Exegetical and Hermeneutical Commentary of Isaiah 55:1

Ho, every one; not only Jews, but Gentiles. The prophet having largely discoursed of Christ, Isa 53, and of the church of Christ, Isa 54, doth here invite all persons to come to Christ, and to his church.

That thirsteth for the grace of God, and the blessings of the gospel. This thirst implies a vehement, and active, and restless desire after it, not to be satisfied with any thing short of it.

Come ye to the waters; which are mentioned, either,

1. As the place where they were to buy the following commodities, it being usual to convey provisions to cities by rivers. Or rather,

2. As the commodity to be bought, the graces and comforts of Gods Spirit, which are frequently compared to waters, as Isa 12:3; 35:6,7; Joh 7:37,38, and elsewhere, and which are designed by all these metaphorical expressions of waters, wine, milk, and bread. He that hath no money; even those who are most poor in the world, and those who are most worthless and wicked, if they do but thirst, may be welcome.

Buy, i.e. procure or receive that which is freely offered to you, if you do but come for it, and are willing to take it. Thus buying is used Pro 23:23; Rev 3:18. Nor can this be understood of buying properly, because here is no price paid.

Buy wine and milk; which are synecdochically put for all sorts of provisions; which also are to be understood of spiritual and gospel blessings, as is evident from the following words.

Fuente: English Annotations on the Holy Bible by Matthew Poole

1. every oneAfter the specialprivileges of Israel (Isa54:1-17) there follow, as the consequence, the universalinvitation to the Gentiles (Luk 24:47;Rom 11:12; Rom 11:15).

Hocalls the mostearnest attention.

thirstethhas a keensense of need (Mt 5:6).

waters . . . wine and milkagradation. Not merely water, which is needed to maintain lifeat all, but wine and milk to strengthen, cheer, and nourish;the spiritual blessings of the Gospel are meant (Isa 25:6;Son 5:1; Joh 7:37).”Waters,” plural, to denote abundance (Isa 43:20;Isa 44:3).

no moneyYet, in Isa55:2, it is said, “ye spend money.” A seeming paradox.Ye are really spiritual bankrupts: but thinking yourselves to havemoney, namely, a devotion of your own making, ye lavish it on that”which is not bread,” that is, on idols, whether literal orspiritual.

buy . . . withoutmoneyanother paradox. We are bought, but not with aprice paid by ourselves (1Co 6:20;1Pe 1:18; 1Pe 1:19).In a different sense we are to “buy” salvation, namely, byparting with everything which comes between us and Christ who hasbought it for us and by making it our own (Mat 13:44;Mat 13:46; Luk 12:33;Rev 3:18).

Fuente: Jamieson, Fausset and Brown’s Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible

Ho, everyone that thirsteth, come ye to the waters,…. These are the words not of the prophet, but of the Lord, as what follows throughout the chapter shows; and are directed to the Gentiles, as Aben Ezra thinks: and indeed their conversion is manifestly spoken of in it; and who, Kimchi says, after the war of Gog and Magog, shall know that the Lord reigns, and shall come and be desirous of learning his judgments and laws. The word “ho” is expressive of calling, as the Jewish commentators rightly observe; and carries in it an invitation, in which there seems to be a commiseration of the case of the persons called and it is delivered in indefinite terms, and very openly and publicly; and has in it the nature of a Gospel call or invitation, to persons described as “thirsty”; not in natural, much less in a sinful sense, but in a spiritual one; thirsting after forgiveness of sin by the blood of Christ; after justification by his righteousness; after salvation by him; after more knowledge of him, more communion with him, and more conformity to him; and after the milk of the word, and breasts of ordinances; being sensible of sin and danger, and having a spiritual appetite, and a desire after spiritual things. Such as these are persons made alive; are in distress, and sensible of it; and have desires formed in them after divine things: and these are invited and encouraged to “come to the waters”; by which are meant not Christ, though he is as “rivers of water”; and sensible sinners are directed to come to him, and that as in a starving and famishing condition, and having nothing to help themselves with; and such things are to be had of him, which like water are refreshing and reviving, as his grace, and the blessings of it; and which serve to extinguish thirst, and free from it; yet not he, nor the grace of the spirit, are intended, which is often signified by water in Scripture; but rather the ordinances of the Gospel, which are the means of conveying grace, and of refreshing and comforting distressed minds; in order to which, such may come and hear the word, come and partake of all ordinances. The allusion seems to be to such places by the waterside, where ships, laden with provisions, come and unlade; and where persons, by a public crier, are informed of it, and are called to come and buy. So water means the water side, Jud 7:4. Aben Ezra, Jarchi, and Kimchi, interpret them of the law, and the doctrines of it; and so the Targum,

“ho, everyone that would learn, let him come and learn;”

but the Gospel, and the doctrines and ordinances of that, seem rather designed:

and he that hath no money; not in a natural, but in a spiritual sense: unconverted persons have nothing to support themselves or pay off their debts with, though they fancy they have, and that they are rich, and stand in need of nothing; but sensible souls know they have none, and that they are poor and needy; yet these are invited to come where provisions are to be had, since they are to be had at free cost:

come ye, buy and eat; come to the ordinances, partake of them freely, and feed upon the provisions therein made:

come, buy wine and milk, without money, and without price; by wine and milk are meant the Gospel and its doctrines, compared to good old generous wine, for the antiquity of them, and for their being of a reviving and refreshing nature; and to “milk”, for its purity and sweetness, and for its cooling and nourishing nature, and because easy of digestion; these are to be bought, and not to be sold. Pr 23:23, but not in a proper sense; no valuable consideration can be given for them, for they are of more worth than thousands of gold and silver; nor have we anything to give to God for them, and the blessings of grace conveyed by them, which is not his own, or can be profitable to him; but in an improper sense, when something thought valuable is parted with for them, as sinful and righteous self, and even everything in life, when called for, and that itself; these are bought without any money or price on our part; they are freely given and received; and on this basis may men expect them, and have them. The Targum is,

“he that hath no silver, come, hear and learn; come, hear and learn, without price and money, doctrine better than wine and milk.”

Fuente: John Gill’s Exposition of the Entire Bible

All things are ready; the guests are invited; and nothing is required of them except to come. “Alas, all ye thirsty ones, come ye to the water; and ye that have no silver, come ye, buy, and eat! Yea, come, buy wine and milk without money and without payment! Wherefore do ye weigh silver for that which is not bread, and the result of your labour for that which satisfieth not? O hearken ye to me, and eat the good, and let your soul delight itself in fat.” Hitzig and Knobel understand by water, wine, and milk, the rich material blessings which awaited the exiles on their return to their fatherland, whereas they were now paying tribute and performing service inf Babylon without receiving anything in return. But the prophet was acquainted with something higher than either natural water (Isa 54:3, cf., Isa 41:17) or natural wine (Isa 25:6). He knew of an eating and drinking which reached beyond the mere material enjoyment (Isa 65:13); and the expression , whilst it includes material blessings (Jer 31:12), is not exhausted by them (Isa 63:7, cf., Psa 27:13), just as in Isa 58:14 (cf., Psa 37:4, Psa 37:11) does not denote a feeling or worldly, but of spiritual joy. Water, wine, and milk, as the fact that water is placed first clearly shows, are not the produce of the Holy Land, but figurative representations of spiritual revival, recreation, and nourishment (cf., 1Pe 2:2, “the sincere milk of the word”). The whole appeal is framed accordingly. When Jehovah summons the thirsty ones of His people to come to the water, the summons must have reference to something more than the water to which a shepherd leads his flock. And as buying without money or any other medium of exchange is an idea which neutralizes itself in the sphere of natural objects, wine and ilk are here blessings and gifts of divine grace, which are obtained by grace ( , gratis ), their reception being dependent upon nothing but a sense of need, and a readiness to accept the blessings offered. Again, the use of the verb , which is confined in other passages to the purchase of cereals, is a sufficient proof that the reference is not to natural objects, but to such objects as could properly be compared to cereals. The bread and other provisions, which Israel obtained in its present state of punishment, are called “not bread,” and “not serving to satisfy,” because that which truly satisfies the soul comes from above, and being of no earthly nature, is to be obtained by those who are the most destitute of earthly supplies. Can any Christian reader fail to recall, when reading the invitation in Isa 55:1, the words of the parable in Mat 22:4, “All things are now ready?” And does not Isa 55:2 equally suggest the words of Paul in Rom 11:6, “If by grace, then is it no more of works?” Even the exclamation hoi (alas! see Isa 18:1), with which the passage commences, expresses deep sorrow on account of the unsatisfied thirst, and the toilsome labour which affords nothing but seeming satisfaction. The way to true satisfaction is indicated in the words, “Hearken unto me:” it is the way of the obedience of faith. In this way alone can the satisfaction of the soul be obtained.

Fuente: Keil & Delitzsch Commentary on the Old Testament

      1 Ho, every one that thirsteth, come ye to the waters, and he that hath no money; come ye, buy, and eat; yea, come, buy wine and milk without money and without price.   2 Wherefore do ye spend money for that which is not bread? and your labour for that which satisfieth not? hearken diligently unto me, and eat ye that which is good, and let your soul delight itself in fatness.   3 Incline your ear, and come unto me: hear, and your soul shall live; and I will make an everlasting covenant with you, even the sure mercies of David.   4 Behold, I have given him for a witness to the people, a leader and commander to the people.   5 Behold, thou shalt call a nation that thou knowest not, and nations that knew not thee shall run unto thee because of the LORD thy God, and for the Holy One of Israel; for he hath glorified thee.

      Here, I. We are all invited to come and take the benefit of that provision which the grace of God has made for poor souls in the new covenant, of that which is the heritage of the servants of the Lord (ch. liv. 17), and not only their heritage hereafter, but their cup now, v. 1. Observe,

      1. Who are invited: Ho, every one. Not the Jews only, to whom first the word of salvation was sent, but the Gentiles, the poor and the maimed, the halt and the blind, are called to this marriage supper, whoever can be picked up out of the highways and the hedges. It intimates that in Christ there is enough for all and enough for each, that ministers are to make a general offer of life and salvation to all, that in gospel times the invitation should be more largely made than it had been and should be sent to the Gentiles, and that the gospel covenant excludes none that do not exclude themselves. The invitation is published with an Oyez-Ho, take notice of it. He that has ears to hear let him hear.

      2. What is the qualification required in those that shall be welcome–they must thirst. All shall be welcome to gospel grace upon those terms only that gospel grace be welcome to them. Those that are satisfied with the world and its enjoyments for a portion, and seek not for a happiness in the favour of God,–those that depend upon the merit of their own works for a righteousness, and see no need they have of Christ and his righteousness,–these do not thirst; they have no sense of their need, are in no pain or uneasiness about their souls, and therefore will not condescend so far as to be beholden to Christ. But those that thirst are invited to the waters, as those that labour, and are heavy-laden, are invited to Christ for rest. Note, Where God gives grace he first gives a thirsting after it; and, where he has given a thirsting after it, he will give it, Ps. lxxxi. 10.

      3. Whither they are invited: Come you to the waters. Come to the water-side, to the ports, and quays, and wharfs, on the navigable rivers, into which goods are imported; thither come and buy, for that is the market-place of foreign commodities; and to us they would have been for ever foreign if Christ had not brought in an everlasting righteousness. Come to Christ; for he is the fountain opened; he is the rock smitten. Come to holy ordinances, to those streams that make glad the city of our God; come to them, and though they may seem to you plain and common things, like waters, yet to those who believe in Christ the things signified will be as wine and mile, abundantly refreshing. Come to the healing waters; come to the living waters. Whoever will, let him come, and partake of the waters of life, Rev. xxii. 17. Our Saviour referred to it, John vii. 37. If any man thirst, let him come to me and drink.

      4. What they are invited to do. (1.) Come, and buy. Never did any tradesman court customers that he hoped to get by as Christ courts us to that which we only are to be gainers by. “Come and buy, and we can assure you you shall have a good bargain, which you will never repent of nor lose by. Come and buy; make it your own by an application of the grace of the gospel to yourselves; make it your own upon Christ’s terms, nay, your own upon any terms, nor deliberating whether you shall agree to them.” (2.) “Come, and eat; make it still more your own, as that which we eat is more our own than that which we only buy.” We must buy the truth, not that we may lay it by to be looked at, but that we may feed and feast upon it, and that the spiritual life may be nourished and strengthened by it. We must buy necessary provisions for our souls, be willing to part with any thing, though ever so dear to us, so that we may but have Christ and his graces and comforts. We must part with sin, because it is an opposition to Christ, part with all opinion of our own righteousness, as standing in competition with Christ, and part with life itself, and its most necessary supports, rather than quit our interest in Christ. And, when we have bought what we need, let us not deny ourselves the comfortable use of it, but enjoy it, and eat the labour of our hands: Buy, and eat.

      5. What is the provision they are invited to: “Come, and buy wine and milk, which will not only quench the thirst” (fair water would do that), “but nourish the body, and revive the spirits.” The world comes short of our expectations. We promise ourselves, at least, water in it, but we are disappointed of that, as the troops of Tema, Job vi. 19. But Christ outdoes our expectations. We come to the waters, and would be glad of them, but we find there wine and milk, which were the staple commodities of the tribe of Judah, and which the Shiloh of that tribe is furnished with to entertain the gathering of the people to him,Gen 49:10; Gen 49:12. His eyes shall be red with wine and his teeth white with milk. We must come to Christ, to have milk for babes, to nourish and cherish those that are but lately born again; and with him strong men shall find that which will be a cordial to them: they shall have wine to make glad their hearts. We must part with our puddle-water, nay, with our poison, that we may procure this wine and milk.

      6. The free communication of this provision: Buy it without money, and without price. A strange way of buying, not only without ready money (that is common enough), but without any money, or the promise of any; yet it seems not so strange to those who have observed Christ’s counsel to Laodicea, that was wretchedly poor, to come and buy,Rev 3:17; Rev 3:18. Our buying without money intimates, (1.) That the gifts offered us are invaluable and such as no price can be set upon. Wisdom is that which cannot be gotten for gold. (2.) That he who offers them has no need of us, nor of any returns we can make him. He makes us these proposals, not because he has occasion to sell, but because he has a disposition to give. (3.) That the things offered are already bought and paid for. Christ purchased them at the full value, with price, not with money, but with his own blood, 1 Pet. i. 19. (4.) That we shall be welcome to the benefits of the promise, though we are utterly unworthy of them, and cannot make a tender of any thing that looks like a valuable consideration. We ourselves are not of any value, nor is any thing we have or can do, and we must own it, that, if Christ and heaven be ours, we may see ourselves for ever indebted to free grace.

      II. We are earnestly pressed and persuaded (and O that we would be prevailed with!) to accept this invitation, and make this good bargain for ourselves.

      1. That which we are persuaded to is to hearken to God and to his proposals: “Hearken diligently unto me, v. 2. Not only give me the hearing, but approve of what I say, and apply it to yourselves (v. 3): Incline your ear, as you do to that which you find yourselves concerned in and pleased with; bow the ear, and let the proud heart stoop to the humbling methods of the gospel; bend the ear this way, that you may hear with attention and remark; hear, and come unto me; not only come and treat with me, but comply with me, come up to my terms;” accept God’s offers as very advantageous; answer his demands as very fit and reasonable.

      2. The arguments used to persuade us to this are taken,

      (1.) From the unspeakable wrong we do to ourselves if we neglect and refuse this invitation: “Wherefore do you spend money for that which is not bread, which will not yield you, no, not beggar’s food, dry bread, when with me you may have wine and milk without money? Wherefore do you spend your labour and toil for that which will not be so much as dry bread to you, for it satisfies not?” See here, [1.] The vanity of the things of this world. They are not bread, not proper food for a soul; they afford no suitable nourishment or refreshment. Bread is the staff of the natural life, but it affords no support at all to the spiritual life. All the wealth and pleasure in the world will not make one meal’s meat for a soul. Eternal truth and eternal good are the only food for a rational and immortal soul, the life of which consists in reconciliation and conformity to God, and in union and communion with him, which the things of the world will not at all befriend. They satisfy not; they yield not any solid comfort and content to the soul, nor enable it to say, “Now I have what I would have.” Nay, they do not satisfy even the appetites of the body. The more men have the more they would have, Eccl. i. 8. Haman was unsatisfied in the midst of his abundance. They flatter, but they do not fill; they please for a while, like the dream of a hungry man, who awakes and his soul is empty. They soon surfeit, but they never satisfy; they cloy a man, but do not content him, or make him truly easy. It is all vanity and vexation. [2.] The folly of the children of this world. They spend their money and labour for these uncertain unsatisfying things. Rich people live by their money, poor people by their labour; but both mistake their truest interest, while the one is trading, the other toiling, for the world, both promising themselves satisfaction and happiness in it, but both miserably disappointed. God vouchsafes compassionately to reason with them: “Wherefore do you thus act against your own interest? Why do you suffer yourselves to be thus imposed upon?” Let us reason with ourselves, and let the result of these reasonings be a holy resolution not to labour for the meat that perishes, but for that which endures to everlasting life, John vi. 27. Let all the disappointments we meet with in the world help to drive us to Christ, and lead us to seek for satisfaction in him only. This is the way to make sure which will be made sure.

      (2.) From the unspeakable kindness we do to ourselves if we accept this invitation and comply with it. [1.] hereby we secure to ourselves present pleasure and satisfaction: “If you hearken to Christ, you eat that which is good, which is both wholesome and pleasant, good in itself and good for you.” God’s good word and promise, a good conscience, and the comforts of God’s good Spirit, are a continual feast to those that hearken diligently and obediently to Christ. Their souls shall delight themselves in fatness, that is, in the riches and most grateful delights. Here the invitation is not, “Come, and buy,” lest that should discourage, but, “Come, and eat; come and entertain yourselves with that which will be abundantly pleasing; eat, O friends!” It is sad to think that men should need to be courted thus to their own bliss. [2.] Hereby we secure to ourselves lasting happiness: “Hear, and your soul shall live; you shall not only be saved from perishing eternally, but you shall be eternally blessed:” for less than that cannot be the life of an immortal soul. The words of Christ are spirit and life, life to spirits (Joh 6:33; Joh 6:63), the words of this life, Acts v. 20. On what easy terms is happiness offered to us! It is but “Hear, and you shall live.” [3.] The great God graciously secures all this to us: “Come to me, and I will make an everlasting covenant with you, will put myself into covenant-relations and under covenant-engagements to you, and thereby settle upon you the sure mercies of David.” Note, First, If we come to God to serve him, he will covenant with us to do us good and make us happy; such are his condescension to us and concern for us. Secondly, God’s covenant with us is an everlasting covenant–its contrivance from everlasting, its continuance to everlasting. Thirdly, The benefits of this covenant are mercies suited to our case, who, being miserable, are the proper objects of mercy. They come from God’s mercy, and are ordered every way in kindness to us. Fourthly, They are the mercies of David, such mercies as God promised to David (Psa 89:28; Psa 89:29, c.), which are called the mercies of David his servant, and are appealed to by Solomon, 2 Chron. vi. 42. It shall be a covenant as sure as that with David, Jer 33:25Jer 33:26. The covenant of royalty was a figure of the covenant of grace, 2 Sam. xxiii. 5. Or, rather, by David here we are to understand the Messiah. Covenant-mercies are all his mercies; they are purchased by him; they are promised in him; they are treasured up in his hand, and out of his hand they are dispensed to us. He is the Mediator and trustee of the covenant; to him this is applied, Acts xiii. 34. They are the ta hosia (the word used there, and by the Septuagint here)–the holy things of David, for they are confirmed by the holiness of God (Ps. lxxxix. 35) and are intended to advance holiness among men. Fifthly, They are sure mercies. The covenant, being well-ordered in all things, is sure. It is sure in the general proposal of it; God is real and sincere, serious and in earnest, in the offer of these mercies. It is sure in the particular application of it to believers; God’s gifts and callings are without repentance. They are the mercies of David, and therefore sure, for in Christ the promises are all yea and amen.

      III. Jesus Christ is promised for the making good of all the other promises which we are here invited to accept of, v. 4. He is that David whose sure mercies all the blessings and benefits of the covenant are. “And God has given him in his purpose and promise, has constituted and appointed him, and in the fulness of time will as surely send him as if he had already come, to be all that to us which is necessary to our having the benefit of these preparations.” He has given him freely; for what more free than a gift? There was nothing in us to merit such a favour, but Christ is the gift of God. We want one, 1. To attest the truth of the promises which we are invited to take the benefit of; and Christ is given for a witness that God is willing to receive us into his favour upon gospel terms, to confirm the promises made unto the fathers, that we may venture our souls upon those promises with entire satisfaction. Christ is a faithful witness, we may take his word–a competent witness, for he lay in the bosom of the Father from eternity, and was perfectly apprised of the whole matter. Christ, as a prophet, testifies the will of God to the world; and to believe is to receive his testimony. 2. To assist us in closing with the invitation, and coming up to the terms of it. We know not how to find the way to the waters where we are to be supplied, but Christ is given to be a leader. We know not what to do that we may be qualified or it, and become sharers in it, but he is given for a commander, to show us what to do and enable us to do it. Much difficulty and opposition lie in our way to Christ; we have spiritual enemies to grapple with, but, to animate us for the conflict, we have a good captain, like Joshua, a leader and commander to tread our enemies under our feet and to put us in possession of the land of promise. Christ is a commander by his precept and a leader by his example; our business is to obey him and follow him.

      IV. The Master of the feast being fixed, it is next to be furnished with guests, for the provision shall not be lost, nor made in vain, v. 5. 1. The Gentiles shall be called to this feast, shall be invited out of the highways and the hedges: “Thou shalt call a nation that thou knowest not, that is, that was not formerly called and owned as thy nation, that thou didst not send prophets to as to Israel, the people whom God knew above all the families of the earth.” The Gentiles shall now be favoured as they never were before; their knowing God is said to be rather their being known of God, Gal. iv. 9. 2. They shall come at the call: Nations that knew not thee shall run unto thee; those that had long been afar off from Christ shall be made nigh; those that had been running from him shall run to him, with the greatest speed and alacrity imaginable. There shall be a concourse of believing Gentiles to Christ, who, being lifted up from the earth, will draw all men to him. Now see the reason, (1.) Why the Gentiles will thus flock to Christ; it is because of the Lord his God, because he is the Son of God, and is declared to be so with power, because they now see his God is one with whom they have to do, and there is no coming to him as their God but by making an interest in his Son. Those that are brought to be acquainted with God, and understand how the concern lies between them and him, cannot but run to Jesus Christ, who is the only Mediator between God and Man, and there is no coming to God but by him. (2.) Why God will bring them to him; it is because he is the Holy One of Israel, true to his promises, and he has promised to glorify him by giving him the heathen for his inheritance. When Greeks began to enquire after Christ he said, The hour has come that the Son of man should be glorified,Joh 12:22; Joh 12:23. And his being glorified in his resurrection and ascension was the great argument by which multitudes were wrought upon to run to him.

Fuente: Matthew Henry’s Whole Bible Commentary

ISAIAH – CHAPTER 55

DIVINE MERCY AND SALVATION FREELY OFFERED TO ALL

Whereas chapter 54 set forth the benefits of Messiah’s sufferings for the covenant nation, this chapter reveals the extension of its vast benefits to the ends of the earth. Herein is revealed the great, benevolent heart of the Almighty – and the riches of divine grace which He freely offers to all men!

Vs. 1-5: AN INVITATION TO THE THIRSTY AND HELPLESS

1. In verse 1 there is a hearty invitation to find and partake of that which is sufficient for every human need through the abundant provision made by the Suffering Servant.

a. Only two conditions are attached: thirst, and the recognition of inability, within one’s own self, To quench that thirst, (Joh 7:37; Rev 22:17; Joh 4:14).

b. The provision, metaphorically set forth, is of “water, milk and wine” – suggesting: refreshment, nourishment and spiritual exhilaration, (Isa 41:17; Isa 44:3; Psa 42:1-2; 1Pe 2:2; Isa 25:6).

c. Such as are thirsting (Mat 5:6), and know the bankruptcy of their own ability to satisfy that deep yearning, may freely drink -without money!

1) No price tag is attached.

2) Satisfaction has been fully made through the unbounded gift of divine love! (Joh 3:16; 1Pe 1:18-20).

2. God asks “WHY”? and it is still a reasonable inquiry, (vs. 2).

a. Why waste your resources on that which gives no nourishment? (Ecc 6:7).

b. Why labor for that which can never satisfy? (Joh 6:27; Joh 6:35).

c. Why not, rather, hearken to the voice of the Lord – feasting abundantly on His gracious provision? (comp. Isa 1:19; Isa 58:14; Isa 62:8-9).

d. Why all this disappointing waste, when your life may be filled to overflowing with the abundance of spiritual joy that He so liberally, freely and lovingly offers? (Jer 31:12-14).

3. Then follows an extension of the divine invitation -accompanied by a far-reaching promise, (vs. 3).

a. “Come to me”, says the Lord; come with your ear inclined to hear, and with your heart consenting to walk in God’s will, (Isa 51:4; Mat 11:28-29; comp. Rom 10:4-13).

b. So hearkening, “your soul shall live” – be revived. As Maclaren expresses it:

“The true life of the soul lies in that listening receptiveness which takes for one’s own God’s great gift of Christ, and yields glad obedience to His every word.”

c. Then the Lord promises to establish, with His obedient people, “an everlasting covenant” – even the “sure mercies” of the Messianic DAVID, (Act 13:32-34; comp. Hos 3:5; Jer 30:9; Eze 34:23-24; Eze 37:24-28).

4. He who is given as a “covenant” to the people (Isa 42:6; Isa 49:8) – that is, the Messiah – is also to be their divine witness (Deu 8:3; Joh 1:18; Joh 18:37; Rev 1:5; Rev 3:14), prince (Dan 9:25; Act 3:15), and commander, (vs. 4; comp. Mic 5:2; Heb 2:10).

5. As the covenant people yield themselves to God’s order, they will be enabled to reach previously unknown nations with the message of divine love for all – as manifested in the Suffering Servant.

a. Because the Lord God of Israel blesses this “testimony of Jesus” which is “the spirit of prophecy” Rev 19:10), the Gentiles will believe.

. Thus, the Lord glorifies His people, through the enablement of divine grace, to be effective witnesses of His saving strength, (Act 1:8).

c. What the covenant nation fails to do, the Lord accomplishes through the New Testament church “which is his body”, and through which is manifested “the fullness of him that filleth all in all”, (Eph 1:23).

Fuente: Garner-Howes Baptist Commentary

1. Ho, all that are thirsty. Here the Prophet describes in lofty terms of commendation the goodness of God, which was to be poured down more copiously and abundantly than before under the reign of Christ, “in whose hand are hid all the treasures” (Col 2:3) of the grace of God; for in him God fully explains his mind to us; so that the saying of John is actually fulfilled, “We have all drawn from his fullness, and have received grace for grace.” (Joh 1:16) The fathers were, indeed, partakers of that divine goodness and spiritual kindness which is here mentioned. “How great,” says David, “is thy goodness, which hath been laid up for them that fear thee!” (Psa 31:19) But he hath poured it out far more liberally and abundantly in Christ. Thus, it is a remarkable commendation of the grace of God, which is exhibited to us in the kingdom of Christ; for the Prophet does not instruct us what has been done once, but also what is done every day, while the Lord invites us by his doctrine to the enjoyment of all blessings.

Come to the waters. Some view the word “waters” as referring to the doctrine of the Gospel, and others to the Holy Spirit; but neither of these expositions, in my opinion, is correct. They who think that it denotes the doctrine of the Gospel, and who contrast it with the law, (of which the Jewish writers think that the Prophet speaks in this passage,) include only one part of what the Prophet meant. They who expound it as denoting the Holy Spirit have somewhat more plausibility, and quote that passage of John’s Gospel,

“

If thou knewest the gift of God, and who it is that saith to thee, Give me to drink, thou wouldest have asked of him, and he would have given thee living water.” (Joh 4:10)

And a little after, Christ appears to expound this passage when he says,

“

Every one that drinketh of this water shall thirst again; but whosoever shall drink of the water which I shall give to him shall never thirst; but the water which I shall give to him shall become in him a fountain of water springing up to everlasting life.” (Joh 4:13)

But I have no doubt that under these words, “waters, milk, wine, bread,” Isaiah includes all that is necessary for spiritual life; for the metaphors are borrowed from those kinds of food which are in daily use amongst us. As we are nourished by “bread, wine, milk, and water,” so in like manner let us know that our souls are fed and supported by the doctrine of the Gospel, the Holy Spirit, and other gifts of Christ.

The Prophet exclaims, as with a voice above the usual pitch, He! for so great is the sluggishness of men that it is very difficult to arouse them. They do not feel their wants, though they are hungry; nor do they desire food, which they greatly need; and therefore that indifference must be shaken off by loud and incessant cries. So much the more base and shameful is the indolence of those who are deaf to this exhortation, and who, even when they are so sharply urged forward, still indulge in their slothfulness. Besides, the invitation is general; for there is no man who is not in want of those “waters,” and to whom Christ is not necessary; and therefore he invites all indiscriminately, without any respect of persons. But men are so miserable that, although they know that they are in need of Christ, they contrive methods by which they may be deprived of this benefit, and rather believe the devil, who offers various obstructions, than this kind invitation.

We must therefore inquire what is the true preparation for receiving this grace. The Prophet describes it by the word “thirsty.” Those who are puffed up with vain confidence and are satiated, or who, intoxicated by earthly appetites, do not feel thirst of soul, will not receive Christ; because they have no relish for spiritual grace. They resemble those persons who are in want of nourishments, but who, because they are filled and swollen with wind, loathe food, or who, being carried away by their own vain imaginations, feed on their own stupidity, as if they were in want of nothing. The consequence is, that they who are puffed up with pride or a false opinion of their own righteousness, or whom the allurements of the flesh have seized with lethargy, despise or reject the grace of God. It is therefore necessary that we have “thirst,” that is, an ardent desire, in order that it may be possible for us to receive so great blessings.

Buy without money. He does not mean that there are any persons who have money in abundance, but the words ought to be explained thus. “Although they are poor, although they are sunk in the deepest poverty, yet the way is open for them to come to Christ, through whom these blessings are freely bestowed.” “But how is it possible,” it will be said, “to buy without a price?” I reply, “buying” denotes figuratively the method by which we procure anything; and שבר ( shabar) is here put for “procure,” and “price” for labor or industry, or any other method by which men obtain anything, he shows that we are poor and utterly destitute, and that we have nothing by which we can become entitled to God’s favor; but that he kindly invites us, in order that he may freely bestow everything without any recompense.

Fuente: Calvin’s Complete Commentary

THE DIVINE PROVISION FOR HUMAN NEED

Isa. 55:1-2. Ho, every one that thirsteth, come ye to the waters, &c.

The world owes much to the Hebrew mind, and the fine foreshadowings of the ancient prophets. Isaiah touches a chord to which all hearts vibrate, speaking of the birth of Christ, &c. And like a true friend of our suffering race, he sympathises with those who hunger, with those who are weary, and with those who are athirst, No wonder that this old book should still be welcome to man, should never exhaust itself, never grow old, because there is so much in it which appeals to the living heart of humanity. Take the text as an instance, which exhibits the blessings of the Gospel under the most delightful aspects. Consider
I. How DEEPLY THE BLESSINGS OF THE GOSPEL ARE NEEDED.

1. They are not blessings which we can do very well with, or very well without, but they are absolutely vital to our existence. The Gospel is one thing in all ages, and it is the one thing needful for sinful, suffering, dying manneedful to youth and age, &c.
2. But besides this, the thirst of the soul for something greater or nobler than earth can give, is universal
3. The text especially addresses those who thirst after the blessings of pardon and salvation, who feel their destitution of grace, &c. How precious are Gospel blessings to those who feel their need of them!

II. HOW EMINENTLY ADAPTED THEY ARE TO OUR NEED.
Water, milk, wine, bread, are not more suited to the wants of the body, than Christ and salvation are to the deeper wants of the immortal mind. The real ground of the adaptation of the Gospel to mans need, arises from its power to meet the twofold difficulty under which we labourthe guilt of past sin, and the present love of sin. The Gospel experimentally received, acts with the fixedness and certainty of a general law, and becomes the power of God unto salvation, &c.
III. HOW FREELY THEY ARE PROCLAIMED.
Our encouragement to seek these blessings is as ample as our need is great. Come ye to the waters, &c. There can be no contrariety between the absolute freeness of Divine grace, and the appeals and invitations to sinners in the Gospel. The doctrine of the Scripture is that all are welcome to Gospel grace to whom Gospel grace is welcome, &c. The invitation is very free and full, designed to meet all the discouragements of grace-wanting spirits. Come, and come NOW.
IV. HOW FEARFUL ARE THE CONSEQUENCES OF NEGLECTING THEM.
An eternal famine must be the result. The greatest guilt must be involved in the rejection of the greatest mercy; and by the grandeur of the blessedness of the saved, you may calculate the depth of the misery of the lost. This ruin is aggravated

1. By the thought that it is self-caused.
2. By the thought of the worthlessness of the objects for which it is resigned. Wherefore do ye spend, &c. Though the Gospel is absolutely free and gratuitous, yet its blessings must be sought.Samuel Thodey.

We may term these words the Gospel summons, the trumpet call from Heaven to man, bidding him to the great fulness of Gods redeeming love. The call reminds us
I. That the religious wants of man are imperious, and they are universal. By their being imperious we mean that they have a power to assert themselves in such a way that we must feel them, however we may explain them. The opening verses of this chapter supply us with the strongest illustration of the religious feeling in man, for they describe it as a hunger and a thirsta view of the matter very familiar to us in the Scriptures. And what more imperious feelings does the body experience than those of hunger and thirst? So is it with the soul. It hungers and thirsts quite as truly, quite as deeply, as the body. No thirst was ever more real than that described by the psalmist (Psa. 42:1-2).

The religious need is also universal, i.e., it is involved in the life of every human soul. It may be more or less developed, but the spiritual capacity is there, and will in due time assert its strength. We may say that the spiritual craving is

1. Conscious, i.e., has become distinctly intelligible to the soul who is alive with yearnings after God. This is the state of which our Lord speaks (Mat. 5:6).

2. Or, it may be said to be unconscious, i.e., all the elements of yearning and dissatisfaction may be there, though the soul does not recognise their true meaning and treat them in the right way. Hence we may trace the hunger and thirst of the spirit in the very perversions of life, such as the following:Undue eagerness after earthly possessions; vices, by which men seek spurious happiness; tyrannies, by which they seek undue mastery, &c. These very disorders witness to the active spirit within, and the facts are everywhere present: that religious instincts are as truly a part of our nature as are our appetites and our nerves, is a fact which all history establishes, and which forms one of the strongest proofs of the reality of that unseen world to which the soul of man continually tends.

II. Our text announces that these spiritual wants are provided for. Come ye to the waters: come and eat. This is a great secret of the Gospel message, that it not only describes our need, but also offers the supply. The former without the latter would prove a cruel mockery. The waters here spoken of set forth the fitting and overflowing provisions of God for our wants. When we rightly know our need, we shall eagerly respond to His message:e.g., the Gospel declares

1. Gods love for human souls. We are not Fatherless. With a deep and infinite love far beyond expression or thought, He cares for us (Joh. 3:16).

2. Gods help for human souls. In order to attain to our true life, we needlight in our mind: cleansing of the heart: redemption from the power of all sin. All these things are meant by the one word salvation, and they are comprised in the saving work of Christ (1Co. 1:30). Salvation, then, is a great word, and it means a great provision. Come ye to the waters. The provision is as wide as the needEvery one.

III. The terms are within the reach of all. In this matter of salvation there is no privilege of aristocracy, or money, or position, or power. It is not a question of purchasing. What can I offer to God for what He gives me? All that I have, worth possessing, first came from Him: I have nothing of my own. In this respect we all stand upon equal footing before God. The richest has nothing to give, and the poorest is not kept back by his poverty.

And yet there is a condition in the matter which we must all face. There is one thing we have to dowe have to come to the waters. This indicates the personal trust and the voluntary surrender that God requires of us, and this is what we mean by faith. The condition upon which God saves us may be fulfilled by any and all of us.

IV. From all this it follows, that those who come short of the blessings of Gods redemption, are themselves to blame.W. Manning.

Here are plain words, in which plain facts and truths are stated, for the instruction and encouragement of plain people. The prophet uses figures drawn from the common experience of common life to set forth the promises of Divine revelation.
I. MANS WANT. As hunger and thirst are primary and universal facts of human nature, so has mans soul appetites which call for satisfaction. We experience desire and need for true happiness, for the favour of God, for joy and peace of heart, for a law of life, for comfort under trials, for a hope, an assurance of immortality. Mans wants are real, numerous, and pressing.
II. MANS VAIN ENDEAVOUR TO SATISFY THE WANTS OF THE SOUL. As the miserable inhabitants of a besieged city buy the vilest carrion to stay their hunger, as wretched slaves toil beneath the sun for long hours with no wages in prospect, so the irreligious, in their folly and delusion, seek to satisfy the needs of the soul with the vain things of this perishing world; so the misguided and superstitious strive to appease the conscience with unprofitable observances (H. E. I. 23782387, 46274630).
III. GODS SUPPLY IS PROVIDED FOR MANS WANTS. In contradistinction from the foul carrion and the polluted waters of the world, we have here set before us the wholesome bread, the new milk, the pure wine of the Gospel of Divine grace. Here you may find in Christ a provision of salvation; in the gift of the Holy Spirit all spiritual help and guidance. The fact that the Gospel is from God is a guarantee that it is adapted to the necessities of men; and He has caused it to be published from His fatherly desire that our hunger and thirst should no longer distress and torment our spirits.
IV. THE GRACIOUS TERMS UPON WHICH THE GOSPEL OFFERS TO SUPPLY HUMAN WANTS.

1. The blessings of Divine love are offered to every one who both needs and desires themto every one who will receive them by faith.

2. They are offered without any demand for payment, without money, and without price. In fact, it is impossible for us to give anything which can purchase them; and it is impossible for the Giver to accept any recompense save that of love and obedience.The Homiletical Library, vol. ii., p. 117, 118.

THE GOSPEL INVITATION.
Men seek happiness. But they usually seek happiness in some wrong way. There is in many men a craving for religious peace and satisfaction. The souls craving is met by this Gospel. Here is
I. THE DESCRIPTION OF A PRICELESS BLESSING.
Water, wine, milk. The metaphors come from the East. We must place ourselves in the circumstances of Oriental life. Wine, such as was commonly used in Palestine. Milk, so precious everywhere. Water Travellers in the desert know the value of water when the supply is exhausted and no stream appears. Also those who have climbed a mountain on a hot summers day. Suppose the case of a great city, with the supply of water completely exhausted. Suppose, by some change in the course of nature, water was entirely withdrawn from the earth. It would be speedily reduced to a dreary waste, where desolation and death would reign supreme. But this is mans condition when destitute of the Gospel of Christ.
II. THE TERMS OF A GRACIOUS INVITATION.

1. The act which it contemplates. Come. Buy. Eat. This is the attitude of the Gospel towards mankind as distinguished from other religions. They say to poor, helpless, fallen humanity, Go and do something. The Gospel says, Come. It is the attitude of the loving Father toward His wandering child; of the wealthy friend who says to the needy one in whom he is interested, Come to me; of the strong and gracious Saviour, Who bids the weary and heavy laden come. Can anything be simpler than to come and take what you need? To come to Jesus is to believe in Him, &c.

