“But my steadfast love shall not depart from you …”

Journeys Through the Word

“But my steadfast love shall not depart from you …” 

Verse(s) considered:

Isaiah 54:10 ESV

For the mountains may depart and the hills be removed, but my steadfast love shall not depart from you, and my covenant of peace shall not be removed,” says the LORD, who has compassion on you.

Immediate context:

Isaiah 54:7-13 ESV

(7)  For a brief moment I deserted you, but with great compassion I will gather you.

(8)  In overflowing anger for a moment I hid my face from you, but with everlasting love I will have compassion on you,” says the LORD, your Redeemer.

(9)  “This is like the days of Noah to me: as I swore that the waters of Noah should no more go over the earth, so I have sworn that I will not be angry with you, and will not rebuke you.

(10)  For the mountains may depart and the hills be removed, but my steadfast love shall not depart from you, and my covenant of peace shall not be removed,” says the LORD, who has compassion on you.

(11)  “O afflicted one, storm-tossed and not comforted, behold, I will set your stones in antimony, and lay your foundations with sapphires.

(12)  I will make your pinnacles of agate, your gates of carbuncles, and all your wall of precious stones.

(13)  All your children shall be taught by the LORD, and great shall be the peace of your children.

Additional context for consideration:

• Romans 8:38-39 ESV

(38)  For I am sure that neither death nor life, nor angels nor rulers, nor things present nor things to come, nor powers,

(39)  nor height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord.

Thoughts along the road: (Observations) 

• For most of us, mountains appear to be solid, unmoving objects. The Lord here uses that image to show how solid and unmoving his word is. We can count on it, and it will not fade away on us.
• He says that the mountains may depart, and the hills may be removed, but don’t worry about those things; just know that my steadfast love will not depart from you.
  • God’s love is the only thing in life that you can really and completely count on. 
  • The covenant or promise of his peace shall not be removed. It is there. It is permanent, and that promise is more solid than the rocks in the mountains or hills.
• We have these promises from God because he has compassion on us. He loves us. He cares for us. And his promises are those of a father to a son and are there because of his caring, loving attitude toward us. That will never, ever change.
  • People that say that you can lose your salvation do not understand this. They are only concerned about a man’s attitude toward God as though that were the determining factor in our salvation. It is not. The determining factor is God’s attitude toward his children. Those he has chosen or elected. His adopted children. It never changes. Ever. (See Romans 8:38-39.)

Where to go from here: (Application)

We, God’s children, can count on him to be there for us—forever. His presence is eternal. His care is eternal. His love for his children is eternal. More can be said about that, but that is the takeaway I want to focus on today.