Isaiah 26:18Meaning & Commentary from the Church Fathers

For the sake of Your reverence, O Lord, we will conceive and experience suffering in the womb, ultimately bringing forth the spirit of Your salvation, which we have manifested on earth. Those who profess that, out of love for the Father’s beloved, namely the Son, they have been likened to a woman in labor, while adhering to a metaphorical interpretation, assert that they have endured the pains of childbirth and, in their innermost being, have received and given birth to the spirit of salvation on this earth.

In our unwavering trust in the most dependable Promiser, we currently experience a partial joy in anticipation of the greater joy yet to come, when we shall be transformed to be like Him, for we shall behold Him as He truly is (1 Jn. 3:2), and our joy will be secure from any removal (Jn. 16:22). As a generous assurance of this hope, we have been granted the Holy Spirit, who generates within us groanings that words cannot express (Rom. 8:26) arising from sacred longings. As Isaiah proclaims, we have conceived and brought forth the Spirit of salvation. The Lord observes that when a woman is in labor, she experiences anguish as her time approaches, but upon giving birth, her joy is immense, for a man has come into the world (John 16:21). This joy shall not be taken from us, for through this faith-filled conception, we will be ushered into everlasting light. Therefore, we engage in fasting and prayer, as today signifies the birth into eternity.

This birth appears to be fully developed rather than early, as one who, in the words of Isaiah, has conceived through reverence for God will bring forth his own deliverance with the labor of childbirth. In a sense, we become spiritual fathers to ourselves when we create, nurture, and manifest goodness into our lives through our intentions. This occurs when we welcome God within us, transforming into children of God, endowed with divine strength, and becoming heirs of the Most High.

Consider Isaiah 26:19. Reflect on the current tribulations and the righteous judgments of God, whether we understand them fully or remain unaware of the profound depths of His wisdom. The Lord, as stated by the prophet Isaiah, administers mercy in measured fairness (Isaiah 28:17). His goodness is always intentional, even if it appears otherwise to those who commenced their work in the vineyard earlier and overlooked the inherent balance within apparent inequality.

“Rescue us, so that we do not fall into ruin in our homeland. Deliver us from being overthrown in our territory, taken away as captives to a distant land, and lost among the nations. And let not those who inhabit the earth, those who live in your creation and reverence your name, ever stop praising the wondrous act you have performed for our deliverance.”

As we listen to the words of our Lord and Savior, who instructs us to flee to the mountains when in Judea (Matt. 24:16), let us direct our gaze to those peaks. It is written: I lift up my eyes to the mountains; from where will my help come? (Ps. 120:1). Furthermore, we read, Its foundation is on the holy mountains (Ps. 86:2), and again, The mountains surround Jerusalem, and the Lord surrounds His people (Ps. 124:2). Additionally, it is stated, A city set on a hill cannot be hidden (Matt. 5:14). By shedding the superficiality of the letter and ascending as Moses did to the mountain while barefoot, we will proclaim, I will go and see this great sight (Exodus 3:3).

As nature has equipped women with a womb for the gestation of every living being over certain months, we too possess a unique capacity of the soul. This inner dimension acts as a concealed nurturing space that accepts the seeds of our thoughts, nurtures them, and ultimately brings forth their manifestation. This is why Isaiah declared, “We have had in the womb and brought forth the spirit of salvation.”

In the past, human nature, having turned away from God, fell into death and desolation, leading to a barren state for the human soul as well. However, this soul has now embraced the heavenly seed, enabling it to produce the fruits of the Spirit. Initially, Adam was created alone, and later, a companion was fashioned from him. Had Adam not bonded with his companion, he would not have been able to bear fruit. Likewise, the soul must unite and engage in fellowship with Christ to yield the fruits of the Spirit. The Divine Seed, which is the Word of God, that was conceived in the Virgin Mary, also takes root in all faithful souls.

Faith within the human soul can neither begin nor flourish without the Holy Spirit nurturing it and instilling it. We are regenerated by the very Spirit from whom Christ was conceived. It is through this same Spirit that Christ is birthed by faith in the hearts of all believers, just as He was formed in the flesh within the womb of the Virgin. Therefore, the prophet calls out to the Lord for the sake of the faithful: For Thy fear's sake, O Lord, we were conceived and suffered, and we came into being. On earth, we have experienced the Spirit of Thy salvation.

Moreover, a woman experiences great anguish during childbirth, for her time has come (John 16:21). The holy Church is likened to a woman, likely due to her abundance of righteous deeds and her continual birthing of spiritual offspring for God, as noted in another scripture: The Kingdom of Heaven is compared to leaven, which a woman took and mixed into three measures of flour until the entire batch was leavened (Matthew 13:33). The woman incorporated the leaven, while the Church mirrored the profound love and faith with which the Lord had marked her. She blended it into three measures of flour until everything was leavened, as the life-giving word spread across Asia, Europe, and Africa, igniting a fervor for the love of the Kingdom of Heaven throughout the world.