2. The condition it specifies. In many parts of our cities benevolent individuals have placed drinking fountains where men and cattle may quench their thirst freely by simply coming and taking the water as it flows. It is a good emblem of the Gospel, and of the terms on which sinners are invited to partake its blessings. When God provided salvation in Christ, He provided it on terms that illustrate its derivation from His love. He does not demand, and will not accept a price at our hands. What price could we bring? Our righteousness is an inadequate price. Self-righteous pride must be abandoned when we come to Jesus. He has paid the price. We hold our empty hands and take the gift. The condition of absolute spiritual impoverishment to which man is reduced, demands that the salvation be free.

3. The characters it comprehends. The consciousness of need is the only qualification. Have you seen the emptiness of the world, and are you reaching forth, even blindly, towards something better? He invites you to Himself, where you will find what you need, and more than you at present think of. Do you desire salvation? Desire is a prominent element of thirst (Mat. 5:6). Is there in your heart such a consciousness of sin as disturbs your comfort in it, produces distress, excites desire of mercy? Your case is described in the invitation. You are one that thirsteth. Are you sensible of your inability to save yourselfyour utter spiritual impoverishment? The invitation includes him that hath no money. It is addressed to every one. No need to hesitate because of unworthiness, or the greatness of your sin. This every one is equivalent to Christs whosoever. Do not exclude yourself from it.

Let me urge the acceptance of this gracious invitation (Rev. 22:17).

1. Gods Spirit says Come.
2. Gods Church says Come. Those who have accepted the invitation are bound to pass it on.
3. Your urgent need says Come.J. Rawlinson.

By these emblems are set forthI. THE OVERFLOWING FULNESS OF THE GOSPEL OF CHRIST. Come yenot merely to the water, butto the waters. The waters

1. Of forgiveness, in which all our sins are buried out of sight (Mic. 7:19).

2. Of purification, by which every trace of defilement shall be washed away.

3. Of refreshment. II. THE DELIGHTFUL PLEASANTNESS, &c. The blessings of the Gospel cheer and satisfy like wine and milk. III. THE ATTRACTIVE FREENESS, &c.

1. The blessings of the Gospel are offered to all. Ho!a call to arrest the attention of the travellers along lifes highway, whoever they may beevery one that thirsteth.

2. They are offered to all freely. IV. THE MARVELLOUS ADAPTATION OF THE BLESSINGS OF THE GOSPEL. Without money and without price. APPLICATION.

1. To mans needs.
2. To mans conditionmorally bankrupt.
(1.) Gods invitations are not mere complimentary words, such as are sometimes current in societyinvitations made with a secret fear least they should be accepted. God is in earnest.
(2.) Sincere invitations cannot be slighted without offence. This is true of invitations addressed by men to their equals; much more, of invitations addressed by men to their inferiors. The Queens invitation is a command. What excuse then shall we offer if we slight the invitations addressed to us by Almighty God?
(3.) If we slight the gracious invitations which He has addressed to us, where shall we obtain the waters needed to satisfy our spiritual thirst, the wine and milk needed to sustain our souls life? The alternative before us is to turn to Him and live, or to turn away from Him and die!J. H. Stewart: Lectures on Isaiah lv., pp. 124.

I. The moral condition of the persons invited. The description implies

1. A conviction of the need of spiritual blessings.
2. A discovery of the abundant fulness in Christ for salvation and enjoyment.
3. An ardent desire for the blessings of His grace. Are you thus thirsting, &c?

II. The benefits they are invited to share. Figurative expressions, pointing to the blessings of the New Covenant procured for us by the Atonement and resurrection of Christ. The phraseology refers

1. To their variety and fulness.
2. To their perfect adaptation.
3. To their gracious freeness.

III. The nature of the invitation addressed to them.

1. You are to come. But where, and to whom? You are to come to the appointed source.
2. You are to come and purchase covenant blessings. They are invaluable. They have been procured by the Saviour.

They are to be obtained as free undeserved gifts.

3. You are to participate in the blessings of the Gospel.

CONCLUSION.What response do you give to this invitation? Some perhaps will make light of itpostpone compliancebegin to make excuse, &c. See what you reject None need despair.George Smith, D.D.

The benefits of the Gospel are offered to the perishing.
I. The fulness of the offered gift.

II. The freeness of the offered gift.

III. The universality of the offer.

1. Offered to all nations of mankind.
2. To men of every state, class, and character.
3. The salvation is free to the chief of sinners.
4. The offer of life ought, therefore, to be considered by each individual hearer as addressed personally to himself.J. W. Alexander, D.D.: The Preachers Monthly, New Series, vol. vii. pp. 4144.

THE WAY TO TRUE HAPPINESS

Isa. 55:2-5. Wherefore do ye spend money for that which is not bread, &c.?

Having set forth in Isa. 55:1 the perfect freeness of the grace offered in the Gospel, and its adaptation to the wants of sinners, the prophet now expostulates with those who are unwilling to receive it, and exposes the absurdity of thus refusing to embrace the only real good, while at the same time they are toiling in pursuit of that which is imaginary. The question presupposes that the soul is hungry, that it must be hungry until it is fed, that the gnawings of hunger will constrain it to seek food, and that the instinct of self-preservation, no less than the desire of enjoyment, will induce it to give anything it has in exchange for the necessary means of its subsistence and enjoyment; that the fatal error lies not in the seeking after something to sustain it and to make it happy, but in imagining that this end can be answered by the pleasures, gains, and honours of the world, which are not only brief in their duration, but unsuited in their nature to satisfy the wants of an immortal spirit. It is this view of mans natural condition upon which the invitations of the Gospel are all founded. Observe, then

I. THE PROPHET MAKES THE INSUFFICIENCY OF EARTHLY GOOD AN ARGUMENT FOR FIXING THE DESIRES ON OBJECTS ADAPTED TO OUR NATURE. He assures the disappointed soul that happiness is really attainable. But is this indefinite assurance that there is a good sufficient and attainable, the highest and best offer that the Gospel makes to sinners? If this were all, the tender mercies of the Gospel would be cruel. The voice of God has no such uncertain sound, for

II. THE DIRECTION OF THE SOUL TO A SPECIFIC AND EXCLUSIVE OBJECT AS ITS ONLY GROUND OF HOPE AND TRUST IS A DISTINCTIVE FEATURE OF THE GOSPEL. God stands at the fountain of life, and cries, Ho, every one that thirsteth, &c. Annexed to this gracious invitation is the specific promise of a sure salvation, And I will make, &c. (2Sa. 7:16; cf. Luk. 1:32-33; Jer. 23:5-6, and others).

1. The offer of salvation is specific. It is not mercy in general that is offered, but the mercies of Davidpurchased by the second Davidpromised to the ancient David, which he hoped for, which he trusted in, and of which he could say, This is all my salvation, &c.
2. It is sure. It is a covenanted blessing, and it therefore cannot fail; it is a permanent blessing, and can undergo no change; it is a durable blessing, and shall last for ever.

III. ALL, WITHOUT EXCEPTION, ARE ENCOURAGED TO CONFIDE IN THE SAME ALL-SUFFICIENT SAVIOUR (Isa. 55:4-5). The connection leaves no doubt that Christ is here the subject of discourse. To the nations generally He reveals the Father, and brings life and immortality to light (Isa. 55:5). In addition to the doctrinal instructions of this passage, we may learn from it a lesson in the art of invitation.

1. We must not address our invitations to a nature of which man is not possessed, but to his actual capacities and wants, admitting or assuming their reality and strength, and striving to convince him that they never can be satisfied by anything but that which is so freely offered in the Gospel [1689]

2. Let us see to it, that this great offer of the Gospel be distinctly and specifically held up to the sinners view, instead of suffering his mind to rest in a mere negative conviction that the world is not a satisfying portion, or allowing it to roam at large in search of untried sources of enjoyment.
3. Let no man be invited to a general, indefinite reliance upon mercy as an attribute of God, without regard to that particular and only way in which it can and will be exercised to fallen man; but let him be invited to a share in the provisions of that everlasting covenant which God has promised to bestow upon him.J. A. Alexander: Gospel of Jesus Christ, pp. 345356.

[1689] A strange plant, called the nardoo, closely allied to the fern tribe, grows in the deserts of Central Australia. A peculiarly melancholy interest is connected with it, owing to the fact that its seeds formed for months together almost the sole food of the party of explorers who a few years ago crossed the continent. The nardoo satisfied their hunger; it produced a pleasant feeling of comfort and repletion. The natives were accustomed to eat it in the absence of their usual roots and fruits, not only without injury, but actually with positive benefit to their health. And yet day after day King and his friends became weaker and more emaciated upon this diet. Their flesh wasted from their bones, their strength was reduced to an infants feebleness, and they could only crawl painfully a mile or two a day. At last, when nearing the bourne of their hopes, they perished one by one of starvation, a solitary survivor being found in the last extremity under a tree, where he had laid him down to die, by a party sent out in search of the missing expedition. When analysed, the nardoo bread was ascertained to be destitute of certain nutritious elements indispensable to the support of a European, though an Australian savage might for a while find it beneficial as an alterative. And thus it happened that these poor unfortunate Englishmen perished of starvation, even while feeding fully day by day upon food that served to satisfy their hunger.

Is it not precisely so in the experience of those who are seeking and finding their portion in earthly things? They are contented with it, and yet their hunger is in reality unappeased. Their desires are crowned, and yet they are actually perishing of want. God gives them their request, but sends leanness to their souls.H. Macmillan.

We are reminded
I. OF THE SINNERS MISTAKE. He seeks happiness in the riches, honours, and pleasures of the world; sustenance for his soul in mere confectionery, which may allure the eye and gratify the palate, but which leaves the appetite craving, and the frame unrefreshed.
II. OF THE SINNERS DISTANCE FROM GOD, implied in the invitation, Come unto me. Considered as a fact, how astonishing it isthat the younger and well-beloved son should be found in this far country; how sorrowfulthat he should be a swine-herd, and be hungrily devouring husks which cannot satisfy; how perilfulwhat must he the end of this alienation from God, and this vain attempt to satisfy the hunger of the soul with carobs?

III. OF THE SINNERS DISLIKE TO THE GOSPEL, implied in the exhortation, Incline your ear. The evidences of this fact are all around us; what are its causes?

1. Unbeliefunbelief in the great fact that true happiness is only to be found in the service of God.

2. Pride, which rebels against the humbling declarations of the Gospel as to mans natural condition, and his entire inability to do anything to merit salvation.

3. Love of the world and fear of man. These things go together. Men shrink from the necessity which the Gospel imposes of adopting a standard differing from that acknowledged by society, and fear that by doing so they will hinder their worldly advancement.

4. Desire for self-indulgence. The fact that the Gospel will make no compromise with sin renders it offensive to vast multitudes.

IV. OF THE GREATNESS OF THE BLESSINGS WHICH GOD OFFERS TO THE PENITENT AND BELIEVING SINNER. These are

1. True satisfaction.

2. True and eternal life.J. H. Stewart, M.A.: Lectures on Isaiah lv., pp. 2540.

We have already considered the hunger and thirst which men feel in the way of spiritual cravings. Our text expostulates with those who resort to unhealthy and unnatural ways to satisfy those cravings in the pursuit of sin. It reminds us that
I. Godless effort is misdirected, and therefore foolish expenditure. It is spending money for that which is not bread. Picture the folly which this would be in the case of famine and starvation. In spiritual matters this is being continually done. E.g.

1. The mammon-worshipper is doing it. He spends all his energies upon the tasks of gain. What does he get? (Luk. 12:20.)

2. The voluptuary is doing it. When the round of pleasures is exhausted, what is his reward? Vanity and vexation of spirit.

3. The merely religious formalist is doing it. Isaiah 1 clearly suggests what is to be got by the hollow pretences of religion. (See also Mat. 7:22-23.)

II. All this involves not merely expenditure, but spiritual loss. You labour for that which satisfieth not. Not only money, but strength also goes; and therefore the loss is not external to ourselves, but a part of ourselves. Labour wears men down physically, &c. So here: the supreme matter of concern is the soul-loss that results. Consider our Lords question on this point: What shall a man gain, &c. Even suppose we get the little all that we seek in the realm of mere materialism, what then? Think of the soul degraded, impoverished, helpless, hopeless. What can compensate for a soul in ruins? The life of the soul is everything to us.

III. This is a matter for reflection and decision. Hearken, &c. Observe

1. One of the delusions of sin is that it throws men into a state of indifference.

2. The Gospel requires a mans whole judgment and thought (Isa. 1:18).

3. The Gospel also requires our voluntary surrender and obedience to God.

IV. The foundation of the Gospel offer. I will make, &c. Much is said of this Davidic covenant, and the brief interpretation of it is, that Davids history runs in the line of Gods saving purpose, begun in Abraham and fulfilled in Christ. Love is at the root of it all (chap. Isa. 54:8; Psa. 89:28). Christ is the real David of our faith. In Him we see the sureness of Gods infinite love (Rom. 8:31-32). All else is fickle, transitory, perishing. The one hope of the world that abides amidst all change is Gods love. Here only can our enduring satisfaction be found, therefore give heed to Christs own word (Joh. 7:27).W. Manning.

Fuente: The Preacher’s Complete Homiletical Commentary Edited by Joseph S. Exell

B. WORD OF THE LORD IS BOND AND BOUNDS OF COVENANT, CHAPTER 55
1. EVIDENCE

TEXT: Isa. 55:1-5

1

Ho, every one that thirsteth, come ye to the waters, and he that hath no money; come ye, buy, and eat; yea, come buy wine and milk without money and without price.

2

Wherefore do you spend money for that which is not bread? and your labor for that which satisfieth not? hearken diligently unto me, and eat ye that which is good, and let your soul delight itself in fatness.

3

Incline your ear, and come unto me; hear, and your soul shall live: and I will make an everlasting covenant with you, even the sure mercies of David.

4

Behold, I have given him for a witness to the peoples, a leader and commander to the peoples.

5

Behold, thou shalt call a nation that thou knowest not; and a nation that knew not thee shall run unto thee, because of Jehovah thy God, and for the Holy One of Israel; for he hath glorified thee.

QUERIES

a.

Why offer water, wine and milk for no money?

b.

What are the sure mercies of David?

c.

Who is going to call the unknown nation?

PARAPHRASE

Attention, Come to the water of life everyone who is thirsting for righteousness; it will be given to you freely. You may obtain refreshment, joy and nourishment and you will need no money because it will come to you by the grace of God. Why do my people spend all their lives trying to buy satisfaction for their souls from that which can never satisfy? Listen to Me and obey My word and you will be filled with goodness and your soul will be satisfied. Pay attention to what I am saying to you, Zion, be obedient, and you shall have eternal life for I am preparing to make an eternal covenant with you which shall prove My faithfulness and fulfill all the promises I made to your forefather, David. Look! I have promised My Servant for a herald of good news to the whole world; He will be the King and the Prophet I promised. And you, Zion, will call to share the kingdom of God with you a people which you formerly considered outside the kingdom of God. Yes, people from Gentile nations will hasten to make themselves members of Zion motivated by the glorious redemption of Jehovah through the Holy One of Israel. That will result in the glory of God being manifested in Zion!

COMMENTS

Isa. 55:1-2 FAVOR: Redemption has been predicted and explained as occurring in the Suffering Servant (ch. 53). The invitation has been extended for participation in that redemption through covenant relationship (ch. 54). Now the bond and bounds of that covenant relationship is declared to be in the word of Jehovah which is faithful and powerful. All who realize their need of the substance of life are invited to come and receive freely. In Palestine where water-wells were few and far between and where water had to be purchased for money, this would be an exceptionally arresting figure of speech! Water, wine and milk are used throughout the O.T. as figures of spiritual blessings. The same elements are used in the N.T. by Christ and His apostles to portray the blessings of Gods grace. The point of these verses is that Gods provision of redemption through the Servant shall be by grace. Peter makes it plain that the O.T. prophets predicted salvation by grace (1Pe. 1:10-12). Pauls treatise to the Romans declares that justification before God is by faith. Paul, of course, knows that our salvation is by grace (Eph. 2:1-10), but it is faith that gives us access into that grace (Rom. 5:2). And Paul said the O.T. prophets (and the O.T. law) bore witness to salvation by grace through faith (Rom. 3:21-26). Water is figurative for salvation (cf. Isa. 12:3; Isa. 35:7; Isa. 41:17-18; Isa. 49:10; Psa. 42:1; Psa. 36:9; Jer. 2:13; Jer. 17:13; Eze. 47:1-12; Zec. 13:1; Zec. 14:8; Joh. 4:7-26; Joh. 7:37-38, etc.). Wine is figurative for exhilaration and enjoyment (cf. Isa. 26:6-9, etc.). Milk is figurative for nourishment (cf. Isa. 7:22; Isa. 60:16; Joe. 3:18; 1Co. 3:2; Heb. 5:12; 1Pe. 2:2, etc.). It was not astonishing to the Jews that Jehovah would be gracious to them. What was astonishing to many was that He would grant them mercy without their having earned it. Most of them rationalized that they earned whatever graciousness God would shower upon them. Actually the Law was intended to teach Israel that she could never, by human merit, earn her justification before the Holy One of Israel. Israel should have known from the Law that her salvation rested in the unmerited favor of Jehovah. But Israel for the most part, was too wrapped up in her self-righteousness. She was spending herself, exhausting herself in trying to earn righteousness through keeping laws and traditions. That is a vain quest! Attempting to attain justification before God by human goodness is frustratingly impossible and only compounds the human dilemma of guilt. The only solution that will satisfy the human soul is faith in the vicarious, substitutionary atoning death of Jesus Christ. That solution cannot be reasoned out; it cannot be explained by anything within the human experience, because it is supra-human; it is supernatural. It can only be believed. Believed, of course, on the basis of the historical verification and validation of its efficacy by the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead. The resurrection is the only fact that makes the cross of Christ (His atoning death) believable! This is predicted in ch. 53 (see our comments there). The exhortation of the prophet here is for Zion (true believers) to focus its attention on the promises of God that they may have salvation by grace. All attempts to be saved any other way will fail!

Isa. 55:3-5 FIDELITY: Next, the prophet calls upon Zion to give its attention to the promise of Jehovah that He is going to verify His fidelity in a future covenant relationship which will be everlasting. The future covenant will not become obsolete like the old covenant which has a stated termination (cf. Jer. 3:15-18; Jer. 31:31-34, etc.), or fulfillment. The future covenant will be eternal; it will bring into being the sure mercies of David (the promise of an eternal king to sit upon Davids throne for ever) (cf. 2 Samuel 7). This is fulfilled, according to the inspired apostle Paul, in the atoning work of Jesus Christ. What God promised to the fathers . . . He fulfilled by raising Jesus Christ from the dead and proclaiming through Jesus the forgiveness of sins (cf. Act. 13:32-40). The atonement is the promise (Isaiah 53), and Gods faithfulness to keep His promise of atonement through Jesus was verified once and for all by raising Jesus from the dead! The empirically demonstrated everlasting life of Jesus validates Gods non-empirical promise to remove our guilt, if we believe and accept Gods covenant terms. The forgiveness of our sins is not based on our feelings, but upon empirical verification of the faithfulness and sovereignty of God, the Son. When we acknowledge and trust in that verified faithfulness, then we may have a legitimate experiential feeling of guiltlessness.

Inasmuch as the apostle Paul quoted (or paraphrased) Isa. 55:3 in Act. 13:34, and plainly indicates it was fulfilled in the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ, we must look upon this whole chapter of Isaiah as messianic. Therefore, the him of Isa. 55:4 is the Messiah (the Servant) who has been given as a witness to the peoples, a leader and commander to the peoples. The Hebrew word translated leader is nagiyd which means prince and is the same word used in Dan. 9:25-26 (see our comments there). The word metsaveh is Hebrew for commander and comes from mitsvah or commandment. Thus the one to be given for a witness to the nations will be a ruler and a commandment-giver (cf. Isa. 54:13). This probably refers to the twofold messianic office of King-Prophet. In Isaiah 53, the Servant makes intercession and thus becomes the Messiah-Priest. Zion must be apprised of the fact that Jehovahs future eternal covenant will be validated by The One who is Prophet-Priest-and-King. Furthermore, Jehovahs covenant will be secured by this One for all peoples!

Since the Servant comes through Zion, she will be given the privilege of calling nations she formerly knew not in covenant relationship. Nations that knew not Zion in covenant relationship shall, when the Prophet-King-Priest comes, run to her because Jehovah is who He is and will have verified that His covenant is universal through the work of the Messiah (cf. Isa. 2:3-4; Isa. 19:16-25; Isa. 45:14; Isa. 45:22-25; Isa. 49:12; Isa. 60:3-6; Isa. 66:18; Zec. 8:20-23; Luk. 24:47). It was in the same Jewish synagogue in Antioch of Pisidia where Paul quoted Isa. 55:3 that he also told the recalcitrant Jews that the covenant of the Lord was for the Gentiles to whom he would thenceforth go and preach (Act. 13:42-52).

QUIZ

1.

What is the main point of verses one and two?

2.

How do men have access to the grace of God?

3.

How much does the O.T. say about the grace of God?

4.

What is the only thing that makes the atoning aspect of the death of Christ believable?

5.

How do we know this context points to the Messiah?

6.

How did Jehovah establish the faithfulness of His promises?

7.

In what sense will Zion call a nation it does not know?

Fuente: College Press Bible Study Textbook Series

LV.

(1) Ho, every one that thirsteth . . .The whole context shows that the water, the wine, the milk are all, symbols of spiritual blessings as distinctly as they are, e.g., in Joh. 4:10; Mat. 26:29; 1Pe. 2:2. The Word buy is elsewhere confined to the purchase of corn, and would not rightly have been used of wine and milk. The invitation is addressed, as in a tone of pity, to the bereaved and afflicted one of Isa. 54:6-7.

Without money and without price.Literally, For not-money and not-price. The prophet had used the word buy, but he feels that that word may be misinterpreted. No silver or gold can buy the blessing which He offers. Something, indeed, is required, and therefore the word buy is still the right word; but the price is simply the self-surrender that accepts the blessing. Comp. Pro. 3:14-15; Mat. 13:45-46,

Fuente: Ellicott’s Commentary for English Readers (Old and New Testaments)

1. Ho A word summoning quick attention; a word of sad association and of eager joy: for the summoner is in evident sympathy with long-unquenched thirst in the crowds around. So feels God’s minister who anxiously preaches the everlasting good news.

Waters This is a subjectively dear word in itself. We scarcely think of it as a thing by itself, but as relieving ourselves when suffering extreme thirst. So is the Gospel to a long-unrelieved penitent soul. Observe three points: 1) It denotes moral forgiveness, and as its consequent, peace of mind; 2) It implies superlative richness by connexion with the terms milk and wine; 3) And its main point is, its freeness and inexhaustible abundance.

Fuente: Whedon’s Commentary on the Old and New Testaments

Sec. 3. MESSIAH AND THE GOSPEL, Isa 52:11 to Isa 55:13.

Thus far in this chapter is treated the case of an exalted Church passing, step by step, through suffering and deliverances into the purity of the typical holy Zion; from this point the view is turned again to the “Servant” of Jehovah, through whom the prophet has seen the Church to be redeemed. The portrait of a suffering servant is here filled out in detail, as a side-piece (Delitzsch) to the liberation and deliverance of Zion-Jerusalem already just depicted. He has conducted his people through suffering to glory.

This picture is to show, not only that Messiah’s earthly pathway, as our Mediator, is to be through intense, but voluntary, suffering, but also that it is in his heart also to suffer for and instead of, as well as with, his people.

Fuente: Whedon’s Commentary on the Old and New Testaments

The Call To Respond ( Isa 55:1-3 ).

What follows must not be isolated from the context. This appeal is possible because of the work of the Servant. Now salvation is freely open to all.

Isa 55:1

‘Ho, every one who thirsts,

Come to the waters,

And he who has no money

Come, buy and eat,

Yes, come, buy wine and milk,

Without money and without price.

The cry is possibly modelled on that of a water-seller or a street vendor as he goes through the streets with his wares. Good drinkable water was not a cheap commodity, and the water-seller had plenty of trade. But here one comes offering a different water, it is the water of life. And we may see the offerer as God, or as the Servant.

This water has been described in Isa 44:3-5. It is life-giving water, the water of the Spirit, the water of Yahweh’s blessing. And it produces fruit and brings men in submission to Yahweh. And it is on offer to all who will receive it. And it is water that will satisfy their thirst (compare Joh 4:14).

And because of the Servant’s work all may come for this water. There is no limit. There is no cost. Even those who have no money are welcome, for it is without price. And there is not only water, but wine and milk and food. God’s abundant provision is for all who will come. They are invited to God’s feast (compare Isa 25:6), and it is a feast of mercy and abundant pardon (Isa 55:7). It is a call to receive righteousness.

In Pro 9:5 it is wisdom that calls men to, ‘Come, eat of my bread and drink of my wine’. Here the Servant offers even more. They may eat and drink of what He has done for them, and receive life through the Spirit.

Isa 55:2-3

‘Why do you spend money for that which is not bread?

And your labour for that which does not satisfy?

Listen carefully to me, and eat that which is good,

And let your soul delight itself in fatness.

Incline your ear and come to me,

Hear, and your soul will live.’

The challenge then goes out as to why men spend money on that which is not bread, that which does not really feed and fill them, and why they work so hard to obtain what does not satisfy. For that is what life is for many, working hard and spending money. But they are no better off for it. They are still unsatisfied. They are concentrating their efforts on the wrong thing. They do not find life, and peace and joy. And yet, if they would only listen, God’s Servant is offering them what is good, what will feed and satisfy them to the full. It is something that, if they hear and respond to it, will bring life deep within them.

And what is this wonderful offer? It is to respond to God, to respond to His word and covenant. It is to recognise the work of the Servant. It is to come and be declared righteous through His sacrifice. It is to eat the food of forgiveness, and to drink of God’s mercy and receive new life. It can all be summarised in Isa 1:16-19, with the added fact of what the Servant has accomplished.

Isa 52:3

And I will make an everlasting covenant with you,

Even the sure mercies of David.’

Here is the essence of it. If His people seek Him truly God will enter into a new covenant with them, an everlasting covenant. This must include the covenant of peace (Isa 54:10), which comes from His everlasting covenant love (Isa 54:8), whereby they are made right with God and are brought to be at peace with Him, but it also includes the sure promises made to David, the certainty of His worldwide rule under God.

This covenant of peace was sealed through the Servant. It is He Who has enabled peace, and, as the mediator (making intercession and atonement – Isa 53:10-12) between God in His antipathy against sin, and man in His sinfulness, has, through the sacrifice of Himself, bearing their sin on Himself where God ‘made it to meet’ (Isa 53:6), made it possible for them to become guiltless before God and partake in His resurrection (Isa 53:10; Isa 26:19; Isa 25:8).

But it is more. It is a covenant which includes the sure mercies of David, the promise that God will establish David’s seed for ever on the throne which will be established for ever (2Sa 7:16) and that He will give Him the nations for His inheritance and the uttermost parts of the earth for His possession (Psa 2:8). It is a promise of worldwide blessing (Gen 12:3) and worldwide rule, under the Kingly Rule of God. What began with a promise to Abraham has resulted in this glorious fulfilment through the One Who is the Seed of Abraham.

So the covenant that the Servant makes includes the Davidic covenant, and the Servant proves to be in the Davidic line. And this covenant involves His being called Wonderful, Counsellor, the Mighty God, the Everlasting Father and the Prince of Peace (Isa 9:6), established by God and given worldwide dominion for ever (Isa 9:7) as He divides the spoil of what He has accomplished to all in the nations who respond to Him (Isa 53:12).

Much of what this covenant meant for Israel has already been considered. See Isa 11:1-9; Isa 32:1-2; Isa 32:15-17; Isa 33:17; Isa 33:20-24. But now the cost of it has been revealed (Isa 52:13 to Isa 53:12) as well as its worldwide success (compare Isa 9:7; Isa 42:6; Isa 49:6).

Fuente: Commentary Series on the Bible by Peter Pett

Isa 55:1  Ho, every one that thirsteth, come ye to the waters, and he that hath no money; come ye, buy, and eat; yea, come, buy wine and milk without money and without price.

Isa 55:1 “Ho, every one that thirsteth, come ye to the waters ” Comments – The living waters of salvation and indwelling of the Holy Spirit (Joh 7:37-39).

Joh 7:37-39, “In the last day, that great day of the feast, Jesus stood and cried, saying, If any man thirst, let him come unto me, and drink. He that believeth on me, as the scripture hath said, out of his belly shall flow rivers of living water . (But this spake he of the Spirit, which they that believe on him should receive: for the Holy Ghost was not yet given; because that Jesus was not yet glorified.)”

Isa 55:1 “yea, come, buy wine” – Comments – The baptism of the Holy Spirit (Act 2:15-18).

Act 2:15-18, “For these are not drunken , as ye suppose, seeing it is but the third hour of the day. But this is that which was spoken by the prophet Joel; And it shall come to pass in the last days, saith God, I will pour out of my Spirit upon all flesh : and your sons and your daughters shall prophesy, and your young men shall see visions, and your old men shall dream dreams: And on my servants and on my handmaidens I will pour out in those days of my Spirit; and they shall prophesy:”

Isa 55:1 “and milk” – Comments – The milk of Word of God, representing the beginning of the new birth (Heb 5:12-14, 1Pe 2:2).

Heb 5:12-14, “For when for the time ye ought to be teachers, ye have need that one teach you again which be the first principles of the oracles of God; and are become such as have need of milk, and not of strong meat. For every one that useth milk is unskilful in the word of righteousness: for he is a babe. But strong meat belongeth to them that are of full age, even those who by reason of use have their senses exercised to discern both good and evil.”

1Pe 2:2, “As newborn babes, desire the sincere milk of the word , that ye may grow thereby:”

Isa 55:1 Comments – Notes these insightful words from Frances J. Roberts about the buying milk and honey without price, which he says refers to the Lord calling us into intimate communion with Him:

“When I promised thee green pastures, I had not in mind religious activity. When I said, ‘Come, buy milk and honey without money nor price’, I was not challenging thee to fevered service, but to contemplative fellowship and collective communion. Only thus are souls made strong, and hearts made pure, and minds refreshed.” [78]

[78] Frances J. Roberts, Come Away My Beloved (Ojai, California: King’s Farspan, Inc., 1973), 136.

The next verse of this passage in Isaiah refers to labouring for that which satisfies not. Thus, this is a description of the busy, vain activities of the flesh, which are illustrated in the story of Martha and Mary, when Martha was cumbered about with work, while Mary sat at the feet of Jesus (Luk 10:38-42).

If we reject this divine call because of our guilty sin, we grieve the Lord and cause Him far more pain than He suffered on Calvary. Note these words by Frances J. Roberts:

“Ho, every one that thirsteth, come ye to the waters, and he that hath no money; come ye, buy, and eat; yea, come buy wine and milk without money and without price (Isa 55:1). Lo, My heart is grieved by thine independence. How would Joseph have felt if his father and family had remained at home, starving in the famine, when he had invited them to share the bountiful stores which he had at his disposal and desired to share freely with them? (Genesis 45) Would he not have grieved far more deeply than over that unjust actions of his brothers who hated him? For to be rebuffed by a loved one causeth pain not to be compared with the cruelties inflicted by an enemy. So thine indifference and unresponsiveness to My call bringeth anguish to My soul, yea, deeper grief than the crimes of the reprobate sinner. For My rod have I laid upon the sinner, but Mine hand have I laid upon thee.” [79]

[79] Frances J. Roberts, Come Away My Beloved (Ojai, California: King’s Farspan, Inc., 1973), 169.

Isa 55:2  Wherefore do ye spend money for that which is not bread? and your labour for that which satisfieth not? hearken diligently unto me, and eat ye that which is good, and let your soul delight itself in fatness.

Isa 55:3  Incline your ear, and come unto me: hear, and your soul shall live; and I will make an everlasting covenant with you, even the sure mercies of David.

Isa 55:3 Comments – As God made a covenant with Abraham and David, so will He make a covenant with you and me.

Isa 55:6 Seek ye the LORD while he may be found, call ye upon him while he is near:

Isa 55:6 “Seek ye the LORD while he may be found” Comments – F. F. Bruce tells us that the Hebrew verb “he may be found” is in the Niphal construction, which carries first the tolerative sense, then the reflexive and reciprocal senses, and finally the passive sense. In this case the tolerative sense is used, resulting in a translation, “Seek ye the Lord while He lets Himself be found.” [80] However, almost all translations render this verb in the passive sense, as is used here in the KJV.

[80] F. F. Bruce, The Books and the Parchments (Old Tappan, New Jersey: Fleming H. Revell Company, 1963), 44.

Isa 55:7 Let the wicked forsake his way, and the unrighteous man his thoughts: and let him return unto the LORD, and he will have mercy upon him; and to our God, for he will abundantly pardon.

Isa 55:8  For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways, saith the LORD.

Isa 55:9  For as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways, and my thoughts than your thoughts.

Isa 55:8-9 Scripture Reference – See:

Rom 11:33-35, “O the depth of the riches both of the wisdom and knowledge of God! how unsearchable are his judgments, and his ways past finding out! For who hath known the mind of the Lord? or who hath been his counsellor? Or who hath first given to him, and it shall be recompensed unto him again?”

Isa 55:10  For as the rain cometh down, and the snow from heaven, and returneth not thither, but watereth the earth, and maketh it bring forth and bud, that it may give seed to the sower, and bread to the eater:

Isa 55:10 “as the rain cometh down” – Comments – On Sunday, June 11, 2000, Lighthouse Television Uganda was installing a new 15-foot satellite dish in order to pick up the new TBN signal. As I sat in church, the Lord quickened this verse to me. We would be receiving the signal within a day or two. My body was tired, but my spirit was then renewed with a fresh word from God. The Lord quickened this passage to me, “as the rain cometh down…so shall My word be that goes forth out of My mouth.” Rain comes down from the lowest heaven. The satellite signal comes down from a higher heaven, even as the word of the Lord comes from the highest heaven.

Who could have prophesied 2700 years ago that the word of God would descend upon this earth as rain comes down. But God can see the beginning from the end (Isa 55:8, “For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways). God saw this day and this hour and prophesied of the TBN satellite signal coming down like rain upon Uganda. Within a few days, Lighthouse Television will be receiving and broadcasting the Word of God as it comes down from heaven like rain.

In addition, God’s Word promises here in Isaiah that it would prosper and accomplish His will. Verse one of this chapter says, “Ho! Every one who thirsts, come to the waters.” Many nations are thirsty for the Gospel in these last days. The waters, like rain, represent the word of God, who gives us the living water of life in Christ Jesus (Joh 7:37-39). From verse one of this chapter, water refers to the wells of salvation, wine represents the baptism of the Holy Spirit, and milk represents the milk of the word of God, as a believer grows in the knowledge of the Lord.

Joh 7:37-39, “In the last day, that great day of the feast, Jesus stood and cried, saying, If any man thirst, let him come unto me, and drink. He that believeth on me, as the scripture hath said, out of his belly shall flow rivers of living water. (But this spake he of the Spirit, which they that believe on him should receive: for the Holy Ghost was not yet given; because that Jesus was not yet glorified.)”

Thus, verse five says, “Behold, thou shalt call a nation that thou knowest not, and nations that knew not thee shall run unto thee because of the LORD thy God, and for the Holy One of Israel; for he hath glorified thee.”

This nation has produced some bad leaders, thorns an briars to its people (Isa 55:13, “Instead of the thorn shall come up the fir tree, and instead of the brier shall come up the myrtle tree). But God promises that Uganda will bring forth the cypress and the myrtle tree. Thorn and briars are signs of the curse. The cypress and myrtle tree are signs of the blessings of God.

So, though it has been a busy week at Lighthouse Television, I am encouraged to know that as God’s Word rains down from heaven and waters the nation of Uganda, it will accomplish God’s plan and purpose for this nation.

Isa 55:11  So shall my word be that goeth forth out of my mouth: it shall not return unto me void, but it shall accomplish that which I please, and it shall prosper in the thing whereto I sent it.

Isa 55:11 “it shall not return unto me void” – Comments – Jack Emerson, as a young preacher, asked the Lord why it seemed that his preaching appeared to produce no results in many people’s lives. Jack said that the Word of God promises that it will never return void. The Lord spoke to him and said that the Word of God never returns void. It will bring blessings into the lives of those who receive it and it brings curses into the lives of those who reject it. Either way, the Word does not return void. [81]

[81] Jack Emerson, “Sermon,” Alethia Fellowship Church, Panama City, Florida, 1883-88.

Isa 55:11 “but it shall accomplish that which I please, and it shall prosper in the thing whereto I sent it” Comments – The Word of God accomplishes two basic purposes. It blesses those who receive it and curses those who reject it.

Isa 55:12 For ye shall go out with joy, and be led forth with peace: the mountains and the hills shall break forth before you into singing, and all the trees of the field shall clap their hands.

Isa 55:13 Instead of the thorn shall come up the fir tree, and instead of the brier shall come up the myrtle tree: and it shall be to the LORD for a name, for an everlasting sign that shall not be cut off.

Isa 55:10-13 Comments – We are to always be willing to spread God’s Word and to help others, trusting that somehow, someway, God will return upon us His blessings. Whether we cast our bread upon calm waters or turbulent floodwaters, we must trust that God’s Word will not return void (Ecc 11:1-2 and Isa 55:10-11).

Ecc 11:1-2, “Cast thy bread upon the waters: for thou shalt find it after many days. Give a portion to seven, and also to eight; for thou knowest not what evil shall be upon the earth.”

Somehow, by God’s marvelous design, we will receive God’s blessings and go forth rejoicing (Isa 55:12-13). We are not called to understand all of God’s ways, but we are called to follow Him, by looking to Him each day as our provider.

Fuente: Everett’s Study Notes on the Holy Scriptures

Israel’s Redemption – The chapters that follow the prophecy of Christ’s sufferings in Isa 53:1-12 tell the children of God to rejoice; for Christ has given them the victory over sin, death and the grave. However, these chapters speak of Christ’s redemption from the perspective of the nation of Israel rather than from the perspective of the Gentiles; for the book of Isaiah contains prophecies of the future destiny of Israel. Later in redemptive history, the Church will be grafted into these prophecies as members of the Kingdom of Heaven.

