Sing, Once-Barren One
A childless, abandoned woman is told to sing and buy a bigger tent. Our Father does not deny hiding his face, only that it lasted a moment; mountains move before his loyal love does. Her walls are rebuilt in sapphire, and her children taught by him.
54 1Sing, barren woman who never bore a child; burst into song and shout for joy, you who were never in labor! For the children of the desolate woman will be more than the children of the married woman, says our Father.
2Enlarge your tent, and let the curtains of your dwelling spread wide; do not hold back. Lengthen your cords and drive your stakes deep, 3for you will spread out to the right and to the left; your children will possess the nations and resettle the desolate cities. 4Do not be afraid, for you will not be ashamed; do not be discouraged, for you will not be disgraced. You will forget the shame of your youth and remember no more the disgrace of your widowhood. 5For your Maker is your husband—the Father of heaven's armies is his name; the Holy One of Israel is your Redeemer, our Father of the whole earth he is called. a a v5 Our Father binds himself to his people in covenant love — the marriage typology Paul later applies to Christ and his Bride (Ephesians 5:25-27). 6For our Father has called you back like a wife forsaken and brokenhearted, like the wife of one's youth when she has been abandoned, says your Father.
7For a brief moment I abandoned you, but with great compassion I will gather you back. 8In a flood of anger I hid my face from you for a moment, but with everlasting love my heart goes out to you, says our Father, your Redeemer. 9To me this is like the days of Noah, when I swore that the waters of Noah would never again flood the earth; so now I have sworn not to be angry with you or rebuke you. 10Though the mountains may depart and the hills be shaken, my loyal love will not depart from you, and my covenant of peace will not be shaken, says our Father, whose heart goes out to you in compassion. 11"Afflicted one, storm-tossed and without comfort, look: I will set your stones in antimony and lay your foundations with sapphires. b b v11 Antimony: a dark mineral paste used in ancient construction to set and display precious stones, making them gleam. 12I will make your towers of rubies, your gates of sparkling jewels, and all your walls of precious stones. 13All your children will be taught by our Father, and great will be the peace of your children. c c v13 Jesus quoted this verse to describe everyone the Father draws to him (John 6:45). 14In righteousness you will be established; you will be far from oppression, for you will have nothing to fear, and far from terror, for it will not come near you. 15If anyone stirs up strife against you, it is not from me; whoever attacks you will fall before you. 16See, it is I who created the smith who fans the coals into flame and forges a weapon fit for its work; and it is I who created the destroyer to ravage." 17No weapon forged against you will succeed, and you will refute every tongue raised against you in court. This is the inheritance of the servants of our Father, and their vindication is from me, declares our Father.
