◄ Isaiah 65:14 ►
My servants will shout for joy with a glad heart, but you will cry out with a heavy heart and wail with a broken spirit.
Study Bible
My servants will shout for joy with a glad heart,

God distinguishes those who belong to Him from those who forsake Him. His servants are the faithful remnant who heed His word and wait for His salvation. Their joy arises from God’s presence, redemption, and the fulfillment of His promises. Isaiah’s vision reaches beyond Israel’s immediate restoration to the blessings of God’s coming kingdom, where His people will rejoice without the shadow of oppression or exile. Such joy accords with the call to serve the Lord gladly and to rejoice always in Him (Psalm 100:2; Philippians 4:4).

Psa 32:11 Be glad in the LORD and rejoice, O righteous ones;…
Psa 100:2 Serve the LORD with gladness; come into His presence…
Psa 132:16 I will clothe her priests with salvation,…

but you will cry out with a heavy heart

Those addressed have rejected the Lord despite His repeated calls, choosing idolatry, injustice, and self-will. Isaiah had specifically condemned those who forsook the Lord and participated in pagan worship (Isaiah 65:11). Their sorrow will come through deserved judgment and the realization that every false refuge has failed. The grief that follows rebellion is both personal and communal, as Israel’s history repeatedly showed when sin brought devastation upon the land.

Pro 14:13 Even in laughter the heart may ache, and joy may end…
Psa 38:8 I am numb and badly crushed; I groan in anguish of heart.
Lam 1:22 Let all their wickedness come before You, and deal with them…

and wail with a broken spirit.

Their wailing portrays the anguish of those overwhelmed by God’s judgment and deprived of the peace reserved for His servants. A broken spirit can mark true repentance when it turns humbly to God, as David testified in Psalm 51:17. Here, however, the brokenness belongs to those who have persisted in rejecting the Lord and now face the consequences of their rebellion. The contrast sets before all people the enduring difference between joyful fellowship with God and the despair produced by separation from Him.

Pro 17:22 A joyful heart is good medicine, but a broken spirit…
Psa 51:17 The sacrifices of God are a broken spirit;…
Psa 34:18 The LORD is near to the brokenhearted; He saves the contrite…

Persons / Places / Events
1. The Servants of the Lord
These are the faithful followers of God who are obedient to His commands and live according to His will. In the context of Isaiah, they represent the remnant of Israel who remain true to God amidst widespread unfaithfulness.

2. The Unfaithful
This group contrasts with the servants of the Lord. They are those who have turned away from God, choosing idolatry and disobedience over faithfulness.

3. The Prophet Isaiah
Isaiah is the prophet through whom God delivers this message. He is a major prophet in the Old Testament, known for his prophecies concerning both judgment and redemption.

4. The Context of Judgment and Restoration
Isaiah 65 is part of a larger discourse where God contrasts the fate of the faithful with that of the unfaithful, promising restoration and blessing to His servants while pronouncing judgment on those who reject Him.

5. The Future Kingdom
This passage points to the eschatological hope of a future kingdom where God's faithful will experience joy and fulfillment, contrasting with the despair of those who reject Him.
Teaching Points
Joy in Obedience
True joy comes from living in obedience to God. The servants of the Lord experience joy because they align their lives with His will.

The Consequences of Rejection
Turning away from God leads to sorrow and despair. The unfaithful experience a heavy heart and broken spirit as a result of their choices.

Hope in Future Restoration
Believers can find hope in the promise of future restoration and joy, even amidst current trials and challenges.

The Importance of Faithfulness
Remaining faithful to God, even when it is difficult, leads to ultimate joy and fulfillment.

Contrast of Destinies
The passage highlights the stark contrast between the destinies of the faithful and the unfaithful, urging believers to choose the path of righteousness.
Bible Study Questions
1. How does the joy of the Lord's servants in Isaiah 65:14 inspire you to live a life of obedience today?

2. In what ways can you guard against the spiritual complacency that leads to a "heavy heart" as described in this passage?

3. How do the promises of future joy and restoration in Isaiah 65:14 encourage you in your current circumstances?

4. What practical steps can you take to ensure that you remain among the "servants" who shout for joy, rather than those who wail with a broken spirit?

5. How do the themes of joy and sorrow in Isaiah 65:14 connect with the teachings of Jesus in the New Testament, and how can these connections deepen your faith?
Connections to Other Scriptures
Psalm 30:5
This verse speaks of the joy that comes in the morning after a night of weeping, paralleling the joy promised to God's servants in Isaiah 65:14.