Fuente: Everett’s Study Notes on the Holy Scriptures

The Heathen Invited to te Banquet of Grace

v. 1. Ho, every one that thirsteth, the earnest attention of all who feel their need being solicited, come ye to the waters! And he that hath no money, nothing of real value to offer in exchange, come ye, buy and eat; yea, come, buy wine and milk without money and without price. The Hebrew text brings out even more strongly than can be done in an English translation the idea of a gracious giving on the part of the Lord. The rich nourishment, the refreshing sweetness of His spiritual blessings are offered in the Gospel altogether free and for nothing. Everything else in the world costs something, must be paid for in money or labor, or in some act representing compensation for value received; only the mercies of David, the salvation in Christ, cost absolutely nothing. The substance of this verse is contained in Mat 11:28-30.

v. 2. Wherefore do ye spend money for that which is not bread? exerting themselves in a vain effort to gain the true, lasting peace of mind by acts of their own righteousness, and your labor for that which satisfieth not? All the efforts of men to find true satisfaction and happiness in things which this world has to offer are vain and useless. Hearken diligently unto Me, and eat ye that which is good, and let your soul delight itself in fatness. The spiritual eating of the believers is done through their hearing of the Word, for God has placed His whole salvation in His Word, in the Gospel, and the highest consolation, joy, and bliss is to be found in Him.

v. 3. Incline your ear, in the attitude of eager attention, and come unto Me, the invitation being issued time and again to emphasize its urgency; hear, with a willing acceptance, and your soul shall live, by and in the life in the Lord; and I will make an everlasting covenant with you, unlike the temporal covenant made on Sinai, even the sure mercies of David, the Messianic promises given to David and his descendants, culminating in the great Son of David, Jesus Christ. Cf Psa 89:34-37.

v. 4. Behold, I have given Him for a Witness to the people, the Messiah Himself testifying of the grace of God, a Leader and Commander to the people, the exalted Ruler, with endless authority and power. This King is now directly addressed,

v. 5. Behold, thou shalt call a nation that thou knowest not, namely, into His kingdom, to be included in His government of peace, and nations that knew not thee, Gentiles of the farthermost parts of the earth, shall run unto thee because of the Lord, thy God, and for the Holy One of Israel, for the purpose of carrying out the counsel of God and therefore for His glorification, since He is zealous for His kingdom; for He hath glorified thee. The purpose of God in sending the Messiah as His witness is to procure for Him the honor and glory due Him as the King of this great, blessed, and eternal God. In giving to others the honor and beauty provided for them through the work of the Messiah, the Lord glorifies the Messiah Himself. The fact that the believers are saved redounds to His glory.

Fuente: The Popular Commentary on the Bible by Kretzmann

EXPOSITION

Isa 55:1-7

AN EXHORTATION TO SPIRITUALITY AND REPENTANCE. The prophet passes from the ideal to the actual, from the glorious future to the unsatisfactory present. The people are not ripe for the blessings of the Messianic kingdomthey do not sufficiently value them. Hence a tender exhortation is addressed to them by God himself, inviting them to become more spiritually minded (Isa 55:1-3), and fresh promises are held out to the obedient (Isa 55:3-5). The disobedient are then somewhat sternly exhorted to turn from their evil ways and repent (Isa 55:6, Isa 55:7).

Isa 55:1

Ho, every one that thirsteth! Though the mass are gross and carnally minded, there will ever be some who have higher aspirationswho hunger and thirst after righteousness” (Mat 5:6), and desire spiritual blessings. These are invited, first of all, to come and partake of the good things provided for them in Messiah’s kingdom. Come ye to the waters (on the spiritual symbolism of water, see the homiletics on Isa 44:3, Isa 44:4). Here the “peace” and “righteousness” of the Messianic kingdom (Isa 54:13, Isa 54:14) are especially intended. Our Lord’s cry on the last day of the Feast of Tabernacles (Joh 7:7) is clearly an echo of this. Wine and milk. These are not symbols of temporal blessings, as many have thought. “Wine, water, and milk are,” as Delitzsch says, “figurative representations of spiritual revival, re-creation, and nourishment.” Without money and without price. God’s spiritual gifts are freely given to men; they cannot be purchased. Being in their own nature “more precious than rubies,” their value transcends human means of payment. They cannot even be earned by man’s best works; for man’s best works are comprised in his duty to God, and have, therefore, no purchasing power. God may choose to reward them; but if he does it is of his free grace.

Isa 55:2

Wherefore do ye spend money? literally, wherefore do ye weigh silver?-silver being the ordinary currency, and money transactions, in default of a coinage, being by weight (cf. Gen 23:16; Zec 11:12). For that which is not bread; i.e. “for that which has no real valuewhich cannot sustain you, which will do you no good.” The affections of the great mass of the Israelites were set on worldly things, on enriching themselvesadding field to field, and house to house (Isa 5:8). They did not care for spiritual blessings, much less “hunger and thirst” after them. That which satisfieth not. Worldly things can never satisfy the heart, not even the heart of the worldly. “What fruit had ye then in those things,” says St. Paul, “whereof ye are now ashamed?” (Rom 6:21). Hearken diligently unto me; rather, hearken, oh, hearken unto me. The phrase is one of earnest exhortation. It implies the strong disinclination of Israel to listen, and seeks to overcome it (compare the opening words of the next verse). Let your soul delight itself in fatness (comp. Psa 36:8; Psa 63:5; and Isa 25:6). The spiritual blessings of the Messianic kingdom are richer dainties than any that this world has to offer. The soul that obtains them “delights” in them, and is satisfied with them (Psa 17:15).

Isa 55:3

Come unto me (comp. Isa 55:1, “Come ye to the waters”). God dispenses the waters (see Isa 44:3). I will make an everlasting covenant with you. That the “everlasting covenant” once made between God and man had been broken by man, and by Israel especially, is a part of the teaching contained in the earlier portion of Isaiah (Isa 24:5). We find the same asserted in the prophecies of his contemporary, Hosea (Hos 6:7). It would naturally follow from this that, unless God gave up man altogether, he would enter into a new covenant with him. Accordingly, this new covenant is announced, both in Hosea (Hos 2:18-20) and in the later chapters of Isaiah, repeatedly (Isa 42:6; Isa 49:8; Isa 54:10; Isa 4:3; Isa 56:4, Isa 56:6; Isa 54:1-17 :21; Isa 61:8). Having been thus set before the nation, it is further enlarged upon by Jeremiah (Jer 31:31-33; Jer 32:40; Jer 11:5) and Ezekiel (Eze 16:60-62; Eze 34:25; Eze 37:26-28). Almost all commentators allow that the Christian covenant is intendedthat “new covenant” (Heb 9:15) under which man obtains pardon and salvation through the Mediatorship of Christ. Even the sure mercies of David. The “sure mercies of David” are the loving and merciful promises which God made to him. These included the promise that the Messiah should come of his seed, and sit on his throne, and establish an everlasting kingdom (Psa 89:2-5, Psa 89:19-37), and triumph over death and hell (Psa 16:9, Psa 16:10), and give peace and happiness to Israel (Psa 132:15-18). The promises made to David, rightly understood, involve all the essential points of the Christian covenant.

Isa 55:4

Behold, I have given him for a witness. By ordinary rules of grammar, the pronoun “him” should refer to David; and so the passage is understood by Gesenius, Maurer, Hitzig, Ewald, Knobel, Delitzsch, and Mr. Cheyne. But, as Isaiah frequently sets aside ordinary grammatical rules, and as the position to the person here spoken of seems too high for the historical David, a large number of commentators, including Vitringa, Michaelis, Dathe, Rosenmuller, Umbreit, and Dr. Kay, consider that the Messiah is intended. It is certainly difficult to see how the historical David could be, at this time and in the future, a “leader and commander to the peoples” who were about to flock into the Messianic kingdom. A witness a leader and commander. Christ was all these. He “came to bear witness to the truth” (Joh 18:37), and “before Pilate witnessed a good confession” (1Ti 6:13). He “feeds and leads” his people (Rev 7:17), and is the “Commander” under whose banner they serve (2Ti 2:3, 2Ti 2:4). What he is to his people, he is also of the “peoples” generally; for they have been called into his kingdom, People people; rather, peoples.

Isa 55:5

Thou shalt call a nation that thou knowest not (comp. Psa 18:43). The object of address in this verse appears to be the Messiah. He, at his coming, will “call” into his kingdom “a nation,” or rather, “people,” with whom he has had no covenant hitherto; and they will readily and gladly obey the call. Thus God’s kingdom will be enlarged, and Israel’s glory will be increased, Because of the Lord for he hath glorified thee. The great cause of the attraction will be the “glory” which God the Father has bestowed upon his Son, by raising him from the dead, and exalting him to a seat at his right hand in heaven (Act 2:32-35; Act 3:13-15).

Isa 55:6

Seek ye the Lord. Again the strain changes. The people are once more addressed, but in a tone of reproach. Israel must “seek the Lord” without delay, or the opportunity will be past; God will have withdrawn himself from them. He “will not alway be chiding, neither keepeth he his anger for ever” (Psa 103:9).

Isa 55:7

Let the wicked forsake his way; i.e. his mode of life. A general promise of forgiveness of sin upon repentance and amendment of life was first given to Israel through Solomon (2Ch 7:14). The doctrine is largely preached by the prophets; but is nowhere more distinctly and emphatically laid down than in this place. God’s will is to “multiply pardon,” if man will only turn to him.

Isa 55:8-13

A FRESH ASSURANCE or DELIVERANCE FROM BABYLON. Man can scarcely conceive of the deliverance which God designs; but God’s thoughts are not as man’s (Isa 55:8, Isa 55:9). God’s word, once pronounced, is potent to effect its purpose (Isa 55:10, Isa 55:11). Deliverance from Babylon, having been promised, will take place, and will be accompanied by all manner of spiritual blessings (Isa 55:12, Isa 55:13).

Isa 55:8, Isa 55:9

My thoughts are not your thoughts. Though man is made in God’s image (Gen 1:27), yet the nature of God in every way infinitely transcends that of man. Both the thoughts and the acts of God surpass man’s understanding. Men find it hard to pardon those who have offended them; God can pardon, and “pardon abundantly.” Men cannot conceive of coming changes, when they pass certain limits. God knows assuredly what changes are approaching, since they are his doing.

Isa 55:10

As the rain and the snow. The rain and the snow are God’s ministers (Psa 148:8), and go forth from him, just as his word does. They have an appointed work to do, and do not return to him, whose ministers they are, until they have done it. It is best to translate, with Delitzsch and Mr. Cheyne, “As the rain cometh down, and the snow from heaven, and returneth not thither, except it hath watered the earth,” etc. The writer is, apparently, aware, as the writer of Ecclesiastes is, that the water which falls from heaven in the shape of rain does return thither again in the shape of vapour (see Ecc 1:7).

Isa 55:11

So shall my word be. God’s word is creative. With the utterance the result is achieved. Hence the sublime passage, which even heathenism could admire (Longin; ‘De Sublim.,’ 9), “And God said, Let there be light: and there was light” (Gen 1:3). Hence, too, the more general statement, “By the Word of the Lord were the heavens made; and all the host of them by the breath of his mouth” (Psa 33:6; comp. Psa 148:5). But it shall accomplish; rather, unless it has accomplished. There is a mixture of two constructions, “It shall not return void,” and “It shall not return unless it has accomplished,” etc. It shall prosper. Every word that proceedeth out of the mouth of God has a prosperous course. It is endued with life from God, and (as Delitzsch says) “runs like a swift messenger through nature and the world of man, there to melt the ice, as it were, and here to heal and to save; and it does not return from its course till it has given effect to the will of the Sender. “The special “word” which the prophet has here in mind is the promise, so frequently given, of deliverance from Babylon and return in peace and joy to Palestine. But he carries his teaching beyond the immediate occasion, for the benefit of the people of God in all ages.

Isa 55:12

Ye shall go out with joy, and be led forth with peace (comp. Isa 35:10; Isa 40:9-11; Isa 43:3-6, Isa 43:19-21, etc.). A strong contrast is frequently drawn between the exodus from Babylon and that from Egypt. On the former occasion all was hurry, alarm, disquiet, danger. The later exodus will be accompanied with “peace” and “joy” (see Isa 51:9-16, etc.). (For the fulfilment, see Ezr 1:1-11; Ezr 2:1-70, and Ezr 7:1-28; Ezr 8:1-36.) The mountains and the hills shall break forth before you into singing. All nature shall rejoice at your deliverance, especially the noblest and the grandest parts of nature”the mountains and the hills.” Isaiah’s admiration of mountains continually reveals itself throughout the work (Isa 5:25; Isa 13:2, Isa 13:4; Isa 14:25; Isa 22:5; Isa 30:17, Isa 30:25; Isa 34:3; Isa 40:4, Isa 40:9, Isa 40:12; Isa 42:11, Isa 42:15, etc.). It is quite in his manner to speak of nature as bursting forth into singing (Isa 35:2; Isa 44:23; Isa 49:13). All the trees of the field shall clap their hands. The metaphor is not found elsewhere in Isaiah, but appears in Psa 98:8.

Isa 55:13

Instead of the thorn shall come up the fir tree. “Briars and thorns” were to overgrow the unfruitful vineyard, according to Isa 5:6; and to cover the land of God’s people, according to Isa 32:13. This would be literally the case to a large extent, while the land was allowed to lie waste. The literal meaning is not, however, the whole meaning, or even the main meaning, here. “Briars and thorns” represent a general state of wretchedness and sin. The “fir” and “myrtle” represent a happy external condition of life, in which men “do righteously.” It shall be to the Lord for a name. This “regenerated creation” will show forth the glory of God to mankind at large, and “get him a name” among them (comp. Isa 63:12; Jer 13:11). For an everlasting sign. It will also he to God himself an enduring sign of the covenant of peace which he has made with his people, not to hide his face from them any more, but to have mercy on them “with everlasting kindness” (Isa 54:7-10).

HOMILETICS

Isa 55:2

The earthly objects of desire do not satisfy; the heavenly objects not only satisfy, but delight.

Man is so constituted as to desire a great variety of objects, often with extreme eagerness, but rarely to find in these objects, when they are attained, the satisfaction for which he looked. “Man never is, but always to be, blest,” says one of our poets; and the fact is so nearly universal, that some tell us it is the pursuit of an object, not its attainment that gives us pleasure. Manifestly, the child’s objects do not satisfy the boy, or the boy’s the man; nor do the man’s objects at his entrance on the struggle of life generally appear very desirable as he nears the close. Most men’s history is a long series of disappointments. The boy desires freedom from restraint, and to have his time at his own disposal; but no sooner does he obtain his wish than time hangs heavy on his hands, and he does not know what to do with it. The best-loved amusement, does not please for longthe pleasures of eating and drinking pall; drunkenness and excess are found to have attached to them an overplus of painful sensations; the praise of men, distinction, fame, when they have been enjoyed for a short time, appear worthless; wealth, comfort, ease, equally fail to satisfy. Men labour, as a general rule, during the greater part of their lives,” for that which satisfieth not.” Only a fortunate few learn early to set their affections on objects of a different character. Heavenly objects are satisfying. He that drinks of that water of life which Christ supplies, thirsts no more (Joh 4:14). The heavenly things do not pass awaythey remain. The water that Christ gives us becomes, in us, “a well of water springing up into everlasting life” (Joh 4:14). God’s favourable regard, God’s peace, God’s blessing, are eternally objects of desire, and their possession is happiness. He who has them needs nothing more, desires nothing more, finds them sufficient for him. Nor is his state one of mere passive acquiescencehis “soul is delighted with fatness” (Isa 55:2). He “enters into the joy of his Lord” (Mat 25:21).

Isa 55:11

The vital force of the Word of God.

There is a strange force in every utterance of God. In the account of creation given in Genesis we find, not only light, but all the other portions of the universe which it pleased God to make, created by an utterancea word (see Gen 1:6, Gen 1:9, Gen 1:11,Gen 1:14, Gen 1:20, Gen 1:24, Gen 1:26). God said, “Let there be,” and at once there was. “He commanded, and they were created” (Psa 148:5). So the Son of God, when upon earth, gave life with a word (Joh 11:43, Joh 11:44), and destroyed it with a word (Mat 21:19); with a word cast out devils, healed diseases (Mat 12:13), calmed the tempest (Mar 4:39), caused his enemies to “fall to the ground” (Joh 18:6). Isaiah, in the present place, declares three things of God’s Word.

I. GOD‘S WORD DOES NOT RETURN TO HIM VOID. His Word accomplishes itself. It is “sent forth,” whether upon earth or in the heavenly sphere; and in either case “runneth very swiftly” (Psa 147:15). In no case does it “return to him void.” It has always an object, an end; and it would contradict the omnipotence of God that that end should be in no way advanced by a means which God made use of in order to advance it.

II. GOD‘S WORD ACCOMPLISHES THAT WHICH GOD PLEASES THAT IT SHOULD ACCOMPLISH. God’s Word often does not accomplish all that we might have expected from it. His offer of salvation freely to all does not effect universal salvation. His call of individuals is disobeyed by numbers of those who hear it. Yet always his Word accomplishes something; and that “something” is what he designed it to accomplish. He “knows the end from the beginning,” and is not disappointed, even when the results are most scanty.

III. GOD‘S WORD, IN EVERY CASE, PROSPERS IN RESPECT OF THE END WHERETO HE SENDS IT. Every work that God takes in hand “prospers” more or less. The end aimed at is often quite other from that which we should have imagined; and what seems to us failure is only failure from our point of view, not from the Divine standpoint. God cannot fail to accomplish any end that he really proposes to himself. Every word that proceeds from his mouth has an end, but that end is known only to him; and it may often be that he alone knows of its accomplishment. Its accomplishment is always, with respect to the intention, full, complete, such as satisfies him.

HOMILIES BY E. JOHNSON

Isa 55:1-5

The Messianic blessings.

I. THE INVITATION. “Ho!” A cry arousing attention (Isa 1:4) or expressing pity (Isa 17:12).

1. It is addressed to thirsty ones. The figure occurs in Isa 44:3 also. What more powerful figure can there be for desire, and for the pain of unsatisfied desire? It is especially Oriental. It brings up the image of the hot, sandy waste, and by contrast that of the cool, bubbling fountain. Hunger and thirst are the “eldest of the passions,” and it may be added, in a sense, the youngest; for age cannot still them, nor constant satisfaction take off their edge. They are daily, they are recurrent, they are the expression of life itself. Hence they may well symbolize the ardent desire for salvation (cf. Joh 7:37; Psa 42:2; Psa 63:1; Psa 143:6). And what can better represent salvation than waterthe well that springs up into everlasting life? Waters, floods, overflowing streams, or copious showers, are often used to denote abundant blessings from God, especially blessings under the rule of the Messiah (Isa 35:6; Isa 43:20; Isa 44:3).

2. It is addressed to each and all. The invitation is bounded only by the thirstthe felt need. Not the rich, the noble, the great; not the select and the few; but those who partake of a common want, and are capable of a common satisfaction. “It proves that provision has been made for all. Can God invite to a salvation which has not been provided? Can he ask a man to partake of a banquet which has no existence? Can he ask a man to drink of waters when there are none? Can he tantalize the hopes and mock the miseries of men by inviting them to enter a heaven where they would be unwelcome, or to dwell in mansions which have never been provided?”. It is addressed especially to the poor. “No man can excuse himself for not being a Christian because he is poor; no man who is rich can boast that he has bought salvation.”

II. THE BLESSINGS DESCRIBED. “Buy.” The word is properly used of grain. “Its use here shows that the food referred to can be called equally well ‘bread’ or ‘wine and milk,’ i.e. it belongs to the supernatural order of things” (Cheyne). And the buying is to be understood spiritually. The blessings are only to be obtained for “that which is not money and not a price.” It is faith, or the hearing of the inner ear (Isa 44:3), which is meant. In the wine we may find a symbol of gladness (Jdg 9:13; 2Sa 13:28; Psa 104:15). The blessings of salvation cheer men amidst their sorrows; and one of the firstfruits of the Spirit is joy. Milk, again, is the symbol of nourishment (Deu 32:14; Jdg 4:1; Jdg 5:25; Joh 7:22; 1Co 9:7). It is joined with “wine” and with “honey” in So 4:11; Isa 5:1. These blessings are rich and satisfying as compared with the pleasures of the world. The latter may be emphatically described as not-breadless satisfying. Happiness is our being’s aim. But men seek it in erroneous ways. Bread is the support of life, and stands as the symbol of all that conduces to support life in the spiritual sense. “In ambition, vanity, and vice, men are as disappointed as he who should spend his money and procure nothing that would sustain life.” Men toil for that which defeats their aim, because it does not satisfy. The blossom of pleasure “goes up as dust;” the fruits are those of the Dead Sea, “turning to ashes on the lips.” The desire of the human soul is as insatiable as the grave. Where is the man who has been satisfied with ambition? Alexander wept on the throne of the world, and Charles V. came down from the throne to private life, because he had not found royalty to satisfy the soul. In one respect we are all like Alexanderour happiness is disproportioned to our appetites. Nature seems scanty, and, though we have never so much, we still long for something or other more. But to those who hearken to God, there is promised a perfect luxuriation (Isa 66:11) in good things. “Fatness” stands for the richest food (Gen 27:28-39; Job 36:16; Psa 65:11), and hence for the abundance of blessing flowing from the favour of God (Psa 36:9; Psa 63:5). “Man seems as boundless in his desires as God in his Being: and therefore nothing but God can satisfy him.” All else is “love lost”is part of “the great lie or cheat that overspreads the world.”

III. THE EVERLASTING COVENANT. Mention of it is made seven times in Isaiah. The idea of the original covenant, broken by Israel and renewed by Jehovah, is specially characteristic of Jeremiah (Jer 31:31-33; Jer 32:40; Jer 50:5). The loving-kindnesses shown to David by Jehovah are meant (cf. Isa 63:7; Psa 89:49; Psa 107:43; Lam 3:22). “David is probably to be understood in a representative sense; he is radiant with the reflected light and spirituality of the Messianic age.” These loving-kindnesses are “unfailing” (Psa 89:28). For Jehovah’s word cannot be broken, and the reward of piety extends to the latest posterity (Exo 20:5, Exo 20:6). David is termed a “witness to the people,” apparently in the same representative sense. God, then, binds himself by solemn promises to be their God, their Protector, and their Friend. The promise was not to be revoked, was to remain in force for ever; and he would be their God to all eternity. Let them, then, hear, and their soul shall live. Religion is life (Joh 6:33; Joh 5:40; Joh 8:13; Joh 20:31; Rom 5:17, Rom 5:18; Rom 6:4; Rom 8:6; 1Jn 5:12; Rev 2:7-10). Hearing is the means whereby the soul is enlivened (Joh 6:45; Joh 5:25; Act 2:37; Mat 13:1-58).J.

Isa 55:6-13

Exhortations and assurance.

I. EXHORTATIONS. “Seek ye Jehovah.” This is the beginning of a religious lifeto seek for God, to inquire for his ways (Deu 4:29; Job 5:8; Job 8:5; Psa 9:10; Psa 14:2; Psa 27:8). “While he may be found” (Psa 32:6)”in a time of finding.” For a bitter “day” will come, when woe to his foes (Isa 65:6, Isa 65:7)! It is hinted that a time will come when the offer will be withdrawn. “If a man will not do so simple a thing as seek for mercy, as ask for pardon, he ought to perish. The universe will approve the condemnation of such a man.” “Who knows what a day may bring forth, and what may be the dangers of an hour’s delay? This is most sure, that every particular repeated act of sin sets us one advance nearer to hell. Who can tell, while we go on our audacious course of sin, but God may swear in his wrath against us, and register our names in the black rolls of damnation? And then our condition is sealed and determined for ever.” “Call upon him;” i.e. implore his mercy (Joe 2:32; Rom 10:13). How easy the terms of salvation! how just the condemnation of the sinner who calls not on God, first for pardon, then for a share in the promises (Jer 29:12-14)! God (according to the manner of man’s thoughts) seems to be nearer at some times than at others to men. Some special influences are brought to bear; some facilities of salvation. “He comes near to us in the preaching of his Word, when it is borne home with power to the conscience; in his providence, when he strikes down a friend, and comes into the very circle where we move, or the very dwelling where we abide; when he lays his hand upon us in sickness. And he is near to us by day and by night; in a revival of religion, or when a pious friend pleads with us, God is near to us then, and is calling us to his favour. These are favourable times for salvationtimes which, if unimproved, return no more.” “Let the ungodly forsake his way, and the man of iniquity his thoughts.” To seek Jehovah must involve the renouncing of all other gods; the calling upon him, the cessation of prayer in heathen temples; and, with this, all the “thoughts,” the habits and feelings, of impure heathen life. It is to renounce corruption and destruction for blessedness and peace, which are contained in the thoughts of Jehovah (Psa 36:5, Psa 36:6; Jer 29:11). “He has plans for accomplishing his purposes which are different from ours, and he secures our welfare by schemes that cross our own. He disappoints our hopes, foils our expectations, crosses our designs, removes our property or our friends, and thwarts our purposes in life. He leads us in a path we had not intended, and secures our ultimate happiness in modes which we should not have thought of, and which are contrary to all our designs and desires.”

II. ASSURANCE OF FUTURE FELICITY.

1. The certainty. God’s purposes fulfil themselves. They are as certain as the law of gravitation, as the falling of rain and snow. In poetic religious thought these elements of nature are his angels (cf. Psa 148:8; Psa 102:4). They fulfil his purpose in inanimate nature; so shall his Word fulfil his purpose in the moral worldit shall not return empty, nor until it has done its work. (On truth compared to rain or dew, see Deu 32:2; Psa 72:6; 2Sa 23:4; Isa 5:6.)

2. Its glory and joy. The exode from Babylon is not only meant, but the glorious condition of Israel after the return. It is compared to the transition from the wilderness (the misery of the exile), with its monotonous dwarf shrubs, to a park of beautiful trees (Isa 41:18, Isa 41:19), in the midst of which Israel is to walk “in solemn troops and sweet societies” (so in Isa 35:9).

3. The sympathy of nature. (For similar views, see Isa 14:8; Isa 35:1, Isa 35:2, Isa 35:10; Isa 42:10, Isa 42:11; Isa 44:23. So in Virgil, ‘Ecl.,’ 5:62; and in Oriental poetry generally.) When the god Rama was going to the desert, it was said to him, “The trees will watch for you; they will say, ‘He is come! he is come!’ and the white flowers will clap their hands. The leaves as they shake will say, ‘Come! come!’ and the thorny places will be changed into gardens of flowers.” A change will be produced in the moral condition of the world, as great as if the useless thorn should be succeeded by beautiful and useful trees. It is of the very soul of poetry that it hints and presages spiritual events which cannot be made clear to the senses nor certain to the understanding.J.

HOMILIES BY W.M. STATHAM

Isa 55:1

The soul’s thirst satisfied.

“Ho, every one that thirsteth!” This is a Divine invitation, and as such shows us the nature of God, which is in itself a healing and a satisfying nature, finding expression in the incarnation and redemption of our Lord Jesus Christ.

I. THE AWAKENING SOUL. “Thirsteth.” When the soul is quickened and feels new life, then is consciousness of needneed of God. New thirsts are sometimes awakened in human naturethirsts for love and friendship; and in the intellectual nature, thirsts for knowledge and mental light. This is the highest thirstsoul-thirstwhich God by his Spirit alone can satisfy.

II. THE RESPONSIBILITY or THE SOUL. “Come ye.” We must seek for friendship, seek for knowledge, and so we must be searchers after God. Finding Christ, we must also follow him, and come to the waters of forgiveness, of purity, and of immortal blessedness.

III. THE CHARITY OF GOD. “God is love.” Amazing, free, boundless love. Having made provision for our salvation, God says, “All things are now ready; come.” The marriage-banquet is open to us all. The spread table is God’s own table, and we are to be receivers of his fulness of grace, “without money and without price.”W.M.S.

Isa 55:2

Foolish investments.

“Wherefore do ye spend money for that which is not bread? and your labour for that which satisfieth not?” This is man’s great misery, that he has the “deceived heart ‘ which leads him to false investments.

I. SOUL–SATISFACTION. The soul is made for God, and there is no bread that will satisfy man but God himself. “I am the living Bread,” says Christ. Bread of fortune, bread of gold, bread of aesthetic beauty, bread of worldly honour,these only satisfy the outward man, and leave “the hidden man of the heart” hungry and starven. Yet men spend their moneythat is, their time, strength, enthusiasm, and energyon sham bread.

II. SOUL–ATTENTION. “Hearken diligently unto me.” For God has spokenin nature, in conscience, by the prophets and by his own Son, the express Image of his Person.

1. God, who made the soul, knows all its mysterious depths and needs.

2. God, who redeemed the soul, knows that without pardon man knows no peace, and without life in God he knows no blessedness. The “delights” of a godly man attest the change in his naturehe “joys in God, by whom he has received the atonement.”W.M.S.

Isa 55:5

Man’s true glory.

“The Holy One of Israel, he hath glorified thee.” We need to fill the word “glory,” which often has such false renderings, with its true and ancient meaning.

I. TRUE RELIGION GLORIFIES MAN. He cannot he really glorified by titles or splendours of fame, but only by beauty and majesty of being. God says, “I will make a man as the gold of Ophir.” Man is only truly glorified as he fulfils the great end of his being, which is to be in his moral nature like God.

II. THE HOLY ONE ACCOMPLISHES THIS. Christ took our manhood up into God. He redeemed body, soul, and spirit; so that all parts of our complex nature might be complete in all the will of God.

1. Christ glorified the body. He became man, not taking the nature of angels, but the seed of Abraham. Thus he shows us how to live a heavenly life in an earthly citizenship. False philosophies of religions had, in the East, putas the Manichaeans did-disdain on the body.

2. Christ glorified man‘s estate. He lived in humble estate, and showed that the poorest framework might enclose a Divine picture of character.

3. Christ glorified the soul. He lifted man as man above all grandeur of mere outward estate and honour, and propounded this great question, “What shall it profit a man, if he gain the whole world, and lose his own life?” That life was to be supreme in grandeur as a God-like life. “And the glory which thou gavest me,” said our Saviour, “I have given them.”W.M.S.

HOMILIES BY W. CLARKSON

Isa 55:1

The provision which cannot be purchased.

In a country like our own we hardly know what thirst means. Few Englishmen have suffered from intense thirst. A man must live or travel in other latitudes to be exposed to this evil. But judging from the accounts of those who have suffered, we conclude that it is almost, if not absolutely, the severest and most intolerable sensation to which “flesh is heir.” It may very well be taken as a picture of

I. THE UNSATISFIED CRAVING OF THE HUMAN SOUL. The hunger and thirst of the human heart must necessarily be more serious by far than the cravings of the body; for they are the longing, the yearning, the keen and imperious demand of our higher and truer self. Man thirsts after God. Spite of all the downward tendencies, the earthward inclinations, the sensuous leanings of our human nature, it remains true that there is a profound, ineradicable crying of our soul after the living God (see Psa 42:1; Psa 63:1).

1. The intelligence of man thirsts for the ultimate Cause of all things.

2. The immortal spirit which man (not has, but) is, thirsts for the satisfying joy which is only found in his fellowship and his service.

3. The guilty heart of man thirsts for a thorough reconciliation with him. Man knows that he has sinned, that he is condemned, that his guilt stands as an impassable barrier between him and his God, and he earnestly longs to be forgiven and restored, so that he may again lift up his face to his Divine Father in filial confidence and joy. But he asksHow? “How shall man be just with God?” (Job 9:2). “Wherewith shall we come before the Lord?” (Mic 6:6, Mic 6:7). Beneath all the louder cries that fill the air, deep in the soul of man is the demandWhat shall we do that we may live before God and with him? There can be no final rest in our heart until this question has been answered in our experience.

II. THE PRECIOUS PROVISION WHICH IS OFFERED US. In the truth which God has revealed in his Word, and more particularly in that Son of God who is himself the great Revelation of the Father, we have that which satisfies our spiritual need.

1. It is that which slakes our spiritual thirst. “Come ye to the waters.” Water relieves and removes thirst as nothing else will. The forgiveness, the restoration, the reinstatement which is in Jesus Christ perfectly satisfies the intense craving of the soul. It brings a surpassing, transcendent peace.

2. It is that which nourishes the soul in all spiritual strength. “Buy milk.”

3. It is that which gladdens it with true and abiding joy. “Buy wine.”

III. THE PRICELESSNESS OF THIS DIVINE PROVISION. The prophet may indeed say, “Buy;” for these provisions are worth all the wealth that the most opulent can offer. But he has to add, “without money and without price;” for these blessings cannot be earned or purchased by us. God cannot sell his love, his mercy, his restoration of erring children. He does not meet us on the ground on which a creditor meets his debtors. He is, indeed, a Divine Creditor; we owe him ten thousand talents of reverence and gratitude and service we have never paid. But he does not demand of us some pence in the pound before he certifies that we are free. We frankly confess that we have nothing to pay, and he “frankly forgives us all” (Luk 7:42). God offers us his redeeming love, everlasting life, as the gift of his gracea glorious gift, freely offered on his part, and to be gladly accepted on ours. He necessarily imposes conditions; but these are open to every soul, and none need reject them; they are the turning away of our hearts from sin, and the acceptance of Jesus Christ as our Divine Saviour and Lord.C.

Isa 55:2, Isa 55:3

Wasted strength.

It has often been remarked of the criminal population that, if they would only give to honest and honourable pursuits the same patient attention, the same untiring energy, the same keen ingenuity, which they now devote to illegal schemes, they would soon rise to competence and honour. Perhaps the essence of this great mistake may be found in those who are very far removed from the criminal class; there are many in all vocations and positions of life who are wasting their strength on that which is unprofitable, who might be effecting great things for others or for themselves if they would only “labour for that which satisfies.” This principle will apply to

I. THE STUDY OF THE BIBLE. What immense pains were taken by the scribes of our Lord’s time in mastering the minute points of Old Testament Scripture! It ended in a barren and guilty formalism which called down the severest condemnations that came from the lips of Christ. If they had only spent their strength on gaining the heavenly wisdom with which those sacred pages are enriched, they would have been much better men, and would have received the Messiah in a very different spirit. We, too, may expend a vast amount of unprofitable labour on the Scriptures, trying to secure their sanction for our fancies or foibles, and leave untouched their springs of truth and power and life.

II. THE WORK IN THE MASTER‘S VINEYARD. We shall certainly not include in wasted strength or unsatisfying labour the energy spent in laying, the foundation, although the workman may not live to see the walls of the building use; this may be the most honourable, remunerative, profoundly satisfying work of a man’s life: this, indeed, was the work of the Saviour of mankind. But we shall include:

1. Labour which is merely superficial, which the wind of changing circumstance soon “driveth away.”

2. The deliverance of one-sided trutha statement of doctrine which is so partial as to be practically false. This must issue in disappointment; it is building of “wood, hay, and stubble,” which will be burned.

3. Irreverent activity, on which the blessing of God is not sought, and on which, consequently, it does not descend.

III. THE PURSUIT OF PERSONAL WELL–BEING.

1. All men seek happiness; they give freely of their various resources to obtain itmoney, strength, ingenuity, patience; they endure hardship and even suffering in order to secure it.

2. A very large proportion of mankind is bitterly disappointed. What promised to be bread turns out to be chaff; what looked like satisfaction in the distance proves to be weariness and heartache in experience.

3. The disappointment is due to one fundamental mistakethey adopt a false method. They risk everything on some one objectwealth, fame, power, pleasure, friendshipwhich either eludes their grasp or proves unsatisfying and vain. They should become the active servants of God, listening when he speaks, accepting what he offers, going whither he directs. In the earnest, faithful service of a Divine Saviour is happiness of the truest kindblessedness, well-being, life; the pure, lasting satisfaction of the soul.C.

Isa 55:4

The leadership of Christ.

These words, primarily applicable to David, are true of that Son of David whose course was to be so different, but whose work was to be so much deeper and greater than that of the King of Israel. David was a man who showed himself possessed of all the essential qualities of a great leader of men. He had the power of attaching them to his own person with a strong affection; he shared their hardships and their perils; he impressed on them his own principles and habits; he lifted them up with his own elevation. In these respects, but with a depth and fulness to which the earthly monarch can lay no claim at all, Jesus Christ is the great “Leader to the people” of God.

I. HE ATTACHES US TO HIMSELF. The devotion of his soldiers to Napoleon Bonaparte was extraordinary; but that great commander, with all his egotism, acknowledged that this was nothing compared with the devotion of Christian men to the Person of Jesus Christ. The pity with which he pitied us in our low estate, the tender interest with which he has sought and rescued us, the shame and the sorrow which he bore for us, the death he died for us, the patient love with which he has been loving us,all this will well account for the fact that, as no king, or general, or statesman has ever done before, Jesus Christ has shown himself the Leader of men by attaching them to his Person with a passionate and unwavering devotion.

II. HE HAS SHARED OUR HARDSHIPS AND OUR SUFFERINGS. He does not bid us go the way he went not himself.

“He leads us through no darker rooms

Than he went through before.”

He asks us to drink of his cup, but it is only to taste that bitter draught which he himself drained even to the dregs. Whether it be bodily pain or spiritual distress; whether it be suffering, or poverty, or loneliness, or disappointment, or desertion, or shame, or death,Christ has himself endured darker and sadder trials than any he calls us to encounter.

III. HE CONSTRAINS US TO LIVE HIS OWN LIFE. He not only demands of us that our minds shall be possessed with his own principles, and that our lives shall illustrate them, but he has the power of constraining us to think as he thought, to feel as he felt, to do as he did, to be what he was. If this purpose of his is not accomplished or is not being wrought in us, then are we not his “disciples indeed.”

IV. HE SHARES WITH US HIS OWN EXALTATION. If we bear his cross, we shall sit down with him on his throne. To us all he says, “I appoint unto you a kingdom.” If we suffer with him, we shall reign with him.C.

Isa 55:6

God’s especial nearness.

It is one of the familiar Scripture truths, open even to the little child, that God is always near to us; and that there is no time we can think of when he may not be found by the humble, believing heart. But there are times when he is comparatively near, and when, if we are wise, we shall go to him in the spirit of full self-surrender, shall enter the kingdom of his grace, and secure his everlasting favour.

I. THE PERIOD OF YOUTH; when the mind is open, the conscience tender, the soul responsive.

II. THE DAY OF VISITATION; when the stricken and wounded heart wants a Divine Healer, and can find none but in him who binds up the broken heart and heals its wounds.

III. THE TIME SPECIAL PRIVILEGE; when we listen to the minister, read the book, have fellowship with the friend whose true and earnest voice has an unusual power to penetrate to the secret places of our soul.

IV. THE HOUR OF DIRECT DIVINE CONTACT; when God lays his hand upon us, touches the springs of our sacred thought, reveals to us our sinfulness and our need, awakens us to the seriousness of our life and the nearness of eternity, and calls us to return unto himself. Wise is it beyond all earthly wisdom then to hearken and obey, to seek the Lord while he may be found, to call upon him while he is near; foolish is it beyond all other folly to turn a deaf ear or to show a disobedient spirit then; for God may never again come so near to our soulsmay never again be so readily found by our human spirits; the distance between us and our Saviour may be continually enlarging, until some great gulf of sin or hard-heartedness separate us from his side and from his service evermore.C.

Isa 55:7

Distance, return, welcome.

Few more gracious words than these can be found in Scripture: they are of those which the world would not willingly let die; whole libraries could be better spared from human literature than this single verse. We may express the thoughts it offers to us by four simple propositions.

I. SIN MEANS SEPARATIONthe separation of the soul from its Creator. The distance we can calculate in miles or in degrees is nothing to that which divides one spirit from another; it is nothing to that which separates the erring, guilty soul of man from the Holy Spirit of the living God. We may be in the same room with another of our race or even of our family, and yet feel further apart than if many leagues of ocean came between us. We are always near to him who is everywhere, and yet our ingratitude, our unworthiness, our guilt, may compel us to feel terribly far off from him.

II. REPENTANCE MEANS RETURNthe abandonment by the sinful soul of its evil way, and its return to the righteous God whom it has forsaken. It signifies much more than a change of creed and of profession; or than a passing emotion of sorrow, however violent the feeling may be; or than an alteration in outward habit. It signifies:

1. The aversion of the heart from the thought and love of evil. “Let the unrighteous man forsake his [evil] thoughts.”

2. The consequent change of the habit of life. “Let the wicked forsake his way.”

3. The return of the soul to God. The man who has neglected, forsaken, disregarded, and disobeyed God, coming back in penitent thought and with the language of confession on his lips to the Father from whom he has wandered.

