Commentary - Isaiah 66:10-14

Bird's-eye view

This passage is a geyser of pure, unadulterated gospel joy. After sixty-five chapters of sin, judgment, exile, and promises of a coming Servant, Isaiah concludes with this glorious vision of the triumphant people of God. The central metaphor is that of Jerusalem as a nursing mother, providing abundant comfort, satisfaction, and delight to her children. This is not the old, earthly Jerusalem, which was so often a harlot, but rather the New Jerusalem, the Church of Jesus Christ, the mother of us all. The command is to rejoice, and the reason is that God Himself has determined to pour out His peace and glory upon His people. This is a picture of the New Covenant community, nurtured by the means of grace, comforted directly by God with a mother's tenderness, and filled with such life that their very bones flourish. It is a postmillennial vision in miniature: peace flowing like a river, and the glory of the nations streaming into the City of God, all of it a result of God making His hand known to His servants and His wrath known to His enemies.

The passage pivots from a command to rejoice (v. 10) to the reason for that joy, which is the rich nurture of the covenant community (v. 11). It then reveals the ultimate source of this nurture: Yahweh Himself, who pours out peace and glory (v. 12) and comforts His people with the tenderness of a mother (v. 13). The result of this divine action is profound internal joy, physical and corporate vitality, and a clear public demonstration of God’s favor on His people and His indignation toward His foes (v. 14). This is what the Church is meant to be, and what, by faith, she is.

Outline

Context In Isaiah

These verses come at the absolute climax of Isaiah's prophecy. The immediate context is the creation of the new heavens and the new earth (Isa 65:17), a reality inaugurated by the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ. The Lord has just finished distinguishing between His true servants who will inherit these promises and the rebels who will be judged (Isa 65:13-16). Chapter 66 continues this great sorting, contrasting the humble who tremble at God's word with the arrogant who practice abominable worship (Isa 66:1-4). This section, verses 10-14, is the positive heart of the conclusion. It is the great invitation to the faithful remnant, those who truly loved Jerusalem and mourned her fallen state, to enter into the joy of the new covenant reality. It is the final, beautiful picture of the restored and glorified people of God before the final description of judgment on the wicked (Isa 66:15-24).

Key Issues

The Church, Our Mother

One of the great themes of Scripture is that the people of God are not a disconnected assortment of individuals. We are a body, a nation, a city, a family. The Apostle Paul picks up this very imagery from Isaiah when he says, "But the Jerusalem above is free; she is our mother" (Gal. 4:26). This is the key to understanding this passage. Isaiah is not primarily talking about a future real estate development in the Middle East. He is speaking of the spiritual reality of the Church of the Lord Jesus Christ.

This is where we are born from above, and this is where we are fed. To be a Christian is to be a child of this mother. To despise the Church, to neglect her assembly, to refuse her instruction, is to be a foolish child who pushes away his mother's breast. The comfort, the satisfaction, the delight, the peace, and the flourishing described here are found "in Jerusalem," which is to say, in the midst of the covenant community, where God has appointed the means of His grace to be dispensed.

Verse by Verse Commentary

10 “Be glad with Jerusalem and rejoice for her, all you who love her; Be exceedingly joyful with her, all you who mourn over her,

The command is emphatic and repeated: be glad, rejoice, be exceedingly joyful. This is not a mild suggestion. This is the proper emotional and spiritual response to the work of God in the gospel. And who is commanded to do this? Two groups, which are really one and the same: those who love Jerusalem and those who mourn over her. The true lover of the people of God is one who is grieved by her sin, her shame, and her ruin. The faithful remnant in Isaiah's day mourned the idolatry and subsequent judgment of the city. In the same way, true Christians today are those who mourn the sins and failings of the Church. But that mourning is not the final word. The final word is joy, because God is the one who restores His people. The time for mourning is over, and the time for exultation has come.

11 That you may nurse and be satisfied with her comforting breasts, That you may suck and be delighted with her bountiful bosom.”

