Fair warning, I'll be quoting every verse in this chapter. It is so good and rich in blessings for us.
“Ho! Every one who thirsts, come to the waters;
Isaiah 55:1, NASB 95 biblegateway.com
And you who have no money come, buy and eat.
Come, buy wine and milk
Without money and without cost.
The Lord has what you need.
Maybe you feel a bit like the woman at the well (John 4) and this seems mysterious to you. You know you need money to buy and eat and for wine and milk. But just as Jesus told that woman,
If you knew the gift of God, and who it is who says to you, ‘Give Me a drink,’ you would have asked Him, and He would have given you living water.
John 4:10, NKJV
He is Jehovah Jireh. He is our provider. That includes the things we need for our physical bodies, but also something we need even more. Living water. And this thing is free. Paid for by the Savior and Lord.
After the remarkable description of the Suffering Servant and His gift of redemption, the prophet now encourages everyone to accept this free gift of life.
“Why do you spend money for what is not bread,
Isaiah 55:2
And your wages for what does not satisfy?
Listen carefully to Me, and eat what is good,
And delight yourself in abundance.
And even when we have money, we don't often use it for what we really need. We try and buy satisfaction and contentment and joy. So many resources, so much time, so much of our lives seeking (and paying for) things instead of pursuing the plan our Creator has for us, which would bring all of those feelings we're chasing. So many believers I know speak of the foolishness and folly of the lives lived before they submitted to the Lord and found that it is really better this way.
3 “Incline your ear and come to Me.
Isaiah 55:3-4
Listen, that you may live;
And I will make an everlasting covenant with you,
According to the faithful mercies shown to David.
4 “Behold, I have made him a witness to the peoples,
A leader and commander for the peoples.
The Lord is willing to do almost everything. He upholds the covenant-everlasting. He shows the mercy. He gave us the witness, leader, and commander. We are just asked to listen and draw near. That we may live. Seems like a remarkable tradeoff.
5 “Behold, you will call a nation you do not know,
And a nation which knows you not will run to you,
Because of the Lord your God, even the Holy One of Israel;
For He has glorified you.”
I think this means that they didn't choose Davidic covenant, they called on another nation to lead them.
6 Seek the Lord while He may be found;
Isaiah 55:6-7
Call upon Him while He is near.
7 Let the wicked forsake his way
And the unrighteous man his thoughts;
And let him return to the Lord,
And He will have compassion on him,
And to our God,
For He will abundantly pardon.
The Lord makes a way for us to "find Him"; but not forever. And look who He makes Himself available to, the wicked and unrighteous. He has great compassion and great capacity to pardon; but we have to come to terms with our wickedness. We aren't the good guy, even in our own story. Salvation can only come when we accept our sin and that the only way back is through the plan provided to us.
8 “For My thoughts are not your thoughts,
Isaiah 55:8-9
Nor are your ways My ways,” declares the Lord.
9 “For as the heavens are higher than the earth,
So are My ways higher than your ways
And My thoughts than your thoughts.
This is such an often quoted verse. Usually to give people comfort in troubled times; but notice the context in which it was given, God's stunning compassion and forgiveness.
10 “For as the rain and the snow come down from heaven,
Isaiah 55:10-11
And do not return there without watering the earth
And making it bear and sprout,
And furnishing seed to the sower and bread to the eater;
11 So will My word be which goes forth from My mouth;
It will not return to Me empty,
Without accomplishing what I desire,
And without succeeding in the matter for which I sent it.
God gives us such a powerful vision of His faithfulness and the source of true hope for our future. All water remains in the cycle, watering the earth, giving life, and returning to the cycle. It's with that faithfulness and predictability that we can count on the word of the Lord. His will will be done. And He was promising Israel deliverance, at least for a remnant, at the conclusion of their captivity.
12 “For you will go out with joy
Isaiah 55:12-13
And be led forth with peace;
The mountains and the hills will break forth into shouts of joy before you,
And all the trees of the field will clap their hands.
13 “Instead of the thorn bush the cypress will come up,
And instead of the nettle the myrtle will come up,
And it will be a memorial to the Lord,
For an everlasting sign which will not be cut off.”
Look at those promises. Not only will Israel know peace and joy, abut all of creation around them will celebrate. Mountains, trees, fields. Nature will have the victory as well.
And all of it. All of it. Will bring glory to the only one worthy of it.
Hallelujah and Amen!
What a powerful chapter. Famous quotes, salvation for all who would seek Him, and a future filled with joy, peace, and celebration!