III. THE WAY BACK IS OPEN. Can the sinner be forgiven? Is the way clear? Are there not insuperable obstacles in the waygrievous transgressions of Law, accumulated guilt, darkening and deepening iniquity? How can all this be removed from the path of reconciliation? The answer is m the gospel statement: “Through this Man is preached unto you the forgiveness of sins.” “He is the Propitiation for the sins of the whole world.”

IV. THE WELCOME HOME IS SURE. There is an assurance, here as elsewhere, which is “doubly sure.” The mercy of God is not only enough for our necessities, it is far more than enough. It is not only a lake, it is a deep and wide sea; it is not merely a hill, it is an overtowering mountain; there are not only riches, there are exceeding riches, unsearchable riches of grace; on the repentant and believing sinner God will not only have mercy, he will abundantly pardon him; the returning prodigal will not merely be taken in when he arrives; the Father will run to meet him. and lavish upon him all possible proofs of his parental love.C.

Isa 55:8, Isa 55:9

The human and the Divine.

Man was made in the image of God, and once bore his likeness; then his spirit was like that of the Spirit of God. Under the debasing influences of sin he has become utterly unlike his Maker, and, instead of being compared with him, he is placed in sad and painful contrast with his heavenly Father. “My thoughts are not your thoughts,” etc.

I. THE SPIRIT OF THE HUMAN.

1. The spirit of man is selfish. Not that he is incapable of generosity, but the prevailing and penetrating spirit which runs through his acts and his institutions is that of self-love, self-interest. What will it profit me? What shall I gain by it? How will it affect my interests? These are the questions which come up from the depths of the human heart, and are perpetually recurring.

2. The spirit of man. is vindictive. Men hate their enemies; they wish ill to those who have in any way done them an injury. Men are secretly if not openly glad when any harm happens to those who have successfully opposed them, or to those who have outstripped them in the race, or to those whose material interests clash with theirs, or to those who have rebuked and shamed them, or to those whom they have wronged and thus made their enemies. Their thoughts are vindictive and malignant, and their ways answer to their thoughts. By pronounced hostility, or by artful intrigue, or by a criminal silence and inaction, they further the end for which they look,the discomfiture of their fellows.

II. THE SPIRIT OF THE DIVINE.

1. The Spirit of God is beneficent. God lives to blessto communicate life, love, beauty, joy, throughout his universe. That Son of man who “came not to be ministered unto, but to minister” perfectly represented the Spirit of the Father, who occupies his eternity and expends his omniscience in doing good to all his creation.

2. The Spirit of God is magnanimous. God delights not to give pain or to send sorrow to those who have offended him; that is his “strange work.” He delights to pardon. He “abundantly pardons.” He receives back and reinstates his penitent children with abounding joy. His mercy, his grace, is inexhaustible it is an overarching sky with no horizon-line; it is a sea without a bottom or a shore.

III. THE DIVINE OFFER. So great, so surpassing, so all-sufficient, is the magnanimity of God that we may east ourselves on his mercy with the utmost confidence. “Iniquities may prevail against us,” but the pardoning grace of God will prevail against them.

IV. THE HUMAN ASPIRATION. Jesus Christ summons us to rise from the level of the human to the height of the Divine; to breathe his spirit of forgiveness, to live his life of love, to move on the noble and lofty plane of a sustained magnanimity, “that we may be the children of our Father who is in heaven;” that we may “be perfect as he is perfect.”C.

Isa 55:10-13

The fruitfulness of sacred truth.

It may be said that the rain and the snow do, in fact, return to the heavens whence they came, drawn up by the sun as it shines on sea and lake, on stream and river, everywhere. But not until they have done the work for which they came, not until they have “accomplished that which God pleases,” until they have prospered in the purpose for which he sent them; not until they have fertilized the soil, and made it bring forth its precious fruits. The vast amount of rainfall which the earth receives during every year renders incalculable service before it returns to the skies. So also does all the outpouring of Divine truth on the mind and heart of men. There may be times when the human spokesman may question thiswhen he may have grave misgivings as to its utility, when it may seem unprofitable and vain. But we have the strong assurance that God’s Word “shall not return unto him void”that the issue shall be one in which all surrounding nature may well take its part with jubilant acclaim (Isa 55:12, Isa 55:13). The excellency of sacred truth will be seen if we regard

I. OUR CONDITION IN ITS ABSENCE.

1. The unproductiveness of the human mind when thus untaught; the sad fact that men who are capable of the loftiest conceptions, the most ennobleing convictions, the most elevating feelings and aspirations, live and die without cherishing any one of these, in blank and dreary ignorance.

2. The noxious growths which flourish: the errors, the superstitions, the dark and foul imaginations. which defile the mind in which they spring up, and those also on whom these are acting.

II. THE BENIGNANT POWER WHICH ST EXERTS.

1. The outward transformations it worksgreat and happy reformations in the conduct, the career, the condition of individual men, of families, and of nations.

2. The inward blessedness it conferspeace, freedom, purity, love, joy, hope.

III. ITS OCCASIONAL, APPARENT FRUITLESSNESS. Even as the rain and the snow often fall on rock and sand and sea without seeming to produce any beneficent result, so does the truth of God, as preached, or taught, or printed, often seem to be unavailing; and there is discouragement, despondency, even despair, in the heart of the Christian worker. But we look at,

IV. ITS ACTUAL EFFICACY.

1. There is much of actual efficacy which we can discoverof incidental result, bringing strength and sanctity to those whose benefit is not sought; of indirect result; of ultimate result, being “found after many days.”

2. There is more which we take on trust. God has ways of using material things which long escaped our notice, and doubtless many ways which still elude our observation. Has he not ways of using our spiritual efforts, of turning them to account, so that one day we shall find that his own Word never returns to him voidthat it always prospers in the thing whereto it is sent? “He that goeth forth weeping shall doubtless come again with rejoicing, bringing his sheaves with him.”C.

HOMILIES BY R. TUCK

Isa 55:1

Man’s need and God’s provision.

This well-known and much-used verse is the model of gospel invitations. “Ho!” as to persons at a distance; beyond the pale, according to Jewish thought. “Wine,” that cheers; “water,” that refreshes; “milk,” that nourishes. “Buy without money” impresses the worth, as well as the freeness, of the thing obtained.

I. THE CRY OF SOULS IS SO VARIED, THEY NEED LARGE AND COMPREHENSIVE INVITATIONS. So various, so large, so intense, so immediate, so urgent.

1. Think of the cry of creation to God, rising day and night for precise blessings, from the world of vegetable and animal life.

2. Then think of the cry of man’s bodily nature. How complex are its demands if it is to be kept in vigour! But souls are altogether more wonderful, more mysterious, than bodies, and body-needs do but suggest and illustrate soul-needs. What is the cry of all souls? What is the cry of some souls? It is impossible to press the cries of souls into any one mould. There is difference between men’s cry and women’s cry; between the cry of the shallow and of the thoughtful; between the cry of the educated and uneducated; between the cry of the moral and the profligate. And yet there is one word in which the deep want of all men everywhere can be expressedthey want God, though so many do not know his Name, or cannot articulate it. If we carefully distinguish the cries of men, we may say,

(1) some cry for light amid the dark perplexities of our time;

(2) some for guidance amid difficulties;

(3) some for earnestness amid frivolities;

(4) some for pardon under pressure of the sense of sin;

(5) some for truth amid the allurements of error; and

(6) some for rest from the weariness of toil and failure; and

(7) some for comfort under woes that press heavily.

What a cry that must be which enters into the ears of the Lord of sabaoth!

IX. NONE BUT GOD CAN MAKE INVITATIONS LARGE ENOUGH AND VARIED ENOUGH, TO MEET THE CRIES. The cry for happiness is too big for the world to meet; the cry for truth is beyond all the skill of science to satisfy. “The fountains of this earth are dried, and I am thirsty still.”

1. Human conscience cries for pardon. In Christ is proclaimed “forgiveness of sins.”

2. Human affection cries for love. It may spend its uttermost and best on Christ, and be fully satisfied with his response.

3. Human intellect cries for truth. Jesus, by his Spirit, leads into a]! truth.

4. Human will cries for a supreme authority. And Christ is Lord. For every want we can translate into a cry, Christ is the Supply. For every want we can feel, but cannot translate into a cry, Christ is still the infinitely adapted and all-satisfying Supply.R.T.

Isa 55:1

The thirst of the soul quenched.

Compare the assurances and invitations of Christ, in Joh 4:13, Joh 4:14; Joh 6:35; Joh 7:37, Joh 7:38. It is singular to note that the prophet chose a form of speech very common in the East. In Jerusalem the shopkeepers cry to the passers-by, “Ho, every one that hath money, let him come and buy!” “Ho, such a one, come and buy!” They indeed expect to get full value, though they offer for nothing. God intends a free and sovereign gift.

I. THIRST. A figure for unresting desire, setting us upon pursuit and effort. Thirsting differs from hungering in thisthe hungering man will quietly lie down and die; the thirsting man will spend himself in mad strivings. Illustrate from desert scenes. So thirsting is the more impressive figure of a man’s condition. Everybody is eagerly wanting something. Of this there are both painful and pleasing signs. Illustrate how this thirst takes special religious forms at special times, as in opening youth, seasons of sickness, scenes of revival, death of first friend, as in cases of Luther and Norman Macleod. This restless soul-thirsting is

(1) man’s suffering;

(2) man’s glory;

(3) man’s hope.

He may satisfy the thirsting, but it would be a sign of soul-death simply to lose it. The thirst of the soul is ever for one satisfactionit is thirst for God.

II. THIRSTING AGAIN. This is the result of all attempts to quench the thirst of the soul by anything earth can offer. There are lines upon which temporary supplies seem to come. Man offers “cups of cold water.”

1. Thirst quenched for a time in worldly pleasure. Illustrate from the familiar picture, ‘The Pursuit of Pleasure.’ There never were such strivings for sense-gratification as there are now. Life makes a loud noise to drown the soul’s cries.

2. Thirst quenched for a time in the externalities of religion. Satiated with pleasure, men sometimes turn to religion. Illustrate from experience of Ignatius Loyola. Also see confidence in holy wells and shrines. There is a fascination at first in ceremonial religion, but it soon pails. You can soon empty these cups, and then there is nothing for your thirsty soul when you come again.

III. THIRSTING NEVERMORE. Christ does not destroy the thirsting, but sets us down close beside the living spring. And all the bitterness is gone, if the supply is close beside us, and we may drink when we please. Apply to the soul’s love. The love of Christ is the satisfying response. To the soul’s trust. The work of Christ is the satisfying response. To the soul’s ideal. The Person of Christ is the satisfying response. To the soul’s anxiety about the future. The promises of Christ are the satisfying response. The soul that has Christ has an upspringing well beside him; he lives close near to the waters of life.R.T.

Isa 55:2

Vain expenditure on things.

Comp. Isa 44:20, “He feedeth on ashes: a deceived heart hath turned him aside.” A very striking illustration of unsatisfying food is given by the Rev. H. Macmillan. “A strange plant, called the nardoo, grows in the deserts of Lento, Australia. Its seeds formed for months together almost the sole food of the party of explorers who, a few years ago, crossed the continent. When analyzed, the nardoo bread was ascertained to be destitute of certain nutritious elements indispensable to the support of a European, though an Australian savage might, for a while, find it beneficial as an alterative. And thus it happened that these poor, unfortunate Englishmen perished of starvation, even while feeding fully day by day upon food that served to satisfy their hunger.” An old author, date 1600, says, “It is a thing that the Emperor Caligula is laughed at in all stories. There was a mighty navy provided, well manned and victualled, and every one expected that the whole country of Greece should have been invaded; and so it might have been; but the emperor had another design in hand, and employed his soldiers to gather a quantity of cockleshells and pebble-stones, and so returned home again. Just such another voyage doth almost every man make here in this world, were the particulars but truly cast up.” J.A. Alexander makes an important distinction. “Observe, too, that he does not seek to remedy the evils which arise from perverted and unsatisfied desire, by the extinction of the appetite itselfof that immortal, inextinguishable craving, which can only cease by annihilation or by full fruition. This, indeed, is a distinctive mark of true religion, as opposed to other systems. Since the evils under which the human race is groaning may be clearly traced to the inordinate indulgence of desires after happiness, under the influence of ‘strong delusions’ as to that which can afford it, we are not to wonder that when unassisted reason undertakes to do away with the effect, it should attempt the extirpation of the cause; and you will find, accordingly, that every system of religion or philosophy, distinct from Christianity, either indulges, under some disguise, that perversion of man’s natural desire after happiness which makes him wretched, or affects to cure it by destroying the desire itself.” “While one voice cries to the. bewildered sinner, ‘Cease to hunger, cease to thirst;’ and another from an opposite direction bids him ‘Eat and drink; for to-morrow we die;’ the voice of God and of the gospel is, ‘Wherefore do ye spend money for that which is not bread? and your labour for that which satisfieth not?'”

I. SOUL–HUNGER CAN NEVER BE SATISFIED WITH THINGS. It is easy to confuse the soul’s hunger with the bodily cry for pleasure, the mental cry for knowledge, the society cry for place and wealth, or the aesthetic cry for the beautiful. Men readily enough mistake their own longings, their own unrest. There is much that we have not, and we think the craving is to get what others enjoy. Men need to have translated for them their own restlessness and desire. Augustine does it. “Man was made for God, and can find no rest till he finds rest in him.” The hymn does it

“My heart is pained, nor can it be
At rest till it finds rest in thee.”

Things can never rest and satisfy souls. Angels cannot feed on man’s broad. Things can satisfy some things in manhis taste, his passions, his sentimentsbut not the man himself. They who have had the most of the good in things that this world can command have complained most deeply of the yawning and yearning of their unsatisfied souls. “If a man ask a fish, will ye give him a stone?” If a man wants love, what good is it to give him gold, or fame, or pleasure? The gains and honours and so-called “good” of this world are not only brief in their duration, but unsuited, in their very nature, even while they last, to satisfy the wants of an immortal spirit.

II. SOUL–HUNGER CAN ONLY BE SATISFIED IN A PERSON. Therefore Jesus said, “I am the Bread of life: he that cometh to me shall never hunger; and he that believeth on me shall never thirst.” On Christ, as the Gift of God to us, our souls may “eat, and live for ever.” There is in verse 4 a first allusion to King David, but a further final allusion to Jesus. “He that hath the Son hath life.” The points which may be illustrated and impressed are suggested in the following paragraph: “The prophet, speaking in the name of God, after calling men to come to him, to hear him that their souls may live, annexes to this gracious invitation the specific promises of a sure salvationa salvation not contingent or fortuitous, but one provided by a gracious constitution on the part of God himself; a salvation promised and confirmed by oath; a covenant of mercy, eternal in its origin and everlasting in its stipulations, comprehending in its wonderful provisions the essential requisite of an atonement, a priest and sacrifice, an all-sufficient Saviour; not a Saviour whose performance of his office should be partial, or contingent, or uncertain from the change of person, but the one, the only Saviourthe same ‘yesterday, and to-day, and for ever,’ the Son of God, the Son of man, the Son of David.” Soul-rest in the living personal Saviour finds expression in the familiar verse

“I came to Jesus as I was,

Weary, and worn, and sad;

I found in him a Resting-place,

And he has made me glad.”

R.T.

Isa 55:6

The time for seeking after God.

Compare “Now is the accepted time, now is the day of salvation.” “To proclaim the acceptable year of the Lord.” After showing the need for seeking after God, and the duty of seeking, dwell on the appropriate time for the seeking, unfolding and illustrating two points.

I. THE TIME FOR SEEKING IS NOT FIXED BY OUR CONVENIENCE. Yet men constantly act as if it were. They assume that they can find God when they please. But such an idea proves that they neither know themselves nor God.

1. They do not know themselves; for a man is not at all sure of feeling the desire when he thinks he will and arranges to. If a man plays with his deeper emotions, and puts off responding to them until some unknown time, he has no security that the feelings will return. If a man resists good inclinations, he will find that he cannot get them when he would.

2. And they do not know God; for he can never permit man to play with his offers of mercy and willingness to accept. Rejected gifts, neglected gilts, cannot he still pressed on acceptance. It is inconceivable that God can ever wait on man’s convenience. We must take advantage of God’s time for seekers, for he can never recognize times that seekers are pleased to arrange for themselves.

II. THE TIME FOR SEEKING IS FIXED BY GOD‘S INVITATIONS. It must be; for the gift is an absolutely sovereign and free gift, and the Giver must be allowed to find his own time and way. If salvation were a matter of purchase, we might expect it to be dependent on our good will. It is wholly a matter of grace, and so absolutely dependent on God s good will. Our Lord even said, “No man cometh unto me, except the Father, which hath sent me, draw him.” The general invitations of God stand in his Word; the precise and special invitations to individuals, in which we find our golden opportunities of salvation, are, in the text, called times when “God may be found,” or when God is propitious towards us; and times when “God is near,” or gives an impressive sense of his nearness. Such times may appear to us as

(1) providences,circumstances that arouse, awaken, humble us; or as

(2) persuasions,such as come through appeals of ministers, or the atmosphere of revival-times. Anything, everything, that brings to us the sense of God’s nearness is an appropriate thing to set us hopefully seeking after salvation, eternal life, and heart-rest in God.R.T.

Isa 55:7

Man’s preparations for receiving God’s pardon.

Two things have to be clearly recognized, and harmoniously set together.

1. God’s pardon and favour are absolutely free and priceless; they are sovereign gifts, based on no condition, won by no payment, responsive to no merit in us. He saves us purely for his “own Name’s sake.”

2. And yet there are conditions which those who receive the grace are reasonably required to be in, if they are to be recipients, and make right use of the grace received. These conditions are absolutely necessary, and yet there are in no sense at all any merit, or price, on which the grace is obtained. The harmonizing of the two things is not difficult. When we bestow a gift we look for a proper recipiency in those who receive. It would be to waste our gifts to bestow them where there was no preparedness to use them rightly. In this verse the preparation takes a threefold form.

I. THERE MUST BE THE PUTTING AWAY OF ALL WRONG–DOING. It would be insult for a child to ask pardon of a father while he kept on doing the disobedient thing that grieved his father. Sincerity of desire for pardon is shown in separating ourselves from the sin. Sense of the evil of the act is indicated in resolutely putting it away. This is the first thing God looks for in all who seek him. Kept sin, always and everywhere, keeps off the “grace.”

II. THERE MUST BE A CLEANSING OF THOUGHT AND HEART. The love of sinning must go, and the act of sinning must cease. In the view of God, sin is not merely some positive act done. The Heart-searcher knows that the act was but the expression of evil thought, biassed will, selfish purpose. And so a man is not ready for forgiveness until his thought is changed, and exactly that changed thought is what we put into the word “repentance.” Reformation of life and repentance of heart must go together to make the proper recipient attitude.

III. THERE MUST BE A POSITIVE TURNING TOWARDS GOD. The difference between evangelical repentance and worldly remorse is that repentance draws us toward God in hope, and remorse drives us from God in despair. It is distinctly expected that man will make positive efforts; and therefore we find the plea, “Come, and let us return unto the Lord.” Bishop Wordsworth says, “In proclaiming God’s loving promises, and the free offers of Divine grace, the prophet does not forget man’s duties both in will and work.” H. Ward Beecher gives the following illustration: “Every day, from my window, I see the gulls making circuits and beating against the north wind. Now they mount high above the masts of the vessels in the stream, and then suddenly drop to the water’s edge, seeking to find some eddy unobstructed by the steady-blowing blast; till at length, abandoning their efforts, they turn and fly with the wind; and then how like a gleam of light do their white wings flash down the bay, faster than the eye can follow! So, when we cease to resist God’s influences, and, turning towards him, our thought and feelings are upborne by the breath of the Spirit, how do they make such swift heavenward flight as no words can overtake!” When these three preparations indicate to God a readiness to receive his grace, then will that grace overflow, and he will “abundantly pardon.”R.T.

Isa 55:8, Isa 55:9

God is like yet unlike man.

We are made in his image. We are called to be “perfect as our Father in heaven is perfect.” The hope of the future is that we “shall be like him.” And yet we must keep up the conviction that we are but faint copies of him, and be is altogether better than we, the Infinite that is ever high above us, at once our inspiration and our despair. Apply God’s unlikeness to us especially in the matter of redemption.

I. GOD CAN FORGIVE. This man finds it hard to do.

II. GOD CAN RESTORE. This man cannot do.

III. GOD CAN BLESS, HOPING FOR NOTHING IN RETURN. Man never very certainly succeeds in doing anything save for pay (see Act 8:20).

IV. GOD CAN ABSOLUTELY KEEP HIS WORD OF PROMISE. Man is ever swift to promise, slow to perform. “The point of the comparison, in Isa 55:11, is that the predominance of fertility in the natural world, in spite of partial or apparent failures, is the pledge of a like triumph, in the long run, of the purposes of God for man’s good over resistance. It does not exclude the partial, or even total, failure of many; it asserts that the saved are more than the lost.” The betterness of God is the ground of our admiration, trust, and love; it is the incitement of a perpetual imitation. Perfection, for those who know God, is to be like God.R.T.

Isa 55:10, Isa 55:11

Change and permanence in God’s Word.

Dr. George Dana Boardman sees, in these verses, an unconscious anticipation of two great doctrines of modem sciencethe doctrine of convertibility of energies, or correlation of forces; and the doctrine of conservation of energy, or indestructibility of force. “We are now taught that heat, light, electricity, magnetism, chemical affinity, etc; are modes of motion, and, as such, mutually interchangeable. And we are also taught that there is no evidence of any atom of matter having ever been annihilated. Disintegration is not annihilation.”

I. GOD‘S WORD IS CAPABLE OF ENDLESS TRANSFORMATIONS. God’s truth, coming down like rain or snow from heaven, does not return to him void, but is transfigured into Christian character. Truth, like force, undergoes metamorphosis. For instance, the motion of enterprise glides into the heat of enthusiasm; the heat of enthusiasm into the light of influence; the light of influence into the magnetism of love, and so on. The history of Christianity itself, what is it but the history of the grace of God metamorphosed into various virtues?

II. GOD‘S WORD IS INDESTRUCTIBLE. “What though rain falls on barren ledges? Not a drop is lost; for the rain trickles down into rills, the rills grow into brooks, the brooks swell into rivers, the rivers broaden into the sea, and the sea forms the international exchange of the world’s commodities. What though snow mantles desolate deserts? Not a flake is a failure; for the snow melts, percolates the sands, feeds unseen springs, re-emerges as the bearded wheat of autumn.” We may hopefully engage in the teaching and preaching of God’s Word; for not one lesson can be really lost.R.T.

Fuente: The Complete Pulpit Commentary

Isa 55:1. Ho, every one that thirsteth It is universally agreed, that this prophesy concerns the beginning of the Gospel, in describing the attributes of which period the prophet has hitherto been particularly employed; and that in this part of it, especially, both Jews and Gentiles are invited to the communion of gospel-blessings. The Jews themselves refer these words to the times of the Messiah. Divine grace is often represented under the similitude of springs and streams of water; and in the same manner divine knowledge, the food and support of the soul, is represented under the metaphors of meat and drink. See Joh 6:27. The prophet exhorts men, under this metaphor, to make use of the means of instruction offered by the Gospel; and thus the words are expounded by Christ himself, Joh 7:37. The word buying is often used to signify in general gaining or procuring any thing; and in this sense Solomon uses the words, when he bids us buy the truth and sell it not. The prophet here adds, without money, and without price, to shew that divine knowledge is of far greater value than to be purchased with money, being the gift of God. The freedom of divine grace, and of all the blessings of the Gospel, is also strongly denoted by these words. See Rom 3:24. Rev 22:17 and Vitringa.

Fuente: Commentary on the Holy Bible by Thomas Coke

VII.THE SEVENTH DISCOURSE

The New Way of appropriating Salvation

Isa 55:1-5

When we contemplate the contents of our chapters, one could almost outdo the modern criticism and exclaim: This was never written in the Exile ! It must have been written after Christ, by a disciple of Paul who read the epistles to the Romans and Galatians! But on closer inspection one observes that our Prophet describes, not what he lived to see and learned to know by experience, but future things that were still enigmatical to himself. A Frenchman would say: il ne voit pas, il entrevoit seulment les chose futures. I can only understand the contents of our chapter in its relation to what precedes, as representing in what a new and hitherto unknown way Israel is to obtain a countless posterity and a salvation extending in every direction. That is, in connection with Isaiah 54, our Isaiah 55. shows, that the mode of subjective appropriation of salvation will be a new one. No longer by doing works, but by believing acceptance shall one put himself in possession of that salvation, which a new David, as a new mediator of a covenant, shall offer to the world, not by force of arms, but by His direct and indirect testimony. But this testimony must meet with a timely acceptance, and sincere repentance must prepare an entrance for the mercy of God. Also no one should regard the new way of salvation as unreasonable and impracticable, for not only Israel, but the entire creation, shall quite certainly partake of this salvation.

The chapter has two parts. The first is positive in its contents. It designates believing acceptance of the word as the essence of the new way of salvation. The second part is negative. It points with warning to the obstacles and scruples that must be set aside in order not to frustrate the new way of salvation.

____________________
1. THE POSITIVE NATURE OF THE NEW WAY OF APPROPRIATING THE SALVATION OF GOD

Isa 55:1-5

1Ho, every one that thirsteth,

Come ye to the waters,
And he that hath no money; come ye, buy, and eat;
Yea, come, buy wine and milk
Without money and without price.

2Wherefore do ye 1spend money for that which is not bread?

And your 2labor for that which satisfieth not?

3Hearken diligently unto me, and eat ye that which is good,

4And let your soul delight itself in fatness.

3Incline your ear, and come unto me:

Hear, and your soul shall live;
And I will make an everlasting covenant with you,

Even the sure mercies of David.

4Behold, I have given him for a witness to the people,

A leader and commander to the people.

5Behold, thou shalt call a nation that thou knowest not,

And 5nations that knew not thee shall run unto thee

6Because of the Lord thy God,

And 7for the Holy One of Israel; for he hath glorified thee.

TEXTUAL AND GRAMMATICAL

Isa 55:1-2. is here denom. from annona [from see Fuerst. Lex.Tr.], (comp. Isa 42:7; Isa 42:10; Isa 47:14, etc..). In Isaiah the word is found in this sense only here. is Oxymoron as ,, (Deu 32:21), (Isa 10:15), ,, (Isa 31:8).

Isa 55:3. The expression is almost as common in the Old Testament as or It occurs Exo 23:32; Exo 34:12; Exo 34:15; Deu 7:2; Jos 9:6-7; Jos 9:11; Jos 9:15-16; Jos 24:25; Jdg 2:2; 1Sa 9:1-2; 2Sa 5:3; 1Ki 20:34; 2Ki 11:4; Hos 2:20; Isa 61:8; Jer 32:40; Eze 34:25; Eze 37:26; Job 31:1; Psa 89:4; 1Ch 11:13; 2Ch 7:18 (without ); Isa 21:1; Isa 29:10. It is true that the expression is chiefly used in the case of a covenant that a superior concludes with an inferior as a benefaction or imposing a duty for the latter (see e.g. Job 31:1). Once (2Ch 29:10) it is used in the case of a covenant that the man concludes with God. The expression is evidently in its origin a pregnant construction, as the preposition depends on the verb, not according to its verbal meaning, but according to some, latent meaning in the verb This meaning may be that of laying on, assuring, or offering, according to the contextThe expression in is found again 2Ch 6:42 in Solomons prayer of consecration. It does not occur its the corresponding passage, 1 Kings 8, as indeed none of 2Ch 6:40-42 does (comp. Zoeckler in loc.). It seems to me that the author of 2 Chron. borrowed the words from our text, and thereby bears testimony to its having relation to 2 Samuel 7. As regards the construction, it is zeugmatic. For the accusative depends on the latent idea of giving in, , and in fact Paul so renders the words Act 13:34 : on .

Isa 55:4. The grammatical construction of is not normal. It ought at least to read (comp. Eze 31:16 Dan 1:4). The expressions Isa 53:3, and Isa 53:4, are not at all to be compared as Ewald supposes (Gram., 339,6; see above the comm. in loc.). This construction is therefore an unicum, if indeed the pointing be correct Moreover in a substantive sense occurs only here. It seems me that the choice of expression was occasioned by the Prophet having in. mind 2Sa 6:21, where David says to Michal: the Lord chose me before thy father

EXEGETICAL AND CRITICAL

1. In chap. 55 the Lord promised Israel a blessing that would extend on every hand. As if in a well supplied market, all these blessed possessions shall be spread out before Israel. Now the people are summoned to come up and buy, butwithout money (Isa 55:1)! It is no longer as it once was when one must do a hard work in order to get food, whichstill did not satisfy. One sees at once that the Prophet does not mean corporeal nourishment, for he calls on men to hear. By that one shall receive dainty nourishment (Isa 55:2). And that the importance of this hearing may be felt, he repeats his summons to hear twice. By virtue of this hearing the soul shall live and be capable of entering into the everlasting covenant with the Lord, that shall procure the sure mercies of David (Isa 55:3). The David that is to be the mediator of this grace will be first of all a witness, and hearing will be the condition of partaking of His grace. By His testimony to the truth He will however become also prince and commander of nations (Isa 55:4). But the great chief witness will avail himself of Israel in order to bring his testimony to the nations. Israel shall call nations that it did not know, and these nations will hasten to Israel that heretofore remained unknown to them. But they will hasten up in order to come to Jehovah and to the Holy One of Israel, who also glorifies His people in this way (Isa 55:5). Thus the chief emphasis in this section rests upon the inward, believing inclination to the word of the Lord, something high as heaven above outward merit of works. This believing inclination Israel should bring to the word of the Lord that announces to it the glory of Davids kingdom. Then it will itself dare to preach this word, and, by means of the faith that it will find, it will gather the nations to it, which, according to Isa 54:1 sqq., will be its seed, and also the basis of the new, eternal Davidic kingdom.

2. Ho, every onemercies of David.

Isa 55:1-3. Before the gaze of the Prophet stands Israel, made inwardly and outwardly free from the chains of the world-power by the Servant of God. According to chap. 54. a rich blessing from the Lord is promised to it. But it cannot partake of it without more ado. Like the old Israel it must fulfill a condition. To the old Israel it was said (Deu 28:1 sq.): And it shall come to pass, if thou shalt hearken diligently unto the voice of the Lord thy God, to observe and to do all His commandments which I command thee this day, that the Lord thy God will set thee on high above all nations of the earth: and all these blessings shall come upon thee, and overtake thee. Here, therefore, the fulfilment of the law was set up as a condition of obtaining the blessing. It is otherwise in the new kingdom that the Prophet sees from afar with the eye of the spirit. There nothing is demanded but hunger and thirst, and yet, of course, such as is contented with the gratification that the Lord offers. Stier justly calls attention to the fact that our Lord must have had in mind our text when He said: blessed are they that hunger and thirst after righteousness for they shall be filled (Mat 5:6). Comp. also Mat 11:28; Joh 7:37. does not depart here from its fundamental meaning. It must not be taken here as a cry merely summoning together, any more than in Isa 17:1; Isa 18:1, or like Zec 2:10-11, where Koehler appropriately translates Hui [Ho, quick]. In our passage, the cry of woe has reference only to the suffering condition of those addressed. It is an expression of compassion for their lamentable fate, that offers only an illusory satisfaction for their wants. It is as if we were to say: Alas, ye poor needy ones! Thus Maurer, with whom Stier needed not to find fault.What sort of hunger and thirst the Prophet means first appears from his offering to satisfy it without compensation. The rationalistic expositors will have it that only earthly blessings are meant. Thus they would understand that the exiles are indirectly summoned to return home by painting up the possessions that would follow on that, which were to be had as water for the thirsty and without sacrifice (Gesenius, Hitzig). Others think only of eating and drinking. Canaan would be incomparably more than in former days a land flowing with milk and honey (Seinecke, Knobel). But construed in this way the words contain a disgraceful deception. No emigration agent ever sought to seduce ignorant peasants to emigrate to Brazil or Texas with such lies as this would-be Prophet Isaiah would have used, if these expositors were correct. For did he represent to them the restoration of the state under the image of refreshing food and drink, or did he promise them literally food and drink, and that for nothing, then both were unblushing lies, as in general the passages that speak of an easy, safe return over a convenient road well supplied with every thing needful (Isa 35:6 sqq.; Isa 41:17 sqq.; Isa 43:18 sqq.; Isa 49:8 sqq.; Isa 51:11; Isa 52:8 sqq.), would contain nothing but fraud, if they are referred in the ordinary sense to the return from the Babylonian captivity. For what ever justified such an agitator in promising to the Israelites splendid political relations, support without cost? The outward relations of the returning exiles were by no means splendid. They continued to be under the Persian rule. In that prayer at their feast recorded in Nehemiah 9 we find them complaining (Neh 9:36): Behold, we are servants this day, and for the land that thou gavest unto our fathers to eat the fruit thereof and the good thereof, behold, we are servants in it. And we see that they were obliged to pay taxes as much as in the land of exile; for Neh 9:37 says: And it (the land) yieldeth much increase unto the kings whom thou hast set over us because of our sins; also they have dominion over our bodies, and over our cattle, at their pleasure, and we are in great distress. And the same appears still more clearly from Ezr 4:13, where in the accusing letter of Rehum and Shimshai we read: Be it known now unto the king, that, if this city be builded, and the walls set up again, then will they (the Israelites) not pay toll, tribute and custom, and so thou shalt endamage the revenue of the kings. According to Ezr 7:24, King Artasasta [Artaxeres] released only the priests and the other servants of the Temple from all taxes.From Neh 5:1-5 we see that the returning Israelites, at least the poorer among them, had hunger and distress enough to suffer in the promised land, for the poor among those engaged in building the walls beg for a distribution of grain, because otherwise, in order to keep their numerous families, they must pawn their lands, or even, where that had already been done, surrender their children to servitude. Thus it is seen that the returned exiles experienced neither a restoration of the commonwealth, nor was their daily bread given either in abundance or without cost. And yet we do not find in the historical books of this period a trace of their considering themselves cheated. They themselves certainly did not take the words of our Prophet in the sense in which the rationalistic expounders would understand them. For why then did so many, in fact the majority of the exiles remain in exile? If the taxes in the Exile were so oppressive, as some suppose, and the condition of wages so unfavorable, why did not all return to Palestine? Was then the return more advantageous in every respect? According to Ezr 1:5 only those resolved to return whose spirit God raised (aroused). The resolve to return was thus a victory of the spirit over the flesh. Therefore they knew well that they would not find the flesh pots of Egypt in desolate Palestine. Thus they were far from regarding the words of our Prophet as promising these flesh pots. We see, accordingly, that if the Prophet was no enthusiast or cheat, but would say the truth, it was impossible that he could mean to promise to the returning exiles fortunate outward circumstances. Now since, as is well known, the expressions to thirst, hunger, eat, drink, bread, wine, are very often used in a spiritual sense (comp. Isa 25:6; Isa 44:3; Isa 65:13; Amo 8:11; Psa 42:3; Psa 63:2; Mat 5:6; Joh 6:35, etc.), so it is manifest that the Prophet means them in this sense. In addition to this the Prophet afterwards in Isa 55:2-3 expressly designates the satisfaction as the fruit of hearing: on which more hereafter, is used three times in Isa 55:1 not meaning go, but come hither, because the speaker himself has in possession the things he invites others to receive. The word, therefore, stands here, as often elsewhere (comp. Isa 2:3-5) in the sense of a particula excitandi, as age, , come on, here!

The second member of the verse contains a completion of the first. It adds, that satisfaction will be given not only to those thirsty ones that have money, but also to those that have none. is thus a second subject of and nearer definition of . Vav before , therefore, involves the idea of and indeed. In the third member come bay and eat a third particular is introduced, namely that of hunger and its correlative bread. The fourth member repeats and intensifies: not only is for not money strengthened by the further for not wages ( comp. Isa 45:13), but wine and milk are named in addition as things to be bought. They are costlier and nobler means of nourishment than water. Milk is the wine of infancy, wine the milk of maturity. Thus not merely bare necessities, but the daintiest, noblest gratification, is offered to those craving it (comp. on Isa 55:2 b).

Isa 55:2. The question: why are you weighing out money? intimates that the man in this case, has a certain inclination to weigh out his money, and that effort is needed to prevent him. And such is actually the fact. The hardest law is easier for a man than the gospel. He would rather put himself to the rack like a fakir or a Trappist, than receive the gift of God for nothing. He will not have any thing for nothing. He does not want grace, but wages, for his merit. And yet what he gets in this way is not bread, not satiety.For ones own works are not able to give the true righteousness, and so, too, cannot give true peace. Recall Luthers monastic life, and then what he found when he had learned to believe. It may at first sight appear objectionable that the Prophet even in Isa 55:1, makes use of the oxymoron (see Text, and Gram.), by saying buy for not-gold, for not wages, whereas one expects buy not for money, not for wages, as, indeed, before he invited every one to come on. Thus one expects . But the Prophet would evidently say, that of course they should buy. does not stand before to no purpose. There shall indeed be a purchase price paid, but it shall consist of and . That is, of course, something odd. For explained by evidently denotes a nourishment that does not deserve the name of bread, that is worse than bread. Therefore is a contemptuous expression. Accordingly and must designate a price that is worse than money or wages, that does not deserve this name. The sense of could not be then: buy, but not with gold, but with a higher, better price. These words must rather mean: buy for a price that has not even the value of money or of any other sort material compensation. Can the Prophet mean to say that? Shall the purchase price that he demands be worse than money, not even money? That cannot possibly be his meaning. Thus we see that we cannot take and in quite the same sense. Now such a negative expression formed by the use of may have a various antithesis according to the context; a superius or inferius may be its antithesis. Thus in Isa 10:15 we were obliged to take = not wood but something much higher; and just so in Isa 31:8, and = not a man, but something higher, whereas , designate something that is less than God, less than a nation. The evangelist of the Old Testament gives here (Isa 55:2) a genuine evangelical counsel, whose meaning and long range was certainly concealed from himself. Israel shall no more bring money, and labor (one could construe also in the sense of res labore parta, gains of labor Isa 45:14). For legal works are as money that one has paid for food that deserves not the name of bread, because it does not satisfy. For legal works a man receives his own deserts! But that is just ! It does not satisfy, it gives no peace. It does not procure for us the wedding garment, but only our own clothes, with which one will be cast out (Mat 22:12-13). In contrast with weighing out money, the Prophet now says what Israel should do in order to get satiety. He names therefore now the true purchasing price, the and . It consists in hearkening to the Lord. There can be no doubt about the sort of hearing that is meant. It must any way be a very significant hearing, for the Prophet exhorts to it three times by saying , then and finally (Isa 55:3). He cannot mean the hearing with the outward ear, for the Lord would not be satisfied with that. Hearing with the inward ear, the receptivety of the heart, faith must be meant. Amo 8:11, to which Kimchi text refers us, is nearly related to ours. It is not impossible that it hovered in the mind of the Prophet. There it is said: Behold the days come, saith the Lord God, that I will send a famine in the land, not a famine of bread, nor a thirst for water, but of hearing the words of the Lord. Receiving the word, the message of salvation, the gospel, such is the price that is better than money and wages ( and ). Thus in eat good and your soul shall delight itself in fatness, eat and enjoy itself are meant in a spiritual sense. . meaning good in general has a physical or spiritual sense according to the context (comp. Jer 31:12; Jer 31:14; Pro 19:8; Pro 24:25, etc.). On the expression comp. Isa 58:14; Isa 66:11; Psa 37:4; Job 22:26; Job 27:10, and with respect to Psa 36:4 to Psa 63:6), and , comp. Eze 18:27; Psa 119:175.

