In Isaiah, chapter fifty-four, verses four through eight, “For thy Maker is thine husband; the LORD of hosts is his name; and thy Redeemer the Holy One of Israel; The God of the whole earth shall he be called. For the LORD hath called thee as a woman forsaken and grieved in spirit, and a wife of youth, when thou wast refused, saith thy God. For a small moment have I forsaken thee; but with great mercies will I gather thee. In a little wrath I hid my face from thee for a moment; but with everlasting kindness will I have mercy on thee, saith the LORD thy Redeemer.”
God’s exiled people should not fear that their disgrace would continue forever, for God’s judgment was soon to give way to salvation. God would have compassion on His barren people and restore them to a place of favor in their own land. The “shame of thy youth” may refer to the period of slavery in Egypt; the “reproach of thy widowhood” historically refers to the Babylonian captivity.
As God is slow to anger, so he is swift to show mercy. And how sweet the returns of mercy would be, when God should come and comfort them! He will have mercy on them. God’s gathering of his people takes rise from his mercy, not any merit of theirs; and it is with great mercy, with everlasting kindness. The wrath is little, the mercies great; the wrath for a moment, the kindness everlasting. We are neither to despond under afflictions, nor to despair of relief.
Mountains have been shaken and removed, but God’s promises are never broken. Mountains and hills also signify great men. Creature-confidences shall fail, but when our friends fail us, our God does not. All this is alike, applicable to the church at large, and to each believer. God will rebuke and correct His people for sins, but He will not cast them off. Let this encourage us to give more diligence to make our calling and election sure.