Isaiah 54 Study Notes: Barren Zion and the Covenant of Peace
The LORD tells childless Zion to sing and widen her tent, for her children will be many. Her Maker is her husband, His anger lasted only a moment, and like His oath after Noah's flood His peace covenant cannot fail; He promises a jeweled city, children taught by Him, and safety from every weapon.
General
Jesus cites 54:13 in John 6:45. What point is He making?
Answer: Those taught by the Father are the ones who come to Him
The LORD speaks to Zion as a city battered by storms and without comfort. He promises to rebuild her with precious stones for her foundations, pinnacles, gates, and walls (54:11-12), a picture Revelation takes up for the new Jerusalem (Revelation 21:18-21). Then He promises that the LORD Himself will teach all her children and that their well-being will be great (54:13). Jesus quotes this promise in John 6:45. Just before, He says a person is able to come to Him only if drawn by the Father, the One who sent Him (John 6:44). The Father’s teaching is how He draws people: everyone who listens to the Father and is taught by Him ends up coming to Jesus. The Father’s teaching does more than invite; it opens hearts, and those He teaches truly come. Jeremiah describes the new covenant the same way: all God’s people will know Him (Jeremiah 31:34).
- Isaiah 54:11-13 (BSB)““O afflicted city, lashed by storms, without solace, surely I will set your stones in antimony and lay your foundations with sapphires. I will make your pinnacles of rubies, your gates of sparkling jewels, and all your walls of precious stones. Then all your sons will be taught by the LORD, and great will be their prosperity.”The LORD promises to rebuild the storm-tossed city with precious stones and to teach all her children.
- John 6:44-45 (BSB)““No one can come to Me unless the Father who sent Me draws him, and I will raise him up at the last day. It is written in the Prophets: ‘And they will all be taught by God.’ Everyone who has heard the Father and learned from Him comes to Me—”Jesus says no one can come to Him unless the Father draws him, and quotes 54:13 to explain how.
- Jeremiah 31:34 (BSB)“No longer will each man teach his neighbor or his brother, saying, ‘Know the LORD,’ because they will all know Me, from the least of them to the greatest, declares the LORD. For I will forgive their iniquities and will remember their sins no more.””In the new covenant all God’s people, from least to greatest, will know Him.
- Revelation 21:18-21 (BSB)“The wall was made of jasper, and the city itself of pure gold, as pure as glass. The foundations of the city walls were adorned with every kind of precious stone: The first foundation was jasper, the second sapphire, the third chalcedony, the fourth emerald, the fifth sardonyx, the sixth carnelian, the seventh chrysolite, the eighth beryl, the ninth topaz, the tenth chrysoprase, the eleventh jacinth, and the twelfth amethyst. And the twelve gates were twelve pearls, with each gate consisting of a single pearl. The main street of the city was pure gold, as clear as glass.”The new Jerusalem is pictured with foundations of precious stones and gates of pearl.
Theological
What does Jesus teach by citing 54:13 in John 6:44-45?
Answer: Those taught by the Father are the ones who come to Him
The storm-battered city is to be rebuilt in splendor, with foundations, pinnacles, gates, and walls made of jewels (54:11-12), imagery echoed in the new Jerusalem (Revelation 21:18-21). The crowning promise is that the LORD Himself will teach all Zion’s children, and their well-being will be great (54:13). Jesus cites it in John 6:45 directly after declaring that none can come to Him except those the Father draws (John 6:44). The Father’s teaching is the means of His drawing, and it is effectual: everyone who hears and learns from the Father comes to the Son. This is the inward work of grace by which God brings His people to Christ, the new-covenant reality of Jeremiah 31:34, in which all God’s people, from least to greatest, know Him.
- Isaiah 54:11-13 (BSB)““O afflicted city, lashed by storms, without solace, surely I will set your stones in antimony and lay your foundations with sapphires. I will make your pinnacles of rubies, your gates of sparkling jewels, and all your walls of precious stones. Then all your sons will be taught by the LORD, and great will be their prosperity.”The LORD promises to rebuild the storm-tossed city with precious stones and to teach all her children.
- John 6:44-45 (BSB)““No one can come to Me unless the Father who sent Me draws him, and I will raise him up at the last day. It is written in the Prophets: ‘And they will all be taught by God.’ Everyone who has heard the Father and learned from Him comes to Me—”Jesus says no one can come to Him unless the Father draws him, and quotes 54:13 to explain how.