Isa 55:3. The Lord then demands faith in His word. But this word is extraordinary: for it announces the salvation that the Servant of Jehovah acquired by His suffering and death (53). Those to whom the gospel of Jesus Christ is no foolishness, no offence, receive the mercies of David. In the Crucified One David is latent. The inscription above the cross unconsciously spoke the truth. The thief is a type to us of the faith that is demanded here. He saw in the Crucified the king. Therefore he is also promised a participation in the kingly glory. On to make a covenant, see Text, and Gram.). Covenant making is an ancient thing in the relation between Jehovah and the people Israel. The Lord foretold to the people salvation and the Saviour in a gradual way, always increasing in definiteness and clearness, until at last He informs the chosen king David that He will found for him an everlasting, all-comprehending kingdom on the basis of the sonship of God (2Sa 7:12 sqq.). This promise is the highest and most glorious of all the promises ever yet made to Abraham and his seed, in this respect, that it comprehends all preceding promises, frees them from their generality, lays them on a definite head, and defines them as a promise of a dominion that shall far excel all others in extent, duration, title and power. This promise is also the foundation of all later promises. For all of them add nothing essentially new. Although they add the nearer definition that Israel itself, and the promised Son of David shall become servants of God, i.e., must pass through suffering to glory, and although they at later periods refine and paint up both these particulars more in detail and in a variety of ways, still that word of the Prophet Nathan continues to be the principal stock around which all later Messianic prophecies are grouped. The mercies of David therefore are those promises of mercy that were given to David in respect to an other, higher David. These mercies of David are also a covenant, as the promises given to Abraham, Isaac, Jacob are called a covenant (comp. Gen 15:18; Gen 17:2 sqq.; Exo 2:24; Lev 26:42; 2Ki 13:23, etc.). For in them God not only makes a gift, but requires a corresponding performance. It is true that this covenant has the peculiarity, that it is not broken by single acts of unfaithfulness on the part of men. For it is an everlasting covenant. Such acts of backsliding cause the Lord to use severity, but not to break the covenant Such also is doubtless the meaning of the word [sure]. At least it should be noted that Psalms 89. after saying in Psa 89:29-30 (Psa 89:28-29): My mercy will I keep for him forevermore, and my covenant shall stand fast with him ( ). His seed also will I make to endure forever, and his throne as the days of heaven, it proceeds to say Psa 89:31 sqq. (Psa 89:30); if his children forsake my law, and walk not in my judgments; if they break my statutes, and keep not my commandments; then will I visit their transgression with the rod, and their iniquity with stripes. Nevertheless my loving-kindness will I not utterly take from him, nor suffer my faithfulness to fail [lie. Marg.], etc It is in the highest degree probable that Psalms 89. hovered in the mind of the Prophet as he wrote these words. Koester says in regard to this: Psalms 89. fere commentarii instar est ad nostrum locum. Similitudo tanta est, ut prophetam nostrum psalmi hujus auetorem esse conjicere liceat (comp. Stier p. 548, Anm.), Although the latter idea is inadmissible, still the expression with which Psalms 89. begins, (and which occurs beside only Psa 107:43; Isa 63:7; Lam 3:22), reminds one of our text, as do also Psa 89:4; Psa 89:29; Psa 89:38; Psa 89:50 (Psa 89:3; Psa 89:27; Psa 89:37; Psa 89:49); and in general the object of the whole Psalm is to hold up to God the promises given to David, and on the ground of them to implore protection in pressing need. Comp. remarks below on Isa 55:4, and Text, and Gram, on Isa 55:3, .

Isa 55:4. If in Isa 55:1-3, the Prophet has in mind the time when no longer personal works, but the believing acceptance of Gods word is decisive in respect to receiving salvation, then he stands with his thought in the midst of the Messianic period. And, indeed, the further particularpressed upon him, that not Israel alone will receive that salvation, but also the Gentile world. He sees the barriers broken down that separate Israel from the Gentiles. The David that was promised to the first David is made by the Lorda witness of the nations,i.e., one that shall testify salvation to the nations. That the suffix in (I have given him) refers to David Isa 55:3, is certain. But the one made a witness cannot possibly be the first David. How would a statement come into this context concerning the task to be fulfilled by the successor of Saul in his time? According to Isa 55:1-3, the Prophets thoughts are in the future when the marvellous change will take place, that God will no longer require giving from men but only receiving. Therefore I take the expression mercies of David as having a double meaning, viz.: not only the promises given to David, but also pointing to David. This of course assumes that the name David may be applied to the Messiah also. But this assumption is fully justified, since not only later, but also earlier prophets expressly designate the Messiah by the name of David (Hos 3:5; Jer 30:9; Eze 34:23-24; Eze 37:24-25). The expression (witness) likewise appears to me to be borrowed from Psalms 89. For in Psa 89:38 of this Psalm the author concludes the representation of the promise given to David with the words: . I share the view of Maurer, Hitzig, Delitzsch, Moll,etc., that by we are to understand God Himself (comp. Job 16:19, and regarding the expression Psa 89:7). In our text, then, David, who fulfills the mercies of David, is called a witness of the nations, because He testifies also to the Gentile world what God had testified to the people Israel, because He carries out to the Gentiles that same gospel to whose believing acceptance Israel was summoned in Isa 55:2-3. In this peaceful way, not by force of arms, shall the other David also become a prince and commander of the nations. To take in the sense of lawgiver, with Hitzig, is altogether arbitrary. On the construction of Isa 55:4 b see Text, and Gram. Any way it would express, that the second David shall be the same in respect to the nations that the first was in respect to the people Israel.

Isa 55:5. But the manner in which the second David will be a witness of God to the nations will be, not that He will personally and directly exercise the office of witness, but He will let it be exercised by His people Israel to whom He immediately belongs. Although I regard the witness of Isa 55:4 as being the second and not the first David, still I believe that the Prophet here has in mind those words of the first David in Psa 18:43 sqq. where, speaking primarily of His activity as an earthly conqueror, he also certainly as a prophet (Act 2:30), speaks of the call of His kingdom to make spiritual conquests. Especially our words a nation whom thou knewest not, recall the words Psa 18:44 (43): a people whom I have not known shall serve me. The disciples and Apostles of the Lord, who received the command to preach the gospel to all nations, were, in fact, Israelites. Through them Israel called nations that it previously did not know, and nations, that before knew nothing of Israel hastened to it (Isa 2:2-3). Israel and the Gentile world have even found in the second David a common centre that draws one to the other. This thought is so expressed in Isa 55:5 b, that there Jehovah is designated as the object and goal of this running hither. They came, not for Israels sake, but for the sake of Jehovah its God, and not to Israel, but to the Holy One of Israel. But it is nevertheless an honor of a high and unique sort, that Israel is favored with being the instrument of calling the nations to Jehovah. And the honor that the Lord has purposed for Israel, has its root just therein; for this reason it is (high above all nations (Deu 4:6 sqq.; Deu 26:19; Deu 28:1; 2Sa 7:23 sq.) and servant of Jehovah, so far as this expression also designates the call of Israel to be the medium of salvation (salvation is of the Jews, Joh 4:22, comp. Isa 43:19). And it belongs also to this, that Israel is repeatedly called directly the witness of Jehovah (Isa 43:10; Isa 44:8). Besides, this clause of the verse is repeated verbatim Isa 60:9. As Israel is everywhere thought of as masculine ( , ,) the suffix of cannot be a fem. suffix, but is a masculine pausal form, as in Isa 30:19.

Footnotes:

[1]Heb. weigh.

[2]acquisition.

[3]Hearken, hearken.

[4]And your soul shall.

[5]a nation.

[6]For the sake of.

[7]to.

2. WHAT HINDERANCES AND SCRUPLES ARE TO BE REMOVED, THAT THE NEW WAY OF APPROPRIATING SELVATION MAY OBTAIN

Isa 55:6-13

6Seek ye the Lord while he may be found,

Call ye upon him while he is near:

7Let the wicked forsake his way,

And 8the unrighteous man his thoughts:

And let him return unto the Lord, and he will have mercy upon him;

And to our God, for 9he will abundantly pardon.

8For my thoughts are not your thoughts,

Neither are your ways my ways, saith the Lord.

9For as the heavens are higher than the earth,

So are my ways higher than your ways,
And my thoughts than your thoughts.

10For as the rain cometh down, and the snow from heaven,

And returneth not thither,
But watereth the earth,
And maketh it bring forth and bud,
That it may give seed to the sower, and bread to the eater:

11So shall my word be that goeth forth out of my mouth:

It shall not return unto me void,
But it shall accomplish that which I please,
And it shall prosper in the thing whereto I sent it.

12For ye shall go out with joy,

And be led forth with peace:
The mountains and the hills shall break forth before you into singing,
And all the trees of the field shall clap their hands.

13Instead of the thorn shall come up the 10fir tree,

And instead of the 11brier shall come up the myrtle tree:

And it shall be to the Lord for a name,
For an everlasting sign that shall not be cut off.

TEXTUAL AND GRAMMATICAL

Isa 55:9. Before the particle of comparison is omitted; comp. Jer 3:20.

Isa 55:10. , subject and .The imperf. designates what happens continuously; that which is supposed, not actual; , ,, on the other hand designate simple objective facts.

Isa 55:11. The accusative before is quite normal. Verbs of teaching, commanding, commissioning, as is well known, stand with a double accusative; comp. Exo 4:28; 1Sa 21:3, etc.

Isa 55:13. is to be construed neutrally.One might take here as meaning monumentum, as in 2Sa 8:13, and as Isaiah uses it Isa 56:5. But one does better to take it in the sense of renown (comp. Deu 26:19; Zep 3:19); but , on account of the addition , had better be taken in the sense of signum, monumentum that which, as it were, bears and preserves the renown (comp. Isa 19:20; Deu 28:46; Num 17:3, etc.).

EXEGETICAL AND CRITICAL

1. Seek the Lordabundantly pardon.

Isa 55:6-7. The entire section Isa 55:6-11 deals with the difficulties that actually, or in human opinion, oppose that hearing that the Lord has demanded in Isa 55:2-3. The first difficulty is, that so many men are unable to make up their minds to lay hold, i.e., to respond to the Lords call, and on their side to desire and seek what offers itself to them. For, of course, the soul must on its part incline to the Lord, who inclines Himself to it. This is the seeking and calling of which verse 6 speaks. Believing is a hard matter. Hence many hesitate until it is too late. And hence the Prophets warning, to turn to the Lord in season, to seek and call on Him. For the Lord is not near and able to be found without limitation. Hast thou suffered thy heart to harden or become callous, or hast thou suffered the time to lapse wherein believing is any way possible, i.e., the period of earthly life, that ends with death and with the world beyond which begins the seeing,then thou findest the Lord no more, He withdraws. Thou canst then no more believe, even though wishing painfully to do so, as Esau who found no room for repentance though he sought it with tears (Heb 12:17), or as those who have slipped past the fateful to-day (comp. Heb 3:7 sqq.; Heb 4:7 and the parables of the invited guests Luk 14:17 sqq., and the laborers in the vineyard Mat 2:1 sqq.). The second and chiefest hinderance to believing is this, that men cleave too much to evil. They love it too much; all their imagining and doing is directed to it. They cannot get rid of sin, they are under the ban and constraint of it. Hence the Prophet warns, that the wicked first of all must forsake his wicked way and the man of iniquity (Pro 6:12; Pro 6:18, which likely was in the Prophets mind) his thoughts. This is the negative side of the exhortation. With this is joined the positive; the wicked should turn to Jehovah a. to the end that He may have mercy on him, b. for the reason that Jehovah is (not a strange but) Israels (our) God, and is inclined and accustomed to pardon abundantly.

2. For My thoughtswhereto I sent it.

Isa 55:8-11. These verses reply to those objections that the natural man opposes to the new way of salvation proposed by God in Isa 55:1-3. The first objection runs: it is inconceivable that man can obtain salvation simply by believing and not by his own works. The Prophet declares that this objection is groundless. For, he says, My thoughts are not your thoughts,etc. What is foolishness with men is wisdom with God, 1Co 1:18 sqq. God is great in littleness, strong in weakness, glorious in lowliness, wise in foolishness. Just for that reason He is approachable. The poor and lowly do not take offence at this form of His appearance. No, just thus He is comprehensible to them. But the wise and prudent are sifted by it as through a sieve. Whoever holds his head so high that he cannot go through the narrow gate, must remain without. He is not fit to be in the kingdom of God. But whoever is not offended at the gospel of the manger and of the cross, will be sensible that there is in it a power and wisdom that is as high as heaven above all the wisdom of both scribes and philosophers. The second objection runs: the sermon that, according to Isa 55:1-3, demands only hearing and accepting must remain without effect. This objection also is groundless. For it is with the word that announces Gods lofty thoughts, as it is with the products of the physical atmosphere that descend to the earth, in order to render the latter capable of unfolding its life forces. Rain and snow do not return without accomplishing their ends, but they fructify ( cause to give birth, comp. Isa 66:9; 1Ch 2:18) the earth, and cause it to bring forth (sprouts comp. on Isa 4:2) and give seed to the sower and bread to the eater. The efficiency of the word should be designated as (see Text and G.) an actual certainty. I translate simply by but. The word of God (and one may think here of all that is called ), does not return empty. Thus it is expressly said of it that it does return. And in fact every thing that goes out from God, also that word spoken or written by men by the power of His Spirit, must, as an eternal, real, divine existence, unite itself again with its original source; or more correctly: what comes out of God remains also eternally in God.

3. For ye shallnot be cut off.

Isa 55:12-13. , for, beginning Isa 55:12, introduces the proof of the statement of Isa 55:11. The word of God shall return, not unsuccessful, but wholly successful. For Israel shall go forth and be led with joy. Such is just the efficiency of that word of God that is meant, Isa 55:1-3. It is clear that. the Prophet cannot mean the future departure out of the Babylonian exile. But he does mean an exodus of which that physical exodus is only the type. For the historical redemption out of the Exile is both a type and a pledge of the redemption out of the exile of sin, out of the bondage of the devil. The same God that would and could redeem the fleshly Israel out of the corporeal exile, will by force of the same love and power redeem the spiritual Israel out of the spiritual exile. And in that exodus Israel will rejoice, and be led in peace. And the non-personal creation will share in Israels joy: the mountains, and the hills will break forth into singing, and all trees clap their hands. That this could not be on the occasion of the corporeal exodus from Babylon, is clear. It is manifest, then, that the Prophet intends a much higher, a spiritual exodus. But this latter also has its gradations. When once nature itself is penetrated with spirit and glorified (Isa 65:17; Isa 66:22; Rom 8:21), then, what in the word of the Prophet is not merely poetic imagery, but real contents of life, will at last receive its entire accomplishment. In the time the Prophet thinks of, noxious growths will give place to noble growths that bring a blessing with them. Instead of (again only Isa 7:19, therefore a genuine Isaianic word) shall grow up the cypress (comp. on Isa 41:19), instead of the flea-bane (, . ., its meaning is debated, comp. Gesen.,Thes., and Herz.,R.-Enc. XIV., p. 666. I translate, with Delitzsch, after the LXX., Aqu. Theod.,, flea-wort, flea-bane), the myrtle (see on Isa 41:19). We had similar expressions, Isa 35:1 sqq.; Isa 41:18 sq.; Isa 44:23; Isa 49:13; Isa 52:9. This glorious act of salvation shall redound to the Lords everlasting renown, and be an everlasting monument of His love, power, and wisdom.

Footnotes:

[8]Heb. the man of iniquity.

[9]Heb. he will multiply to pardon.

[10]cypress.

[11]flea-wort.

DOCTRINAL AND ETHICAL

1. On Isa 55:1-3. Hoc periphrasi allegorica (sitiendi et carendi pecunia) notantur ii, quibus arida est conscientia ex aestu irae divinae propter peccata, quique anxie sitiunt gratiam Dei ac remissionem peccatorum, quam se propriis operibus consequi posse plane desperant.Foerster.

2. On Isa 55:1. It is no legal commanding and ordering, that gives nothing of which it speaks, but an evangelical offer and invitation, that also gives what it demands. He who gives the command to come, also gives the strength to enable one to come, i. e., faith (Mat 11:23; Joh 6:27; Joh 6:44).Starke.

3. On Isa 55:1. Robustis, qui tentationibus peccati et mortis exercentur, datur vinum ad consolationem; rudibus autem et infirmis datur lac ad alimentum, quo instituuntur et docentur.Luther. In Proconsular Africa the ancient church had a custom of offering to those baptized milk and honey for the new childhood and childishness. But Jerome informs us that they took also wine and milk.Stier: Offering milk and honey was an oriental custom.

4. On Isa 55:1-2. The salvation of Christ cannot be bought for money, as Peter let Simon know when he offered money for it: Thy money perish with thee, because thou hast thought that the gift of God may be purchased with money (Act 8:20). It is not to be obtained by any sort of personal merit or work, trouble, or labor (whoever would have it thus fatigues himself in vain, and can never be satisfied, nor find any comfort for his soul), but by the pure, undeserved divine grace (Rom 3:23 sq.; Eph 2:8).Renner.

5. On Isa 55:2. Est confutatio et abrogatio omnium aliarum, religionum, doctrinarum et operum. Quod omnes religiones, omnes doctrinae et studia omnia extra hanc gratiae doctrinam sint frustranea et tamen laboriosa, quae non tranquillum faciant animum sed affligant. Diligenter autem notabis hoc praedicatum, quod tribuit omnibus justitiis, quae sunt extra gratiam, quod scilicet sint laboriosae et tamen frustraneae, sicut sub papa experti sumusLuther.

The Papists make God a sun shop-keeper, who would sell his heaven.Foerster.

6. On Isa 55:3. The peculiarity of the sure mercies of David consists in this, that under no circumstances can they be withdrawn from the throne and kingdom of David. Individuals, yea, even whole races and generations, that belonged to those entitled to them, may be excluded on account of their sin. But taking all together, Davids throne and kingdom shall stand and develop, grow and increase to the elevation and extent that God has determined for it. It is to regard the matter from another side when one says: No man should doubt the grace of God or despair of it. And when we are assaulted by the doubt whether God will even preserve us in the knowledge of Himself, we should oppose to it the sure mercies of David. For mountains and hills may fall away, but His grace shall not remove from us (Isa 54:10).Cramer.

7. On Isa 55:3-4. But what is the contents of the sure mercies promised to David? It is this High, Wonderful One, whom God has set for a Witness to men, in whom they should see the divinity, yea, whom He has made Head of the nations! Therefore a Person? Yes, indeed; the Messiah, the God-man, of whom Isaiah has so long spoken mysteriously, as of the Servant of Jehovah. He is a Person! For I (myself even a person) am surely not to go down beneath myself and find my souls contents and life in a thing! That were utterly heathenish. No. A Person is the sure mercy of David, and, indeed, the greatest of all: He in whom God bears witness of Himself to mankind, and in whom God comprehends all mankind as in their Head, Son of God, Son of man, the eternally youthful Lord of mankind, and also her, the Virgin Marys, Son. Of such a Lord the virgin mother, and mankind will not have to complain. Since this one must arise in Israel, the true Israel, the Apostle choir, shall draw the remotest heathen to itself, and the latter shall run up with joy because they recognize the almighty, eternal God in His church, as He glorifies it.Diedrich.

8. On Isa 55:6. Quaerite eum, dum estis in corpore, dum datur locus poenitentiae, et quaerite non loco sed fide Appropinquat autem appropinquantibus sibi (Jac. 4:8), et filio longo post tempore revertenti laetus occurrit. Jerome.

9. On Isa 55:7. That is the only way of salvation. First, for a man to turn away from his own will of evil thoughts, and then conversion to God who is rich in pardon, and His pity will not tarry. Umbreit.

10. On Isa 55:8. One of the most sublime passages of Scripture, where more than commonly the should evince itself as a truth to every conscience Whoever in such discourses is unable to hear the speaking Person of God, lacks something in his own personality; he has not yet become a thou that the greatest I may address. Stier.

11. On Isa 55:8-9. The human heart comprehends with difficulty the doctrine that God hath concluded all in unbelief, that He might have mercy upon all. But such as do comprehend it exclaim with Paul: O the depth of the riches both of the wisdom and knowledge of God! how unsearchable are His judgments, and His ways past finding out! (Rom 11:32 sq.).Quanto sum sublimior, tanto et clementior. Grotius in Stier.Not merely the thoughts of an adulterer, fornicator, thief, are deep beneath the divine thoughts, but also those that to reason are good, holy human thoughts of reformation, of the way of salvation and righteousness, are not good for anything, until they attain the elevation of compassion and pardon. Especially in respect to justification, God declares all [ways], i. e. even religions, doctrines and wise ones among men, basely false, because in the best case they ever obstinately wish to bring price and money for His grace! They ever wish to help themselves, though it is before their eyes that even in nature nothing grows on earth without rain from above. Stier.

12. On Isa 55:10-11. The prophetic preaching since Deu 32:1 is frequently compared to rain, and the word is also conceived of as a messenger, envoy of God, Isa 9:7 (8); Psa 107:20; Psa 147:15 sqq. The personification assumes that the word is no mere sound or letter. Emitted from the mouth of God, it acquires form, and in this form it conceals divine life by reason of its divine origin, and so it runs, alive of God, endued with divine power, charged with divine commissions, as a swift messenger through nature and the world of men, there for instance to melt the ice, here to protect and save, nor does it come back from its round of errands until it has made the will of its Sender operative. This return of the word of God also presupposes a divine essence in that word. The will of God that is concrete and audible in the word is the expression of His essence, and resolves itself into this again as soon as it is fulfilled. The images chosen are rich with allusions. As snow and rain are the mediate cause of growth, and thus also of the enjoyment of what is harvested, so also by the word of God the ground and soil of the human heart is softened, refreshed and made fertile and vegetative, and this word gives the Prophet, who is like the sower, the seed which he scatters, and it brings with it bread that nourishes the soul; for every word that proceeds from the mouth of God is also bread (Deu 8:3). The particular point of comparison, however, is the energy with which the word converts itself into reality.Delitzsch.

13. On Isa 55:12-13. Away with the base, stale thoughts, as if God the Lord were here only letting lofty words sound through His Prophet, about all the conveniences of the journey for the small number of Jews of that time! This exodus, this return home of the redeemed, is something quite different, extends indeed in the long perspective through much and various till the goal is reached. The first exodus from the world and sin is meant, thus indeed from Israel that has become unholy, into the reproach of Christfurthermore the whole way of the church since that time, with all its recurring goings forth, presenting themselves in such variety of ways, finally, and indeed in the most perfect sense, the last redemption to the glory of the children. For again Israels return out of obduracy will furnish the last prelude that will be the reconciliation of type and reality. Stier.

HOMILETICAL HINTS

1. On Isa 55:1-5. The LORD a merchant. 1) He invites the whole world to buy. 2) The price He demands is not money nor performance, but that men will let Him present His wares to them. 3) His wares; He offers the mercy of David, that gives peace to all the world.

2. On Isa 55:1-5. Missionary Sermon. Gods invitation to the sure mercies in Christ. 1) We hear in it the call of a love that wills that help be extended to all men. 2) We see in it the law of a wisdom that has resolved to save all nations by a Mediator. 3) We find in it the reminder of a promise that continues still to-day to be fulfilled among the nationsMissions the best glorifying of the kingdom of Christ. For 1) They help the constitution of the kingdom to attain its rights. 2) They set the Lord of the kingdom in the full light. 3) They bring the distant members of the kingdom into full course. Dr. Zapff.

3. On Isa 55:1. What God does not work in us Himself He does not recognize as His own. Therefore no compelling law is needed here, no command nor prohibition. For faith does all that is to be done in a free spirit. That is, it surrenders itself to God, who works everything in us out of grace. And that, also, is what Isaiah preaches, that we should come to the Lord in order to hear Him and to buy wine and milk for nothing. Arndt, Wahres Christenthum, III. 2, 4.

4. [On Isa 55:1. Our buying without money intimates, (1) That the gifts offered us are invaluable and such as no price can be set upon. Wisdom is that which cannot be gotten for gold. (2) That He who offers them has no need of us, nor of any returns we can make Him. He makes us these proposals, not because He has occasion to sell, but because He has a disposition to give. (3) That the things offered are already bought and paid for. Christ purchased them at the full value, with price, not with money, but with His own blood, 1Pe 1:19. (4) That we shall be welcome to the benefits of the promise, though we are utterly unworthy of them, and cannot make a tender of anything that looks like a valuable consideration. M. Henry].

5. On Isa 55:6. God has neither time nor place, is ever ready to help and to give, stands every moment before our door (Rev 3:20). His time is all time, but our time is not all time (Psa 95:8; Heb 3:7; Heb 3:13; Heb 3:15; Heb 4:7). Arndt, ibid. II., 34, 12.

6. [On Isa 55:7. A call to repent. I. What it is to repent. (1) It is to turn from sin; it is to forsake it, and with loathing, forsake his way. There must be not only a change of way, but a change of mind, forsake his thoughts. Repentance, if it be true, strikes at the root and washes the heart from wickedness. (2)It is to return to the Lord: as to our sovereign Lord against whom we have rebelled; as to the fountain of life-giving waters.II. The encouragement to repent. (1) God will have mercy. Misery is the object of mercy. Now the consequences of sin, by which we have become truly miserable (Eze 16:5-6), and the nature of repentance, by which we are made sensible of our misery and are brought to bemoan ourselves (Jer 31:18) make us objects of pity, and with God these are tender mercies. (2) He will abundantly pardon. Though our sins have been very great and very many, and oft repeated, and we are still prone to offend. After M. Henry].

7. On Isa 55:8-9. The consolations afforded by these words. 1) We learn from them self-renunciation. 2) We learn faith from them. 3) We gain from them the right hope. Ed. Engelhardt, in Manch. Gaben, etc., III. Jahrg., p. 602.

8. On Isa 55:8-11. The comparison of the divine thoughts and ways with ours. 1) They are different from ours. 2) They are more efficient than ours. Nesselmann, Ibid., 1870, p. 477.

9. On Isa 55:8-9. One must take care that an exhortation to repentance with the promise of the gracious forgiveness of sins precede. . . . Thus the meaning is: do not wonder that I say, with God is much forgiveness, and He will have compassion even on the wicked and malicious, if they turn to Him. For ye men are so minded that ye do not willingly forgive and forget, when one has treated you roughly and often offended you. Therefore ye judge me according to your sentiment and thoughts, as if I too were so hard and unwilling to forgive. But my thoughts and my sentiment are in this respect as far from yours as heaven from earth. Scriver, Seelenschatz, II., Th. 8 Pred. 13.

10. On Isa 55:10-11. Comparison of the word with rain and snow. 1) Both come down from heaven. 2) Both operate fruitfully upon the earth. 3) Both return to heaven, but not without having successfully done their work on earth.

11. On Isa 55:12-13. The departure of the people of God out of the exile of sin, and evil. 1) That such a thing is to be looked for. 2) When it is to be looked for. 3) How it will be accomplished (in joy which shall be felt not only by redeemed mankind, but also by the impersonal creation).

Fuente: A Commentary on the Holy Scriptures, Critical, Doctrinal, and Homiletical by Lange

DISCOURSE: 981
EXHORTATION TO RECEIVE THE BLESSINGS OF THE GOSPEL

Isa 55:1-3.Ho, every one that thirsteth, come ye to the waters, and he that hath no money, come ye, buy and eat; yea, come buy wine and milk without money and without price. Wherefore do ye spend money for that which is not bread? and your labour for that which satisfieth not? hearken diligently unto me, and eat ye that which is good, and let your soul delight itself in fatness. Incline your ear, and come unto me: hear, and your soul shall live; and I will make an everlasting covenant with you, even the sure mercies of David.

WE can never sufficiently admire the condescension and grace of God in noticing such insignificant and worthless creatures as we are. That he should provide for our returning wants, and permit us to ask of him the things we stand in need of, may well excite our deepest astonishment. But that he should be as much interested in our welfare, as if his own happiness and glory depended on it, seems utterly incredible: yet, that this is really the case, is manifest from the earnest invitations and entreaties, which he uses to prevail upon us to accept of mercy. In confirmation of this, we need only notice the passage before us, in which God, with inexpressible affection, labours to awaken the attention of sinners to their own truest happiness, and to bring them to the enjoyment of everlasting salvation.
In his words we may observe,

I.

An invitation

No words could be devised that should more forcibly declare Gods desire for our welfare
[The blessings of the Gospel are here set forth under the most natural and expressive images. What can be more refreshing than water? more reviving than wine? more nutritious than milk? yet do these but faintly represent the operations of the Gospel on the soul of man. Nor can water or milk be by any means dispensed with; they are altogether necessary for human subsistence: so that on this account also are they fit emblems of spiritual blessings. What would be the state of man if there were no Saviour to atone for him, no Spirit to renew him, no God and Father to preserve and bless him? On the contrary, how revived and animated is he by the promises of pardon and peace, of holiness and glory! Such then are the blessings which God offers to mankind. And to a participation of them he invites every one that thirsteth: every person, whatever have been his character or conduct, is called: if only he thirst, nothing shall be a bar to his acceptance. Yet no man needs to decline the invitation, under the idea that he is not welcome, because he does not thirst enough: if he be willing, that is sufficient [Note: So St. John expounds the passage, Rev 22:17.]. Nor need any one he discouraged at the thought that he has nothing wherewith to purchase these benefits: for though they are to be bought, it is without money and without price; and therefore they who have no money are particularly specified in the invitation. Indeed, if any man bring a price in his hand, he shall surely go empty away: Christ has paid the price; nor can we obtain any thing, unless we be willing to receive it as the free gift of God through Christ.

The earnestness with which God entreats us to accept these blessings, is well worthy of our notice. He personates a herald standing in the place of public concourse, and, in the accustomed manner, calling the attention of all around him. He then expatiates on the blessings which he is ready to communicate, and the terms on which he will bestow them: he describes the persons to whose necessities the blessings are suited, and to whose indigence the terms are more especially adapted: and then, as though he were determined to take no refusal, he cries, Come, come, come!]
And shall we despise such a gracious invitation?
[Let us but contemplate the blessings we are invited to partake of: how rich, how suitable, how necessary! Let us reflect on the terms on which they are offered: can any thing be more reviving? Let us recollect who it is that calls us: Is he used to mock his people? or is he incapable of supplying all their wants? Let us consider his description of the persons invited: can any thing be more encouraging? and shall we not be inexcusable if we turn a deaf ear to such entreaties? ]
But God, knowing our extreme backwardness to go to him, urges us yet further by,

II.

An expostulation

Our infatuation justly calls for a severe reproof
[The contemners of Gods invitations may be comprised under two classes, the worldly-minded, and the self-righteous. Both of these despise the offers of the Gospel; the one, because they have no relish for spiritual things; the other, because they think they already possess them: the one find their happiness in the pursuit and enjoyment of earthly things; the other in self-applauding reflections on their own goodness. But we may appeal to both, whether they have ever attained any abiding satisfaction in their respective courses? Have pleasures, riches, or honours ever proved a source of solid peace? Are they bread proper for the soul? Does not the comfort, derived from such things, fail us in the hour that we most need it? And will any satisfaction arise from the remembrance of them, when we stand at the bar of judgment? Nor however laudable the conduct of the self-righteous may be in the sight of men, can it yield them the comfort they aspire after: it cannot satisfy either God or their own consciences; not God, because it does not fulfil the demands of his Law; not themselves, because they never can know that they have done enough to procure them acceptance with God: in the midst of all their boasted confidence, they have many misgiving fears lest they should have laboured for nought, and spent their money for that which is not bread.

To impress this thought on our minds, God contrasts the blessings ho offers with those which we foolishly prefer. He calls them good, and declares that they will delight the soul with fatness. And are they not good? What so worthy of this character, as a free and full pardon to the guilty; a peace that passeth all understanding to the troubled; renewed strength to the weak; and everlasting glory to the lost? Can these be received into the soul, and not comfort it? or can they be promised to us by a faithful God, and not satisfy the mind? Surely they are meat indeed, and drink indeed; nor can they fail of filling us with joy unspeakable and glorified.]

Let us then call ourselves to an account for our conduct
[Who amongst us has not had abundant experience of the insufficiency of every thing except the Gospel, to make us happy? And shall we yet persist in our error? shall we never cease to hew out to ourselves broken cisterns, when we may have access to the fountain of living waters? shall we still grasp at a shadow, while we lose the substance? Wherefore act we thus? What reason can we assign to ourselves for such obstinacy? and what shall we assign to God, when he shall interrogate us respecting it in the day of judgment? shall we plead a want of information? God has informed us. Shall we say that the blessings of salvation were out of our reach? God has freely offered them to every one of us: nor can any thing but a deliberate rejection of his mercy ever finally destroy us ]

Lest any thing should be wanting to affect our hearts, God confirms his invitation with,

III.

A promise

There is not any thing which God will not do for those who obey his call
[Whatever a carnal man may enjoy, he has no right or title to eternal life. On the contrary, whatever a spiritual man may want, this privilege he shall assuredly possess, his soul shall live. Nor shall this life be terminated like the life of the body; for God will make a covenant with him, an everlasting covenant, a covenant ordered in all things and sure; so that every thing necessary for the maintaining and perfecting of this life shall be secured to him. And as the rather gave unto his Son the sure mercies of David by raising him from the dead, and setting him at his own right hand in heaven [Note: Act 13:34.], so will he bestow on his believing people every thing that he ever promised unto his Church. Notwithstanding he may suffer them for a time to be reduced to a most forlorn and desperate condition, as was the state of Christ when enclosed in the tomb, his mercies shall be sure to all his seed, and every soul amongst them shall in due season be exalted to a throne of glory in heaven.

Lest we should still remain unmoved, God calls our attention to this promise, repeating his entreaties with all the energy and affection that words can express. Hearken, says he, as to a distant sound which you are solicitous to hear: hearken diligently, not suffering any thing to divert your attention for one moment: incline your ear as one that is afraid of losing a single word that is spoken to him: hear, determining to judge with candour, and to follow the dictates of sound wisdom. Do this, says God, and the promise shall be yours: I pledge myself by covenant and by oath that your soul shall live, and that nothing that is good shall be wanting to you either in time or in eternity.]
How incurably obstinate then must we be, if such accumulated means be used in vain!
[Is the life of the soul a matter of such indifference, that a promise of it shall have no effect on our minds? Shall God engage himself to us by covenant and by oath to supply all our need both of body and soul, and shall we account his word unworthy of our attention? Who ever experienced his blessings, and found them of no value? or whom has he ever deceived, that we dare not trust him? Let us at least remember what an alternative we prefer; we reject life, and happiness, and glory, and embrace death and misery as our eternal portion O that God might prevail at last! that we might now accept his gracious offers; and be made partakers of present and everlasting felicity!]

Fuente: Charles Simeon’s Horae Homileticae (Old and New Testaments)

CONTENTS

W e have here a continuance of the same blessed subject as before. As the Prophet had held forth Christ’s person, and then his Church; so here these blessed subjects are followed with gracious invitations, promises, and assurances of mercies in him.

Fuente: Hawker’s Poor Man’s Commentary (Old and New Testaments)

The Reader will not fail to remark, in the very opening of this precious chapter, what an uniformity runs through all gospel proclamations. They are general, they are great, full, free, and extensive. everyone individually, both Jew and Gentile, bond and free, shall be welcome to Christ, if Christ be welcome to them. Yea, the Lord will answer before they call. If they do but thirst for Jesus, it is a proof that he hath made them willing in the day of his power; Isa 65:24 ; Psa 110:4 ; Joh 7:37-39 . How sweet and gracious is this? The waters they are called unto, mean the word, the ordinances, and the several means of grace in the gospel: and the sacred viands, milk and wine, mean the body and blood of Christ. Jesus is all this, and infinitely more than all: For his flesh is meat indeed, and his blood is drink indeed; Son 5:1 ; Joh 6:33-58 . The method of purchase differs from all others in the world; it is without money, and without price! Sweet consideration, and blessed encouragement to the poor and needy, who have nothing to buy with, and nothing to offer. The reason is obvious: Christ, the pearl of great price, is not sold, but given: moreover, if he were saleable, who could purchase? See 1Pe 1:18-19 . When all these things are considered, how delightful is the counsel of Jesus, Rev 3:17-18 . I only detain the Reader with one observation more on this passage, just to remark, that as all these mercies in Christ are general, free, full, and extensive; so are they, in Christ Jesus, sure and everlasting; liable to no change, incapable of being lost or taken away; for they are the sure mercies of David; alluding to God’s covenant engagements with our spiritual David, the Lord Jesus Christ: compare 2Sa 23:5 , with Act 13:34 . After such gracious declarations as these, what weakness and folly must it be to seek redemption in anything short of Christ, or in anything but Christ! This, in the language of this scripture, like the man that spends his substance for chaff, and not bread; and his labour for that which cannot satisfy.

Fuente: Hawker’s Poor Man’s Commentary (Old and New Testaments)

The True Imperialism

Isa 55:1

I. ‘Ho, every one that thirsteth!’ That is a call to the faint and the weary. What is he to do? ‘Incline your ear.’ ‘Hearken diligently unto Me.’

1. There has to be a discipline of the ear. There has to be a determined and resolute effort to listen to God. The voices of the world are so plausible, so fascinating, so easily seducing, that if a man is to catch the higher voice he must set himself in the resolute act of attention. ‘Hearken diligently unto me.’ For the individual and for the nation the discipline of the ear is the first step to the attainment of a strong, restful, unwearied, and satisfying life.

2. The discipline of the ear is to be accompanied by the discipline of the heart. Listen, and then yield. Right hearing necessitates strong and unequivocal doing. Hear the highest, and then uncompromisingly obey it.

II. What would be the issues of such obedience? They are unfolded for us in this chapter with wondrous prodigality. (1) There is the assured promise of a fuller life. ‘Your soul shall live.’ Life shall be no longer scant and scrimpy. (2) ‘Behold, thou shalt call a nation that thou knewest not, and nations that knew not thee shall run unto thee, because of the Lord thy God, for He hath glorified thee.’ What does that mean? It means that a true and glorified natural life is to create a true and glorified Imperialism.

That is the true imperialism empire by moral and spiritual sovereignty, allurement and dominion by the fascinating radiance of a pure and sanctified life. (3) A true imperialism is to be accompanied by a splendid magnanimity. The thoughts of the Eternal are characterized by loftiness, by breadth, by comprehensiveness, by an all-inclusive sympathy which vibrates to the interests of each, as though each contained, as indeed it does, the welfare of the whole. The truly imperial people is to share this spacious and inclusive thought.

III. Note the climax of the sequence. All this exalted and glorified character, this true imperialism, this splendid magnanimity, is to issue in a rich, assured, and beautiful ministry. There is to be nothing wavering and uncertain about the moral empire and sovereignty of such a people.

J. H. Jowett, Apostolic Optimism, p. 19.

The Great Proclamation

Isa 55:1

I. To Whom this Offer is Made.

It is to every one thirsty and penniless. That is a melancholy combination, to be needing something infinitely, and to have not a farthing to get it with. But that is the condition in which we all stand, in regard to the highest and best things.

The man that knows what it is of which he is in such sore need is blessed. The man who only feels dimly that he needs something, and does not know that it is God whom he does need, is condemned to wander in a dry and thirsty land, where no water is, and where his heart gapes, parched and cracked like the soil upon which he treads.

But there are dormant thirsts too. It is no proof of superiority that a savage has fewer wants than we have, for want is the open mouth into which supply comes. And you all have deep in your nature desires which will for ever keep you from being blessed or at rest unless they are awakened and settled, though these desires are all unconscious.

