"Sing, O barren woman, you who never bore a child; burst into song, shout for joy, you who were never in labor; because more are the children of the desolate woman than of her who has a husband," says the Lord (Isa 54:1).

These words, which sound paradoxical, were not simply spoken to comfort barren women. For the historical background of this oracle, we need to go back to the time of Jeremiah and that of Ezra-Nehemiah—the destruction of Jerusalem and the captivity, and the restoration of the city and the people. The Bible contains many stories of barren women: for instance, Sarah the wife of Abraham (Gen 11:30ff), Rebekah the wife of Isaac (Gen 25:21), Rachel the wife of Jacob (Gen 30), the wife of Manoah, the mother of Samson (Judg 13), Hannah the mother of Samuel (1 Sam 1), and Elizabeth the mother of John the Baptist (Luke 1). God used these women, and called their children before they were born. The above scripture prophesied about the redemption and the restoration of Israel whom Yahweh once divorced, but it also applies to those who are Jews inwardly, the Israel of God, children of promise today. We are the results of God’s work of creation through Jesus Christ.

Paul, by quoting from the above passage in Isaiah, explains the spiritual status of those who are in Christ as follows:

These things may be taken figuratively, for the women represent two covenants. One covenant is from Mount Sinai and bears children who are to be slaves: This is Hagar. … But the Jerusalem that is above is free, and she is our mother. For it is written: "Be glad, O barren woman, who bears no children … because more are the children of the desolate woman than of her who has a husband (Gal 4:24-27)."

We were born not from the earthly city of Jerusalem, but from Jerusalem that is above. God’s creation occurred not on Hagar, but on Sarah who was barren. The children who were born from Sarah are children of promise, and God’s unfailing grace and blessings are upon them.

Enlarge the place of your tent, stretch your tent curtains wide, do not hold back; lengthen your cords, strengthen your stakes. For you will spread out to the right and to the left; your descendants will dispossess nations and settle in their desolate cities (Isa 54:2-3).

God, the Creator, is the husband of our mother.

For your Maker is your husband--the Lord Almighty is his name-- the Holy One of Israel is your Redeemer; he is called the God of all the earth (vv. 5).

This husband loved his wife so much that we were born.

"For a brief moment I abandoned you, but with deep compassion I will bring you back. … with everlasting kindness I will have compassion on you," says the Lord your Redeemer (vv. 7-8).

The reason this wife was abandoned was because she committed adultery: not that he abandoned her, but rather, she abandoned him by going to another man. In spite of all this, this husband loved her.

"To me this is like the days of Noah, when I swore that the waters of Noah would never again cover the earth. So now I have sworn not to be angry with you, never to rebuke you again. Though the mountains be shaken and the hills be removed, yet my unfailing love for you will not be shaken nor my covenant of peace be removed," says the Lord, who has compassion on you (vv. 9-10).

Creation occurs where there is love. Without love, there is no creation. Hatred is darkness and brings destruction, but love is light and brings creation. Let us love one another to bring this light of creation around us.

Yet I am writing you a new command; … because the darkness is passing and the true light is already shining. … Whoever loves his brother lives in the light, and there is nothing in him to make him stumble. But whoever hates his brother is in the darkness and walks around in the darkness; he does not know where he is going, because the darkness has blinded him (1 John 2:8-11).