With the Lord's help, we would seek to make a few remarks on what we find written, in one verse especially, in that 54th chapter of the Book of the Prophet Isaiah that we read earlier. Although it is the 10th verse that claims our attention, we will read again from verse 7 of Isaiah chapter 54 to the end of verse 10.

Isaiah chapter 54, reading again from verse 7. For a small moment have I forsaken thee, but with great mercies will I gather thee. In a little wrath I hid my face from thee for a moment, but with everlasting kindness will I have mercy on thee. saith the Lord thy Redeemer. For this is as the waters of Noah unto me. For as I have sworn that the waters of Noah should no more go over the earth, so have I sworn that I would not be wroth with thee, nor rebuke thee. For the mountains shall depart, and the hills be removed, But my kindness shall not depart from thee, neither shall the covenant of my peace be removed, saith the Lord that hath mercy on thee.

Well, as we have said, it is the 10th verse that we are especially interested in. For the mountains shall depart, and the hills be removed, but my kindness shall not depart from thee, neither shall the covenant of my peace be removed, said the Lord that hath mercy on thee.

How much of what we have read in this chapter concerns the great difference between outward appearance and the inward reality according to the truth of God. Right at the beginning of the chapter, there is what seems outwardly to be a contradiction. Sing, O Babylon, 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. And in that first verse are we not invited to consider that the ways of God are so contrary to the ways of man. The inward working of the Lord according to his covenant purpose is so greatly contrasted events. More are the children of the desolate than the children of the married wife, saith the Lord.

For the faithful Jews in Isaiah's time, it must have been so. Consider the great content of this book, some of which may have been before you in recent days, according to the custom of this season. the promises concerning Christ, the Messiah to come, and indeed many other promises regarding the prosperity of the people of God in the Gospel age. But these things must have seemed very far off to those who languished in those days, those for whom an impending judgment, an impending captivity was on the horizon. And so the Lord must continually comfort them, even His sinful, rebellious people, as He describes them. And they must be put in remembrance of His covenant mercy. They must be taught, as all the Lord's people must be taught, to look away from man, to cease from man whose breath is in his nostrils, and rather to trust For we read, in the Lord Jehovah is everlasting strength, for as it is in the lodge, the rock of ages.

Well, of course, there are great and precious promises, even in this book. Those Jews who felt the smallness of their outward estate, He says later on, Arise, shine, for thy light is come, and the glory of the Lord is risen upon thee. And he says, Yea, behold, the darkness shall cover the earth, and gross darkness the people. But the Lord shall arise upon thee, and his glory shall be seen upon thee. and the Gentiles shall come to thy light, and kings to the brightness of thy rising."

Well, there is a prospect, a future prospect laid up in store for them. And if the Jews of Isaiah's time did not actually live to see the fulfilment of those things, and they were to rejoice in what God would surely and blessedly do.

Well, you say that is all well and good, but that relates to the Jews back then when Isaiah was prophesied. What about ourselves now? Well, there is, of course, a sense in which these promises were for the Gospel, But what was the case when that light did dawn? Because very often in Isaiah we read of the light and we understand it of Christ.

The people that walked in darkness have seen a great light. They that dwell in the land of the shadow of death, upon them hath the light shined. But how was it? disciples with whom he accompanied, the women who ministered unto them, and others of the followers, but relatively speaking a very small number. And then there was the Lord's death and resurrection. And even after he had risen from the dead and ascended back into heaven, still there did not seem to be the fulfilment the outworking of these exceeding great and precious promises.

And so we find, as the Acts of the Apostles opens, that the disciples were gathered together in the upper room. And in those days there did not seem to be the fulfilment yet of what had been promised. Well, perhaps at that time, just before the Day of Pentecost, they needed to be reminded also that the promise was yet to be fulfilled and that though their outward estate was small, they appeared despised, hidden away in that upper room in Jerusalem.