And yet there are no desires so dormant but that their being ungratified makes a man restless. Until your earthly life is like the life of Jesus Christ in heaven even whilst you are on earth, you will never be at rest.

‘Ho, every one that thirsteth.’ That designation includes us all. ‘And he that hath no money.’ Who has any? Notice that the persons represented in our text as penniless are, in the next verse, remonstrated with for spending ‘money’. Which being translated out of parable into fact, is simply this, that our efforts may and do win for us the lower satisfactions which meet our transitory and superficial necessities, but that no effort of ours can secure for us the loftier blessings which slake the Diviner thirsts of immortal souls.

II. In What it Consists.

Jesus Christ Himself is the all-sufficient supply, and the soul that has Him shall never thirst.

III. How do we Get the Gifts?

The paradox of my text needs little explanation, ‘Buy without money and without price’. The contradiction on the surface is but intended to make emphatic this blessed truth, that the only conditions are a sense of need, and a willingness to take nothing else, and nothing more.

A Maclaren, The Wearied Christ, p. 118.

Illustration. They tell an old story about the rejoicings at the coronation of some great king, when there was set up in the market-place a triple fountain, from each of whose three lips flowed a different kind of rare liquor, which any man who chose to bring a pitcher might fill from, at his choice. Notice my text, ‘Come ye to the waters’ … ‘buy wine and milk’. The great fountain is set up in the market-place of the world, and every man may come; and whichever of this glorious trinity of effluents he needs most, there his. lip may glue itself and there it may drink, be it ‘water’ that refreshes, or ‘wine’ that gladdens, or ‘milk’ that nourishes. They are all contained in this one great gift that flows out from the deep heart of God to the thirsty lips of parched humanity.

A. Maclaren, The Wearied Christ, p. 121.

References. Lev 1 . A. Maclaren, Expositions of Holy Scripture Isaiah XLIX. -LXVI. p. 142. Spurgeon, Sermons, vol. iv. No. 199; vol. xx. No. 1161; vol. xxix. No. 1726. C. Jerdan, Pastures of Tender Grass, p. 327. H. J. Wilmot-Buxton, Sunday Lessons for Daily Life, p. 109. J. H. Jowett, Christian World Pulpit, vol. lvii. 1900, p. 401. J. A. Alexander, The Gospel of Jesus Christ, p. 332.Lev 1:2 . A. G. Mortimer, The Church’s Lessons for the Christian Year, part i. p. 139. Leviticus 1-3. R. W. Pritchard, Christian World Pulpit, vol. lxiii. 1903, p. 99. Leviticus 1-7. Spurgeon, Sermons, vol. xliii. No. 2534. Leviticus 1-13. A. Maclaren, Expositions of Holy Scripture Isaiah XLIX.-LXVI. p. 134.

Wise Investments

Isa 55:2

Money and labour are the two great commodities which rule the exchange of life. The rich man gives his money, the poor his labour; and the words of our text therefore challenge the two classes of society the one because they make a foolish expenditure of wealth, and the other because they get a poor return for their work.

I. Unwise Expenditure. It is, perhaps, necessary to do no more than mention the very unwise expenditure of money and labour, of which most of us can tell, in the years that are past; how much has gone for flowers in the banquet of life, and how little for ‘bread’. What care and toil have been devoted for that which, after all, has brought in the least possible amount of satisfaction. The leanness of many of our souls, and the restlessness of the hearts of thousands, could well bear witness to the necessity of the remonstrance, ‘Wherefore do ye spend money for that which is not bread? and your labour for that which satisfieth not?’

II. Some Good Investments. It will suit our purpose better if we consider what are some of life’s good investments, which bring in solid advantages-such as a man really wants if his soul is to prosper.

a. Peace of Mind. I place first among the gains of life peace of mind, and for that the investment is simply and alone acts of faith in the Lord Jesus Christ. You must commit your whole self, as a poor miserable sinner, absolutely to His grace and power. Your soul must go forth, without question upon that bold venture accepting the promise as endorsed with the faithfulness of Almighty God. Do it fearlessly; and the result is sure: there will come back a sense of pardon; and the interest of that pardon, if I may so call it, pays you every day and every moment.

b. Truth. The next thing which you will do well to traffic in is truth, the clear knowledge of God’s truth. No man can get truth without labour. It is the wages of severe work. You must be always looking out for the teachings of truth. You must make your Bible a real daily study. You must pray over it; you must hold fast the little you get, and continually add to it You must gather it as the Israelites gathered their manna, little by little morning and evening, every day.

c. Affections of our Fellow-creatures. I place next the affections of our fellow-creatures. Every affection is a real possession, and well worth the purchase, cost it what it may, so we do not barter truth. Therefore, lay yourself out for affections not selfishly, not that you may be liked, not that you may be gratified, but for real affection’s sake, and as a means to a high end; and especially, I should say, the affection of any who from any cause have been placed at some disadvantage, say persons who are afflicted, or the poor for there are no affections so generous, so precious.

d. Usefulness. Following this, and as a consequence (for unless we are loved we cannot do it), comes usefulness, one of the few things worth living for usefulness to the body, usefulness to the mind, usefulness to the soul. I pity the person who is content to live on without trying to be useful. Whatever you have, remember He is the proprietor of all, and will take account whether it has been used selfishly, or for Him and His His poor, His sick, His children, His sufferers, His outcasts, His saints, His Church, His world. Have some definite work always in hand for usefulness.

e. Treasure in Heaven. Everything which we give or do for God is actually laying up for us treasure in heaven: transferred from this insecure and bankrupt world to the high places of that safe bank. It is gone before, and awaits us there against the time we come, and every day we may increase that hidden treasure within the veil. The return it pays us now, in God’s retributive justice, is a payment of all we touch; and we shall receive it all back again at last a hundredfold.

References. Lev 2 . Spurgeon, Sermons, vol. xxxviii. No. 2278; vol. xlviii. No. 2786. J. A. Alexander, The Gospel of Jesus Christ, p. 345.Lev 3 . Spurgeon, Sermons, vol. xxxv. No. 2092; vol. xxxix. No. 2316. K. A. MacLeay, Christian World Pulpit, vol. lxx. 1906, p. 44.Lev 4 . Spurgeon, Sermons, vol. xlviii. No. 2787. Leviticus 4-6. Ibid. vol. xliii. No. 2534. Leviticus 4-8. H. Hensley Henson, Christian World Pulpit, vol. lxxiii. 1908, p. 65.Lev 6 . R. H. McKim, The Gospel in the Christian Year, p. 114. J. A. Alexander, The Gospel of Jesus Christ, p. 357. Lev 6:7 . W. H. Hutchings, Sermon-Sketches, p. 48. F. D. Huntington, Christian Believing and Living, p. 129. W. Reiner, Sermons, p. 85. C. Kingsley, Sermons on National Subjects, p. 221.Lev 7 . Spurgeon, Sermons, vol. xx. No. 1195; vol. xlviii. No. 2797. C. Perren, Revival Sermons in Outline, p. 332. J. M. Neale, Sermons Preached in Sackville College Chapel, vol. iv. p. 207. Leviticus 7-9. Spurgeon, Sermons, xxxvi. No. 2181.Lev 8 . W. M. Taylor, Outlines of Sermons on the Old Testament, p. 231. H. Wilmot-Buxton, Sunday Sermonettes for a Year, p. 163.Lev 8:9 . H. Wace, Christianity and Morality, p. 55. G. Granville Bradley, Christian World Pulpit, vol. xli. 1892. J. Percival, Some Helps for School Life, p. 20. A. Maclaren, Expositions of Holy Scripture Isaiah XLIX.-LXVI. p. 152. Spurgeon, Sermons, vol. xii. No. 676; vol. xxiii. No. 1387. Clergyman’s Magazine, vol. xii. p. 23. W. M. Taylor, Old Testament Outlines, p. 231. “Plain Sermons” by contributors to Tracts for the Times, vol. iv. p. 302. J. Foster, Lectures (2nd Series), p. 129. C. Morris, Preacher’s, Lantern, vol. ii. p. 60. H. W. Beecher, Christian World Pulpit, vol. xxv. p. 106. Spurgeon, Sermons, vol. xii. No. 676; vol. xxiii. No. 1387. J. Keble, Sermons for Christmas and Epiphany, p. 27. Leviticus 8-11. E. S. Talbot, Sermons at Southwark, p. 71.Lev 9 . S. Horton, Christian World Pulpit, vol. lviii. 1900, p. 279. T. G. Selby, The Strenuous Gospel, p. 2.

The Rain and the Word

Isa 55:10-11

The Gospel is compared to rain and snow in its

I. Origin. ‘From heaven.’ All truth is Divine in its source.

II. Operation. ‘ Watereth the earth.’ The Gospel produces a marvellous change on the human heart.

III. Benefits. ‘That it may give seed to the sower and bread to the eater.’ The Gospel gives instruction, comfort, strength, confidence.

IV. Final Results. ‘ It shall prosper in the thing whereto I sent it.’ We do not see this yet; but we shall by and by.

F. J. Austin, Seeds and Saplings, p. 48.

References. Lev 10 . W. Simpson, Christian World Pulpit, vol. xxxix. 1891, p. 361.Lev 10:11 . H. Hensley Henson, ibid. vol. lxxi. 1907, p. 56. T. P. Boultbee, Outlines of Sermons on the Old Testament, p. 232. F. E. Paget, Studies in the Christian Character, p. 41. G. E. Jelf, Plain Preaching to Poor People (9th Series), p. 25.Lev 10:13 . Spurgeon, Sermons, vol. xli. No. 2410.

The Reputation of God

Isa 55:13

By ‘a name’ we mean a reputation. This old Testament word carries the same signification in my text

I. It is Necessary that God should have a Name. It is not necessary that we should have a name, but it is obviously necessary that God should. One of God’s earliest rights is the right of reputation. This shall be accorded Him, says my text, ‘And it shall be to the Lord for a name’.

God desires a name. Some believe in an impassive God. Surely not such is the God of the Bible. It is necessary God should have a name that His people may realize it. One of our greatest spiritual blessings is to realize the reputation of God. Men must know what God is that they may appreciate Him with reverent appreciation.

It is necessary God should have a name for the world’s sake. Man, considered as separated from God by sin, needs to know that august and redeeming name. Give God a name, for till men know God they are dead whilst they live.

II. God’s Deliverances of His People give Him a Name. Note the prophecy in v. 12, ‘For ye shall go out… and be led forth’.

God has a wondrous reputation in all things. But that He is the God of deliverances gives Him His greatest name. God has such a conception of redemption as never entered into the heart of man.

God delivers from guilt. God delivers from evil habit. God delivers from sorrow.

III. The Characteristics of God’s People give Him a Name. The emancipated ones are to be marked by ‘joy’ and ‘peace’. We give God a name when gracious characteristics mark us. Joy is the privilege of the Lord’s redeemed. But peace is an even richer gift.

IV. Nature, as Suggestive of the Spiritual, gives God a Name. ‘The mountains and the hills shall break forth before you into singing, and all the trees of the field shall clap their hands.’ Nature has a mystical value. To some souls Nature is non-spiritual. They find God eludes them in that province. To others Nature is a shrine of God and is crammed with heaven.

Said Blake, who was alike painter and poet, ‘You ask me if, when I look at the sunrise, I see a round disc of fire something like a guinea. No, I do not. I see an innumerable company of the heavenly host, crying, “Holy, Holy, Holy”.’ He added, ‘I look through the window, not with it’.

V. All Beautiful Transformations give God a Name. ‘Instead of the thorn shall come up the fir-tree, and instead of the brier shall come up the myrtle-tree: and it shall be to the Lord for a name.’ Every renewed nature is a testimony to God. National and world-wide conversion will glorify God’s reputation in inconceivable degree.

Dinsdale T. Young, The Crimson Book, p. 221.

References. Lev 13 . Spurgeon, Sermons, vol. xiv. No. 833; vol. liii. No. 3044. A. W. Mathews, “Let the Myrtle Flourish,” Sermons, 1900-1902. LVI. 2-5. H. D. M. Spence, Voices and Silences, p. 259. Lev 4 . J. Parker, City Temple Pulpit, vol. iii. p. 69. Lev 4 and 6. Spurgeon, Sermons, vol. xlviii. No. 2762.Lev 8 . Ibid. vol. xxiv. No. 1437. Lev 12 . A. Maclaren, Expositions of Holy Scripture Isaiah XLIX.-LXVI. p. 162.Lev 1 . J. Keble, Sermons for the Saints’ Days, p. 41.Lev 6 . S. A. Tipple, Christian World Pulpit, vol. lxix. 1906, p. 377.

Fuente: Expositor’s Dictionary of Text by Robertson

XXVII

THE GOSPEL OF CHRIST IN ISAIAH

The relation between the New Testament Christ and prophecy is that the testimony of Jesus is the spirit of prophecy. To him give all the prophets witness. All the scriptures, the law, the prophets, and the psalms, testify of him. And we are fools, and slow of heart to credit adequate testimony when we distrust any part of the inspired evidence.

Of the ancient prophets Isaiah was perhaps the most notable witness of the coming Messiah. An orderly combination of his many messianic utterances amounts to more than a mere sketch, indeed, rather to a series of almost life-sized portraits. As a striking background for these successive portraits the prophet discloses the world’s need of a Saviour, and across this horrible background of gloom the prophet sketches in startling strokes of light the image of a coming Redeemer.

In Isa 2:2-4 we have the first picture of him in Isaiah, that of the effect of his work, rather than of the Messiah himself. This is the establishment of the mountain of the Lord’s house on the top of the mountains, the coming of the nations to it and the resultant millennial glory.

In Isa 4:2-6 is another gleam from the messianic age in which the person of the Messiah comes more into view in the figure of a branch of Jehovah, beautiful and glorious. In sketching the effects of his work here the prophet adds a few strokes of millennial glory as a consummation of his ministry.

In Isa 7:14 he delineates him as a little child born of a virgin, whose coming is the light of the world. He is outlined on the canvas in lowest humanity and highest divinity, “God with us.” In this incarnation he is the seed of the woman and not of the man.

The prophet sees him as a child upon whom the government shall rest and whose name is “Wonderful, Counsellor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace” (Isa 9:6 ). This passage shows the divinity of Christ and the universal peace he is to bring to the world. In these names we have the divine wisdom, the divine power, the divine fatherhood, and the divine peace.

In Isa 11:1-9 the prophet sees the Messiah as a shoot out of the stock of Jesse, i.e., of lowly origin, but possessing the Holy Spirit without measure who equips him for his work, and his administration wrought with skill and justice, the result of which is the introduction of universal and perfect peace. Here the child is presented as a teacher. And such a teacher! On him rests the seven spirits of God. The spirit of wisdom and understanding, the spirit of counsel and might, the spirit of knowledge, and the fear of the Lord. He judges not according to appearances and reproves not according to rumors. With righteousness he judges the poor and reproves with equality in behalf of the meek. His words smite a guilty world like thunderbolts and his very breath slays iniquity. Righteousness and faithfulness are his girdle. He uplifts an infallible standard of morals.

In Isa 40:3-8 appears John the Baptist, whom Isaiah saw as a voice crying in the wilderness, preparing the way for the coming King.

In Isa 11:2 ; Isa 42:1 ; Isa 61:1-3 the prophet saw the Messiah as a worker in the power of the Spirit, in whom he was anointed at his baptism. This was the beginning of his ministry which was wrought through the power of the Holy Spirit. At no time in his ministry did our Lord claim that he wrought except in the power of the Holy Spirit who was given to him without measure.

In Isa 35:1-10 the Messiah is described as a miracle worker. In his presence the desert blossoms as a rose and springs burst out of dry ground. The banks of the Jordan rejoice. The lame man leaps like a hart, the dumb sing and the blind behold visions. The New Testament abounds in illustrations of fulfilment. These signs Christ presented to John the Baptist as his messianic credentials (Mat 11:1-4 ).

The passage (Isa 42:1-4 ) gives us a flashlight on the character of the Messiah. In the New Testament it is expressly applied to Christ whom the prophet sees as the meek and lowly Saviour, dealing gently with the blacksliding child of his grace. In Isa 22:22 we have him presented as bearing the key of the house of David, with full power to open and shut. This refers to his authority over all things in heaven and upon earth. By this authority he gave the keys of the kingdom to Peter one for the Jews and the other for the Gentiles who used one on the day of Pentecost and the other at the house of Cornelius, declaring in each case the terms of entrance into the kingdom of God. This authority of the Messiah is referred to again in Revelation:

And when I saw him, I fell at his feet as one dead. And he laid his right hand upon me, saying. Fear not: I am the first and the last, and the Living one; and I was dead, and behold I am alive for evermore and I have the keys of death and of Hades. Rev 7:17

And to the angel of the church in Philadelphis write: These things saith he that is holy, he that is true, he that hath the key of David, he that openeth and none shall shut, and shutteth and none openeth. Rev 3:7

In Isa 32:1-8 we have a great messianic passage portraying the work of Christ as a king ruling in righteousness, in whom men find a hiding place from the wind and the tempest. He is a stream in a dry place and the shadow of a great rock in a weary land.

In Isa 28:14-18 the Messiah is presented to w as a foundation stone in a threefold idea:

1. A tried foundation stone. This is the work of the master mason and indicates the preparation of the atone for its particular function.

2. An elect or precious foundation stone. This indicates that the stone was selected and appointed. It was not self-appointed but divinely appointed and is therefore safe.

3. A cornerstone, or sure foundation stone. Here it is a foundation of salvation, as presented in Mat 16:18 . It is Christ the Rock, and not Peter. See Paul’s foundation in 1 Corinthians:

According to the grace of God which was given unto me; as a wise masterbuilder I laid a foundation; and another buildeth thereon. But let each man take heed how he buildeth thereon. For other foundation can no man lay than that which is laid, which is Jesus Christ. 1Co 3:10-11 .

In Isa 49:1-6 he is presented as a polished shaft, kept close in the quiver. The idea is that he is a mighty sword. In Revelation, Christ is presented to John as having a sharp, twoedged sword proceeding out of his mouth.

In Isa 50:2 ; Isa 52:9 f.; Isa 59:16-21 ; Isa 62:11 we have the idea of the salvation of Jehovah. The idea is that salvation originated with God and that man in his impotency could neither devise the plan of salvation nor aid in securing it. These passages are expressions of the pity with which God looks down on a lost world. The redemption, or salvation, here means both temporal and spiritual salvation salvation from enemies and salvation from sin.

In Isa 9:1 f. we have him presented as a great light to the people of Zebulun and Naphtali. In Isa 49:6 we have him presented as a light to the Gentiles and salvation to the end of the earth: “Yea, he saith, It is too light a thing that thou shouldest be my servant to raise up the tribes of Jacob, and to restore the preserved of Israel: I will also give thee for a light to the Gentiles, that thou mayest be my salvation unto the end of the earth.”

In Isa 8:14-15 Isaiah presents him as a stone of stumbling: “And he shall be for a sanctuary; but for a stone of stumbling and for a rock of offence to both the houses of Israel, for a gin and for a snare to the inhabitants of Jerusalem. And many shall stumble thereon, and fall, and be broken, and be snared, and be taken.”

The prophet’s vision of his maltreatment and rejection are found in Isa 50:4-9 ; Isa 52:13-53:12 . In this we have the vision of him giving his “back to the smiters, and his cheeks to them that plucked off the hair.” We see a man of sorrows and acquainted with grief. His visage is so marred it startled all nations. He is a vicarious sacrifice. The chastisement of the peace of others is on him. The iniquity of others is put on him. It pleases the Father to bruise him until he has poured out his soul unto death as an offering for sin.

The teaching of Isaiah on the election of the Jews is his teaching concerning the “holy remnant,” a favorite expression of the prophet. See Isa 1:9 ; Isa 10:20-22 ; Isa 11:11 ; Isa 11:16 ; Isa 37:4 ; Isa 37:31-32 ; Isa 46:3 . This coincides with Paul’s teaching in Romans 9-11.

In Isa 32:15 we find Isaiah’s teaching on the pouring out of the Holy Spirit: “Until the Spirit be poured upon us from on high, and the wilderness become a fruitful field, and the fruitful field be esteemed as a forest,” and in Isa 44:3 : “For I will pour water upon him that is thirsty, and streams upon the dry ground; I will pour my Spirit upon thy seed, and my blessing upon thine offspring.”

In Isa 11:10 he is said to be the ensign of the nations: “And it shall come to pass in that day, that the root of Jesse, that standeth for an ensign of the peoples unto him shall the nations seek; and his resting place shall be glorious.”

Isa 19:18-25 ; Isa 54:1-3 ; Isa 60:1-22 teach the enlargement of the church. The great invitation and promise are found in Isa 55 .

The Messiah in judgments is found in Isa 63:1-6 . Here we behold an avenger. He comes up out of Edom with dyed garments from Bozra. All his raiment is stained with the blood of his enemies whom he has trampled in his vengeance as grapes are crushed in the winevat and the restoration of the Jews is set forth in Isa 11:11-12 ; Isa 60:9-15 ; Isa 66:20 . Under the prophet’s graphic pencil or glowing brush we behold the establishment and growth of his kingdom unlike all other kingdoms, a kingdom within men, a kingdom whose principles are justice, righteousness, and equity and whose graces are faith, hope, love, and joy, an undying and ever-growing kingdom. Its prevalence is like the rising waters of Noah’s flood; “And the waters prevailed and increased mightily upon the earth. And the water prevailed mightily, mightily upon the earth; and all the high mountains, that are under the whole heavens, were covered.”

So this kingdom grows under the brush of the prophetic limner until its shores are illimitable. War ceases. Gannenta rolled in the blood of battle become fuel for fire. Conflagration is quenched. Famine outlawed. Pestilence banished. None are left to molest or make afraid. Peace flows like a river. The wolf dwells with the lamb. The leopard lies down with the kid. The calf and the young lion walk forth together and a little child is leading them. The cow and the bear feed in one pasture and their young ones are bedfellows. The sucking child safely plays over the hole of the asp, and weaned children put their hands in the adder’s den. In all the holy realms none hurt nor destroy, because the earth is as full of the knowledge of the Lord as the fathomless ocean is full of water. Rapturous vision! Sublime and ineffable consummation! Was it only a dream?

In many passages the prophet turns in the gleams from the millennial age, but one of the clearest and best on the millennium, which is in line with the preceding paragraph, Isa 11:6-9 : “And the wolf shall dwell with the lamb, and the leopard shall lie down with the kid; and the calf and the young lion and the fatling together: and a little child shall lead them. And the cow and the bear shall feed; their young ones shall lie down together; and the lion shall eat straw like the ox. And the sucking child shall play on the hole of the asp, and the weaned child shall put his hand on the adder’s den. They shall not hurt nor destroy in all my holy mountain; for the earth shall be full of the knowledge of Jehovah, as the waters cover the sea.”

The prophet’s vision of the destruction of death is given in Isa 25:8 : “He hath swallowed up death for ever; and the Lord Jehovah will wipe away tears from off all faces; and the reproach of his people will he take away from all the earth: for Jehovah hath spoken it,” and in Isa 26:19 : “Thy dead shall live; my dead bodies shall arise. Awake and sing, ye that dwell in the dust; for thy dew is as the dew of herbs, and the earth shall cast forth the dead.”

The clearest outlines of the prophet’s vision of “Paradise Regained” are to be found in Isa 25:8 , and in two passages in chapter Isa 66 : Rejoice ye with Jerusalem, and be glad for her, all ye that love her: rejoice for joy with her, all ye that mourn over her; that ye may suck and be satisfied with the breasts of her consolations; that ye may milk out, and be delighted with the abundance of her glory. For thus saith Jehovah, Behold, I will extend peace to her like a river, and the glory of the nations like an overflowing stream: and ye shall suck thereof; ye shall be borne upon the side, and shall be dandled upon the knees, as one whom his mother comforteth, so will I comfort you; and ye shall be comforted in Jerusalem. And ye shall see it, and your heart shall rejoice, and your bones shall flourish like the tender grass: and the hands of Jehovah shall be known toward his servants ; and he will have indignation against his enemies. Isa 66:10-14

For as the new heavens and the new earth, which I will make shall remain before me, saith Jehovah, so shall your seed and your name remain. And it shall come to pass, that from one new moon to another, shall all flesh come to worship before me, saith Jehovah. Isa 66:22-23

QUESTIONS

1. What is the relation between the New Testament Christ and prophecy?

2. What can you say of Isaiah as a witness of the Messiah?

3. What can you say of Isaiah’s pictures of the Messiah and their background?

4. Following in the order of Christ’s manifestation, what is the first picture of him in Isaiah?

5. What is the second messianic glimpse in Isaiah?

6. What is Isaiah’s picture of the incarnation?

7. What is Isaiah’s picture of the divine child?

8. What is Isaiah’s vision of his descent, his relation to the Holy Spirit, his administration of justice, and the results of his reign?

9. What is Isaiah’s vision of the Messiah’s herald?

10. What is the prophet’s vision of his anointing?

11. What is the prophet’s vision of him as a miracle worker?

12. What is the prophet’s vision of the character of the Messiah?

13. What is the prophet’s vision of him as the key bearer?

14. What is the prophet’s vision of him as a king and a hiding place?

15. What is the prophet’s vision of the Messiah as a foundation stone?

16. What is the prophet’s vision of him as a polished shaft?

17. In what passages do we find the idea of the salvation of Jehovah, and what the significance of the idea?

18. What is Isaiah’s vision of the Messiah as a light?

19. Where does Isaiah present him as a stone of stumbling?

20. What is the prophet’s vision of his maltreatment and rejection?

21. What is the teaching of Isaiah on the election of the Jews?

22. Where do we find Isaiah’s teaching on the pouring out of the Holy Spirit?

23. Where is he said to be the ensign of the nations?

24. What passages teach the enlargement of the church?

25. Where is the great invitation and promise?

26. Where is the Messiah in judgment?

27. What passages show the restoration of the Jews?

28. What is the prophet’s vision of the Messiah’s kingdom?

29. What is the prophet’s vision of the millennium?

30. What is the prophet’s vision of the destruction of death?

31. What is the prophet’s vision of “Paradise Regained?”

Fuente: B.H. Carroll’s An Interpretation of the English Bible

XXIII

THE BOOK OF ISAIAH PART 15

Isaiah 55-57

The special theme of this section is the kingly office of the Servant. This appears expressly in Isa 55:3-5 . Though the title “Servant of Jehovah” never occurs in the singular after Isa 53:11 again and again his presence is manifest to the reader, so, throughout these three chapters the glorious king of Israel lives and acts.

The first kingly work of the Servant is providing for the needs of his people (Isa 55 ). The two thoughts of this chapter are the gracious invitation to the royal feast of the Servant (Isa 55:1-5 ) and a call to repentance and remission of sins, and the happy consequences.

The invitation is to “every one that thirsteth.” This is very much like our Lord’s gracious invitation: “If any man thirst, let him come unto me and drink;” “Thirst” is used here and elsewhere in the ‘Scriptures to symbolize the longing of the human heart for its counterpart which is God. “Water” symbolizes salvation, the satisfying portion that comes to the thirsty soul when brought to realize its famishing condition. This corresponds to Zechariah’s “fountain opened to the house of David and to the inhabitants of Jerusalem, for sin and for uncleanness,” and to our Lord’s “water of life” which he offered to the Samaritan woman at the well of Sychar, and to every thirsty soul, thus: “I will give unto him that is athirst of the fountain of the water of life freely.” Upon this thought are built the many hymns which use this symbolism, such as, “There is a Fountain Filled with Blood” and “The Fountain that Never Runs Dry.”

”Wine” here symbolizes spiritual joy, or gladness, while “milk” symbolizes the nourishment of the soul. So the invitation here is to salvation, gladness, and nourishment, or the complete satisfaction of the spiritual needs of man. The terms, or conditions, of this invitation are simple: “Come, buy, eat,” but “Without money and without price,” i.e., you may call it “buying” if you wish, but it does not cost anything. It is, as the preacher said once, “free gratis, for nothing.” It is an offer of “salvation by grace,” purely the gift of God.

But what the import and application of Isaiah’s double question, “Wherefore do ye spend money for that which is not bread? and your labor for that which satisfieth not?” These questions contrast the value of spiritual and worldly things. “Not bread” means that which has no real value; that which does not sustain, or that which does no good. “Bread” here includes every necessity of life, as food, clothing, and shelter. But these necessaries are only incidental and should be made tributary to the higher things of life, things that contribute to the culture of the mind and heart. The affections of the great mass of Israelites were set on worldly things, on enriching themselves by “adding field to field and house to house” (Isa 5:8 ), and they cared nothing for spiritual blessings, much less to “hunger and thirst” after them.

Then he says that these things do not satisfy. Worldly things cannot satisfy the heart, not even the heart of the worldly. These thoughts are emphasized in the exhortation which follows: “Hearken diligently unto me, and eat ye that which is good, and let your soul delight itself in fatness.” The highest aim in life should be soul growth, and the food that makes for “soul fatness” is found with Jehovah, and not in worldly things. Worldly things tend to soul poverty rather than soul prosperity. In this connection John’s language to Gaius should be kept in mind: “Beloved, I pray that in all things thou mayest prosper and be in health, even as thy soul prospereth.” So it is that “a man’s life consisteth not in the abundance of the things which he possesseth.” But it will be noted that all this is concerning right expenditure and not right acquiring of wealth. There is much discussion about the methods of getting wealth, but little on the right expenditure of wealth. There is some conscience on how to make money, but not very much on how to spend it. Often the distribution of wealth is more hurtful than the accumulation of it. No man has the right to waste his money or to spend it for “that which is not bread,” nor has he the right to labor and spend his life on the pleasures of the world, which do not satisfy.

The “everlasting covenant” here (Isa 55:3 ) refers to the covenant of grace, as amplified in the New Testament, and the “sure mercies of David” refers to Christ, the surety of that covenant, as Paul shows in Act 13:34 : “And as concerning that he raised him up from the dead, now no more to return to corruption, he hath spoken on this wise, I will give you the holy and sure mercies of David,” i.e., the blessings promised to David.

So Isa 55:4 , by New Testament interpretation (Act 13:34 ), refers to the risen and exalted Christ, who was and is a witness, a leader, and a commander of the peoples. This involves his kingly office.

In Isa 55:5 the Messiah is addressed, and there is a promise made to him similar to the promise in Psa 2:8 : “Ask of me, and I will give thee the nations for thine inheritance, and the uttermost parts of the earth for thy possession.” Here is it said to him, “Thou shalt call a nation that thou knewest not; and a nation that knew not thee shall run unto thee,” the chief attraction being the glory of the risen and exalted Lord. “Nation” here is used distributively and means all the Gentile world, as included in Psa 2:8 .

In Isa 55:6-7 we have a specific direction for seeking salvation. First, it must be sought in the right person “Jehovah,” or Jesus Christ who is Jehovah manifested. Second, it must be sought at the right time “while be may be found.” Third, it must be sought by prayer “call ye upon him.” Fourth, it must be sought when he is near, or at the moment when his Spirit is moving upon the heart. “Today if ye shall hear his voice, harden not your hearts,” for that is the day of salvation to that person. Fourth, it must be sought in the right way by repentance and faith: “Let the wicked forsake his way, and the unrighteous man his thoughts.” Repentance is a change of outward life and inward thought. It means a change of mind toward God with respect to sin, but the inward change of mind works the outward change of life, i.e., the outward change is the “fruits meet for repentance.” “And let him return unto Jehovah, and he will have mercy upon him; and to our God, for he will abundantly pardon.” Faith is throwing oneself upon Jehovah (Christ) for his mercy and his pardon. The publican prayed, “God, be propitiated toward me, the sinner,” i.e., let thy mercy abound toward me because of the sacrifice of expiation.

In Isa 55:8-9 we have the wisdom of Jehovah magnified in this plan over against what the foolishness of man would have devised. His thoughts and ways are as high as the heavens above man’s thoughts and ways.

The instrument used in this great plan of salvation is the word of God (Isa 55:10-11 ). As the rain from heaven refreshes the earth and makes it produce the seed, so shall the word of God, sent out from Jehovah, accomplish its work in the salvation of the people.

The manifestations of the new life imparted in conversion, or regeneration, are joy and peace, the results of the impartation of new life by the Spirit. All nature reflects the joy also. Many a time has a soul fresh from the hand of God, imagined that the mountains were singing, and that the trees were clapping their hands. What a view of one’s environments this new life gives to its recipient! The world about him seems to be clad in the garments of gladness and all nature responds to his song of joy.

The language of Isa 55:13 is highly figurative, picturing the blessed state of the reign of righteousness in the earth. All this chapter has a primary reference to Israel and her deliverance from the captivity through their seeking Jehovah and their repentance, but as the deliverance of Israel from Egypt was a type of the individual deliverance from sin, so is the deliverance from Babylon, a type of individual deliverance from sin, which is the basis of the New Testament evangelism. God no longer delivers nations from sin as a whole but deals directly with the individual. So we go on with the work of evangelization of the individual until the nations, which are composed of individuals are converted and then will we see this ideal here realized. The “thorn” and the “brier” symbolize the curse of wickedness, and the “fir tree” and the “myrtle tree,” the blessings of righteousness. The promise here is that the “thorn” and the “brier” shall give way to the “fir tree” and the “myrtle tree,” which cannot be fully realized until that blessed ideal of the millennium shall come in to bless the world.

The second work of the Servant king is fresh legislation, or fulfilling the law and declaring the relations of all the heirs of the kingdom. The new law for the various subjects of the kingdom (Isa 56:1-5 ) is as follows: To keep justice and to do righteousness. This has a fulfilment in Christ’s exposition of the law, found in the Sermon on the Mount. The equality in the privileges of the covenant here described finds fulfilment only in the privileges of the new covenant, of which Paul says, “There is neither bond nor free, Jew nor Gentile, male nor female.” Then the proselytes and eunuchs need not fear, for they shall have honorable mention in the new covenant.

In this new order of things provision is made for the foreigners. They shall have all the privileges of the sanctuary the privilege of sacrifice and prayer. They shall be brought to the holy mountain of Jehovah to share the joys of his house. Not only will he gather the outcasts of Israel, but he will gather others besides. Thus said Jesus, “Other sheep I have, which are not of this flock; them also I must bring, and they shall hear my voice; and they shall become one flock, one shepherd.” The house of Jehovah was to be “a house of prayer for all peoples.” This looks forward to the time when the temple should be emphatically a place of prayer, the legal sacrifices having received their fulfilment and being thenceforth superflous and out of place. But the Jews did not recognize the fulfilment when it came, and thus they held on to the sacrificial ritual until Jehovah destroyed their “house and city.” So the larger fulfilment of this passage is found in the spiritual house, the church, which succeeded the tabernacle and temple. In this house all people have the same privileges. The holy of holies is open to all who come in the name of him who entered within the veil, there to intercede for those who come to God by faith in him.

The third work of the Servant king is judgment in the interest of righteousness and mercy (Isa 56:9-12 ). This is the picture of the judgment upon the guilty heads of the community. The beasts of the field are summoned to come and devour these ungodly, selfish shepherds, because they are blind, without knowledge, dumb, greedy, without understanding, and drunken. Their philosophy of life was, “Let us eat, drink, and be merry; for to-morrow we die.” This picture of the hireling shepherds corresponds exactly with Christ’s description of them in Joh 10 . The judgment on them here corresponds to his judgment upon the religious leaders of his time, which found its consummation in the destruction of Jerusalem.

Here we see the Lord’s favor to the righteous in view of the judgment upon the evil. He takes them away before the judgment comes. This has always been God’s method. When he was about to destroy Sodom and Gomorrah he took Lot and his family out; before the final destruction of Jerusalem they were warned by our Lord to flee, and before his final judgment upon the world he will take all his people out of it. So the prophet explains here that Jehovah took his righteous prematurely because of the coming judgment upon the evil. The removing of some of the faithful in Israel before the judgment came upon them was to them a blessing, since they were in quiet rest and peace. This must have in it the foreshadowing of the final destruction of Jerusalem when the wrath of God fell so heavily upon the Jewish leaders.

The charge against the people in Isa 57:3-10 is the charge of idolatry and its accompanying sins. To itemize them, they were sorcery, adultery, harlotry, mockery, transgression, falsehood, worshiping in the high places, Molech worship, stone worship, enlarging the bed for others, making covenant with them and forgetting Jehovah.

The penalty pronounced upon them in Isa 57:11-13 is that their righteousness and works should not profit them, and their refuge of lies should be swept away. Most modern interpreters think that the Jews are addressed here and that the time is the latter part of Hezekiah’s reign. If this be true, then evidently the prophet comes back in his vision to the time in which he lived. This is not at all impossible, but it is probable, as some of the older commentators think, that, with the condition of Israel in the time of the prophet as a background, this is a forecast of the church with its corrupt priesthood and idolatry in the Dark Ages. The hopeful note in this paragraph is the inner circle of the faithful who take refuge in Jehovah and who shall possess the land and inherit his holy mountain. It is consoling to find that this remnant is never lost but runs all the way from Abel down to the present. It matters not how dark the hour in the history of the world the “salt of the earth” is in evidence.

This section closes (Isa 57:14-21 ) with a promise to the humble and a curse upon the wicked. This is a fine prescription for a revival. There is, first, an order to prepare the way, so that the people can go to the “holy mountain” of Jehovah. Second, there is a magnifying of the eternity and holiness of Jehovah and his transcendence above the universe. Third, there is the condescension of God, who is the source of all true revivals, to dwell in the hearts of men. Fourth, there are the conditions set forth, viz: humility and contrition. Fifth, there is also the purpose of Jehovah’s condescension, viz: “to revive the spirit of the humble, and to revive the heart of the contrite.” Then the prophet gives Jehovah’s promise to heal backsliding Israel and to comfort the mourners, announcing peace to his people, but eternal unrest and sorrow to the wicked.

QUESTIONS

1. What the special theme of this section?

2. What the first kingly work of the Servant?

3. What the two thoughts of this chapter?

4. Who are invited to their feast, what the symbolism here and upon what terms are they invited?

5. What the import and application of Isaiah’s double question, “Wherefore do ye spend money for that which is not bread? and your labor for that which satisfieth not?”

6. What the meaning-of the “everlasting covenant,” and the “sure mercies of David” in Isa 55:3 ?

7. Who is spoken of in Isa 55:4 , and what office is there given him?

8. In Isa 55:5 who is addressed and what the meaning of the verse?

9. Expound Isa 55:6-7 .

10. By whose wisdom was such a plan of salvation wrought out?

11. What the instrument used in this great plan of salvation?

12. What the manifestations of the new life imparted in conversion, or regeneration?

13. What the interpretation of Isa 55:13 , and when will the prophecy here be realized?

14. What the second work of the Servant king?

15. What the new law for the various subjects of the kingdom (Isa 56:1-5 )?

16. In this new order of things what provision is made for the foreigners?

17. What the third work of the Servant king?

18. What the picture of Isa 56:9-12 ?

19. What the Lord’s favor to the righteous in view of the judgment upon the evil?

20. What the charge against the people in Isa 57:3-10 ?

21. What the penalty pronounced upon them in Isa 57:11-13 ?

22. Who are the people here addressed?

23. What hopeful note in this paragraph?

24. How does this section close (Isa 57:14-21 )?

Fuente: B.H. Carroll’s An Interpretation of the English Bible

Isa 55:1 Ho, every one that thirsteth, come ye to the waters, and he that hath no money; come ye, buy, and eat; yea, come, buy wine and milk without money and without price.