- Jeremiah 31:34 (BSB)“No longer will each man teach his neighbor or his brother, saying, ‘Know the LORD,’ because they will all know Me, from the least of them to the greatest, declares the LORD. For I will forgive their iniquities and will remember their sins no more.””In the new covenant all God’s people, from least to greatest, will know Him.
- Revelation 21:18-21 (BSB)“The wall was made of jasper, and the city itself of pure gold, as pure as glass. The foundations of the city walls were adorned with every kind of precious stone: The first foundation was jasper, the second sapphire, the third chalcedony, the fourth emerald, the fifth sardonyx, the sixth carnelian, the seventh chrysolite, the eighth beryl, the ninth topaz, the tenth chrysoprase, the eleventh jacinth, and the twelfth amethyst. And the twelve gates were twelve pearls, with each gate consisting of a single pearl. The main street of the city was pure gold, as clear as glass.”The new Jerusalem is pictured with foundations of precious stones and gates of pearl.
General
Paul quotes 54:1 in Galatians 4:27. Whom does he apply it to?
Answer: The free Jerusalem above, mother of believers
Right after the Servant’s suffering and victory, the LORD calls Zion to sing. She is pictured as a woman who has never borne a child, yet she is told that the deserted woman will have more children than the one with a husband (54:1). The image recalls Sarah, who was barren for many years (Genesis 11:30) until God gave her Isaac. Paul quotes 54:1 and applies it to the Jerusalem above, which is free and is the mother of all who believe (Galatians 4:26-27). Paul tells believers that, like Isaac, they are children born of promise (Galatians 4:28), brought into being through what God promised rather than in the ordinary human way. The once-empty city becomes the mother of a vast family.
- Isaiah 54:1 (BSB)““Shout for joy, O barren woman, who bears no children; break forth in song and cry aloud, you who have never travailed; because more are the children of the desolate woman than of her who has a husband,” says the LORD.”The LORD calls the childless woman, a picture of Zion, to sing because her children will outnumber those of the married woman.
- Genesis 11:30 (BSB)“But Sarai was barren; she had no children.”Sarai, Abraham’s wife, was barren and had no children, the background Paul draws on.
- Galatians 4:26-27 (BSB)“But the Jerusalem above is free, and she is our mother. For it is written: “Rejoice, O barren woman, who bears no children; break forth and cry aloud, you who have never travailed; because more are the children of the desolate woman than of her who has a husband.””Paul quotes 54:1 of the Jerusalem above, which is free and is the mother of believers.
- Galatians 4:28 (BSB)“Now you, brothers, like Isaac, are children of promise.”Paul tells believers that, like Isaac, they are children of promise.
Theological
To what does Paul apply 54:1 in Galatians 4:26-27?
Answer: The free Jerusalem above, mother of believers
Following the Servant’s atoning work, the LORD summons barren Zion to rejoice, for the desolate woman will have more children than the married one (54:1). The image draws on Sarah’s barrenness (Genesis 11:30) and God’s gift of the child of promise. Paul cites 54:1 of the heavenly Jerusalem, free and the mother of believers, in contrast to the earthly Jerusalem in bondage (Galatians 4:26-27). Those who believe are, like Isaac, children of promise (Galatians 4:28), owing their life to God’s promise rather than to the flesh. The fruitfulness of desolate Zion is fulfilled in the gathering of a great people through the gospel.
- Isaiah 54:1 (BSB)““Shout for joy, O barren woman, who bears no children; break forth in song and cry aloud, you who have never travailed; because more are the children of the desolate woman than of her who has a husband,” says the LORD.”The LORD calls the childless woman, a picture of Zion, to sing because her children will outnumber those of the married woman.
- Genesis 11:30 (BSB)“But Sarai was barren; she had no children.”Sarai, Abraham’s wife, was barren and had no children, the background Paul draws on.
- Galatians 4:26-27 (BSB)“But the Jerusalem above is free, and she is our mother. For it is written: “Rejoice, O barren woman, who bears no children; break forth and cry aloud, you who have never travailed; because more are the children of the desolate woman than of her who has a husband.””Paul quotes 54:1 of the Jerusalem above, which is free and is the mother of believers.
- Galatians 4:28 (BSB)“Now you, brothers, like Isaac, are children of promise.”Paul tells believers that, like Isaac, they are children of promise.
General
True or False: In 54:7-8, the LORD says He turned from Zion only briefly, while His compassion toward her is everlasting.
