“And Sharon shall be a fold of flocks, and the valley of Achor a place for the herds to lie down in, for my people that have sought me.”
My Notes
What Does Isaiah 65:10 Mean?
"And Sharon shall be a fold of flocks, and the valley of Achor a place for the herds to lie down in, for my people that have sought me." Two landscapes are transformed: Sharon (the lush coastal plain) becomes a sheep fold, and Achor (the valley of trouble — named for Achan's sin in Joshua 7) becomes a resting place for herds. The fertile plain serves pastoral purposes. The valley of trouble becomes a valley of REST. Both transformations serve 'my people that have sought me.'
The phrase "valley of Achor" (emeq Akhor — the valley of trouble/disturbance) carries the memory of Israel's worst moment: Achor was where Achan's sin was judged after the defeat at Ai. The name means 'trouble.' The valley named for disaster becomes a place where herds lie down peacefully. The location of judgment becomes the location of rest. The name doesn't change. The experience does.
The qualifier "for my people that have sought me" (le'ammi asher dereshuni — for My people who have sought/inquired of Me) identifies who receives the transformation: not everyone. Those who SOUGHT God. The seeking produces the resting. The inquiring produces the peaceful lying down. The valley of trouble becomes the valley of rest specifically for the seeking people.
Reflection Questions
- 1.What valley of trouble in your past is God transforming into a resting place?
- 2.What does the valley keeping its name (Achor/Trouble) but changing its experience teach about redemption?
- 3.How does seeking God qualify you for the transformation of your worst places?
- 4.What would it look like for herds to 'lie down' in the place you most associate with failure?
Devotional
Sharon becomes a sheep fold. The valley of TROUBLE becomes a resting place for herds. Two landscapes transformed — one from fertility to pastoral peace, another from judgment to rest. And both transformations are for 'my people that have sought me.'
The 'valley of Achor' is the name that carries the weight: Achor means TROUBLE. It's named for the worst moment in Israel's conquest — Achan's sin, the defeat at Ai, the public judgment. The valley that meant trouble for centuries now means REST. The herds lie down there. The place of historic disaster becomes the place of present peace. The name 'trouble' stays on the map. The experience of trouble is replaced by the experience of rest.
The transformation from trouble to rest isn't magic — it's redemption: God doesn't rename the valley. He repurposes it. The place that was defined by sin and judgment is redefined by peace and provision. Your 'valley of Achor' — your place of worst memory, your location of greatest failure — can become the place where you rest. The geography doesn't change. The purpose does.
The 'for my people that have sought me' is the condition: not everyone's valley of trouble becomes a resting place. It happens for those who SOUGHT God — who inquired, who pursued, who didn't give up looking. The seeking is what qualifies you for the transformation. The people who sought God find that their worst places become their most restful.
What valley of Achor — what place of trouble and failure — is God transforming into a resting place for you?
Commentary
Trusted original commentary from respected historical Bible scholars and theologians.
And Sharon shall be a fold of flocks,.... This was a champaign country about Joppa and Lydda, in which were rich…
And Sharon - Sharon was properly a district south of Mount Carmel, along the coast of the Mediterranean, and extending…
Sharon - and the valley of Achor - Two of the most fertile parts of Judea; famous for their rich pastures; the former to…
This is expounded by St. Paul, Rom 11:1-5, where, when, upon occasion of the rejection of the Jews, it is asked, Hath…
Sharon (in Hebr. always with the art.) the northern part of the Maritime Plain, from near Carmel to Joppa, varying in…
Cross References
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