Yet the Lord had spoken and had made His covenant engagement there was a glorious outcome, the preaching of the Gospel by Peter and the other apostles with great power, and the application of it to the hearts of many. Thousands, several thousands converted at one time or another, and for a time great prosperity in the church.

And so the Lord teaches his people that very often, as he said to Habakkuk of Olm, the vision is for an appointed time, though it tarry, wait for it. But while they do wait, while it is yet to be fulfilled, what a need for this comfort, what a need to be reminded of the everlasting kindness of which God speaks.

And again, bringing the matter closer to home, in the lives of each of the Lord's dear people, there is likewise a need for this Word to be spoken. Because, again, we know that the Scripture contains precious promises Lord's goodness, of his upholding hand, that he will help his people. But what do we see within us? What do we see without us? Well is it not, as Isaiah speaks in this passage, that at times there is a need to be reminded that our present condition is not the final condition of our sorrow.

Enlarge the place of thy tent, and let them stretch forth the curtains of thy habitations. Spare not, lengthen thy cords, and strengthen thy stakes. For thou shalt break forth on the right hand, and on the left. speaks to comfort his people. Notice how in those verses that we read earlier, from verse 7, the Lord explains how we often feel, how perhaps the Church of God in those days before Pentecost must have fell, and how certainly the Jews of old would have felled.

For a small moment have I forsaken but with great mercies will I gather thee. So there again is the contrast between the present outward appearance and what was sure and steadfast in the mind of God, his future blessing. In a little wrath I hid my face from thee for a moment, but with everlasting kindness will I have mercy on thee, saith the Lord thy Redeemer.

Very often we may feel forsaken. We may feel that the Lord has hidden his face from us. Alas, there is great cause for these things. We only need to turn over a few pages in our Bibles before we come to the opening of Isaiah chapter 59. What does he say there? Behold, the Lord's hand is not shortened, that it cannot say, neither his ear heavy, that it cannot hear. But your iniquities have separated between you and your God, and your sins have hid his face from you, that he will not hear.

The Prophet then speaks of the iniquities and the sins of the people of God at that time. No wonder that, as he says, their iniquities had separated between them and their God, and their sins had hidden his face from them, that he would not hear their cries and prayers. But, as we read elsewhere, these things are also the lot God's people in a more personal way. Because, again, in this same prophecy, in the twelfth chapter, there is a song of praise given, a song of thanksgiving, and at the start of it, this acknowledgment, O Lord, I will praise Thee, though Thou wast angry with me, Thine anger is turned away, and Thou comfortest me.

And there is here a principle. It is, firstly, that this anger and wrath are not the anger and wrath of God in punishment against the sins of his people. For that wrath, that anger, have been fully expended upon the head of his dear son. Remember how he said in the 53rd chapter concerning Christ, that he hath laid the iniquities of us all upon him. For as it is in the margin, he hath made the iniquity of us all to meet on him. Dear child of God, all our sins, all our transgressions have been laid upon the dear Substitute, the dear Lamb of We are thus exempt from the punishment due to those sins. And blessed be God for such a gracious arrangement. Blessed be God for the provision of such a lamb.

But this is not what he is speaking of here. It is rather that God has taught his people in our mission, that there is the just displeasure of God against sin. He is of purer eyes than to behold evil. He cannot look upon iniquity. And so it is what we call the chastening hand of God, his fatherly correction. And so, for a Caesar, we may say thou wast angry with me, Just as a father appears to be angry with his child, whom he is correcting in love and compassion, there is indeed the rod. Hear ye the rod, and who hath appointed it? But it is but for a small moment, it is but for a season, it is in a little wrath that he hides his face from us. But it is with everlasting kindness that he will have mercy upon his dear child.