Answer: True
This is true. The LORD acknowledges that He did leave Zion for a short time and, in a flood of anger, hid His face from her. But He will bring her back with great compassion, and His kindness to her is everlasting (54:7-8). The exile was real judgment, but it was short compared with His lasting mercy. The psalmist says the same: God’s anger passes quickly, while His favor lasts for life (Psalm 30:5). Lamentations, mourning Jerusalem’s ruin, confesses that the Lord does not cast off His people forever but shows compassion out of His loving devotion (Lamentations 3:31-32). Paul likewise calls present affliction light and momentary next to the eternal glory it produces (2 Corinthians 4:17).
- Isaiah 54:7-8 (BSB)““For a brief moment I forsook you, but with great compassion I will bring you back. 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.”The LORD contrasts a brief moment of turning away in anger with His lasting compassion.
- Psalm 30:5 (BSB)“For His anger is fleeting, but His favor lasts a lifetime. Weeping may stay the night, but joy comes in the morning.”The psalmist says God’s anger is fleeting while His favor lasts a lifetime.
- Lamentations 3:31-32 (BSB)“For the Lord will not cast us off forever. Even if He causes grief, He will show compassion according to His abundant loving devotion.”The Lord will not cast off His people forever but shows compassion out of His loving devotion.
- 2 Corinthians 4:17 (BSB)“For our light and momentary affliction is producing for us an eternal weight of glory that is far beyond comparison.”Paul calls present affliction light and momentary compared with eternal glory.
Theological
True or False: In 54:7-8, the LORD says He turned from Zion only briefly, while His compassion toward her is everlasting.
Answer: True
This is true. The LORD frankly acknowledges a brief forsaking and a surge of wrath in which He hid His face, but sets against it great compassion and everlasting kindness (54:7-8). The exile was genuine judgment, yet its brevity is dwarfed by the permanence of His covenant mercy. The psalmist sets fleeting anger against lifelong favor (Psalm 30:5), and Lamentations, mourning Jerusalem’s ruin, confesses that the Lord does not reject forever but shows compassion in keeping with His great loving devotion (Lamentations 3:31-32). Paul applies the same proportion to believers’ sufferings, light and momentary beside the eternal glory they produce (2 Corinthians 4:17).
- Isaiah 54:7-8 (BSB)““For a brief moment I forsook you, but with great compassion I will bring you back. 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.”The LORD contrasts a brief moment of turning away in anger with His lasting compassion.
- Psalm 30:5 (BSB)“For His anger is fleeting, but His favor lasts a lifetime. Weeping may stay the night, but joy comes in the morning.”The psalmist says God’s anger is fleeting while His favor lasts a lifetime.
- Lamentations 3:31-32 (BSB)“For the Lord will not cast us off forever. Even if He causes grief, He will show compassion according to His abundant loving devotion.”The Lord will not cast off His people forever but shows compassion out of His loving devotion.
- 2 Corinthians 4:17 (BSB)“For our light and momentary affliction is producing for us an eternal weight of glory that is far beyond comparison.”Paul calls present affliction light and momentary compared with eternal glory.
General
In 54:2-3, why is Zion told to make her tent larger?
Answer: Her descendants will multiply and fill empty cities
Zion is pictured as a woman living in a tent. She is told to widen it, stretch out its curtains, lengthen its ropes, and drive its stakes in firmly, without holding back (54:2). The reason is growth: her family will spread out on every side, her descendants will take over nations, and they will live in cities that had been left empty (54:3). The LORD had already promised that Zion’s land would become too small for all her children (49:19-20). This echoes God’s promise to Jacob that his descendants would spread out in every direction and that every family on earth would be blessed through him (Genesis 28:14).
- Isaiah 54:2-3 (BSB)““Enlarge the site of your tent, stretch out the curtains of your dwellings, do not hold back. Lengthen your ropes and drive your stakes in deep. For you will spread out to the right and left; your descendants will dispossess the nations and inhabit the desolate cities.”Zion is told to make her tent larger because her descendants will spread out and settle deserted cities.
- Isaiah 49:19-20 (BSB)“For your ruined and desolate places and your ravaged land will now indeed be too small for your people, and those who devoured you will be far away. Yet the children of your bereavement will say in your hearing, ‘This place is too small for us; make room for us to live here.’”Earlier the LORD promised that Zion’s land would become too small for all her returning children.
- Genesis 28:14 (BSB)“Your descendants will be like the dust of the earth, and you will spread out to the west and east and north and south. All the families of the earth will be blessed through you and your offspring.”God promised Jacob that his descendants would spread out in every direction and bless all families of the earth.