Ver. 1. Ho, every one that thirsteth. ] Sitit sitiri Dominus, saith Nazianzen, a the Lord even thirsteth to be thirsted after; he “seeketh such to worship him as will worship him in spirit and in truth.” Joh 4:23 Hence this present proclamation, “Ho, every one,” of what nation soever, that is duly affected with the preceding discourse of Christ’s all-sufficiency to save, Isa 53:11-12 and the church’s glory and safety. Isa 54:11-17

That thirsteth. ] That, being scorched and parched with the sense of sin and fear of wrath, brayeth and breatheth after true grace and sound comfort, as the hunted hind doth after the waterbrooks; Psa 42:1-2 See Trapp on “ Psa 42:1 “ See Trapp on “ Psa 42:2 “ as David did after the water of the well of Bethlehem; 2Sa 23:15-16 as the Lamb of God did when roasted in the fire of his Father’s wrath, he cried aloud, Sitio, I thirst. Joh 19:28 Psa 22:11 ; Psa 22:16

Come. ] Non passibus sed affectibus itur ad Christum. Repent, and believe the gospel. Mar 1:15 Repentance is here set out by a word of activity. “Come, buy,” &c. The frame of a true repenting heart is in an active coining posture, fitted for any service, when the wicked “pine away in their sin,” Eze 33:10 and so perish eternally. Psa 9:17

To the waters. ] To Christ the fountain of living water, upon which you had turned your backs. Jer 2:13 Ortelius telleth us that in Ireland there is a certain fountain whose water killeth all those beasts that drink thereof, but harms not the people that usually drink it. Christ also is “set for the fall and rising again of many in Israel.” Luk 2:34 His ordinances are a savour of life to some, and of death to others. 2Co 3:16

And he that hath no money. ] Or, Money’s worth. Many would come to Christ, but they would come with their cost; wherefore they run up and down to borrow money from the creatures or from the ordinances, using the means as mediators, and sharking in every bycorner for comfort; but men may be starved before they buy, if they go this way to work; for these in themselves are broken cisterns, empty granaries, and

“ Herrea formicae tendunt ad inania nunquam. ”

In the Lord Christ is all fulness, Joh 1:16 not of plenty only, but of bounty also. To this fountain, if we bring but our empty vessels well washed, Jer 4:14 we shall return well refreshed, and replenished with good things, when the proud self-justiciary shall be sent empty away, and shall not once taste of wisdom’s dainties Pro 9:2-5

Buy. ] Emite, i.e., comparate et comedite, get Christ “with all your gettings”; get him, whatever else you go without; part with all you have to compass this “pearl of price.” Mat 13:44 ; Mat 13:46 ; Mat 16:24-25 This gold cannot be too dearly bought. Rev 3:18 Heus saeculares, comparate vobis Biblia, animae pharmaca, saith Chrysostom by a like expression.

And eat. ] That is, believe; hic enim edere, est credere, and this water, this wine, may be eaten also: nec enim rigat tantum sed et cibat. Christ is to his, water to cool them, wine to comfort them, milk to nourish them, bread to strengthen them; he is all that heart can wish or need require. They who have once “tasted how good the Lord is” cannot but thirst after him, and be unsatisfiable. Optima demonstratio est a sensibus. Eat therefore; it is a virtue here to be a holy glutton.

Yea, come. ] Heb., And come; come and come; yea come, come, come; linger not, loiter not, frame not excuse, strain not courtesy, hang not off by a sinful bashfulness; it is good manners to fall to your meat.

Buy wine and milk. ] Anything, everything that is good and comfortable, for Christ is all and in all. b As the worth and value of many pieces of silver is in one piece of gold, so all the petty excellencies scattered abroad in the creatures are united in Christ. Apollonius writeth, that in the court of Aeta, King of Colchis, were three fountains, which flowed, one with milk, another with wine, and a third with honey. c Christ is all this, and more, in one. And of believers it may better be said than Justin d doth of the Scythians, Lacte et melle vescuntur: nihil alienum concupiscunt, &c.; they feed upon milk and honey; they desire nothing more than what they have; vines they have none, but gods they have, as they use to glory. Nazianzen and Jerome tell us that anciently in some churches they used to give to those proselytes whom they baptized wine and milk, grounding upon this text by a mistake.

Without money and without price. ] All things for nothing, gratis. This is doubled and trebled for the comfort of poor trembling consciences. Christ is “rich to all that call upon his name”; Rom 10:12 none giveth to him; Rom 11:35 but he to all his freely, Isa 43:25 for the praise of his glorious grace. Eph 1:6 It is his good pleasure to do so. Luk 12:32 And if so, what can man, devil, or any distrustful heart, say against it?

a Orat. 40 in S. Baptis.

b . Col 3:11

c Argonaut, lib. iii.

d Lib. ii.

Fuente: John Trapp’s Complete Commentary (Old and New Testaments)

Isaiah Chapter 55

Our chapter does not, after these remarks, call for many words. Its connection with what goes before is plain and makes its own bearing evident. The call is to Israel, but in such largeness of language as to warrant an aspect to the Gentiles. “Ho, every one that thirsteth, come ye to the waters; and he that hath no money, come ye, buy and eat; yea, come, buy wine and milk without money and without price. Wherefore do ye weigh money for [that which is] not bread? and your labour for [that which] satisfieth not? Hearken diligently unto me, and eat ye [that which is] good, and let your soul delight itself in fatness. Incline your ear, and come unto me; hear, and your soul shall live: and I will make an everlasting covenant with you, the sure mercies of David. Behold, I have given him [for] a witness to the peoples, a prince and commander to the peoples” (vv. 1-4). Here plainly some outstanding One is referred to, as to Whom no believer need hesitate. It is the Lord Jesus in royal relation to Israel (v. 3), and withal a witness and commander to the peoples of the earth (v. 4).

The thoughtful mind – at least if taught of God – will not overlook the divine application of verse 3 to the resurrection of our Lord, contra-distinguished from the use of Psa 2:7 , in Act 13:33 , Act 13:34 . It had been indeed implied in Isa 53:10 , as in Psa 16:10 , Psa 16:11 ; Psa 21:4 . His resurrection is both the security for the accomplishment of what was promised to Israel, and the occasion for the outflow of the grace which calls and shall yet call Gentiles into a share of God’s blessing, and of the knowledge of Himself. Before death and resurrection, though He could never deny His deeper glory or His grace to the faith that saw either, He was not sent save to the lost sheep of the house of Israel.

Crucified and risen, Christ is the attractive object for all indiscriminately. And the spirit of this wide grace breathes fragrantly through this chapter. “Behold, thou shalt call a nation thou knowest not, and a nation [that] knew not thee shall run unto thee, because of Jehovah thy God and the Holy One of Israel; for he hath glorified thee. Seek ye Jehovah while he may be found, call ye upon him while he is near. Let the wicked forsake his way, and the unrighteous man his thoughts; and let him return unto Jehovah, and he will have mercy upon him; and to our God, for he will abundantly pardon. For my thoughts [are] not your thoughts, neither [are] your ways my ways, saith Jehovah. For [as] the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways, and my thoughts than your thoughts. For as the rain cometh down, and the snow from heaven, and returneth not thither, but watereth the earth, and maketh it bring forth and bud, that it may give seed to the sower, and bread to the eater; so shall my word be that goeth forth out of my mouth; it shall not return unto me void, but it shall accomplish that which I please, and it shall accomplish that for which I sent it. For ye shall go out with joy, and be led forth with peace: the mountains and the hills shall break forth before you into singing, and all the trees of the field shall clap [their] hands. Instead of the thorn shall come up the cypress, and instead of the nettle shall come up the myrtle; and it shall be to Jehovah for a name, for an everlasting sign [that] shall not be cut off” (vv. 5-13).

Certainly the language rises into bright figures, expressive of a joy and blessing incomparably beyond human experience since sin came into the world, and with all the firmness given by Christ’s coming to blot out sins by His blood, to establish everlasting righteousness, and to display the mercy and the glory of God here below. But can anything be more unreasonable, to say nothing of the ingratitude of unbelief, than to misuse such modes of expression to get rid of the truth and reduce the living word to inanity? Apply the grace of the chapter as much as can be done truly to the need and comfort of souls now by the gospel; there still remains the clear intimation of “the times of refreshing” reserved for Him Who died and rose, when He comes from heaven to reign over the earth. Doubtless Christ is exalted to the highest in heaven; He sits on the Father’s throne; but He is coming to sit on His own throne, and will make His enemies His footstool. This He is not doing, but sitting on high till that moment be arrived. Now He is converting souls, as well as baptising believers into one body by the Spirit. Then He will break the nations with a rod of iron, and dash them in pieces like a potter’s vessel. How monstrous to pervert such words to the work of the gospel! It is that execution of divine judgement which inaugurates the Lord’s taking His own throne. He is now seated on His Father’s throne. When He reigns over the earth, we shall reign with Him, instead of suffering with Him, as we are called to do now.

Even to apply, yet more to restrict, such glowing language and such glorious hopes for Israel, the peoples, and the earth, to the restoration from the Babylonish exile, must always have been an extreme assumption, and it evidently tends to bring on scripture the charge of exaggeration. Yet more than ever in our day men claiming to be critics would reduce it to a promise that the homeward journey of the exiles should be pleasant and comfortable! Truly faith is not the portion of all, least of all, one might sorrowfully say, of critics. It is also flagrant ignorance of the Book they essay to interpret, and of its structure; for we have done with Babylon since Isa 48 and Isa 49 has begun the new theme of the rejected but glorified Messiah and the everlasting consequences. This fact alone dissipates all such delusions.

Fuente: William Kelly Major Works (New Testament)

Isaiah

THE CALL TO THE THIRSTY

THE GREAT PROCLAMATION

Isa 55:1 .

The meaning of the word preach is ‘proclaim like a herald’; or, what is perhaps more familiar to most of us, like a town-crier; with a loud voice, clearly and plainly delivering the message. Now, there are other notions of a sermon than that; and there is other work which ministers have to do, of an educational kind. But my business now is to preach. We have ventured to ask others than the members of our own congregation to join us in this service; and I should be ashamed of myself, and have good reason to be so, if I had asked you to come to hear me talk, or to entertain you with more or less eloquent and thoughtful discourses. There is a time for everything; and what this is the time for is to ring out like a bellman the message which I believe God has given me for you. It cannot but suffer in passing through human lips; but I pray that my poor words may not be all unworthy of its stringency, and of the greatness of its blessing. My text is God’s proclamation, and all that the best of us can do is but to reiterate that, more feebly alas, but still earnestly.

Suppose there was an advertisement in to-morrow morning’s papers that any one that liked to go to a certain place might get a fortune for going, what a queue of waiting suppliants there would be at the door! Here is God’s greatest gift going a-begging; and there are no doubt some among you who listen to my text with only the thought, ‘Oh, the old threadbare story is what we have been asked to come and hear!’ Brethren, have you taken the offer? If not, it needs to be pressed upon you once more. So my purpose in this sermon is a very simple one. I wish, as a brother to a brother, to put before you these three things: to whom this offer is made; what it consists of; and how it may be ours.

I. To whom this offer is made.

It is to every one thirsty and penniless. That is a melancholy combination, to be needing something infinitely, and to have not a farthing to get it with. But that is the condition in which we all stand, in regard to the highest and best things. This invitation of my text is as universal as if it had stopped with its third word. ‘Ho, every one’ would have been no broader than is the offer as it stands. For the characteristics named are those which belong, necessarily and universally, to human experience. If my text had said, ‘Ho, every one that breathes human breath,’ it would not have more completely covered the whole race, and enfolded thee and me, and all our brethren, in the amplitude of its promise, than it does when it sets up as the sole qualifications thirst and penury-that we infinitely need, and that we are absolutely unable to acquire, the blessings that it offers.

‘Every one that thirsteth’-that means desire. Yes; but it means need also. And what is every man but a great bundle of yearnings and necessities? None of us carry within ourselves that which suffices for ourselves. We are all dependent upon external things for being and for wellbeing.

There are thirsts which infallibly point to their true objects. If a man is hungry he knows that it is food that he wants. And just as the necessities of the animal life are incapable of being misunderstood, and the objects which will satisfy them incapable of being confused or mistaken, so there are other nobler thirsts, which, in like manner, work automatically, and point to the thing that they need. We have social instincts; we need love; we need friendship; we need somebody to lean upon; we thirst for some heart to rest our heads upon, for hands to clasp ours; and we know where the creatures and the objects are that will satisfy these desires. And there are the higher thirsts of the spirit, that ‘follows knowledge, like a sinking star, beyond the furthest bounds of human thought’; and a man knows where and how to gratify the impulse that drives him to seek after the many forms of knowledge and wisdom.

But besides all these, besides sense, besides affection, besides emotions, besides the intellectual spur of which we are all more or less conscious, there come in a whole set of other thirsts that do not in themselves carry the intimation of the place where they can be slaked. And so you get men restless, as some of you are; always dissatisfied, as some of you are; feeling that there is something wanting, yet not knowing what, as some of you are. You remember the old story in the Arabian Nights , of the man who had a grand palace, and lived in it quite contentedly, until some one told him that it needed a roc’s egg hanging from the roof to make it complete, and he did not know where to get that, and was miserable accordingly. We build our houses, we fancy that we are satisfied; and then there comes the stinging thought that it is not all complete yet, and we go groping, groping in the dark, to find out where the lacking thing is. Shipwrecked sailors sometimes, in their desperation, drink salt water, and that makes them thirstier than ever, and brings on madness and death. Some publicans drug the vile liquors which they sell, so that they increase thirst. We may make no mistake about how to satisfy the desires of sense or of earthly affections; we may be quite certain that ‘money answereth all things,’ and that it is good to get on in business in Manchester; or may have found a pure and enduring satisfaction in study and in books-yet we have thirsts that some of us know not where to satisfy; and so we have parched lips and swollen tongues, and raging desire that earth can give nothing to fill.

My brother, do you know what it is that you want?

It is God. Nothing else, nothing less. ‘My soul thirsteth for God, for the living God.’ The man that knows what it is of which he is in such sore need, is blessed. The man who only feels dimly that he needs something, and does not know that it is God whom he does need, is condemned to wander in a dry and thirsty land, where no water is, and where his heart gapes, parched and cracked like the soil upon which he treads. Understand your thirst. Interpret your desires aright. Open your eyes to your need; and be sure of this, that mountains of money and the clearest insight into intellectual problems, and fame, and love, and wife, and children, and a happy home, and abundance of all things that you can desire, will leave a central aching emptiness that nothing and no person but God can ever fill. Oh, that we all knew what these yearnings of our hearts mean!

Aye! but there are dormant thirsts too. It is no proof of superiority that a savage has fewer wants than you and I have, for the want is the open mouth into which supply comes. And it is no proof that you have not, deep in your nature, desires which, unless they are satisfied, will prevent your being blessed, that these desires are all unconscious to yourselves. The business of us preachers is, very largely, to get the people who will listen to us, to recognise the fact that they do want things which they do not wish; and that, for the perfection of their natures, the cherishing of noble longings and thirstings is needful, and that to be without this sense of need is to be without one of the loftiest prerogatives of humanity.

Some of you do not wish forgiveness. Many of you would much rather not have holiness. You do not want to have God. The promises of the Gospel go clean over your heads, and are as impotent to influence you as the wind whistling through a keyhole, because you have never been aware of the wants to which these promises correspond, and do not understand what it is that you truly require.

And yet there is no desire-that is to say, consciousness of necessities-so dormant but that its being un-gratified makes a man restless. You do not wish forgiveness, but you will never be happy till you get it. You do not wish to be good and true and holy men, but you will never be blessed till you are. You do not want to have God, some of you, but you will be restless till you find Him. You fancy you wish heaven when you are dead; you do not want it while you are living. But until your earthly life is like the life of Jesus Christ in heaven, though in an inferior degree, whilst it is on earth, you will never be at rest. You are thirsty enough after these things to be ill at ease without them, when you bethink yourselves and pass out of the region of mere mechanical and habitual existence; but until you get these things that you do not desire, be sure of this: that you will be tortured with vain unrest, and will find that the satisfactions which you do seek turn to ashes in your mouth. ‘Bread of deceit,’ says the Book, ‘is sweet to a man.’ The writer meant by that that there were people to whom it was pleasant to tell profitable lies. But we might widen the meaning, and say that all these lower satisfactions, apart from the loftier ones of forgiveness, acceptance, reconciliation with God, the conscious possession of Him, a well-grounded hope of immortality, the power to live a noble life and to look forward to a glorious heaven, are ‘bread of deceit,’ which promises nourishment and does not give it, but breaks the teeth that try to masticate it; ‘it turneth to gravel.’

‘Ho, every one that thirsteth.’ That designation includes us all. ‘And he that hath no money.’ Who has any? Notice that the persons represented in our text as penniless are, in the next verse, remonstrated with for spending ‘money.’ So then the penniless man had some pence away in some corner of his pocket which he could spend. He had the money that would buy shams, ‘that which is not bread’ but a stone though it looks like a loaf, but he had no money for the true food. Which being translated out of parable into fact, is simply this, that our efforts may and do win for us the lower satisfactions which meet our transitory and superficial necessities, but that no effort of ours can secure for us the loftier blessings which slake the diviner thirsts of immortal souls. A man lands in a far country with English shillings in his pocket, but he finds that no coins go there but thalers, or francs, or dollars, or the like; and his money is only current in his own land, and he must have it changed before he can make his purchases. So though he has a pocketful of it he may as well be penniless.

And, in like fashion, you and I, with all our strenuous efforts, which we are bound to make, and which there is joy in making, after these lower good things that correspond to our efforts, find that we have no coinage that will buy the good things of the kingdom of heaven, without which we faint and die. For them our efforts are useless. Can a man by his penitence, by his tears, by his amendment, make it possible for the consequences of his past to be obliterated, or all changed in their character into fatherly chastisement? No! A thousand times, no! The superficial notions of Christianity, which are only too common amongst both educated and uneducated, may say to a man, ‘You need no divine intervention, if only you will get up from the dust, and do your best to keep up when you are up.’ But those who realise more deeply what the significance of sin is, and what the eternal operation of its consequences upon the soul is, and what the awful majesty of a divine righteousness is, learn that the man who has sinned can, by nothing that he can do, obliterate that awful fact, or reduce it to insignificance, in regard to the divine relations to him. It is only God who can do that. We have no money.

So we stand thirsty and penniless-a desperate condition! Ay! brother, it is desperate, and it is the condition of every one of us. I wish I could turn the generalities of my text into the individuality of a personal address. I wish I could bring its wide-flowing beneficence to a sharp point that might touch your conscience, heart, and will. I cannot do that; you must do it for yourself.

‘Ho, every one that thirsteth.’ Will you pause for a moment, and say to yourself, ‘That is I’? ‘And he that hath no money’-that is I. ‘Come ye to the waters’-that is I. The proclamation is for thine ear and for thy heart; and the gift is for thy hand and thy lips.

II. In what this offer consists.

They tell an old story about the rejoicings at the coronation of some great king, when there was set up in the market-place a triple fountain, from each of whose three lips flowed a different kind of rare liquor which any man who chose to bring a pitcher might fill it with, at his choice. Notice my text, ‘come ye to the waters’ . . . ‘buy wine and milk .’ The great fountain is set up in the market-place of the world, and every man may come; and whichever of this glorious triad of effluents he needs most, there his lip may glue itself and there it may drink, be it ‘water’ that refreshes, or ‘wine’ that gladdens, or ‘milk’ that nourishes. They are all contained in this one great gift that flows out from the deep heart of God to the thirsty lips of parched humanity.

And what is that gift? Well, we may say, salvation; or we may use many other words to define the nature of the gifts. I venture to take a shorter one, and say, it means Christ. He, and not merely some truth about Him and His work; He Himself, in the fulness of His being, in the all-sufficiency of His love, in the reality of His presence, in the power of His sacrifice, in the daily derivation, into the heart that waits upon Him, of His life and His spirit, He is the all-sufficient supply of every thirst of every human soul. Do we want happiness? Christ gives us His joy, abiding and full, and not as the world gives. Do we want love? He gathers us to His heart, in which ‘there is no variableness, neither shadow cast by turning,’ and binds us to Himself by bonds that death, the separator, vainly attempts to untie, and which no unworthiness, ingratitude or coldness of ours will ever be able to unloose. Do we want wisdom? He will dwell with us as our light. Do our hearts yearn for companionship? With Him we shall never be solitary. Do we long for a bright hope which shall light up the dark future, and spread a rainbow span over the great gorge and gulf of death? Jesus Christ spans the void, and gives us unfailing and undeceiving hope. For everything that you and I need here or yonder, in heart, in will, in practical life, Jesus Christ Himself is the all-sufficient supply.

‘My life in death, my all in all.’ What is offered in Him may be described by all the glorious and blessed names which men have invented to designate the various aspects of the Good. These are the goodly pearls that men seek, but there is one of great price which is worth them all, and gathers into itself all their clouded and fragmentary splendours. Christ is all, and the soul that has Him shall never thirst.

‘Thou of life the fountain art,

Freely let me take of Thee.’

III. Lastly, how do we obtain the offered gifts?

The paradox of my text needs little explanation, ‘Buy without money and without price.’ The contradiction on the surface is but intended to make emphatic this blessed truth, which I pray may reach your memories and hearts, that the only conditions are a sense of need, and a willingness to take-nothing less and nothing more. We must recognise our penury and must abandon self, and put away all ideas of having a finger in our own salvation, and be willing-which, strangely and sadly enough, many of us are not-to be under obligations to God’s unhelped and undeserved love for all.

Cheap things are seldom valued. Ask a high price and people think that the commodity is precious. A man goes into a fair, for a wager, and he carries with him a try full of gold watches and offers to sell them for a farthing apiece, and nobody will buy them. It does not, I hope, degrade the subject, if I say Jesus Christ comes into the market-place of the world with His hands full of the gifts which His pierced hands have bought, that He may give them away. He says, ‘Will you take them?’ And you, and you, and you, pass by on the other side, and go away to another merchant, and buy dearly things that are not worth the having.

‘My father, my father, if the prophet had bid thee do some great thing, wouldst thou not have done it?’ Would you not? Swing at the end of a pole, with hooks in your back; measure all the way from Cape Comorin to the Himalayas, lying down on your face and rising at each length; do a hundred things which heathens and Roman Catholics and unspiritual Protestants think to be the way to get salvation; deny yourselves things that you would like to do; do things that you do not want to do; give money that you would like to keep; avoid habits that are very sweet, go to church or chapel when you have no heart for worship; and so try to balance the account. If the prophet had bid thee do some great thing, thou wouldst have done it. How much rather when he says, ‘Wash, and be clean.’ ‘Nothing in my heart I bring.’ You do not bring anything. ‘Simply to Thy Cross I cling.’ Do you? Do you? Jesus Christ catches up the ‘comes’ of my text, and He says, ‘Come unto Me, all ye that labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest.’ ‘If any man thirst, let him come unto Me and drink.’ Brethren, I lay it on your hearts and consciences to answer Him-never mind about me-to answer Him : ‘Sir, give me this water that I thirst not.’

Fuente: Expositions Of Holy Scripture by Alexander MacLaren

NASB (UPDATED) TEXT: Isa 55:1-5

1Ho! Every one who thirsts, come to the waters;

And you who have no money come, buy and eat.

Come, buy wine and milk

Without money and without cost.

2Why do you spend money for what is not bread,

And your wages for what does not satisfy?

Listen carefully to Me, and eat what is good,

And delight yourself in abundance.

3Incline your ear and come to Me.

Listen, that you may live;

And I will make an everlasting covenant with you,

According to the faithful mercies shown to David.

4Behold, I have made him a witness to the peoples,

A leader and commander for the peoples.

5Behold, 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.

Isa 55:1-3 YHWH’s invitation to humanity (i.e., everyone who thirsts, cf. Isa 55:1 a) has many commands which are mostly emphatic divine invitations.

1. come to the waters – Qal IMPERATIVE (BDB 229, KB 246)

2. come – same as #1

3. buy – Qal IMPERATIVE (BDB 991, KB 1404)

4. eat – Qal IMPERATIVE (BDB 37, KB 46)

5. come – same as #1 and 2

6. buy – same as #3

7. listen carefully – Qal IMPERATIVE and an INFINITIVE ABSOLUTE of the same root (BDB 1033, KB 1570) for emphasis

8. eat – same as #4

9. delight yourself – Qal IMPERFECT (BDB 772, KB 851) used in a JUSSIVE sense

10. incline your ear – Hiphil IMPERATIVE (BDB 639, KB 692)

11. come to Me – same as #1,2,5; notice the personal element

12. listen – Qal IMPERATIVE (BDB 1033, KB 1570)

13. that you may live – Qal JUSSIVE (BDB 310, KB 309)

14. I will make an everlasting covenant with you – Qal COHORTATIVE (BDB 503, KB 560, see Special Topic: COVENANT )

Isa 55:1 Every one This speaks of the universal invitation of God (cf. Isa 55:4-5; Gen 3:15; Gen 12:3; Exo 19:5-6; Joh 1:12; Joh 3:16; Joh 4:42; 1Ti 2:4; 1Ti 4:10; Tit 2:11; 2Pe 3:9; 1Jn 2:1-2; 1Jn 4:14).

thirsts This seems to relate to a sense of spiritual need. This is always the first step a fallen human must take (cf. Mat 5:6; Rev 22:17).

the waters The early church interpreted this as baptism. This is a good example of isogesis (reading into a text to back up what we believe). For desert people, this was a symbol of life and prosperity (cf. Isa 41:17; Isa 44:3).

you who have no money. . .for what does not satisfy This refers to lack of personal resources. Grace, not merit, is mankind’s, even Israel’s, only hope (cf. Eze 36:22-38).

eat A meal was a very significant act in the Middle East. Covenants and friendships were sealed over food.

buy. . .without cost This is obviously a paradoxical statement meant to highlight mankind’s search for peace with God.

1. it cannot be bought but a price must be paid

2. humans often desperately try to find peace and happiness, but to no avail (cf. Ecclesiastes 1-2)

3. God has provided a way through a new David to come to Him

4. there is still a cost, but it is now to repent and receive what God has freely offered in the Davidic Messiah

Isa 55:2 Why do you spend money. . .for what does not satisfy This reflects mankind’s continuing search for happiness in things, pleasure, or power (cf. the book of Ecclesiastes).

delight yourself in abundance God wants us happy and content in fellowship with Himself (cf. Leviticus 26; Deuteronomy 27-28; Joh 5:11). The earth with its beauty and abundance is for mankind’s enjoyment!

Isa 55:3 come to Me Personal relationship is the key to biblical faith! YHWH Himself is the goal, not just truths about Him! See Special Topic: Know .

Listen This is from the word Shema (cf. Deu 6:4-5). It means listen and do.

an everlasting covenant Everlasting (BDB 761, see Special Topic: Forever (‘olam) ) is used to describe many things in Isaiah 40-66. This is parallel phrasing to the new covenant of Jer 31:31-34 described in Eze 36:22-28.

faithful mercies This is from the word hesed (BDB 338). It means covenant loyalty. See Special Topic: Lovingkindness (hesed) .

David This is an example of God’s love and care even to the undeserving (cf. Psalms 32, 51). Also this reference has Messianic implications (cf. 2Sa 7:1 ff), which have an eternal aspect.

Isa 55:4 . . .A leader and commander for the peoples This points beyond David to the Messiah (cf. 2 Samuel 7) because the object is the Gentiles (cf. Isa 55:4-5).

The MT and LXX have him referring to David’s seed (i.e., the Messiah), but for some reason, the Syrian versions have you. This is the same theological issue of the Suffering Servant text of Isa 52:13 to Isa 53:12.

Isa 55:4-5 the peoples. . .a nation Gentiles are included (notice the PLURALS).

Isa 55:5 The nations will come to the God of Israel and honor His people (cf. Isa 45:14; Isa 45:22-25; Isa 49:6; Isa 49:12; Isa 49:23; Zec 8:20-23). The question remains: Is this a reference to a believing, restored Israel (not the secular state of modern Israel) or is this an eschatological reference to the Great Commission?

Notice the names of Israel’s Deity (see Special Topic: Names for Deity ).

1. YHWH

2. your Elohim

3. the Holy One of Israel (see note at Isa 1:4 online at www.freebiblecommentary.org )

Fuente: You Can Understand the Bible: Study Guide Commentary Series by Bob Utley

Ho, &c. This cry heard in Jerusalem to-day. All water has to be bought. Compare Joh 4:14; Joh 7:37-39.

every one that thirsteth. The invitation is only to these.

come. Figure of speech Repetitio, for emphasis.

waters: of life (Rev 22:17).

wine: of gladness (Psa 104:15).

milk: of nourishment (1Pe 2:2).

Fuente: Companion Bible Notes, Appendices and Graphics

Chapter 55

Ho, every one that thirsteth ( Isa 55:1 ),

Going into the glorious Kingdom Age. Now, God detests and hates commercialism. God hates how people take advantage of one another. Profiteering on someone else. God is going to bring down the whole commercial system. And when God brings it down there is going to be great rejoicing in heaven, though on earth there’s going to be tremendous mourning and lamentation. But in Rev 18:1-24 God spends a whole chapter telling of how He’s going to bring down this whole commercial world that have put people into bondage through credit cards. And it makes slaves out of people. Put people under all kinds of financial pressures. Taking advantage of people’s misfortunes. And God hates it with a passion. And He’s going to bring it down. And in the new age that is going to be established by Jesus Christ, no commercialism at all. Man’s greed will not have an opportunity of exploiting the weaker man or his fellowman or the poorer man. “Ho, every one that thirsteth.”

come to the waters, and he that has no money; come, buy, and eat; yea, come, and buy the wine and milk without money and without price ( Isa 55:1 ).

God is going to allow the earth to just bring forth abundantly and every man shall see, set ‘neath his own vine and fig tree and they shall live in peace together. There won’t be the greed that has actually created so many of the horrible wars in our history. Those men who profit over wars, those men who have the commercial interest and all who can make great gain through bringing a nation against a nation, all would be gone. The basis of greed will be gone. Everything will be free. “Ho, every one that thirsteth, just come. Help yourself. Take what you want. No money. No price.”

Why do you spend your money for that which is not bread? ( Isa 55:2 )

The Lord said.

you labor for that which does not satisfy? ( Isa 55:2 )

As He speaks out against our whole system today, how that we labor so hard to get things that really don’t satisfy. Why is it that you do this?

hearken diligently unto me, and eat ye that which is good, and let your soul delight itself in fatness. Incline your ear, and come unto me: hear, and your soul shall live; and I will make an everlasting covenant with you, even the sure mercies of David. Behold, I have given him for a witness to the people, a leader and a commander to the people ( Isa 55:2-4 ).

So Christ shall come and sit upon the throne of David and order it and establish it in righteousness and in judgment. And He shall be as a witness to the people, a leader, a commander.

Behold, thou shalt call a nation that thou knowest not, and nations that knew thee not shall run unto thee because of the LORD thy God, and for the Holy One of Israel; for he hath glorified thee. Seek ye the LORD while he may be found, call upon him while he is near: Let the wicked forsake his way, and the unrighteous man his thoughts: and let him return unto the LORD, and he will have mercy upon him; and to our God, for he will abundantly pardon ( Isa 55:5-7 ).

Oh, what beautiful words of God to us tonight. Call upon the Lord while He is near, while He may be found. “Seek Him while He may be found, call upon Him while He is near: let the wicked forsake his way, the unrighteous man his thoughts of evil: return to the Lord, for God will have mercy; He will abundantly pardon you.” For God says,

My thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways, saith the LORD ( Isa 55:8 ).

I will vouch for that. I don’t understand so many times why God does the things He does. His thoughts are not my thoughts. Nor are His ways my ways. I would do many things much differently. I wouldn’t do them more wisely; I’d just do them differently. But you see, the difference between God’s thoughts and my thoughts, and God’s ways and my ways, is that God knows the end from the beginning. Therefore, He doesn’t do something and wonder if it’s right. When He does it, He knows it’s right. Now the way I do things, I do them and I hope it’s right. And sometimes it is. But many times it isn’t. But when I started doing it, I was sure it was.

So many times I think that this is the best way; and then I find out it isn’t. There was a much better way. So God says, “Hey, My thoughts are not your thoughts. My ways are not your ways.”

For as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than yours, and my thoughts than your thoughts ( Isa 55:9 ).

There is such a difference, and yet herein is the folly of man, because I get angry with God sometimes because He doesn’t do it my way. Now isn’t that ridiculous? For a person to get angry with God because God has done something a way they didn’t want it done or a way they wouldn’t do it? Now if I did it my way, I would never have any troubles. I would never have any weakness. I would never have any problems. If I did it my way, it’d just be smooth sailing all the way. No storms. But that’s not God’s way. For you see, if I did it my way, I would never develop any strength of character. I would become a very weak flabby, spoiled person. Miserable to be around ’cause I would not understand a person that did have problems. A person that did experience weaknesses. I would become intolerable towards them. So God doesn’t let me do it my way. God lets me fall. God lets me stumble. God lets me experience weaknesses. God lets me experience troubles, trials, problems, difficulties. So that when my brother is in need, I can come to him in meekness and lift him, as I consider myself realizing that I too am tempted. So God’s ways are really best.

Now for me to insist that God do it my way is sheer folly. Because now I am exalting my knowledge above God’s. For me to demand that God does it my way, “God, I want You to do this now. I’m speaking this into existence. I want You to do it!” Oh man, how foolish! Because you see, that’s exalting my knowledge, my ways, my thoughts. It’s seeking to make them supreme instead of God supreme. Who knows all things and knows so much better than I know.

Now the wrath of God is going to be revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of man who hold the truth of God in unrighteousness. And for you to hold the truth of God, and yet exalt yourself and your thoughts and your ways above Him is holding the truth of God in unrighteousness. That’s the wrong way to hold the truth of God because you say, “Well, God is supreme, God knows everything.” And then I say, “Now God, I demand that You do this or I command You, Lord, to do this.” That is not making God supreme. That’s now making me supreme and my ways supreme. So I’m holding the truth of God in righteousness. I’m saying, “God, I know better than You know. My way is better than Your way.” How much better it is, how much more glorifying to God it is, what a great witness it is when I can just say, “Oh God, Your will be done. I just commit myself and my ways to You, Lord. That Your will will be done in my life. You do what is best. You do what You know is best.” And not to question and not to challenge and not to gripe and not to complain when things aren’t going my way. Not to give God such a miserable time.

Oh again, if I were God, man, would I put a plug in some people’s mouths as they come whining and complaining. And the minute I’d hear that, “Aw, God,” I’d just… Whining to God. Of course, I’m very intolerable towards whining. Talk to my kids. Man, that’s one thing I could never stand, a whining kid. And they learned that. My kids may do a lot of bad things, but they don’t whine. And I can imagine God’s attitude towards the constant griping and whining and all that He hears from people because He isn’t doing something to suit me, to suit my way. To harmonize with my thoughts.

But yet, “as high as the heaven is above the earth.” Now how high that is, I don’t know and I don’t think anybody knows, but it’s out there. It’s high. Just how high I don’t know, but it’s awfully high. So are God’s thoughts higher than mine, and His ways are higher than mine. So surely the wisest thing I could ever do is just to commit my way unto the Lord and that’s what the scripture tells me to do. “Commit your way unto the Lord, and He shall bring it to pass” ( Psa 37:5 ). Whatever He plans. Whatever He purposes. He’ll bring it to pass if I just commit my way to Him.

For as the rain cometh down, and the snow from heaven, and returns not thither, but it waters the earth, and makes it to bring forth and bud, that it may give seed to the sower, and bread to the eater: So shall my word be that goes forth out of my mouth: it shall not return unto me void, but it shall accomplish that which I please, and it shall prosper in the thing whereto I sent it ( Isa 55:10-11 ).

Now God here uses a very common figure-an occurrence of nature, the rain and the snow, to illustrate His Word. How that they come down from heaven, even as God’s Word has come to us not as an invention of man as some would have you to think, but “all scripture is given by inspiration of God” ( 2Ti 3:16 ). “Holy men of old wrote as they were inspired by the Holy Spirit” ( 2Pe 1:21 ). God’s Word is come to us from heaven and the purpose of God’s Word is to work here on earth, not to work in heaven, but it’s to work here on earth. Its effect and its fruit and its result is here on earth.

Now even as rain comes down to water the earth in order that it might spark into life, all of the potential that is there in that dirt, you look at a dry, parched, dusty field, barren. But yet in that dirt, in that dry field there’s all kinds of latent life forms. Out on the desert, dry, parched sand. But just get a few inches of rain, the beauty, the glory that is there as the rain sparks into life. All of the seeds and everything else that are there and the desert turns purple. It turns yellow. It turns golden. It turns blue with all of the beautiful flowers, as the seeds have been touched by the rain and brought forth into life. So our lives as God’s Word comes to us is able to transform our lives and bring into life that spirit.

The Word of God is that which comes to our spirit and brings life to our spirit and thus brings forth all of the glory and the potential of our being. Man without the Word of God remains dead, lifeless, barren, deserty. But oh, when God’s Word like rain begins to just soak my life, the fruit, the results as it waters in order that it might bud blossoms forth. “To give seed to the sower and bread to the eater.” The first effect of God’s work in my life is towards me, what it has done for me. And the second is bread to the eater, what God can do through me in helping others. “So is My Word, it shall not return unto Me void.” God’s Word will not come back void. “He that goeth forth with weeping, bearing precious seed, shall doubtless come again, bringing the sheaves with him” ( Psa 126:6 ).

You go forth with the Word of God, the seed. Now the seed is the Word, Jesus said. You go forth bearing the precious seed, the Word of God, carrying it to others. Doubtless you’re going to come again with a harvest. For God’s Word will not return unto Him void. Now learn to start using the Word and quit defending it. It doesn’t need your defense. It needs that you just use the Word of God. How many people have started to read the Bible in order that they might learn it better so that they can better argue against it and have ended up believing. I think of Lou Madison in our congregation here, and his wife loved the Lord, was a Christian. And Lou was so angry. With his engineering mind, he was going to read the Bible so that he could just tear to shreds her whole faith. Destroy it. And as he got to reading the Bible in order that he might destroy his wife’s faith, God’s Word didn’t return void, and faith was planted in Lou’s heart. They ended up together in the faith instead of out of the faith, because God’s Word won’t return void. If a person would only read with an open heart, “God’s Word will not return void, it shall accomplish that which God pleases, it shall prosper in the thing for which God sent it.”

Now God has sent His Word to bring you hope, to bring you encouragement, to bring you joy, to bring you life. And all of these things will come to you as you read the Word of God. It’s not going to return void. It’s going to accomplish the purposes for which He has sent it. So how important for us to just let the Word of God soak into our lives. Just each day get a new drenching of God’s Word and just let it soak in. Oh, how it will cause your life to just bud forth with glory and the beauty.

For ye shall go out with joy, and be led forth with peace: the mountains and the hills shall break forth before you into singing, and the trees of the field shall clap their hands ( Isa 55:12 ).

Oh, that person who is saturated in the Word of God. All nature seems to just come into harmony and into tune. It’s just glorious as you come into harmony with God, you come into harmony with the nature around you. And you begin to see things you never saw before. I’ve always said, hey, if you’re not a Christian be sure that you give your life to the Lord before you take your vacation. You cannot enjoy your vacation completely unless you have Christ in your heart. And I’ll tell you, you’ll see things through Christ-filled eyes that you have never seen before. Those flowers that you used to just trample down in the meadows, you’ll be enthralled with them, with their design, with their color, with their beauty. You’ll see new things. The hills will break forth into singing. The trees will clap their hands. And oh, you’ll just come in tune and in harmony with God’s creation.

