Isaiah 55:12, commentary and pictures

God's word is certain to succeed like rain watering the ground to produce harvest, accomplishing His purpose wherever He sends it. Those who seek Him, turn from wrong ways and trust that word will leave bondage with gladness and be guided safely in calm assurance. The singing hills and applauding trees are picture language for all creation joining in praise as His purpose is fulfilled, teaching His love, wisdom and power and calling people to worship Him. That promise is fulfilled when believers carry the gospel to others, going forward happily and led by His presence even through hardship, with angels impressing hearts beside them. Their labor is crowned by transformed lives where useless growth is replaced by fruitful beauty as a desert blossoms, standing as a lasting memorial to Him.

Context and Promise

The joyful going out and peaceful leading rests on the certainty of God's effective word, which works like rain and snow watering the earth to give seed for the sower and bread for the eater, never returning empty but accomplishing what He pleases and prospering where He sends it. Because His word does not return void, those who trust it go forward with joy and are led forth in peace, with mountains and hills breaking into singing and trees of the field clapping their hands before them. Its fulfillment is seen in a changed state where the fir replaces the thorn and the myrtle replaces the brier as an everlasting sign to the Lord and to His name and glory.

The promise is one of the richest promises of God's Word, received on the condition of obedience. It is given to those who seek the Lord while He may be found, turn from harmful ways, and trust His word, and its joy and peace accompany repentance and a changed character. It counters the belief that a sinner's case is hopeless, showing that those who turn to Him will go forward with joy and be led in peace.

In its setting the chapter is a message of reproof to be studied thoroughly and not by selecting only accepted words. It was spoken to all in responsible positions, especially to those in high positions carrying great responsibilities who have had great light, rebuking pride, self-importance, self-exaltation, and domineering authority. It opposes the strange fire of harsh words, arbitrary authority, oppression, and man-made restrictions on God's people, calling instead for seeking power and wisdom from God alone in order to represent truth in righteousness, magnify the truth, and present the holy perfume of the character of Christ before men and angels, like Daniel. It also rebukes those who seek God daily and delight in outward ordinances and fasting while retaining selfishness, injustice, and oppression, and who then charge God with withholding His favor, and it is to be read together with Isaiah 50-58, Isaiah 58:1-3, Exodus 31:12-18, and Isaiah 56:1-8. Heeding it and warning God's people with it so they understand what is truth is part of making thorough work and is a neglected duty.

Its language is figurative and must be applied and understood: the mountains and hills breaking into singing and all the trees of the field clapping their hands picture creation joining in glad praise as God's purpose is fulfilled. The joyful, peaceful going out is accompanied by creation rejoicing, and the following image of thorn and brier giving way to useful, beautiful, fruitful trees describes lasting renewal. The trees and other features of the natural world teach about God and the Creator, with forest trees swaying in the wind rebuking human silence and indifference, while their beauty and life express His love, wisdom, and power and draw to worship of Him rather than of nature.

The passage belongs to comfort, promise, and encouragement, affirming that God's wisdom and ways are higher than human understanding and that His word brings salvation and blessing. It shows an open door where a person can enter and meet with God, seek Him earnestly, and find Him. Receiving it calls for the meekness Christ showed, humbling the heart before God and standing in right relation to Him.

Fulfillment in Gospel Work

Those who answer God's call, invitation, and life-giving word by going out to spread the gospel message, share His word, help others receive eternal life, plant and sow in faith for perishing souls, and work in harmony with His plan of education go forward with joy and are guided and led forth in peace by His sustaining grace, continual presence, and keeping power. This joyful going out and peaceful leading holds even when their work is hindered and their experience is hard and grievous. The verse belongs among Scriptures to be studied about witnessing to His power.

Angels work alongside the faithful human worker to accomplish what the worker could not do alone, making impressions on the minds of those for whom they labor. The merciful Father permits workers to see the fulfillment here on earth in this life to encourage them and strengthen their faith, sometimes seeing evidence of the power of His grace upon hearts and lives. Its fulfillment is seen in transformation of character where evil passions are cast out and the sweet graces of the Holy Spirit develop in their place, so barren lives become fruitful. In this change life's desert rejoices and blossoms as the rose.

The accompanying renewal in which the thorn is replaced by the fir tree and the brier by the myrtle tree describes useful, beautiful, fruitful plants replacing useless ones. This change stands as an everlasting sign to the Lord and to His name and glory.

Receiving the promise calls for diligence by pastors and people to awake from spiritual stupidity, arise and shine, wake up in the cities and give to others the precious light given them. Every worker is to hold up the hands of fellow workers and never speak discouragement. Complaint, perverseness, darkness, and discouragement are forbidden, and instead there is to be talking light, looking on the bright side, and rejoicing in the Lord. Humbling the heart before God in the meekness Christ showed and standing in right relation to Him belongs to receiving this comfort and encouragement. Advancing the gospel by practical sacrifice, such as redirecting money from a costly organ to build a house of worship that represents and sends out the message, helps bring the promised outcome about.