgrace of your widowhood you will remember no more.”
“For your Grand Maker is as your husband, Jehovah of armies is his name, And the Holy One of Israel is your Repurchaser. He will be called the God of the whole earth.
For Jehovah called you as if you were an abandoned wife and grief-stricken, Like a wife married in youth and then rejected,” says your God.
“For a brief moment I abandoned you, But with great mercy I will gather you back.
In a flood of indignation I hid my face from you for a moment, But with everlasting loyal love I will have mercy on you,” says your Repurchaser, Jehovah.
“This is like the days of Noah to me. Just as I have sworn that the waters of Noah will no more cover the earth, So I swear that I will no more become indignant toward you or rebuke you.
For the mountains may be removed And the hills may be shaken, But my loyal love will not be removed from you, Nor will my covenant of peace be shaken,” says Jehovah, the One having mercy on you.
“O afflicted woman, storm-tossed, uncomforted, I am laying your stones with hard mortar And your foundation with sapphires.
I will make your battlements of rubies, Your gates of sparkling stones, And all your boundaries of precious stones.
And all your sons will be taught by Jehovah, And the peace of your sons will be abundant.
You will be firmly established in righteousness. You will be far removed from oppression, You will fear nothing and have no cause for terror, For it will not come near you.
If anyone should attack you, It will not be at my orders. Whoever makes an attack on you will fall because of you.”
“Look! I myself created the craftsman, Who blows on the charcoal fire, And his work produces a weapon. I myself also created the destructive man to bring ruin.
No weapon formed against you will have any success, And you will condemn any tongue that rises up against you in the judgment. This is the heritage of the servants of Jehovah, And their righteousness is from me,” declares Jehovah.
Isaiah 55
Jehovah says:
“Come, all you thirsty ones, come to the water! You with no money, come, buy and eat! Yes, come, buy wine and milk without money and without cost.
Why do you keep paying out money for what is not bread, And why spend your earnings for what brings no satisfaction? Listen intently to me, and eat what is good, And you will find great delight in what is truly rich.
Incline your ear and come to me. Listen, and you will keep alive, And I will readily make with you an everlasting covenant In harmony with the expressions of loyal love to David, which are faithful.
Look! I made him a witness to the nations, A leader and commander to the nations.
Look! You will call a nation that you do not know, And those of a nation who have not known you will run to you For the sake of Jehovah your God, the Holy One of Israel, Because he will glorify you.
Search for Jehovah while he may be found. Call to him while he is near.
Let the wicked man leave his way And the evil man his thoughts; Let him return to Jehovah, who will have mercy on him, To our God, for he will forgive in a large way.”
Jehovah declares:
“For my thoughts are not your thoughts, And your ways are not my ways.
For as the heavens are higher than the earth, So my ways are higher than your ways And my thoughts than your thoughts.
For just as the rain and the snow pour down from heaven And do not return there until they saturate the earth, making it produce and sprout, Giving seed to the sower and bread to the eater,
So my word that goes out of my mouth will be. It will not return to me without results, But it will certainly accomplish whatever is my delight, And it will have sure success in what I send it to do.
For you will go out with rejoicing, And in peace you will be brought back. The mountains and the hills will become cheerful before you with a joyful cry, And the trees of the field will all clap their hands.
Instead of thornbushes the juniper tree will grow, And instead of the stinging nettle the myrtle tree will grow. And it will bring fame to Jehovah, An everlasting sign that will never perish.”