Singing For Joy

There is a beautiful passage in Isaiah 49 that has meant a great deal to me personally. It brings me comfort because it displays the great character of God. I hope it will do the same for you.

“Sing for joy, O heavens, and exult, O earth;
break forth, O mountains, into singing!
For the Lord has comforted his people
and will have compassion on his afflicted.

But Zion said, ‘The Lord has forsaken me;
my Lord has forgotten me.’

Can a woman forget her nursing child,
that she should have no compassion on the son of her womb?
Even these may forget,
yet I will not forget you.
Behold, I have engraved you on the palms of my hands...” (v.13-16a)

At first glance, the opening of this passage seems strangely out of place for what follows. The context, though, explains the exuberance that is contained here. Immediately prior to this God encourages the Israelites to persevere in the midst of a very difficult struggle, the upcoming exile. God is very clear, though, that His intent is to restore Israel someday.  Until that time His people need to remember all His promises, especially when they become tempted to believe that God had forsaken them. Don’t grieving souls need this help as well?

John Calvin explains it in this way:

“Afflictions trouble our consciences, and cause them to waver in such a manner that it is not so easy to rest firmly on the promises of God. In short, men either remain in suspense, or tremble, or utterly fall and even faint. So long as they are oppressed by fear or anxiety, or grief, they scarcely accept of any consolation; and therefore they need to be confirmed in various ways. This is the reason why Isaiah describes the advantages of this deliverance in such lofty terms, in order that believers, though they beheld nothing around them but death and ruin, might sustain their heart by the hope of a better condition. Accordingly, he places the subject almost before their eye, that they may be fully convinced that they shall have the most abundant cause of rejoicing; though at that time they saw nothing but grief and sorrow.”

These truths are for us, also. Whenever we are overwhelmed by fear, anxiety, or grief, we need to turn to the One who makes great promises and then keeps them. God will never leave us or forsake us. He will comfort His people and have compassion on those who are afflicted. One day we will be delivered from the oppression of our sorrow. One day we shall be transported to a much better condition - Heaven itself. And one day we will sing for joy.

More on this passage in the next post.