For a small moment, he says, have I forsaken thee, but with great mercies will I gather thee. And this is the encouragement of the Saint of God, that these things are for our instruction. It is that chastening of the Lord that we are not to be weary when we are rebuked of him. For whom the Lord loveth, he chasteneth, and scourgeth every soul whom he receiveth. And he brings in the comfort. He refers back in verse nine of our passage to the covenant made with Noah after the flood. you will remember that gracious sign of the bow in the cloud that he gave. For this is as the waters of Noah unto me, for as I have sworn that the waters of Noah should no more go over the earth, so have I sworn that I would not be wroth with thee, nor rebuke thee.

Dear child of God, Is there not comfort in these things, in this covenant? And there are those seasons, for all of us, when we do feel forsaken, when we do feel that the Lord has cast us off, though neither of these things, in fact, be the case. Then the words must be sweetly applied.

For the mountains shall depart and the hills be removed, but my kindness shall not depart from thee, neither shall the covenant of my peace be removed, saith the Lord that hath mercy on thee.

Well, how are we to understand this word? He speaks of the mountains and the hills those parts of the Earth that seem so established, that seem so firmly fixed. Especially for those of us who perhaps have a particular affinity with a certain area in which there are such mountains and hills. Perhaps at times we look back at postcards taken many decades ago And although in some areas the certain aspects of those areas have changed, as man's influence has come and gone, yet it is very striking to us that it is the mountains, the hills, that remain fixed. Man may build dwellings or other buildings, the physical aspects that are due to man may change, But what doesn't change by and large is the scenery around them. So he speaks of things that do appear to be fixed and steadfast.

But what does he say? The mountains shall depart and the hills be removed. It's a little as the Lord has said earlier on in this prophecy. Verse 6 of chapter 51. Lift up your eyes to the heavens and look upon the earth beneath. Well, you say, these things surely are fixed. They are constant. But he says, the heavens shall vanish away like smoke, and the earth shall wax old like a garment, and they that dwell therein shall die in like manner. but my salvation shall be forever, and my righteousness shall not be abolished.

Well, there are two things that we can gather from this. If the Lord is comparing his covenant faithfulness, his loving kindness, with such things as the mountains and the hills, the heavens and the earth, then that itself is an encouragement. Because, remember, He is saying that these outward things are going to vanish and pass away. But much more sure and steadfast and eternal are His covenant engagements, His mercies, His loving-kindnesses. It is a little as we read in the 46th Psalm. You will remember these words, I'm sure, very well. Perhaps you have committed them to memory. God is our refuge and strength, a very present help in trouble. Therefore will not we fear, though the earth be removed, and though the mountains be carried into the midst of the sea?

These same things that we read of in Isaiah. Though the waters thereof roar and be troubled, Though the mountains shake with the swelling thereof, see lo! So in the midst of great disruptions upon the earth, in the midst of cosmic disturbances, yet there is a refuge in God. And likewise here, even though the mountains shall depart and the hills be removed, Yet he says, my kindness shall not depart from thee, neither shall the covenant of my peace be removed.

But secondly, we may look at it in this way, as a statement that indeed the mountains shall depart, that this present earth shall not last forever. For as we read in the second epistle of Peter, there is coming a day when the heavens shall pass away with a great noise, when the elements shall melt with fervent heat, when the earth, also in the works that are therein, shall be burned up. Therefore we do well to place our confidence and our trust in those things which, as the word says elsewhere, cannot be shaker, those things which shall remain. And as Peter continues, seeing then that all these things shall be dissolved, what manner of persons ought ye to be in all holy conversation and godliness?

Well, it is a sure foundation for the faith of the Lord's dear people, when he says, My kindness shall not depart from thee, neither shall the covenant of my peace be removed. Remember how this is founded in the eternal purposes of God. He has said, 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. And he spake in similar language through his servant Jeremiah.

