Fear not, for you will not be ashamed; be not confounded, for you will not be disgraced; for you will forget the shame of your youth, and the reproach of your widowhood you will remember no more. (Isaiah 54:4 ESV)
Isaiah refers to shame twice because there are two kinds of shame. We feel shame for our circumstances, and we feel shame for our actions.
Our Redeemer abolishes both.
First, Isaiah mentions widowhood as a circumstance that often (inappropriately) brought shame in Israel. The poor, the homeless, the destitute, those without family were looked at with scorn. In the book of Acts, THIS is why deacons were established. To help those in ‘shameful’ circumstances. But not just for the sake of Social Justice.
Isaiah declares that our Redeemer removes shame from our circumstances. Perhaps because in Christ, we realize that our circumstances are always God’s work in our lives for our own good. Perhaps because Christians are blessed by God, even if such blessings are harder to discern than our unpleasant circumstances imply. Perhaps because our present circumstances, hard OR easy, are always and suddenly cause for contentment, and not for shame or pride.
But because of our sovereign loving Redeemer, there is no shame in circumstance.
Second, Isaiah mentions the shame of our youth. Our earlier irresponsible and immature actions done in foolishness rather than wisdom. Isaiah might be thinking of Psalm 25:7, where the Psalmist speaks of the sins of our youth. But not merely the shame of long ago. Our shame for our immature actions can find root yesterday, too.
Christians remember our sins and feel ashamed.
BUT… and this is huge… Isaiah tells us that our shame is forgotten by God… and can be forgotten by US, too!
Shame that reminds us of the glorious Grace of our Redeemer is a good thing. But shame that causes us to fear is not. It is not necessary since our Redeemer took that shame on Himself. It is inaccurate because GOD has forgotten, how dare we recall? It is gone in every important aspect of reality, except sometimes our minds.
In Christ, there is nothing to be ashamed of.
Fear not, because shame is forgotten.