Righteousness then Grace -- Barren No More

"Sing, O barren, thou that didst not bear; break forth into singing, and cry aloud, thou that didst not travail with child: for more are the children of the desolate than the children of the married wife, saith the LORD." (Isaiah 54: 1)

A barren woman sings because she is about to have children? Really? Well, the Israelites already had an example to believe on:

"And he said, I will certainly return unto thee according to the time of life; and, lo, Sarah thy wife shall have a son. And Sarah heard it in the tent door, which was behind him." (Genesis 18: 10)

and

"And the LORD visited Sarah as he had said, and the LORD did unto Sarah as he had spoken.

"For Sarah conceived, and bare Abraham a son in his old age, at the set time of which God had spoken to him." (Genesis 21: 1-2)

In fact, every Israelite was a walking and talking witness of God's faithfulness, descendants of the same child of promise which came from a barren woman, even Sarah!

But even if that were not reason enough for the Israelites, or even the barren woman, to sing aloud for the work which the Lord was going to do in their lives, the Lord gives another reason:

"Fear not; for thou shalt not be ashamed: neither be thou confounded; for thou shalt not be put to shame: for thou shalt forget the shame of thy youth, and shalt not remember the reproach of thy widowhood any more.

"For thy Maker is thine husband; the LORD of hosts is his name; and thy Redeemer the Holy One of Israel; The God of the whole earth shall he be called." (Isaiah 54: 4-5)

The Lord speaks of redemption and the righteousness that accompanies this great work. The reproach will be taken away, the shame will be no more. And the same is true for every believer in the Body of Christ:

"But if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship one with another, and the blood of Jesus Christ his Son cleanseth us from all sin.

"If we say that we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us.

"If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness." (1 John 1: 7-9)

We can know and believe that God will move in our lives because He has taken away all our shame and sin for ever!