All your children will be taught by the Lord , and great will be their peace.
Isaiah 54:13 NIV
https://isaiah.bible/isaiah-54-13
In this 54th chapter of Isaiah, that is speaking of “The Future Glory of Zion”, we see rejoicing, expansion, restoration and Godly protection that comes after a period of rebuke/discipline.
And we find here an answer to the “why” we might be tempted to ask in the middle of the storm:
“See, it is I who created the blacksmith who fans the coals into flame and forges a weapon fit for its work. And it is I who have created the destroyer to wreak havoc; no weapon forged against you will prevail, and you will refute every tongue that accuses you. This is the heritage of the servants of the Lord , and this is their vindication from me,” declares the Lord .
Isaiah 54:16-17 NIV
https://bible.com/bible/111/isa.54.16-17.NIV
This is great encouragement to us personally, that even what is seemingly “wreaking havoc” against us in this world — their weapons cannot prevail, their accusations cannot stand.
And even better than personal protection from attack (verses 16-17) — but in our verse of focus, we see a promise for the children — not just some of them, but “all of your children”. And look at this promise. To be “taught by the Lord” and “great will be their peace”.
So we see “the shame of your youth”, past childishness, naive mistakes, foolishness — we see that these things resulted in “for a brief moment I abandoned you”, but that “with deep compassion I will bring you back”.
Now admittedly so, this chapter in Isaiah is about Israel in its original context. But in Galatians in the New Testament, we hear that there is no longer Jew and Gentile. But that we are one in Christ Jesus — so this speaks to our relationship with God as the church, as the Bride of Christ.
So when I am going through the fire, I can trust that:
1) I will be protected
2) Accusations will be refuted
3) My children will be taught
4) My children will know great peace
What if we are going through a trial, and our example — either of faithfully trusting the Lord or foolishly and childishly pitching a fit — will teach those around us lessons in peace and in trusting the Lord? Would you be satisfied to suffer for a moment, or to look foolish for a moment, as long as those you love saw in the end that the accusations were false and that they learned peace from the Lord?
Do you see that is what Christ did for you?
He was willing to suffer, to be accused, and to look foolish in the moment — trusting that God had a purpose and plan not to harm, but to restore and expand and to impact greatly those He loves and cares about.
And we are called to believe this and confess it to receive forgiveness and restoration for our childishness and foolishness — then follow in the very same pattern, to walk in The Way.
Are we willing to be humiliated, to be wrongly accused, to suffer for a brief moment – so that those we love and care about might see The Way and be taught by the Lord and have great peace?
Harold J. Ballinger 