March 30, 2025 - Isaiah 66:10-12 - True Joy and Peace

Isaiah 66:10-12

"Rejoice ye with Jerusalem, and be glad with her, all ye that love her: rejoice for joy with her, all ye that mourn for her: that ye may suck, and be satisfied with the breasts of her consolations; that ye may milk out, and be delighted with the abundance of her glory. For thus saith the LORD, Behold, I will extend peace to her like a river, and the glory of the Gentiles like a flowing stream: then shall ye suck, ye shall be borne upon her sides, and be dandled upon her knees."

These verses speak of God's abundant grace and mercy toward a chosen people, portraying Jerusalem, a type of Christ's church (Galatians 4:26), as a mother providing comfort and nourishment to her children. This passage is a beautiful picture of sovereign grace, showing how God Himself brings joy, peace, and satisfaction to His redeemed by the finished work of His Dear Son.

Rejoicing in Jerusalem signifies the joy of salvation, granted not by human effort but by the LORD’s sovereign will. Just as a mother nurtures her child, God supplies His people with peace and spiritual abundance. The flowing stream of His grace is not earned but freely given, demonstrating His sovereign love and care for His chosen ones. This passage ultimately reflects the fullness of joy found in Christ Jesus alone (John 15:11) through whom God pours out His mercy on those He has called. It reminds His elect children, the true Israel, that all spiritual blessings come not by works, but by His sovereign grace and finished work at the cross alone.

When, by God's grace, we truly grasp what He has done through His Son, the Lord Jesus Christ, for sinners such as we are, our lives would be filled with rejoicing. Yet, like the parable of the sower, the cares of this world often steal our joy and peace. However, our standing before God remains unchanging. If He has chosen us from eternity, Christ has redeemed us, and the Spirit has drawn us, then we are as near to God as we will ever be in our state before Him. Yet, in our experience, our joy fluctuates like the waves of the sea. The world relentlessly seeks joy and peace, but what it pursues is fleeting.

Isaiah 66:10 declares, "Rejoice ye with Jerusalem, and be glad with her." Jerusalem symbolizes the church, which grows as God calls His people to Himself. Acts 2:47 affirms, "And the Lord added to the church daily such as should be saved." Salvation is not a new decree but the unfolding of God's eternal purpose in time. If you are one of those that God the Father has chosen and the LORD Jesus has redeemed, consider what grace it took to call you—wretched sinner—unto Himself. That is reason to rejoice! Even when we see hardness around us, we must remember the hardness of our hearts and rejoice in God's grace. There is no case too hard with the LORD.

1 Peter 2:2-3 states, "As newborn babes, desire the sincere milk of the word, that ye may grow thereby." Just as an infant longs for its mother's milk, so must we continually hunger for Christ. This longing is the mark of spiritual life. Christ declared in Matthew 18:3, "Except ye be converted, and become as little children, ye shall not enter into the kingdom of heaven." The desire for Christ never fades; it is a lifelong dependency.

Isaiah 66:11 speaks of drawing satisfaction from "the breasts of her consolations." These signify Christ and His Spirit—inseparable in their ministry. Christ, having completed His work and ascended, has not left us orphans. He sent His Spirit to intercede for us, drawing us continually to Him. The church's Glory is not in herself, but in Christ. As the hymn declares, "The bride eyes not her garment but her dear Savior's face."

Isaiah 66:12 proclaims, "I will extend peace to her like a river, and the glory of the Gentiles like a flowing stream." The Jews of Christ’s time resisted the truth that He was the Savior of the world, not just of Israel. Many today misunderstand "world" in John 3:16 to mean every individual, but in context, Christ was revealing to Nicodemus that salvation always included the Gentiles. Our hope is not in physical Jerusalem, which remains in turmoil, but in the true Jerusalem—Christ and His finished work. "No other foundation can any man lay than that is laid, which is Jesus Christ" (1 Corinthians 3:11).

True joy and peace are most evident in the storms of life. The Lord continually exercises our hearts, keeps us from becoming too attached to this world, and draws us closer to Him. This is His grace—to make us rejoice in the finished work of Christ.

May He ever cause us to know that abiding joy and peace in Him.