Again, well-known words, the Lord hath appeared of old unto saying, yea, I have loved thee with an everlasting love, therefore with loving kindness have I drawn thee. So we have it expressed both in eternity to come, that which shall remain after this present earth has been dissolved, and also in terms of eternity past, yea, I have loved with an everlasting love. And thus that which was from before the foundation of the world shall continue when this present earth is no more, and when there shall be new heavens and a new earth, wherein shall dwell righteousness

Well, what an encouragement this is to the tested, tried, perhaps discouraged child of God. What an encouragement it ought to be then to us. And those times and seasons of darkness that do come upon us when we fear that perhaps the Lord has never truly begun with us at all. And that is the effect at times of the Lord hiding his faith. Because as the Apostle Paul says, we walk by faith, not by sight. And unless we are given a sweet recollection of those past tokens, God's dealing with us in mercy, the times when his word was sweet and powerful to us, then it does seem to the saint of God that perhaps all is vain, that there is no firm foundation after all.

But how similar also is the word of the psalmist, and we read in Psalm 30, for his anger endured but a moment. in his favour is life. Weeping may endure for a night, but joy cometh in the morning. And when the Lord does visit with a word, with a promise such as this, well, there may have been that weeping that endured for a night, but does not the sun of righteousness arise in with power, and joy indeed cometh in the morning.

And he says, my kindness shall not depart from thee, because, as he said back in verse eight, in a little wrath I hid my face from thee for a moment, but with everlasting kindness will I have mercy on thee, saith the Lord thy Redeemer. And it really goes back to what he has said at the opening of the chapter. That outward appearances do not tell us the real inward state of things. For there is to be an enlarging of the place of thy tent, spiritually, and a stretching forth of the curtains of thy habitations, a lengthening of the cords, and a strengthening of the stains. in the matters of the soul, thou shalt break forth on the right hand and on the left.

He speaks in the passage of how in terms of the Jews, thy seed shall inherit the Gentiles and make the desolate cities to be inhabited. And in a gospel sense, this was true. When many, many Gentiles began to be brought in to the church, The Gospel, yea, was to the Jew first, but also to the Greek, and we ourselves, these many centuries afterwards, in our day and generation, are testament to that fact.

But in the personal aspect, spiritually, there is an inheriting of the things of God, even by the Gentiles, and the making of the desolate cities to be inhabited. Perhaps some of you have known it from time to time under the preached word, perhaps a word that was applied privately in the home, maybe even some truth expressed in the hymns. But the Lord has made it fruitful. There has been some harvest of praise and you have proved it in your case.

For thy maker is thine husband, the Lord of hosts is his name, and thy Redeemer, the Holy One of Israel. It is a blessed thing when that truth is impressed upon the soul. Thy maker is thine husband,

At times perhaps we have been meditating on some truth in the hymn book, and although we would not elevate it to the same level of scripture, yet these things can be made clear to our understanding. We just happened to cast our eyes in recent days over the 41st hymn on the Incarnation, and the words, My God, My Creator, the heavens did bow to ransom offenders and stooped very low. And at times this question comes to us. We can surely each acknowledge that God in Christ is our creator. For all things were made by him, and without him was not anything made that was made. But can I call him my God?

And later on in the hymn, dear Jesus, my Saviour, thy truth I embrace, thy name and thy natures, thy spirits embrace, and trace the pure footsteps of Jesus, my Lord, and glory in him whom proud sinners abhor. Well, it is a very sweet thing to be able to call you my Saviour and my Lord. And then in the fifth verse, to say, my God, the Lord Jesus, is returned to glory on high. When death makes a passage, then to him I'll fly, to join in the song of all praise through his blood, to the three who are one, inconceivable God.

There are times when these things, these truths are impressed on the heart. It is, for thy maker is thine husband, the Lord of hosts is his name. And we do few, but my kindness shall not depart from thee. Neither shall the covenant of my peace be removed, saith the Lord that hath mercy on thee.

Yet there is the wait. There is at times a need to be patient under God's hand. That is why he says that these things shall take place. again speaking of the poets and the words in the hymn book. It is good advice that dear Mr. Toplady gives. The time of love will come when we shall clearly see not only that he shed his blood, but each shall say for me. Tarry his leisure then, wait the appointed hour, Wait till the bridegroom of your souls reveal his love with power.