Theological
What reason does 54:2-3 give for Zion’s enlarging her tent?
Answer: Her descendants will multiply and fill empty cities
The barren woman of 54:1 is told to prepare for a household too large for her present dwelling: widen the tent, extend the curtains, lengthen the cords, and strengthen the stakes (54:2), because her offspring will spread out on every side, dispossess nations, and resettle desolate cities (54:3). The promise takes up 49:19-20, where the land becomes too small for Zion’s children, and echoes the patriarchal promise to Jacob of descendants spreading in every direction and blessing reaching every family on earth (Genesis 28:14). The growth of God’s people is His work, flowing from His covenant promises.
- Isaiah 54:2-3 (BSB)““Enlarge the site of your tent, stretch out the curtains of your dwellings, do not hold back. Lengthen your ropes and drive your stakes in deep. For you will spread out to the right and left; your descendants will dispossess the nations and inhabit the desolate cities.”Zion is told to make her tent larger because her descendants will spread out and settle deserted cities.
- Isaiah 49:19-20 (BSB)“For your ruined and desolate places and your ravaged land will now indeed be too small for your people, and those who devoured you will be far away. Yet the children of your bereavement will say in your hearing, ‘This place is too small for us; make room for us to live here.’”Earlier the LORD promised that Zion’s land would become too small for all her returning children.
- Genesis 28:14 (BSB)“Your descendants will be like the dust of the earth, and you will spread out to the west and east and north and south. All the families of the earth will be blessed through you and your offspring.”God promised Jacob that his descendants would spread out in every direction and bless all families of the earth.
General
In 54:5, who is named as Zion’s husband?
Answer: The LORD who made her and who redeems her
Zion is told not to fear shame or disgrace. The disgrace of her younger years and of her time as a widow will fade from memory (54:4). The reason is that the One who made her is her husband; He is the Holy One of Israel, her Redeemer, and God over the whole earth (54:5). The LORD is calling her back like a wife who had been abandoned and grieved (54:6). Marriage is one of the Bible’s pictures of God’s covenant, His binding promise to His people. Hosea used it when the LORD promised to betroth His people to Himself forever (Hosea 2:19-20). The New Testament shows Christ as the husband who loved His church and handed Himself over for her sake (Ephesians 5:25), and the final holy city as His bride (Revelation 21:2).
- Isaiah 54:4-6 (BSB)“Do not be afraid, for you will not be put to shame; do not be intimidated, for you will not be humiliated. For you will forget the shame of your youth and will remember no more the reproach of your widowhood. For your husband is your Maker—the LORD of Hosts is His name—the Holy One of Israel is your Redeemer; He is called the God of all the earth. For the LORD has called you back, like a wife deserted and wounded in spirit, like the rejected wife of one’s youth,” says your God.”The LORD tells Zion she will forget her shame, because her Maker is her husband and her Redeemer is calling her back.
- Hosea 2:19-20 (BSB)“So I will betroth you to Me forever; I will betroth you in righteousness and justice, in loving devotion and compassion. And I will betroth you in faithfulness, and you will know the LORD.””The LORD promises to betroth His people to Himself forever in faithfulness and compassion.
- Ephesians 5:25 (BSB)“Husbands, love your wives, just as Christ loved the church and gave Himself up for her”Christ loved the church and gave Himself up for her.
- Revelation 21:2 (BSB)“I saw the holy city, the new Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God, prepared as a bride adorned for her husband.”The new Jerusalem is pictured as a bride made ready for her husband.
Theological
Whom does 54:5 identify as Zion’s husband?
Answer: The LORD who made her and who redeems her
Zion’s shame and the reproach of her widowhood will be forgotten (54:4), because her husband is the One who made her, the Holy One of Israel, her Redeemer, God over the whole earth (54:5). He calls her back as a forsaken and grieving wife (54:6). The marriage image expresses the covenant bond in which God binds Himself to His people in faithful love, as in Hosea 2:19-20, where He betroths them to Himself forever. The New Testament reveals Christ as the Bridegroom who loved His church and delivered Himself up for her sake (Ephesians 5:25), with the new Jerusalem prepared as His bride (Revelation 21:2).
- Isaiah 54:4-6 (BSB)“Do not be afraid, for you will not be put to shame; do not be intimidated, for you will not be humiliated. For you will forget the shame of your youth and will remember no more the reproach of your widowhood. For your husband is your Maker—the LORD of Hosts is His name—the Holy One of Israel is your Redeemer; He is called the God of all the earth. For the LORD has called you back, like a wife deserted and wounded in spirit, like the rejected wife of one’s youth,” says your God.”The LORD tells Zion she will forget her shame, because her Maker is her husband and her Redeemer is calling her back.
