NOTES for Isa 54:1-17
Once again we hear the Lord speak words of support to those whose lives have long been troubled. The Lord speaks of the many gifts that those whom He addresses will receive, and we might be tempted to focus on the gifts, reduce the manifestation of His mercy to them, and stop there.
Of course, we should not deny the manifestation of mercy in gifts and care, but neither should we forget that God shows His love here to those who have passed through calamities, falls, and shame—and through their own fault, although even that is no longer the point. And though the calamities were “temporary setbacks,” what is temporary can last a very long time, and time moves even more slowly when one is in pain. But calamities pass not because “everything passes” mechanically, but because the Father is merciful to His children, wherever they may have wandered.