Matthew 5:12
Jesus speaks of rejoicing and being glad in the face of persecution, similar to the joy of the servants in Isaiah.

Revelation 21:4
The promise of God wiping away every tear connects to the ultimate joy and absence of sorrow for God's people.

Romans 8:18
Paul speaks of the present sufferings not being worth comparing to the glory that will be revealed, echoing the future joy for God's servants.
Sermons
JoysW. Birch.Isaiah 65:14
The Doom of the IdolatersE. Johnson Isaiah 65:11-16
God's Call DespisedJ. Lyth, D. D.Isaiah 65:12-14
The Declaration of God Against the Disobedience of IsraelR. G. Buddicomb, M. A.Isaiah 65:12-14
Incentives to Religious DecisionS. Thodey.Isaiah 65:13-14
The Better FeastW. Mudge.Isaiah 65:13-14
Contrasted Lots of Those Who Serve God and Those Who Forsake HimR. Tuck Isaiah 65:13-15
People
Gad, Isaiah, Jacob
Places
Jerusalem, Sharon, Valley of Achor
Topics
Aloud, Anguish, Behold, Breaking, Broken, Brokenness, Cry, Crying, Glad, Gladness, Grief, Heart, Hearts, Heavy, Howl, Joy, Joyfully, Making, Pain, Servants, Shout, Sing, Songs, Sorrow, Sounds, Spirit, Vexation, Wail
Dictionary of Bible Themes
Isaiah 65:14

     5017   heart, renewal
     5782   agony

Isaiah 65:12-15

     8707   apostasy, personal

Isaiah 65:13-15

     7160   servants of the Lord

Isaiah 65:14-15

     5801   brokenness

Library
'The God of the Amen'
'He who blesseth himself in the earth shall bless himself in the God of truth; and he that sweareth in the earth shall swear by the God of truth.'--ISAIAH lxv. 16. The full beauty and significance of these remarkable words are only reached when we attend to the literal rendering of a part of them which is obscured in our version. As they stand in the original they have, in both cases, instead of the vague expression, 'The God of truth,' the singularly picturesque one, 'The God of the Amen.' I. Note …
Alexander Maclaren—Expositions of Holy Scripture

God Rejoicing in the New Creation
THIS PASSAGE, like the rest of Isaiah's closing chapters, will have completest fulfillment in the latter days when Christ shall come, when the whole company of his elect ones shall have been gathered out from the world, when the whole creation shall have been renewed, when new heavens and a new earth shall be the product of the Savior's power, when, for ever and for ever, perfected saints of God shall behold his face, and joy and rejoice in him. I hope and believe that the following verses will actually …
Charles Haddon Spurgeon—Spurgeon's Sermons Volume 37: 1891

Early Lessons in the Life of Faith
"I love the Lord, because he hath heard my voice and my supplications."--Psalm 116:1. WHEN a very little child, so young I can remember nothing earlier, a severe thunderstorm passed over our home. Terrified, I ran to my mother, who placed my hands together, and pointing upward repeated over and over again the one word "Jesus." More than fifty years have passed since that day, but the impression left upon my child-mind, of a Being invisible but able to hear and help, has never been effaced. * …
Rosalind Goforth—How I Know God Answers Prayer

Baptism of Kallihirua
We now come to an important event in the history of Kallihirua; his Baptism, which took place on Advent Sunday, Nov. 27th, 1853, in St. Martin's Church, near Canterbury. "The visitors present on the occasion," said an eye-witness[6], "were, the Rev. John Philip Gell (late Warden of Christ's College, Tasmania), accompanied by Mrs. Gell, daughter of the late Sir John Franklin; Captain Erasmus Ommanney, R.N. (who brought Kallihirua to England), and Mrs. Ommanney, Captain Washington, R.N., of the Admiralty, …
Thomas Boyles Murray—Kalli, the Esquimaux Christian,

Why Has Only one Apocalypse Been Able to Keep Its Place in the New Testament? Why not Several --Or None at All?
In answering this question [104] we may suitably take the Muratorian Fragment as our starting-point. At the close of its positive section occurs a paragraph which may be paraphrased as follows: "We also accept Apocalypses, but only two, those of John and Peter; yet the latter is rejected by a minority among us. The Shepherd of Hermas ought not to be spoken of as a part of the Canon either now or at any future time; for it was written only lately in our own times in Rome under the Bishop Pius, the …
Adolf Harnack—The Origin of the New Testament

