Isaiah 54:3, commentary and pictures

The promise is that after barrenness God's people will expand in every direction without sparing or delay, like enlarging a tent by stretching its curtains, lengthening its cords and strengthening its stakes. Their descendants and spiritual offspring will spread widely among outsiders and possess the nations, and places left dark, desolate and spiritually barren will again be filled with people who receive the gospel and take hold of eternal life. It is spoken to those told to sing and not fear and to forget past shame, because their Maker is their Husband, the Lord of hosts and Redeemer, the Holy One of Israel and God of the whole earth. For His people today it is a command to shake off apathy and indifference toward those perishing without hope, and to refuse to colonize together in one place or confine the work to those already reached, but to plant the truth and establish the work in new territories, peoples and lands, especially large cities and neglected fields. That increase in numbers and enlarged borders comes when they follow where providence leads in united wholehearted labor in the power of the Spirit, lifting up Christ and calling others to keep His commandments, and then selfishness is put away, unity is restored, and God gives victory even when liberty is endangered and evil forces seek to close every channel of light.

Promise and Context

To break forth on the right hand and on the left is to enlarge without sparing or delay and to expand in every direction. It is pictured as enlarging the place of the tent, stretching forth the curtains, lengthening the cords and strengthening the stakes after barrenness. That enlargement carries the reaching of the Gentiles and the perishing with salvation.

Thy seed shall inherit the Gentiles means the descendants and the spiritual offspring will spread widely and possess the nations. They will reach among the Gentiles, including outsiders, the unreached and the perishing, and bring people from many nations into the faith with the good news of salvation. To make the desolate cities to be inhabited means places left desolate will again be inhabited. Those are dark places and spiritually barren places brought back to life when people receive the gospel and take hold of eternal realities, as light is carried in despite evil forces rallying to close every channel of light.

The promise belongs to those told to sing and fear not. It belongs to those told to forget the shame of youth and the reproach of widowhood, because the Maker is their Husband, the Lord of hosts, the Redeemer, the Holy One of Israel, the God of the whole earth. It is spoken to the church, to those who know the Lord and the truth that is to exert a reformatory action upon the world. The chapter is a prophecy regarding Christ's work given to be a help and a blessing to His people.

Missionary Expansion Today

This is God's word to His people today commanding missionary expansion without sparing or delay. Because God and His only begotten Son paid a great price to save the race from irretrievable ruin, those who have learned that price and claim to have received Christ as Saviour must not pass by with indifference those perishing without God and without hope. Apathy must be shaken off and something done for Christ at once, because the time for work is short, by enlarging the place of work and expanding in every direction to reach the Gentiles and cause desolate cities to be inhabited.

Breaking forth on the right hand and on the left forbids colonizing together or settling in one place or confining the work to those who have already heard the truth. It commands making plants of truth in all places and establishing work everywhere among new territories, peoples, lands and nations. Ministers are not to confine their labors to the churches, for churches have too long centered attention upon themselves, but earnest united effort is to take the last message of mercy to a fallen world into places where it has not yet been proclaimed.

That effort is to reach outsiders and the unreached especially in large cities and neglected fields, carrying the light of the gospel into dark places. It must go forward even while evil forces rally to close every channel of light. Many who never heard the message for this time will gladly receive it when the trumpet gives a certain sound.

In the time when the liberty of the church of Christ is endangered, this breaking forth means true missionary work in public ministry and in house-to-house labor. When aroused to do wholehearted work in the power of the Spirit, the truth will be presented in neglected cities in clear, distinct lines and the grace of Christ will be seen. Selfishness will then be separated from lives, unity and confidence will be restored, and God will give His people victory over the oppression of transgressors.

The work is to proclaim everywhere the truth for this time by those into whose hearts the light has shone, as workmen and witnesses whose work is to serve and honor Him. It includes spreading saving truth, lifting up Christ, and helping many take hold of eternal realities. Others are to be called to keep His commandments and live, because obedience to the law of God is the question that is to test the world.

Enlarging borders means taking the truth throughout the world, including to those in the higher classes. It applies to work for the people in America, who need help more than any other people and for whom not one-thousandth part of the work that should be done has been done. The promised increase in numbers and enlarged boundaries is fulfilled when God's people willingly follow the path of providence where Christ leads the way. That fulfillment depends on the reformation God requires, and unbelief pressing in on every side hinders it.

The same promise assures God's cause and institutions after peril and threatened corruption that victory and expansion come through clean, converted, consecrated workers who follow God's ordering and stand firmly and unitedly to build His kingdom. The image of salvation appearing on the right and on the left applies to united, God-guided efforts in education and mission. It requires action and reaction and the maintaining and increasing of the work of educating youth to reach higher and still higher toward the standard of genuine Christian education. That includes training many workers at Avondale for mission fields as people follow the light given to them. The promise is also hope and encouragement from God for one who may struggle to hope in His mercy, showing that God cares for such people and that faith is to hold to the hope offered in His Word.