Here is the reason for the joy, presented in a startlingly intimate and earthy metaphor. The Church, our mother, is a source of immense comfort, satisfaction, and delight. This is not the language of grim duty or stoic endurance. This is the language of a hungry infant finding life and contentment at his mother's breast. The "comforting breasts" speak of the solace we find in the gospel proclaimed and the fellowship of the saints. The "bountiful bosom" speaks of abundance. In Christ's Church, there is no scarcity of grace. The supply is lavish. To be a member of the Church is to be in the place where spiritual milk is richly provided, that we might grow thereby (1 Pet. 2:2). This is a call to come and feast, to drink deeply of the means of grace God provides through His people.

12 For thus says Yahweh, “Behold, I stretch out peace to her like a river, And the glory of the nations like an overflowing stream; And you will be nursed; you will be carried on the hip and played with on the knees.

Lest we think the Church generates this nourishment herself, Isaiah immediately points to the ultimate source: Yahweh. It is the Lord who extends peace, or shalom, to her. And this peace is not a stagnant pond; it is a river, constantly flowing, deep and wide. This is holistic well-being, spiritual and physical prosperity, the flourishing of God's people under His blessing. And not only peace, but the "glory of the nations" will come like a torrent. This is a clear prophecy of the Great Commission. The wealth, the wisdom, the art, and most importantly, the people of the Gentile nations will be brought into the Church, adding to her glory. The promise that follows is one of tender intimacy. God's people will be nursed, carried, and dandled like a beloved child. This is a picture of utter security, provision, and affection. This is how God feels about His Church.

13 As one whom his mother comforts, so I will comfort you; And you will be comforted in Jerusalem.”

The metaphor is now made explicit. God Himself will comfort His people with the unique, tender, and effective comfort of a mother. While Scripture most often describes God in masculine terms, as Father, King, and Warrior, the Holy Spirit is not shy about using feminine imagery to describe the tenderness of His love. A mother's comfort is personal, immediate, and intuitive. So is God's. And notice where this comfort is to be experienced: "you will be comforted in Jerusalem." God's comfort is not an abstract feeling for isolated individuals. It is a corporate reality, experienced within the life of the covenant community. He comforts us through the preaching of the Word, the administration of the sacraments, and the fellowship and encouragement of the saints.

14 Then you will see this, and your heart will be joyful, And your bones will flourish like the new grass; And the hand of Yahweh will be made known to His slaves, But He will be indignant toward His enemies.

This final verse describes the results of God's maternal comfort. First, there is perception ("you will see this"), which leads to heartfelt joy. This is not a manufactured happiness, but a deep gladness that comes from seeing and experiencing God's salvation. Second, there is physical and corporate vitality. Flourishing bones are a biblical metaphor for health, strength, and renewal. The Church, nourished by God, will be robust and full of life, like grass in the spring. Third, there is clarity. The "hand of Yahweh," His power and sovereign action, will be made known to His servants. They will see His work and know that it is His. But this revelation has another side. At the same time that His favor is revealed to His people, His indignation is revealed toward His enemies. The gospel always creates a division. It is the aroma of life to those who are being saved, and the stench of death to those who are perishing. God's comfort for His people is inextricably linked to His judgment on those who stand against them.

Application

First, this passage is a direct command to be joyful. Christian, your God has triumphed over sin and death. He is building His Church, and the gates of Hell will not prevail against it. He is pouring out peace like a river. This is not a time for a long face. We are commanded to rejoice in what God has done, is doing, and will continue to do. Our eschatology should make us the most joyful people on the planet.

Second, love the Church. She is your mother. Do not be one of those who is constantly criticizing and finding fault, standing at a distance. Come and nurse. Be satisfied with the simple means of grace. Sit under the preaching of the Word, come to the Lord's Table, enjoy the fellowship of the saints. This is where God has promised to comfort and nourish you. To seek this comfort apart from the body is to seek what God has not promised to give.

Finally, understand that God's blessing on you is a declaration of war against His enemies. The flourishing of the Church is an offense to the world. As the hand of the Lord is made known to us in blessing, His indignation is made known to those who hate Him. Do not be surprised by this. The peace of Jerusalem means strife with Babylon. Therefore, live as a joyful child in your mother's arms, secure in the knowledge that your Father is the King of the universe, who comforts His own and will most certainly deal with all His enemies.