Class Notes on Isaiah 54:1-10

Comments that follow from Fruchtenbaum's book (2003), "The Footsteps of the Messiah."

• In the bible, Israel is presented as the wife of Jehovah, and the church is presented as the bride of the Messiah
• Deuteronomy, which on appearance seems to be a repeat of the previous books (Exodus, Leviticus, and Numbers), and even means "second law" has a very important role
  • It resembles an ancient suzerein-vassal treaty and an ancient marriage contract
  • The book is the marriage contract between Israel and God, where Israel is the wife of Jehovah
  • Key verse: Deut 6:10-15
• But Israel commits adultery
  • Jeremiah 3:20
  • Jeremiah 31:32
  • Hosea 2:2-5
• Separation results
  • Isa 50:1 This is what the Lord says: // "Where is your mother's certificate of divorce // with which I sent her away? // Or to which of my creditors // did I sell you? // Because of your sins you were sold; // because of your transgressions your mother was sent away. NIV
  • If a husband wished to divorce his wife, he had to write out a decree, also known as a bill of divorcement. When the husband gave the bill to his wife, the divorce would then be final
  • Does Israel have the certificate of divorce? No, because God had not given it to her
  • Because of Israel's sin, what did happen? Israel was sent away (actually separated from blessings). Israel was sold because of her sins
• Divorce now follows
  • Israel is 'sent away' for about 100 years (blessings withheld as stipulated in Deuteronomy), but she still does return to God, her husband. So God now issues the bill of divorcement
  • Jer 3:6-10 During the reign of King Josiah, the Lord said to me, "Have you seen what faithless Israel has done? She has gone up on every high hill and under every spreading tree and has committed adultery there. 7 I thought that after she had done all this she would return to me but she did not, and her unfaithful sister Judah saw it. 8 I gave faithless Israel her certificate of divorce and sent her away because of all her adulteries. Yet I saw that her unfaithful sister Judah had no fear; she also went out and committed adultery. 9 Because Israel's immorality mattered so little to her, she defiled the land and committed adultery with stone and wood. 10 In spite of all this, her unfaithful sister Judah did not return to me with all her heart, but only in pretense," declares the Lord. NIV
  • Fruchtenbaum argues that the Book of Hosea was God's bill of divorcement of the Northern Kingdom of Israel and the Book of Jeremiah the bill of divorcement of the Southern Kingdom of Judah
• Punishment
  • The original marriage contract required punishment for Israel's unfaithfulness
  • Ezek 16:38-42 I will sentence you to the punishment of women who commit adultery and who shed blood; I will bring upon you the blood vengeance of my wrath and jealous anger. 39 Then I will hand you over to your lovers, and they will tear down your mounds and destroy your lofty shrines. They will strip you of your clothes and take your fine jewelry and leave you naked and bare. 40 They will bring a mob against you, who will stone you and hack you to pieces with their swords. 41 They will burn down your houses and inflict punishment on you in the sight of many women. I will put a stop to your prostitution, and you will no longer pay your lovers. 42 Then my wrath against you will subside and my jealous anger will turn away from you; I will be calm and no longer angry. NIV
• Remarriage with restored blessings
• God promises a new marriage contract which is unlike the previous contract
• Jer 31:31-33 "The time is coming," declares the Lord, // "when I will make a new covenant // with the house of Israel // and with the house of Judah. // 32 It will not be like the covenant // I made with their forefathers // when I took them by the hand // to lead them out of Egypt, // because they broke my covenant, // though I was a husband to them," // declares the Lord. // 33 "This is the covenant I will make with the house of Israel // after that time," declares the Lord. // "I will put my law in their minds // and write it on their hearts. // I will be their God, // and they will be my people. NIV

Isa 54:1-3 "Sing, O barren woman, // you who never bore a child; // burst into song, shout for joy, // you who were never in labor; // because more are the children of the desolate woman // than of her who has a husband," // says the Lord. // 2 "Enlarge the place of your tent, // stretch your tent curtains wide, // do not hold back; // lengthen your cords, // strengthen your stakes. // 3 For you will spread out to the right and to the left; // your descendants will dispossess nations // and settle in their desolate cities. NIV