Is it not also an encouragement that he speaks in our text of the covenant of his peace? Neither shall the covenant of my peace be removed, saith the Lord that hath mercy on thee. You may ask, he does refer to it in the Prophets. For instance, in Ezekiel, he speaks of how these things will be made known. I will make with them a covenant of peace and will cause the evil beasts to cease out of the land. Again, I will make a covenant of peace with them. It shall be an everlasting covenant with I will place them and multiply them, and I will set my sanctuary in the midst of them for evermore.

But you will know surely how these things have been made real, through the One who is the peace, and even Isaiah speaks of Christ in this way. This man shall be the peace when the Assyrian shall pass through our land. And peace by his cross hath Jesus made, the Church's everlasting head. It is peace through the blood of his cross. Well, such a covenant founded upon the finished work of the dear Redeemer, finished upon the laying down of his life at Calvary. This can only be an encouragement to the tried, tempted, sorrowing child of God.

He says, And that is so often what we need, is it not? Because when our sins rise up against us, when we are made to be feelingly guilty on account of our iniquities, well that, as we have seen, is what removes our peace. That is what removes the felt sense of fellowship with God. We say it removes our peace. Of course, we do only mean the reality of it in covenant, because, as we see, that cannot be removed.

But, O, in such times to be brought nigh to the cross, by faith to see the dear Saviour dying, shedding his precious blood, even for our sins, And in these things there is the comfort of knowing that what God in Christ has accomplished shall never be overthrown, neither shall the covenant of my peace be removed, saith the Lord that have mercy on thee.

Again it is our great blessing when the Lord speaks that word to our heart. Another poet puts it this way.

The hills may depart and mountains remove,
but faithful thou art, O fountain of love.
The Father has graven our names on thy hands.
Our building in heaven eternally stands.
A moment he hid the light of his face,
yet firmly decreed to save us by grace.
And though he reproved us, and still may reprove,
for ever he loved us, and ever will love.

The mountains shall depart, the hills be removed, but, saith God, my kindness shall not depart from thee, neither shall the covenant of my peace be removed. there will be those times when, as we read in the next verse, we are afflicted, in our souls we are tossed with tempest, we appear not to be comforted. That is where the promise is the stay, the refuge, the foundation of the child of God. Because in Christ, and in him are our men. And thus he is the one foundation. Other foundation can no man lay than that is laid, which is Jesus Christ.

And he says, in righteousness shalt thou be established. Thou shalt be far from oppression, for thou shalt not fear, and from terror for it shall not come near thee. Well, in these things, the Lord gives his promise. He gives his word. And we know that the word of God cannot be broken. The Lord has spoken, and it shall be fulfilled. He says, I will work, and who shall let me? Yea, for a small moment have I forsaken them, but with great mercies will I gather them.

For the mountains shall depart, and the hills be removed. And providentially we may feel that that is true in our case. We may feel that all has been overthrown, that all is confounded. that it is, as we read in that 46th Psalm, even such a turmoil as the mountains being cast into the depths of the sea. The mountains shake with the swelling thereof. But God is a refuge to his people.

All is completed in the work of Jesus Christ. And thus he says, my kindness shall not depart from thee, neither shall the covenant of my peace be removed, saith the Lord that hath mercy on thee. And it is that mercy, those compassions that fail not, that everlasting kindness, that shall be the comfort, that shall be the strength, of the child of God.

May we say it of ourselves, and of each dear one here, throughout our journey, throughout our brief pilgrimage in this wilderness. It is ever the case, the Lord that hath mercy perfect, all-sufficient work. May He speak such a word for the souls of each tribe, poor, tested, despairing believers. Know that we may thus be revived by such a Gospel accordion as is found in the finished work of the dear Lord Jesus Christ.

For His namesake, Amen.