The Barren

Today's readings are from Isaiah 54, 55, 56, 57, 58

The Prophet Isaiah proclaims in chpt 54:

1 "Sing, 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.

A significant part of Isaiah's prophecies have told of Israel (& Judah's) unwillingness to be faithful to the covenant they said they would obey, with God. The image of the "barren woman" is significant because it puts the relationship of God to the nation as one of a husband in covenantal vow with a wife. In fact, just a little later, God speaks:

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.

Chapter 55 is one of the most beautifully written prose in all of scripture.
1 "Come, all you who are thirsty,
come to the waters;
and you who have no money,
come, buy and eat!
Come, buy wine and milk
without money and without cost.

2 Why spend money on what is not bread,
and your labor on what does not satisfy?
Listen, listen to me, and eat what is good,
and you will delight in the richest of fare.

and, the well known verses:

8 "For my thoughts are not your thoughts,
neither are your ways my ways,"
declares the Lord.

9 "As the heavens are higher than the earth,
so are my ways higher than your ways
and my thoughts than your thoughts.

10 As the rain and the snow
come down from heaven,
and do not return to it
without watering the earth
and making it bud and flourish,
so that it yields seed for the sower and bread for the eater,

11 so is my word that goes out from my mouth:
It will not return to me empty,
but will accomplish what I desire
and achieve the purpose for which I sent it.

12 You will go out in joy
and be led forth in peace;
the mountains and hills
will burst into song before you,
and all the trees of the field
will clap their hands.

Barrenness is the condition of the soul that leaves out God in life. It is the forgetfulness of the heart that thinks that all that is life is what is in front of us; that there is no other world than this world and that all that we are, or ever will be, will occur because we do it ourselves.

God has called us to listen to his word, and to see that his word in the end is the final thing - the one true thing - that each of us can depend upon. But it is not a word of our own understanding...we don't understand, nor will we.
It should give us great delight - if we want it to - to know that God will always know what he is doing, even if we don't

Peace