• Some want to call the woman Israel, and some Jerusalem. I don't think it matters, and the nation Israel would be appropriate in both cases. What directly precedes this section and how is that significant?
  • The suffering servant dies for the sin of his people
  • The timeframe would be after Jesus' death. Most believe this refers to the millennial kingdom
• Why does it say that the woman never bore a child?
  • Spiritually, she was barren. To have even one child would be a success. But Israel failed, and despite a faithful remnant, the nation did not adhere to the requirements of the marriage contract
• Who is the desolate woman?
  • Israel had Jehovah as her husband. The contrast would seem to be the Gentiles. The Gentiles produced spiritually
• But now, the barren women is going to produce children. In ancient days in Israel, it was the woman's responsibility to set up the tent (Fruchtenbaum, 2003). Now she is told to make the tent bigger
• APPLICATION: While Israel failed in the task God gave them, because of grace, she will be restored in her relationship with God. In the new covenant, she will be fruitful

Isa 54:4-8 "Do not be afraid; you will not suffer shame. // Do not fear disgrace; you will not be humiliated. // You will forget the shame of your youth // and remember no more the reproach of your widowhood. // 5 For your Maker is your husband — // the Lord Almighty is his name — // the Holy One of Israel is your Redeemer; // he is called the God of all the earth. // 6 The Lord will call you back // as if you were a wife deserted and distressed in spirit — // a wife who married young, // only to be rejected," says your God. // 7 "For a brief moment I abandoned you, // but with deep compassion I will bring you back. // 8 In a surge of anger // I hid my face from you for a moment, // but with everlasting kindness // I will have compassion on you," // says the Lord your Redeemer. NIV

• What might be the shame of Israel's youth? Don't know, but possibly her slavery in Egypt
• What would be her widowhood? Well, God never died, but when she was separate from the land of promise it may have seemed as if God was no longer a part of her life. Again, the scripture does not say, but most commentators believe it refers to the Babylonian exile
• She is not really a widow, only an apparent widow -- who is her husband?
  • Her maker
  • The Lord Almighty
  • The Holy One
  • The Redeemer
  • The God of all the earth
• Why does God call her back?
  • Because of God's deep compassion
  • Because of God's grace, His unmerited favor expressed to Israel
• God's anger is contrasted to his kindness. What is the difference?
  • The anger lasts a moment, but his kindness is everlasting
  • Heb 11:4-12 In your struggle against sin, you have not yet resisted to the point of shedding your blood. 5 And you have forgotten that word of encouragement that addresses you as sons: // “My son, do not make light of the Lord’s discipline, // and do not lose heart when he rebukes you, // 6 because the Lord disciplines those he loves, // and he punishes everyone he accepts as a son.” // 7 Endure hardship as discipline; God is treating you as sons. For what son is not disciplined by his father? 8 If you are not disciplined (and everyone undergoes discipline), then you are illegitimate children and not true sons. 9 Moreover, we have all had human fathers who disciplined us and we respected them for it. How much more should we submit to the Father of our spirits and live! 10 Our fathers disciplined us for a little while as they thought best; but God disciplines us for our good, that we may share in his holiness. 11 No discipline seems pleasant at the time, but painful. Later on, however, it produces a harvest of righteousness and peace for those who have been trained by it. // 12 Therefore, strengthen your feeble arms and weak knees. 13 “Make level paths for your feet,” so that the lame may not be disabled, but rather healed. NIV
• APPLICATION: For the Christian, God disciplines us, but it is for our good. His kindness is everlasting. As we go through struggles, we must remember that He always loves us, and he has never forgotten us, no matter how bleak the situation looks

Isa 54:9-10 "To me this is like the days of Noah, // when I swore that the waters of Noah would never again cover the earth. // So now I have sworn not to be angry with you, // never to rebuke you again. // 10 Though the mountains be shaken // and the hills be removed, // yet my unfailing love for you will not be shaken // nor my covenant of peace be removed," // says the Lord, who has compassion on you. NIV

• What is the connection to Noah?
  • A perpetual covenant
  • A change, that can never go back
• APPLICATION: While the focus is on Israel in the millennial kingdom, we (gentile believers) also share in the promise. We have a future and a hope that will never change. Our goal should be to live in a manner worthy of the unmerited favor that has been shown to us as well. When we live like the world, we mock God's kindness