The Sun Rising Upon a Dark World
The people that walked in darkness have seen a great light: they that dwell in the land of the shadow of death, upon then hath the light shined. C ontrasts are suited to illustrate and strengthen the impression of each other. The happiness of those, who by faith in MESSIAH, are brought into a state of peace, liberty, and comfort, is greatly enhanced and heightened by the consideration of that previous state of misery in which they once lived, and of the greater misery to which they were justly exposed. …
John Newton—Messiah Vol. 1

Parable of the Pharisee and Publican.
^C Luke XVIII. 9-14. ^c 9 And he spake also this parable unto certain who trusted in themselves that they were righteous, and set all others at nought [It is commonly said that this parable teaches humility in prayer, but the preface and conclusion (see verse 14) show that it is indeed to set forth generally the difference between self-righteousness and humility, and that an occasion of prayer is chosen because it best illustrates the point which the Lord desired to teach. The parable shows that …
J. W. McGarvey—The Four-Fold Gospel

Book ix. Epistle i. To Januarius, Bishop of Caralis (Cagliari).
To Januarius, Bishop of Caralis (Cagliari). Gregory to Januarius, &c. The preacher of Almighty God, Paul the apostle, says, Rebuke not an elder (1 Tim. v. 1). But this rule of his is to be observed in cases where the fault of an elder does not draw through his example the hearts of the younger into ruin. But, when an elder sets an example to the young for their ruin, he is to be smitten with severe rebuke. For it is written, Ye are all a snare to the young (Isai. xlii. 22). And again the prophet …
Saint Gregory the Great—the Epistles of Saint Gregory the Great

Another Wonderful Record of 25.
A Christian minister, living in Northern Indiana, was in want, and knelt in prayer again and again before his Father in heaven. His quarterly allowance had been withheld, and want stared him in the face. Constrained by urgent need, and shut up to God for help, he pleaded repeatedly for a supply of his temporal wants. Now see how extraordinary was the plan of the Lord to send relief. "In one of the lovely homes of Massachusetts, while the snow was falling and the winds were howling without, a lady …
Various—The Wonders of Prayer

The Scriptures
Q-II: WHAT RULE HAS GOD GIVEN TO DIRECT US HOW WE MAY GLORIFY AND ENJOY HIM? A: The Word of God, which is contained in the scriptures of the Old and New Testaments, is the only rule to direct us how we may glorify and enjoy him. 2 Tim 3:16. All Scripture is given by inspiration of God,' By Scripture is understood the sacred Book of God. It is given by divine inspiration; that is, the Scripture is not the contrivance of man's brain, but is divine in its origin. The image of Diana was had in veneration …
Thomas Watson—A Body of Divinity

Election Confirmed by the Calling of God. The Reprobate Bring Upon Themselves the Righteous Destruction to which they are Doomed.
1. The election of God is secret, but is manifested by effectual calling. The nature of this effectual calling. How election and effectual calling are founded on the free mercy of God. A cavil of certain expositors refuted by the words of Augustine. An exception disposed of. 2. Calling proved to be free, 1. By its nature and the mode in which it is dispensed. 2. By the word of God. 3. By the calling of Abraham, the father of the faithful. 4. By the testimony of John. 5. By the example of those who …
John Calvin—The Institutes of the Christian Religion

Exposition of the Moral Law.
1. The Law was committed to writing, in order that it might teach more fully and perfectly that knowledge, both of God and of ourselves, which the law of nature teaches meagrely and obscurely. Proof of this, from an enumeration of the principal parts of the Moral Law; and also from the dictate of natural law, written on the hearts of all, and, in a manner, effaced by sin. 2. Certain general maxims. 1. From the knowledge of God, furnished by the Law, we learn that God is our Father and Ruler. Righteousness …
John Calvin—The Institutes of the Christian Religion

Divine Support and Protection
[What shall we say then to these things?] If God be for us, who can be against us? T he passions of joy or grief, of admiration or gratitude, are moderate when we are able to find words which fully describe their emotions. When they rise very high, language is too faint to express them; and the person is either lost in silence, or feels something which, after his most laboured efforts, is too big for utterance. We may often observe the Apostle Paul under this difficulty, when attempting to excite …
John Newton—Messiah Vol. 2

