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| 1 Sing, O barren, she hath not borne! Break forth with singing, and cry aloud, She hath not brought forth! For more [are] the sons of the desolate, Than the sons of the married one, said Jehovah. |
Sing, O barren – Spiritual Zion, our mother or covenant. C297, R1341:6
The promise to Abraham has been barren for a long time. R1389:1
The Apostle applies this to the Gospel Church, or Abrahamic covenant, (Gal 4:27); showing that the ultimate fruitage shall be great. R3596:3
That didst not bear – Beginning with the Lord Jesus, a result followed the coming into covenant relationship which had never occurred before--a begetting to a new nature. R4450:2*
For more – The promise includes not only the development and blessing of the seed, but also the blessing of all the families of the earth through that seed. R1389:3
Are the children – The Christ, typified by Isaac and Rebecca. C297, R1341:6, R1389:2; Q164:2
Of the desolate – The Gospel covenant, typified by Sarah. R1389:1
Than the children – The Jews, according to the flesh. Q164:2
Of the married wife – Hagar, type of the Law covenant; her offspring, a servant class. R1389:2
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| 2 Enlarge the place of thy tent, And the curtains of thy tabernacles they stretch out, Restrain not lengthen thy cords, And thy pins make strong. |
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| 3 For right and left thou breakest forth, And thy seed doth nations possess, |
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| 4 And desolate cities they cause to be inhabited. Fear not, for thou art not ashamed, Nor blush, for thou art not confounded, For the shame of thy youth thou forgettest, And the reproach of thy widowhood Thou dost not remember any more. |
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| 5 For thy Maker [is] thy husband, Jehovah of Hosts [is] His name, And thy Redeemer [is] the Holy One of Israel, 'God of all the earth,' He is called. |
Thine husband – Caretaker. R1389:1
Illustrating the union between Jehovah and Israel. R1388:6
Thy Redeemer – Jehovah himself. R4085:3
All that our dear Redeemer has done for us has been the carrying out of the great plan of Jehovah, purposed in himself before the foundation of the world. R4085:3
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| 6 For, as a woman forsaken and grieved in spirit, Called thee hath Jehovah, Even a youthful wife when she is refused, said thy God. |
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| 7 In a small moment I have forsaken thee, And in great mercies I do gather thee, |
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| 8 In overflowing wrath I hid my face [for] a moment from thee, And in kindness age-during I have loved thee, Said thy Redeemer Jehovah! |
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| 9 For, the waters of Noah [is] this to Me, In that I have sworn the waters of Noah Do not pass again over the earth So I have sworn, Wrath is not upon thee, Nor rebuke against thee. |
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| 10 For the mountains depart, and the hills remove, And My kindness from thee departeth not, And the covenant of My peace removeth not, Said hath thy loving one Jehovah. |
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| 11 O afflicted, storm-tossed, not comforted, Lo, I am laying with cement thy stones, And have founded thee with sapphires, |
Lay thy stones – The Church is pictured as the glorious New Jerusalem, built of precious stones. R3596:5
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| 12 And have made of agate thy pinnacles, And thy gates of carbuncle stones, And all thy border of stones of delight, |
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| 13 And all thy sons are taught of Jehovah, And abundant [is] the peace of thy sons. |
All thy children – The spiritual sons of God. R3051:1
Taught of the LORD – Taught of Jehovah. "Learned of the Father." (John 6:45) E50
Our Lord Jesus is the Great Teacher of men by the appointment of the Heavenly Father, the great Master Teacher above all. E50
God, however, does not teach all in the same time and way. R385:1*
In the school of Christ, learning not all lessons at once, but gradually, "line upon line, precept upon precept, here a little and there a little." (Isa. 28:10) R3051:1
Because unprejudiced and anxious for truth. E32
We should avoid following human teachers as leaders. Their teachings should be received only so far as they harmonize with the word of truth. R386:4*
Is it not reasonable that God, who is love and a kind and loving Father, should provide for the education of every individual who ever came into the world. R33:3*
Shall be the peace – Of those who understand the Lord's dealings. R3051:1
Without this peace one cannot have the joy of the Lord; and if they have not this it is because they have not been sufficiently taught of the Lord. R3051:3
Of the Millennial day, in which the Prince of Peace reigns. R2520:6
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| 14 In righteousness thou establishest thyself, Be far from oppression, for thou fearest not, And from ruin, for it cometh not near unto thee. |
In righteousness – Righteousness, justice, must be the foundation of every character acceptable to God. R3051:4
Shalt thou – The godly. R3051:3
Be established – Those who are not established in righteousness now will not be accounted worthy to be sharers in the first resurrection. R3051:3
Far from oppression – Having no sympathy with it. R3051:5
Anxious to set men free, not anxious to enslave them. R3051:5
Shalt not fear – "Perfect love casteth out fear." (1 John 4:18) The Lord's people should be the most fearless people in the world as respects earthly calamities. R3051:5
"Their fear toward me is taught by the precept of men." (Isa. 29:13) R3051:5
Not come near thee – Applies to the present life, and not to the life of glory. R3051:3
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| 15 Lo, he doth diligently assemble without My desire, Who hath assembled near thee By thee he falleth! |
Gather together – A general gathering together of opponents to the truth and its servants. R3051:6
Shall fall – Come to naught. It is impossible to injure the very elect. R3051.
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| 16 Lo, I I have prepared an artizan, Blowing on a fire of coals, And bringing out an instrument for his work, And I have prepared a destroyer to destroy. |
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| 17 No weapon formed against thee prospereth, And every tongue rising against thee, In judgment thou condemnest. This [is] the inheritance of the servants of Jehovah, And their righteousness from me, an affirmation of Jehovah! |
Against thee – Against the New Creature. R3050:3
The called, faithful and chosen ones--the Church. R1239:2*
The prince of this world has power to deceive and to lead astray many--if it were possible he would deceive even the very elect. The elect are the only class who cannot be deceived. R1239:2*
May be, to some extent, applicable to regathered and re-favored Israel after the flesh in the near future, when God will fulfil to them all his good promises. R3050:3
Shall prosper – Even though it may affect health, social position or financial prosperity. R3050:6
The rage of the enemies of truth is impotent except as it resorts to misrepresentation and sophistry, which the Lord assures us cannot "deceive the very elect." (Matt. 24:24) R2738:1
Rise against thee – In envy, malice, hatred, strife, slander. R3050:6
This merely injures the old creature--the flesh, already consecrated unto death. R3051:1
Is of me – "If God be for us, who can be against us. (Rom. 8:31) R3052:4
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