““Sing, O barren one, who did not bear; break forth into singing and cry aloud, you who have not been in labor! For the children of the desolate one will be more than the children of her who is married,” says the Lord. “Enlarge the place of your tent, and let the curtains of your habitations be stretched out; do not hold back; lengthen your cords and strengthen your stakes. For you will spread abroad to the right and to the left, and your offspring will possess the nations and will people the desolate cities. ” (Isaiah 54:1-3, ESV)

This chapter can almost seem like a parenthesis between chapter 53 and the description of Jesus death, and chapter 55 with its offer of Salvation. But, if we take a closer look, it is totally connected to both of those thoughts.

In these first three verses of the chapter, Israel is depicted as a barren woman. In that culture, barrenness was one of the worst things that could befall a woman. So here, the whole nation is depicted as “barren”.

Why?

Why would God use the language of barrenness to describe this people that in many ways had been anything but barren? Obviously, there is some sense in which Israel was barren, some “offspring” that had been promised and anticipated, but never come.

If we trace this back, the most logical conclusion takes us all the way back to Exodus 19. Building on the covenant promises to Abraham (who was told that he and his descendants would be blessed to be a blessing), Israel is declared by God to be a Kingdom of Priests. Their function as priests; representing God to the nations and the nations to God; was contingent on their ability to obey the commands of the covenant.

We know their story. Israel never fully functioned in this role. They had ups and downs, but they were never the people God wanted them to be in the truest sense. The closest they ever came was during the building and commissioning of the temple at the close of David’s rule and the beginning of Solomon’s. It was during that time, when Solomon declared that the temple had significance not just for the Jew, but for ALL PEOPLE. Why? Significant simply because God is not just the God of Israel, but He is the King of Kings and Lord of Lords.

So back to our text… this barrenness was coming to an end, and it was coming to an end BECAUSE of what Jesus did on the cross. What had been impossible for Israel was now made possible. Because of Jesus, the “borders” were about to be blown wide open, and salvation was going to come to all the world through the Jewish people.

So for us, the implication is clear: Jesus Christ changed EVERYTHING! Because of Him, we can now be the people of God!