Question Lxxxiii of Prayer
I. Is Prayer an Act of the Appetitive Powers? Cardinal Cajetan, On Prayer based on Friendship II. Is it Fitting to Pray? Cardinal Cajetan, On Prayer as a True Cause S. Augustine, On the Sermon on the Mount, II. iii. 14 " On the Gift of Perseverance, vii. 15 III. Is Prayer an Act of the Virtue of Religion? Cardinal Cajetan, On the Humility of Prayer S. Augustine, On Psalm cii. 10 " Of the Gift of Perseverance, xvi. 39 IV. Ought We to Pray to God Alone? S. Augustine, Sermon, cxxvii. 2 V. …
St. Thomas Aquinas—On Prayer and The Contemplative Life

How Christ is Made Use of for Justification as a Way.
What Christ hath done to purchase, procure, and bring about our justification before God, is mentioned already, viz. That he stood in the room of sinners, engaging for them as their cautioner, undertaking, and at length paying down the ransom; becoming sin, or a sacrifice for sin, and a curse for them, and so laying down his life a ransom to satisfy divine justice; and this he hath made known in the gospel, calling sinners to an accepting of him as their only Mediator, and to a resting upon him for …
John Brown (of Wamphray)—Christ The Way, The Truth, and The Life

Covenanting Predicted in Prophecy.
The fact of Covenanting, under the Old Testament dispensations, being approved of God, gives a proof that it was proper then, which is accompanied by the voice of prophecy, affording evidence that even in periods then future it should no less be proper. The argument for the service that is afforded by prophecy is peculiar, and, though corresponding with evidence from other sources, is independent. Because that God willed to make known truth through his servants the prophets, we should receive it …
John Cunningham—The Ordinance of Covenanting

Difficulties and Objections
"Yet ye say, The way of the Lord is not equal. Hear now, O house of Israel; Is not My way equal? are not your ways unequal?" (Ezek. 18:25). A convenient point has been reached when we may now examine, more definitely, some of the difficulties encountered and the objections which might be advanced against what we have written in previous pages. The author deemed it better to reserve these for a separate consideration rather than deal with them as he went along, requiring as that would have done the …
Arthur W. Pink—The Sovereignty of God

Jesus' Feet Anointed in the House of a Pharisee.
(Galilee.) ^C Luke VII. 36-50. ^c 36 And one of the Pharisees desired him that he would eat with him. [We learn from verse 40 that the Pharisee's name was Simon. Because the feast at Bethany was given in the house of Simon the leper, and because Jesus was anointed there also, some have been led to think that Luke is here describing this supper. See Matt. xxvi. 6-13; Mark xiv. 3-9; John xii. 1-8. But Simon the leper was not Simon the Pharisee. The name Simon was one of the most common among the Jewish …
J. W. McGarvey—The Four-Fold Gospel

In Judaea
If Galilee could boast of the beauty of its scenery and the fruitfulness of its soil; of being the mart of a busy life, and the highway of intercourse with the great world outside Palestine, Judaea would neither covet nor envy such advantages. Hers was quite another and a peculiar claim. Galilee might be the outer court, but Judaea was like the inner sanctuary of Israel. True, its landscapes were comparatively barren, its hills bare and rocky, its wilderness lonely; but around those grey limestone …
Alfred Edersheim—Sketches of Jewish Social Life

Meditations of the True Manner of Practising Piety on the Sabbath-Day.
Almighty God will have himself worshipped, not only in a private manner by private persons and families, but also in a more public sort, of all the godly joined together in a visible church; that by this means he may be known not only to be the God and Lord of every Singular person, but also of the creatures of the whole universal world. Question--But why do not we Christians under the New, keep the Sabbath on the same seventh day on which it was kept under the Old Testament? I answer--Because our …
Lewis Bayly—The Practice of Piety

Meditations against Despair, or Doubting of God's Mercy.
It is found by continual experience, that near the time of death, when the children of God are weakest, then Satan makes the greatest nourish of his strength, and assails them with his strongest temptations. For he knows that either he must now or never prevail; for if their souls once go to heaven, he shall never vex nor trouble them any more. And therefore he will now bestir himself as much as he can, and labour to set before their eyes all the gross sins which ever they committed, and the judgments …
Lewis Bayly—The Practice of Piety

The Creation
Q-7: WHAT ARE THE DECREES OF GOD? A: The decrees of God are his eternal purpose, according to the counsel of his will, whereby, for his own glory, he has foreordained whatsoever shall come to pass. I have already spoken something concerning the decrees of God under the attribute of his immutability. God is unchangeable in his essence, and he-is unchangeable in his decrees; his counsel shall stand. He decrees the issue of all things, and carries them on to their accomplishment by his providence; I …
Thomas Watson—A Body of Divinity

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