- Hosea 2:19-20 (BSB)“So I will betroth you to Me forever; I will betroth you in righteousness and justice, in loving devotion and compassion. And I will betroth you in faithfulness, and you will know the LORD.””The LORD promises to betroth His people to Himself forever in faithfulness and compassion.
- Ephesians 5:25 (BSB)“Husbands, love your wives, just as Christ loved the church and gave Himself up for her”Christ loved the church and gave Himself up for her.
- Revelation 21:2 (BSB)“I saw the holy city, the new Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God, prepared as a bride adorned for her husband.”The new Jerusalem is pictured as a bride made ready for her husband.
General
According to 54:16-17, why can Zion be sure that no weapon used against her will succeed?
Answer: The LORD made both the weapon-maker and the destroyer
Zion will be established in righteousness, far from oppression and terror (54:14). Any attack on her does not come from the LORD, and every attacker will fall (54:15). The LORD explains why: He made the smith who blows on the coals and makes weapons, and He created the destroyer too (54:16). Since both the maker of weapons and the destroyer are His creatures, no weapon shaped against her will succeed, and she will answer every accusing voice (54:17). This is what the LORD’s servants inherit, and their vindication, being proven right, comes from Him. God rules over all things (Isaiah 45:7). With the LORD on his side, the psalmist would not fear what people could do (Psalm 118:6). Paul says that when God is on His people’s side, no one can succeed against them or bring a charge against His chosen ones (Romans 8:31-33).
- Isaiah 54:14-17 (BSB)“In righteousness you will be established, far from oppression, for you will have no fear. Terror will be far removed, for it will not come near you. If anyone attacks you, it is not from Me; whoever assails you will fall before you. Behold, I have created the craftsman who fans the coals into flame and forges a weapon fit for its task; and I have created the destroyer to wreak havoc. No weapon formed against you shall prosper, and you will refute every tongue that accuses you. This is the heritage of the servants of the LORD, and their vindication is from Me,” declares the LORD.”The LORD promises Zion security in righteousness, says He created the smith and the destroyer, and declares that no weapon against her will succeed.
- Isaiah 45:7 (BSB)“I form the light and create the darkness; I bring prosperity and create calamity. I, the LORD, do all these things.”The LORD says He brings prosperity and creates calamity; He rules over all that happens.
- Romans 8:31-33 (BSB)“What then shall we say in response to these things? If God is for us, who can be against us? He who did not spare His own Son but gave Him up for us all, how will He not also, along with Him, freely give us all things? Who will bring any charge against God’s elect? It is God who justifies.”If God is for His people, no one can stand against them or bring a charge against His elect.
- Psalm 118:6 (BSB)“The LORD is on my side; I will not be afraid. What can man do to me?”The psalmist says the LORD is on his side, so he will not be afraid of what man can do.
Theological
What ground does 54:16-17 give for the promise that no weapon shaped against Zion will succeed?
Answer: The LORD made both the weapon-maker and the destroyer
Zion will be established in righteousness, far from oppression and terror (54:14); any assault does not come from the LORD, and the assailant will fall (54:15). The ground is God’s sovereignty over the very instruments of attack: He created the smith who forges the weapon and the destroyer who brings havoc (54:16), so no weapon raised against Zion can succeed, and she will refute every accusing tongue (54:17). This is the inheritance of the LORD’s servants, whose vindication comes from Him. The LORD who brings both well-being and calamity (Isaiah 45:7) holds every threat in His hand, so the psalmist, with the LORD on his side, would not fear what people could do (Psalm 118:6). Paul applies the same logic to the elect: if God is on our side, none can prevail against us, and no charge can stand because God justifies (Romans 8:31-33).
- Isaiah 54:14-17 (BSB)“In righteousness you will be established, far from oppression, for you will have no fear. Terror will be far removed, for it will not come near you. If anyone attacks you, it is not from Me; whoever assails you will fall before you. Behold, I have created the craftsman who fans the coals into flame and forges a weapon fit for its task; and I have created the destroyer to wreak havoc. No weapon formed against you shall prosper, and you will refute every tongue that accuses you. This is the heritage of the servants of the LORD, and their vindication is from Me,” declares the LORD.”The LORD promises Zion security in righteousness, says He created the smith and the destroyer, and declares that no weapon against her will succeed.
- Isaiah 45:7 (BSB)“I form the light and create the darkness; I bring prosperity and create calamity. I, the LORD, do all these things.”The LORD says He brings prosperity and creates calamity; He rules over all that happens.
- Romans 8:31-33 (BSB)“What then shall we say in response to these things? If God is for us, who can be against us? He who did not spare His own Son but gave Him up for us all, how will He not also, along with Him, freely give us all things? Who will bring any charge against God’s elect? It is God who justifies.”If God is for His people, no one can stand against them or bring a charge against His elect.
- Psalm 118:6 (BSB)“The LORD is on my side; I will not be afraid. What can man do to me?”The psalmist says the LORD is on his side, so he will not be afraid of what man can do.
General
Why does the LORD bring up Noah in 54:9?
Answer: To compare this oath with His oath after the flood
After the flood, God swore that a flood would not again sweep over the earth (Genesis 9:11). Now He says that, in the same way, He has sworn not to be angry with Zion or rebuke her (54:9). Even if the mountains were moved and the hills shaken, His loving devotion would not leave her, and His covenant of peace would not be broken (54:10). A covenant is a binding promise God makes to His people, and this one brings peace between Him and them. Ezekiel also speaks of an everlasting covenant of peace (Ezekiel 37:26). Paul states the same certainty for believers: nothing in all creation can separate them from God’s love in Christ Jesus (Romans 8:38-39). God keeps those He has brought into His covenant.
- Isaiah 54:9-10 (BSB)““For to Me this is like the days of Noah, when I swore that the waters of Noah would never again cover the earth. So I have sworn that I will not be angry with you or rebuke you. Though the mountains may be removed and the hills may be shaken, My loving devotion will not depart from you, and My covenant of peace will not be broken,” says the LORD, who has compassion on you.”The LORD compares His oath to Zion with His oath after the flood and promises that His loving devotion and covenant of peace will stand.
- Genesis 9:11 (BSB)“And I establish My covenant with you: Never again will all life be cut off by the waters of a flood; never again will there be a flood to destroy the earth.””After the flood God established His covenant never again to destroy the earth by a flood.
- Ezekiel 37:26 (BSB)“And I will make a covenant of peace with them; it will be an everlasting covenant. I will establish them and multiply them, and I will set My sanctuary among them forever.”The LORD promises an everlasting covenant of peace with His people.
- Romans 8:38-39 (BSB)“For I am convinced that neither death nor life, neither angels nor principalities, neither the present nor the future, nor any powers, neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord.”Nothing in all creation can separate believers from God’s love in Christ Jesus.
Theological
What is the point of the LORD’s reference to Noah in 54:9?
Answer: To compare this oath with His oath after the flood
The LORD grounds His promise to Zion in the precedent of the Noahic covenant: as He swore after the flood never again to send a flood over the whole earth (Genesis 9:11), so He has sworn not to be angry with Zion or rebuke her (54:9). Though mountains are moved and hills totter, His loving devotion will remain and His peace covenant will stand unbroken (54:10). Ezekiel 37:26 likewise promises an everlasting covenant of peace. The certainty rests on God’s oath, not on the people’s constancy, and Paul draws the same conclusion for those in Christ: nothing in creation can separate them from God’s love in Christ Jesus (Romans 8:38-39). Those God reconciles to Himself, He keeps.
- Isaiah 54:9-10 (BSB)““For to Me this is like the days of Noah, when I swore that the waters of Noah would never again cover the earth. So I have sworn that I will not be angry with you or rebuke you. Though the mountains may be removed and the hills may be shaken, My loving devotion will not depart from you, and My covenant of peace will not be broken,” says the LORD, who has compassion on you.”The LORD compares His oath to Zion with His oath after the flood and promises that His loving devotion and covenant of peace will stand.
- Genesis 9:11 (BSB)“And I establish My covenant with you: Never again will all life be cut off by the waters of a flood; never again will there be a flood to destroy the earth.””After the flood God established His covenant never again to destroy the earth by a flood.
- Ezekiel 37:26 (BSB)“And I will make a covenant of peace with them; it will be an everlasting covenant. I will establish them and multiply them, and I will set My sanctuary among them forever.”The LORD promises an everlasting covenant of peace with His people.
- Romans 8:38-39 (BSB)“For I am convinced that neither death nor life, neither angels nor principalities, neither the present nor the future, nor any powers, neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord.”Nothing in all creation can separate believers from God’s love in Christ Jesus.