Instead of the thorn shall come up the fir tree, and instead of the brier the myrtle tree: and it shall be to the LORD for a name, for an everlasting sign that shall not be cut off ( Isa 55:13 ).

God’s glorious day of restoration. The glorious thing about teaching the Word of God I never need to worry about the result because God’s Word won’t return void. He’s going to accomplish the purposes for which He sent it. And I can always know that you’re going to go away and be blessed because you’ve been here. And that’s sort of comforting to know. If I stood up here and gave you my word all evening, then I’d worry all week about what had happened to it. But because we give to you God’s word, we commend you now unto the Word of God. That God might work in your life His glorious work as now by the Spirit He makes application of the truths to your life and as He begins His work of enriching you in His love through His grace.

May God be with you this week and keep your life steadfast in Him. And may you grow up into Christ in all things as your life comes into that place of maturity that God wants you to know and to experience in Jesus Christ. And thus may your life be rich and full as God’s Word works in you through the Spirit. “

Fuente: Through the Bible Commentary

It is the language of infinite mercy, speaking to the abject condition of mankind. We have become naked, and poor, and miserable through sin, and God, instead of driving us from his presence, comes loaded with mercy, And thus he speaks to us.

Isa 55:1. Ho, every one that thirsteth, come ye to the waters, and he that hath no money; come ye, buy, and eat; yea, come, buy wine and milk without money and without price.

See the freeness of divine love! See how God who knows the wants of souls, provides all things needful for them water the water of life; and as if that were not enough, the wine of joy, the milk of satisfaction; and he offers these freely. But, mark, there is no gain for him: the gain is for ourselves, for he saith, He that hath no money, buy wine and milk without money and without price. All that you want, dear friend, God is ready to give you. Do you want these good things? Then come and welcome. It is God who bids you come.

Isa 55:2. Wherefore do ye spend money for that which is not bread? and your labour for that which satisfieth not?

Why do you seek to get comfort for your souls where you will never get it? Why do you try to content your immortal nature upon things that will die? There is nothing here below that can satisfy you. Why spend your money then for these things, and your labour for nothing?

Isa 55:2. Hearken diligently unto me, and eat ye that which is good, and let your soul delight itself in fatness.

God has real food for your soul something that will make you truly happy. He will satisfy you, not with the name of goodness, but with the reality of it, if you will but come and have it. You shall have fullness you shall have delight if you are but willing to come and receive it.

Isa 55:3. Incline your ear, and come unto me: hear, and your soul shall live;

Then who would not hear who would not give the attention if by that attention life immortal may be received?

Isa 55:3. And I will make an everlasting covenant with you, even the sure mercies of David.

Will God enter into covenant with sinful men with thirsty men with hungry men with needy men with guilty men? Ah! that he will. I will make an everlasting covenant with you, even the sure mercies of David.

Isa 55:4. Behold, I have given him

That is the Son of David Jesus the Christ I have given him.

Isa 55:4. For a witness to the people, a leader and commander to the people.

If you want anyone to tell you what God is, Jesus Christ is the witness to the character of God. Do you want a leader to lead you back to peace and happiness a commander by whose power you may be able to fight Satan and all the powers of darkness that hold you in bondage? Has all in Jesus Christ that I can need for time and eternity, and this can all be mine for the asking, and receiving. Shall we not ask and receive?

Fuente: Spurgeon’s Verse Expositions of the Bible

Isa 55:1-5

Isa 55:1-3

Kidner stated that, in Christian terms, “The Calvary of Isaiah 53 is followed by the growing church of Isaiah 54, and the gospel call of Isaiah 55. We can find no agreement whatever with commentators who try to restrict the application of this chapter to the return of the exiles from Babylon. Every word of the chapter is Messianic.

Cheyne’s chapter heading here was as follows:

“An affectionate invitation to the Messianic blessings (Isa 55:1-5); an exhortation to put away obstacles to their enjoyment (Isa 55:6-7); and a renewed confident assurance of the indescribable glory and felicity which await the true Israel (Isa 55:8-13).

We especially appreciate Cheyne’s distinguishing between the two Israels, which is the basic requirement for understanding very many portions of this great prophecy. Hailey entitled this chapter, “The Great Invitation; Free Mercy for All. Jamieson entitled it, “The Call of the Gentile World to Faith, The Result of God’s Grace to the Jews First. Barnes named it, “A Universal Invitation for All Men to Come and Embrace the Provisions of Mercy. Wardle entitled it: “The Glorious Blessings of the New Covenant which Yahweh will Make with his people. There is another entitlement of the chapter which catches a very important aspect of it. Douglas identified it with, “The Kingly Office of The Servant, thus stressing the undeniable identification of the Davidic, Kingly Messiah with the Suffering Servant.

Isa 55:1-3

“Ho, everyone that thirsteth, come ye to the waters, and he that hath no money; come ye, buy, and eat; yea, come, buy wine and milk without money and without price. Wherefore do ye spend money for that which is not bread? and your labor for that which satisfieth not? hearken diligently unto me, and eat that which is good, and let your soul delight itself in fatness. Incline your ear, and come unto me; hear, and your soul shall live: and I will make an everlasting covenant with you, even the sure mercies of David.”

“Everyone that thirsteth …” (Isa 55:1). “It is not improbable that Jesus had his eye on this very passage when he pronounced the blessing upon those who hunger and thirst after righteousness (Mat 5:6).

The great misunderstanding here is simply that of supposing that the wonderful blessings of the grace and mercy of God are unconditional! Another error is that of limiting the conditions to conform to human theories of salvation, as did Archer: “The price for admission into eternal life is repentance and faith plus nothing”! What about the new birth? of which Jesus said, “Except ye be born again, ye cannot see the kingdom of God.” What about holiness, “without which no man shall see God”? What about “eating the flesh and drinking the blood of the Son of God”? of which Christ said, “Except ye eat my flesh and drink my blood” ye have no life in you.” And what about a hundred other things which are definitely laid down as requirements for entering into life? As Dummelow pointed out, “The exhortation (Isa 55:6-7) here shows that the promises are conditional. People who really wish to know what the conditions are should read their New Testaments instead of listening to the theories of men.

“Water, wine, milk …” (Isa 55:1). “These are symbols of spiritual sustenance afforded those who live in fellowship with God. It is of interest that a literal interpretation of this, as they understood it, led “to the custom of Latin Churches (but not those in Africa) of giving wine and milk to the newly-baptized.

“For that which satisfieth not …” (Isa 55:2). The immortal soul of man cannot be satisfied with the most wonderful things that the world has to offer. Man cannot be satisfied, with wealth, with honor, or with pleasure. “Where is the man who was ever satisfied with wealth, and who says he has enough? Where is the man who is satisfied with pleasure, vanity, or gaiety? There is a void in the human heart which such things cannot fill On William Rockefeller’s tomb in Tarrytown Cemetery, New York, there is this inscription, “Our souls, Oh God, were made for thee; and never shall they rest until they rest in thee.”

“I will make an everlasting covenant with you, even the sure mercies of David …” (Isa 55:3). This unequivocally identifies the kingdom and covenant of the Suffering Servant with the Davidic, Kingly Messiah, the great fact which Peter stressed on the day of Pentecost when he spoke of the Resurrection of Jesus Christ as the enthronement of the Son of David (Christ) upon David’s throne in heaven! As Barnes noted, “This covenant would be made with all who would come to God. That New Covenant would not be identified with any race or nation, but it would be between Almighty God and all mankind!

“The sure mercies of David …” (Isa 55:3). These are the promises God made to David, that of his seed one would rise up to inherit an everlasting kingdom (2Sa 7:12). “The promises to David, rightly understood, involve all of the essential points of the Christian covenant.

CONCERNING DAVID’S THRONE

God’s promise to David that of his seed one would sit upon the throne that would be established forever, just cited above, has led to all kinds of wild speculations about Jesus coming back to earth and sitting upon David’s throne in Jerusalem. All such speculations are nullified by plain statements of God’s Word. As to anyone of the seed of David ever more occupying his literal throne in Jerusalem, all that ended when God said of the last Davidic king, Coniah (Jeconiah), that, “No more shall a man of his seed prosper, sitting upon the throne of David, and ruling in Judah” (Jer 22:30). He had an illegal successor, Zedekiah, but he was terminated; and again God said, “This also shall be no more, until he come, whose right it is; and I will give it to him.” (Eze 21:27). “Christ the Servant is the One, whose right it is; and the promise to David was fulfilled in his coming.

This is the only place that David is named in Isaiah 40-66, “But this is enough to identify the kingly Messiah of Isa 7:14 with the Servant of Isa 42:1.

This harmonizes absolutely with the declaration of Hosea that “in the latter days,” that is, in the times of Messiah, Israel would return to their God and David their king would come, (Hos 3:5), thus specifying the times of Jesus as when that would occur; and his ascension to heaven also harmonizes with the revelation that David’s throne would not be in the literal Jerusalem at all, but “in heaven.” (Psa 89:35-37 in KJV).

Isa 55:4-5

“Behold, I have given him for a witness to the peoples, a leader and commander to the peoples. Behold, thou shalt call a nation that thou knowest not; and a nation that knew not thee shall run unto thee, because of Jehovah thy God, and for the Holy One of Israel; for he hath glorified thee.”

The speaker in these verses is Jehovah, and the one addressed is the Christ, as indicated by the last clause, for it was God who glorified the Lord Jesus Christ.

Also, Christ was indeed the Leader and the Commander of all who would believe on his Holy Name.

“Shall run unto thee …” (Isa 55:5). “This refers to the alacrity with which the Gentiles (in the future) should repair to the Messiah, that they might enjoy the blessings of his reign.

Despite the fact of there being, in a sense, many covenants that God made with men, the mention here (Isa 55:3) of a “covenant of peace” to appear in the future applies to only one covenant. “There is no more than one gracious covenant, whose substance is this: the Servant (Christ) himself is given to us as the covenant (Isa 49:8; Isa 53:6).

Isa 55:1-2 FAVOR: Redemption has been predicted and explained as occurring in the Suffering Servant (ch. 53). The invitation has been extended for participation in that redemption through covenant relationship (ch. 54). Now the bond and bounds of that covenant relationship is declared to be in the word of Jehovah which is faithful and powerful. All who realize their need of the substance of life are invited to come and receive freely. In Palestine where water-wells were few and far between and where water had to be purchased for money, this would be an exceptionally arresting figure of speech! Water, wine and milk are used throughout the O.T. as figures of spiritual blessings. The same elements are used in the N.T. by Christ and His apostles to portray the blessings of Gods grace. The point of these verses is that Gods provision of redemption through the Servant shall be by grace. Peter makes it plain that the O.T. prophets predicted salvation by grace (1Pe 1:10-12). Pauls treatise to the Romans declares that justification before God is by faith. Paul, of course, knows that our salvation is by grace (Eph 2:1-10), but it is faith that gives us access into that grace (Rom 5:2). And Paul said the O.T. prophets (and the O.T. law) bore witness to salvation by grace through faith (Rom 3:21-26). Water is figurative for salvation (cf. Isa 12:3; Isa 35:7; Isa 41:17-18; Isa 49:10; Psa 42:1; Psa 36:9; Jer 2:13; Jer 17:13; Eze 47:1-12; Zec 13:1; Zec 14:8; Joh 4:7-26; Joh 7:37-38, etc.). Wine is figurative for exhilaration and enjoyment (cf. Isa 26:6-9, etc.). Milk is figurative for nourishment (cf. Isa 7:22; Isa 60:16; Joe 3:18; 1Co 3:2; Heb 5:12; 1Pe 2:2, etc.). It was not astonishing to the Jews that Jehovah would be gracious to them. What was astonishing to many was that He would grant them mercy without their having earned it. Most of them rationalized that they earned whatever graciousness God would shower upon them. Actually the Law was intended to teach Israel that she could never, by human merit, earn her justification before the Holy One of Israel. Israel should have known from the Law that her salvation rested in the unmerited favor of Jehovah. But Israel for the most part, was too wrapped up in her self-righteousness. She was spending herself, exhausting herself in trying to earn righteousness through keeping laws and traditions. That is a vain quest! Attempting to attain justification before God by human goodness is frustratingly impossible and only compounds the human dilemma of guilt. The only solution that will satisfy the human soul is faith in the vicarious, substitutionary atoning death of Jesus Christ. That solution cannot be reasoned out; it cannot be explained by anything within the human experience, because it is supra-human; it is supernatural. It can only be believed. Believed, of course, on the basis of the historical verification and validation of its efficacy by the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead. The resurrection is the only fact that makes the cross of Christ (His atoning death) believable! This is predicted in ch. 53 (see our comments there). The exhortation of the prophet here is for Zion (true believers) to focus its attention on the promises of God that they may have salvation by grace. All attempts to be saved any other way will fail!

Isa 55:3-5 FIDELITY: Next, the prophet calls upon Zion to give its attention to the promise of Jehovah that He is going to verify His fidelity in a future covenant relationship which will be everlasting. The future covenant will not become obsolete like the old covenant which has a stated termination (cf. Jer 3:15-18; Jer 31:31-34, etc.), or fulfillment. The future covenant will be eternal; it will bring into being the sure mercies of David (the promise of an eternal king to sit upon Davids throne for ever) (cf. 2 Samuel 7). This is fulfilled, according to the inspired apostle Paul, in the atoning work of Jesus Christ. What God promised to the fathers . . . He fulfilled by raising Jesus Christ from the dead and proclaiming through Jesus the forgiveness of sins (cf. Act 13:32-40). The atonement is the promise (Isaiah 53), and Gods faithfulness to keep His promise of atonement through Jesus was verified once and for all by raising Jesus from the dead! The empirically demonstrated everlasting life of Jesus validates Gods non-empirical promise to remove our guilt, if we believe and accept Gods covenant terms. The forgiveness of our sins is not based on our feelings, but upon empirical verification of the faithfulness and sovereignty of God, the Son. When we acknowledge and trust in that verified faithfulness, then we may have a legitimate experiential feeling of guiltlessness.

Inasmuch as the apostle Paul quoted (or paraphrased) Isa 55:3 in Act 13:34, and plainly indicates it was fulfilled in the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ, we must look upon this whole chapter of Isaiah as messianic. Therefore, the him of Isa 55:4 is the Messiah (the Servant) who has been given as a witness to the peoples, a leader and commander to the peoples. The Hebrew word translated leader is nagiyd which means prince and is the same word used in Dan 9:25-26 (see our comments there). The word metsaveh is Hebrew for commander and comes from mitsvah or commandment. Thus the one to be given for a witness to the nations will be a ruler and a commandment-giver (cf. Isa 54:13). This probably refers to the twofold messianic office of King-Prophet. In Isaiah 53, the Servant makes intercession and thus becomes the Messiah-Priest. Zion must be apprised of the fact that Jehovahs future eternal covenant will be validated by The One who is Prophet-Priest-and-King. Furthermore, Jehovahs covenant will be secured by this One for all peoples!

Since the Servant comes through Zion, she will be given the privilege of calling nations she formerly knew not in covenant relationship. Nations that knew not Zion in covenant relationship shall, when the Prophet-King-Priest comes, run to her because Jehovah is who He is and will have verified that His covenant is universal through the work of the Messiah (cf. Isa 2:3-4; Isa 19:16-25; Isa 45:14; Isa 45:22-25; Isa 49:12; Isa 60:3-6; Isa 66:18; Zec 8:20-23; Luk 24:47). It was in the same Jewish synagogue in Antioch of Pisidia where Paul quoted Isa 55:3 that he also told the recalcitrant Jews that the covenant of the Lord was for the Gentiles to whom he would thenceforth go and preach (Act 13:42-52).

Fuente: Old and New Testaments Restoration Commentary

Immediately following the song we have the prophet’s great appeal. It is made in the consciousness of the victory won by the Servant of the Lord and the consequent possibility of restoration offered to the people. Nevertheless it distinctly sets forth the solemn conditions on which advantage may be taken of the great provision.

It first recognizes the need of the people in the verses which describe their condition as thirsty, as being without money, as spending “money for that which is not bread,” and earnestly urges them to turn and listen to Him who has been given as a “Witness to the peoples,” as a “Leader and Commander.”

In this second part the appeal is made with greater directness, and the terms on which the people may find their way back into relationship with God are distinctly stated.

The whole ends with a description, full of poetry and beauty, of the conditions of fruitfulness and joy and prosperity which must follow return to the Lord and submission to His government.

Fuente: An Exposition on the Whole Bible

the Free Offer of Pardoning Grace

Isa 55:1-13

The Prince of Life, Isa 55:4, r.v. Four times in the New Testament this title is applied to our Lord, and always in connection with His Resurrection. See Act 3:14-15; Act 5:31; Heb 2:9-10; Heb 12:2, where the words prince, author, and captain, are various translations of the same Greek word. The meaning of the original word is file leader. He leads out of death into life; out of defeat into victory; out of suffering into perfection; out of the sorrow and pain of discipline into the triumph of the sons of light.

The everlasting covenant, Isa 55:3. Davids sin could not cancel the sure mercies of God. See 2Sa 7:14-16 and 2Sa 23:5. God will never go back on that covenant which includes us! See Heb 8:1-13. Gods mercies in Christ are sure. Listen! Come! Hear! We are not only forever safe, but we are provided against all want.

Gods abundant provision is described under several terms: waters, wine, milk, wholesome and satisfying bread, the good, fatness, Isa 55:1-2. We are blessed with all spiritual blessings in Christ, Eph 1:3. And because Gods thoughts and ways are not as ours, the result is the transformation of thorns into firs and briars into myrtles.

Fuente: F.B. Meyer’s Through the Bible Commentary

EXPOSITORY NOTES ON

THE PROPHET ISAIAH

By

Harry A. Ironside, Litt.D.

Copyright @ 1952

edited for 3BSB by Baptist Bible Believer in the spirit of the Colportage ministry of a century ago

ISAIAH CHAPTER FIFTY-FIVE

THE GREAT INVITATION

“Ho, every one that thirsteth, come ye to the waters, and he that hath no money; come ye, buy, and eat; yea, come, buy wine and milk without money and without price. Wherefore do ye spend money for that which is not bread? and your labour for that which satisfieth not? Hearken diligently unto me, and eat ye that which is good, and let your soul delight itself in fatness. Incline your ear. and come unto me: hear, and your soul shall live; and I will make an everlasting covenant with you, even the sure mercies of David. Behold, I have given him for a witness to the people, a leader and commander to the people. Behold, thou shalt call a nation that thou knowest not, and nations that knew not thee shall run unto thee because of the Lord thy God, and for the Holy One of Israel; for he hath glorified thee” (verses 1-5).

IF IT WERE not for the truth set forth in chapter 53 of Isaiah, there would be no possibility of this gracious invitation. Throughout this entire section of Isaiah (chaps. 49-57) GOD is presenting His chosen Servant, our Lord JESUS CHRIST, as the Redeemer of Israel and of the world, whose rejection at His first coming was foreknown and plainly predicted, but who by His propitiatory work was to open up the way for guilty sinners to find peace with GOD and pardon for all their transgressions.

Because of His work GOD can send forth the gracious invitation for all men everywhere to partake of His salvation. Isaiah has been called “the evangelical prophet,” and he well deserves to be so designated. Nowhere else in the Old Testament is the Person and work of our Lord set forth so clearly and fully as in this wonderful book.

Man is shown to be utterly bankrupt spiritually, destitute of righteousness, and with no claim upon GOD whatsoever. Yet CHRIST, the Lord’s sinless Servant, is presented as the great sin offering through whose infinite sacrifice all who come to Him in faith will be justified in His sight. His salvation is based upon righteousness. In the Cross the sin question has been settled in a righteous way, and so GOD can now save all who come to Him in faith.

It is hard for the natural man to appreciate the fullness of GOD’s grace. It is so easy to think of

GOD as a merchantman with something to sell. But the truth is that GOD is too rich to seek to sell His salvation to anyone, and if He were to put a price upon it we would all be too poor to buy. In each dispensation salvation has been by grace alone. All who were saved in Old Testament times, in the various ages before the Cross, owed everything to the work the Son of GOD eventually accomplished upon Calvary. There were different degrees of light, and men were placed under various economies as to their responsibilities to GOD in this world, but no man was ever saved by the animal sacrifices (Heb 10:4), or “by the deeds of the law” (Rom 3:20).

So Isaiah, after having set forth so clearly the atoning death the Anointed of GOD was to die, called upon all needy, troubled souls to appropriate by faith the gracious provision thus depicted. His message to thirsty souls was identical with that proclaimed by the Lord JESUS at a later date (Joh 7:37), and it is with a similar proclamation that the New Testament draws to a close (Rev 22:17).

Isaiah here emphasizes not only the grace of GOD offering the water of life freely to all men, but also stresses the quickening and authoritative power of the Word of GOD, for it is through believing that Word that men receive divine life.

This Gospel message is itself the water of life so freely offered. The Holy Spirit uses the Word as living water to bring life to those dead in trespasses and sins and to refresh and satisfy thirsty souls, who could never find true satisfaction in what this poor world has to offer. We may well be reminded of our Lord’s words to the Samaritan woman, “Whosoever drinketh of the water that I shall give him shall never thirst; but it . . . shall be in him a well [or fountain] of water springing up into everlasting life” (Joh 4:14).

Although not mentioned here by name, it is the Lord JESUS Himself to whom reference is made. He is GOD’s witness who was sent into the world to be the Saviour of sinners. For His advent Israel was taught to wait expectantly, but when He came in grace to save, they spurned and rejected His claims upon them.

This clearly predicts the calling of the Gentiles when Israel failed to recognize the Son of David in the Person of the Lord JESUS CHRIST. Grace then went out to the nations who had hitherto been strangers to the covenants of promise.

“Seek ye the Lord while he may be found, can ye upon him while he is near: let the wicked forsake his way, and the unrighteous man his thoughts: and let him return unto the Lord, and he will have mercy upon him; and to our God, for he will abundantly pardon” (verses 6, 7).

“Seek ye the Lord while He may be found, call ye upon Him while He is near.” Men are responsible to turn to the Lord, and so to find Him as their deliverer. It is not that He is hidden and has to be searched for, but the call is to earnestness of purpose in turning to Him and heeding His voice while. He waits to be gracious, lest if He be rejected too often He may no longer exercise the hearts and consciences of those who harden themselves against Him.

“Let the wicked forsake his way” by turning to GOD in true repentance and the acknowledgment of utter helplessness, thus repudiating the thoughts of the natural heart, and he may be assured that as he turns to the Lord, GOD waits to “abundantly pardon,” for He delights to meet the trusting penitent in grace.

The chapter goes on to show how ready GOD is to take up those who turn to Him in confession of sin, and trust His love.

“For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways, saith the Lord. For as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways, and my thoughts than your thoughts. For as the rain cometh down, and the snow from heaven, and returneth not thither, but watereth the earth, and maketh it bring forth and bud, that it may give seed to the sower, and bread to the eater: So shall my word be that goeth forth out of my mouth: it shall not return unto me void, but it shall accomplish that which I please, and it shall prosper in the thing whereto I sent it. For ye shall go out with joy, and be led forth with peace: the mountains and the hills shall break forth before you into singing, and all the trees of the field shall clap their hands. Instead of the thorn shall come up the fir tree, and instead of the brier shall come up the myrtle tree; and it shall be to the Lord for a name, for an everlasting sign that shall not be cut off” (verses 8-13).

How Isaiah’s own soul must have been stirred as he gave forth this proclamation! And what an encouragement it should be for every servant of CHRIST to remember that GOD has declared that His word will accomplish that for which He has sent it.

Sometimes preachers may get a little discouraged thinking they are talking, as it were, against a brazen wall, but GOD’s Word will never return to Him void. So the prophetic Word will have a complete fulfillment in GOD’s due time.

~ end of chapter 55 ~

http://www.baptistbiblebelievers.com/

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Fuente: Commentaries on the New Testament and Prophets

Isa 55:1.

We have here an exhortation from Almighty God to those who have sinned against Him, and the principle of the exhortation is so clear that it is impossible not to believe that it is the general principle of all God’s exhortations to sinners; and the principle is this, that whoever feels his need of pardon can find pardon, that the sense of thirst is a sufficient warrant that God will give to the thirsty the water of life freely, that to be sensible of our poverty and to acknowledge it is a certain means of obtaining the supply of all our needs.

I. No simple-hearted man reading the life of our Lord Jesus Christ could have any doubt as to His extreme love to mankind and deep desire that all men should be saved; but unfortunately this simple view of the Gospel has been obscured by the theories of ingenious men, and a system of theology has been framed depending upon what is called the doctrine of election. It is held that, in the eternal councils of God, certain persons have been chosen by His mercy as heirs of eternal salvation; these are the elect; these are they for whom the Lord Jesus Christ died. When the ministers of Christ preach His gospel, the great end of their preaching is to call out and separate from the rest of mankind these chosen vessels of God’s mercy.

II. This doctrine not only seems to modify the Gospel, but utterly to abolish and destroy it. Grant that there are millions upon millions of the race of mankind saved by this discriminating electing grace of God, still, so long as there is one human being who misses eternal life for want of such election, salvation must be that which no noble heart could desire; the notion of salvation being rendered valuable in a man’s eyes because it is a free gift to him and is denied to his brother, is one which implies that the man so saved is a creature full of base selfishness, one who can rejoice because he is better off than his brother,-one who could pretend to love a Being of infinite power, who, according to this showing, is also a Being of infinite injustice.

III. The difficulty arising from the consideration of the freedom of man’s will on the one hand, and the omnipotence of God’s grace on the other, is one which is philosophical rather than religious, and with which the religion of Christ as such has nothing whatever to do. It is enough for us to know that Christ did die for all, to know that God’s offers of mercy through Him are free, and that when the thirsty are invited to drink freely the invitation is to be taken in its simplest and fullest meaning.

Bishop Harvey Goodwin, Parish Sermons, 3rd series, p. 153.

I. The state of the persons addressed: (1) a state of want and privation; (2) a state which man has no power to rectify or remove.

II. The provision prepared. (1) Its nature. Food. The benefits of salvation through Christ. (2) The persons for whom it is intended. Of all ages, of all nations.

III. We are induced to come: (1) by the extent of the call; (2) by the freeness of the supply; (3) by the sufficiency of the provision; (4) by the impossibility of finding redemption elsewhere.

G. Brooks, Outlines of Sermons, p. 140.

References: Isa 55:1.-Clergyman’s Magazine, vol. 1., p. 9; G. Brooks, Outlines of Sermons, p. 140; Spurgeon, Sermons, vol. iv., No. 199, vol. xx., No. 1161, vol. xxix., No. 1726; Preacher’s Monthly, vol. vii., p. 41. Isa 55:1, Isa 55:2.-D. Moore, Penny Pulpit, No. 3278. Isa 55:1-4.-Clergyman’s Magazine, vol. xviii., p. 19. Isa 55:1-5.-C. Short, Christian World Pulpit, vol. xvii., p. 141.

Isa 55:2

Consider what are some of the good investments in life, which bring in solid advantages.

I. First among the gains of life is peace of mind, and for that the investment is simply and alone acts of faith in the Lord Jesus Christ. You must commit your whole self, as a poor, miserable sinner, absolutely to His grace and power. Do it fearlessly, and the result is sure; there will come back a sense of pardon; and the interest of that pardon, if I may so call it, pays you every day and every moment. And peace is that “meat to eat which the world knows not of;” it satisfies.

II. The next thing which you will do well to traffic in is truth, the clear knowledge of God’s truth. I do not say that any man can get truth without labour. It is the wages of severe work. And you will have your recompense in that delightful feeling of the discovery of new truth.

III. Next to peace and truth as the gains of life, I have to place the affections of our fellow-creatures. Every affection is a real possession, and well worth the purchase, cost it what it may, so we do not barter truth. That you may have much-love, you must go out of yourself, you must cultivate and show sympathy. Christ’s sympathy did more than Christ’s miracles. If you feel, not for a person, but with a person, it is astonishing how it will make itself felt in a way you cannot trace. There will be a knitting together of your common manhood, and to have it is a very pleasant thing, and it makes life’s food.

IV. Everything which we give or do for God is actually laying up for us in heaven, transferred from this insecure and bankrupt world to the high places of that safe bank, and it is gone before and awaits us there against the time we come; every day we may increase that hidden treasure within the veil, and we shall receive it all back again at last a hundredfold.

J. Vaughan, Fifty Sermons, 10th series, p. 192.

Isa 55:2-3

I. We have here an invitation, addressed to us by Jehovah Himself, to hearken diligently unto Him, to incline our ear, and to come to Him. There is something peculiarly touching in the invitations of the Word of God, which, if men would but pause and reflect, could not fail to make an impression upon their hearts. “Hearken diligently unto Me,” God says; “incline your ear.” He would take you, as it were, each one separately by himself, and reason and counsel with you. The matters of which He would treat with you are too important to be handled in a crowd, too sacred to be discussed amid the noise and bustle of worldly avocations. The Lord will have sinners come to Him; He will have all distance annihilated between your souls and Him; He will have you brought into the closest relationship and communion with Himself; He will have you not only within hearing of His voice, but in His very embrace.

II. The reasons for our closing with this invitation are two, and each of them is very weighty. (1) You will be vast gainers if you follow the leadings of the Divine Spirit, and go into conference with God, and embrace His terms. “Hear, and your soul shall delight itself in fatness; hear, and your soul shall live.” The life of the believer is the only life of real enjoyment upon earth. What will it be when he dwells with God Himself? (2) To refuse the offer is to lose the soul. “He that sowed to the flesh shall of the flesh reap corruption,” and that for ever. He who will not embrace Christ must stand before God with all his guilt upon his head-guilt that cannot then be pardoned; for there remaineth now no more sacrifice for sin.

A. D. Davidson, Lectures and Sermons, p. 472.

References: Isa 55:4.-H. Melvill, Penny Pulpit, No. 1507; Clergyman’s Magazine, vol. xiii., p. 144.

Isa 55:6

I. Consider what we are to understand by seeking the Lord. It is in His double aspect, combined but not contradictory character, as at once just and the justifier of them that believe in Jesus, as a God of justice to punish sin in the surety, and as a God of mercy to pardon it in the sinner, that we are to seek the Lord, and all the blessings which in that gracious character He has and He promises to bestow. Thus, to seek the Lord is just to approach Him by faith.

II. Inquire when the Lord is to be found, and we remark, (1) that the Lord, as bestowing the pardon of sin and salvation on the soul, is to be found in this world, not in another; (2) that the Lord is not to be found on a deathbed; (3) that the Lord is more likely to be found now than at any future time.

III. The shortness and uncertainty of life are strong reasons for seeking pardon and salvation now.

T. Guthrie, The Way to Life, p. 78.

Reference: Isa 55:6.-Bishop Walsham How, Plain Words, 2nd series, p. 47.

Isa 55:6-7

I. Observe the order of the steps of grace. You are first to feel after God in your own heart, “if haply you may find Him;” and when this has brought you a little near, then you are to call out-then you are to pray; then you are to give up some known sin-every wicked way, and every wrong thought. That is an indispensable condition. Then comes the meeting of a pardoned soul with God, and next the appreciation of the Lord as our own covenanted God; and then the sweetness of that perfect love and forgiveness of the Father.

II. Notice, further, that at each step there is an opportunity of finding God, and these opportunities are limited. We are to expect answers to prayer as we give up outward sins, which it is easy to do, and inward sin, which is the more difficult. What is nearness? Is God always near? The Holy Ghost makes nearness. He unites us to God. That presence of the Holy Ghost in the soul is nearness. If the Holy Ghost were to leave you, you would never find God-the life in the Spirit would be over. Hence the tremendous emphasis of the words, “Seek ye the Lord while He may be found.”

III. How can the wicked forsake his way? By prayer, by occupation, by filling the mind with what is good, by having more of the Holy Spirit, by new and better pleasures, higher objects, worthier influences, more fixed motives, by loving constant thoughts of Jesus-this leads on to the end.

IV. There are crises in life. Whatever account you have to settle with God, settle it now. There are two “nows” in the Bible which ought never to be separated. One stands out in the brightest rays, the other retires into the deepest shadows. “Now is the accepted time.” “Now they are hid from thine eyes.”

J. Vaughan, Sermons, 11th series, p. 29.

References: Isa 55:6, Isa 55:7.-Preacher’s Monthly, vol. v., p. 38. Isa 55:6-9.-C. Short, Christian World Pulpit, vol. xvii., p. 158.

Isa 55:7

I. Look, first, at the Counsellor. (1) He who speaks to the wicked man, and to the unrighteous man, is He who made all things. The Father of the wicked is here speaking to the wicked. (2) He who speaks knows every wicked man and unrighteous man. (3) He who speaks hates evil. (4) He who speaks has power to destroy the wicked in hell. (5) It is the redeeming God who here addresses the wicked man.

II. Look, secondly, at His counsel. Let the wicked forsake his way, and the unrighteous man his thoughts, and let him come back. The advice requires (1) self-inspection; (2) the admission of truth as to the character of the way, and as to the nature of the thoughts; (3) the resistance of an inclination to go on; (4) submission to the conviction that the way is evil, and the abandonment of every unrighteous purpose, with actual departure from the path of open and actual transgression; (5) appeal to God’s mercy, and for help and reconciliation.

III. The counselled. The wicked and the unrighteous man. God has singled out particularly three classes: (1) the thirsty; (2) the impoverished; (3) the disappointed.

IV. The promise. “He will abundantly pardon.” (1) The promise is conditional, yet it is sure. (2) The promise is made to characters. There is, therefore, an indefiniteness which may well encourage us. I may address these words to every wicked man, no matter what his wickedness consists of; and to every unrighteous man, no matter what his evil purposes may be.

S. Martin, Westminster Chapel Pulpit, 2nd series, No. 16.

References: Isa 55:7.-Preacher’s Monthly, vol. v., p. 40; Spurgeon, My Sermon Notes: Ecclesiastes to Malachi, pp. 256, 259; Ibid., Sermons, vol. xx., No. 1195; G. Brooks, Outlines of Sermons, p. 141; D. L. Moody, Christian World Pulpit, vol. xx., p. 341. Isa 55:8.-Clergyman’s Magazine, vol. xii., p. 23; W. M. Taylor, Old Testament Outlines, p. 231.

Isa 55:8-9

I. The errors, in opposition to which the doctrine of the text is to be asserted, are those connected with what has been technically termed anthropomorphism.

II. The testimony of the text is not to be overstrained. There are qualifications and limitations that must be practically observed in applying it. (1) We are expressly taught to judge of the heart of God by what is in the heart of man. “Like as a father pitieth his children,” etc. (2) But for such a liberty and warrant as we now contend for some of the most affecting of the inspired pleadings and promises of the Bible would be cold and heartless. (3) There is a great truth to be brought out here, that the perfection of God, in respect of which He is to be contrasted with man, consists not in the absence of sensibility, but in its very intensity and purity and power.

II. The applications of this truth are as manifold as are the exigencies of human experience. (1) It is because His thoughts are not your thoughts that God justifies freely. (2) For the same reason the pardon He dispenses is very free, unreserved, as well as unconditional. (3) But most peremptory, authoritative, sovereign, is the Gospel call, as a call to repentance as well as to reconciliation. (4) The promises of God are and must be most faithful, because His thoughts are not our thoughts.

R. S. Candlish, The Gospel of Forgiveness, p. 264.

I. The mystery of Christ’s birth and of our new birth. As in many other places of the prophet Isaiah, so here in the text, the Almighty commends to us this thought, that we should learn from the very sight of the heaven above us, not to lose, in our sense of God’s mercy, the deep trembling awe and reverence with which we ought to regard all His doings; not to dream that we understand them; nor to conclude that they fail because we do not yet see the fruit of them,-but to labour diligently in the way of our duty, and for the rest to be silent before Him, and wait on Him with adoring patience.

II. This same lesson, which the very height of the heaven was intended to teach all mankind, seems to be brought before us Christians in a wonderful, unspeakable way, when we are called on to remember our Lord’s nativity. The very thing by itself, God Incarnate, was the wonder of all wonders-a matter surely as much above the thoughts and conjectures of man as the heaven is higher than the earth: that the Creator should become a creature; that the Lord most holy and true should join Himself to a sinful race and become one of them, to deliver them from the evil consequences of their sin. But even suppose the thought of God’s becoming man had entered into any man’s heart, the circumstances of His coming into the world were far unlike what we should have imagined. Consider the quietness of this great event. How in the silence of the night, in a town of no great size or wealth, in an outhouse of an inn, the great God came visibly among His creatures, as it had been prophesied concerning Him. How poor and lowly was everything around Him who was come to bring us all the treasures of heaven!

III. From this great event we learn: (1) Not to doubt that God’s purposes, however to us unlikely, will be one way or another accomplished. (2) Not only in the great concerns of the world and of the kingdom of God, but also in what relates to each of us particularly, we are to be quite sure that the Almighty has His own purpose concerning us, and that He is working around us and within us even in the most ordinary things. (3) The Collect for Christmas Day teaches that our Lord’s taking our nature upon Him, and His birth on this day of a pure virgin, answers in some remarkable way to our being regenerate and made His children by adoption and grace, i.e., our baptism. As Christ at His nativity showed Himself in our human nature, so we at our new birth, St. Peter tells us, are made partakers of His Divine nature.

Plain Sermons by Contributors to “Tracts for the Times” vol. iv., p. 302.

References: Isa 55:8, Isa 55:9.-J. Keble, Sermons for Christmas and Epiphany, p. 27; C. Morris, Preacher’s Lantern, vol. ii., p. 60; J. Foster, Lectures, 2nd series, p. 129. Isa 55:8-10.-H. W. Beecher, Christian World Pulpit, vol. ix., p. 13; Spurgeon, Sermons, vol. xii., No. 676, vol. xxiii., No. 1387. Isa 55:10, Isa 55:11.-T. P. Boulver, Old Testament Outlines, p. 232; Homiletic Quarterly, vol. ii., p. 272; G. Brooks, Outlines of Sermons, p. 201; H. W. Beecher, Christian World Pulpit, vol. iii., p. 204; Ibid., Sermons, 1870, p. 149. Isa 55:10-13.-C. Short, Christian World Pulpit, vol. xvii., p. 173. Isa 55:11.-Clergyman’s Magazine, vol. i., p. 162; D. Moore, Penny Pulpit, No. 349.

Isa 55:12

To the Jew in Isaiah’s time this promise doubtless bore reference to three things: the return from the seventy years’ captivity; their ultimate restoration, first to their own land, and then to Christ; and God’s way of dealing with each individual’s own soul. To us it stands only in the last reference; to us the words are simply spiritual.

I. The “going out” appears to relate to that great moral exodus when a man emerges from a state of nature into a state of grace, from bondage to liberty, from darkness to light, from the world to Christ. This is indeed to be with joy. The being led forth denotes the further experiences of the Christian,-God’s conduct of him by the way; his future courses, and especially the manner in which he is brought out at last-out of this life into a better; and all this is to be “with peace.”

II. What is joy? (1) Novelty of perception. It is a wonderfully new feeling when a soul first tastes the promises and grasps its own interest in Christ. (2) Keenness of perception. Keen is the first sense of sin to a penitent, and keen is the first sense of pardon to a believer. In that early dawn the soul’s atmosphere is so clear that every object stands out in its distinctness. (3) Sweetness of perception. Sweeter are those perceptions than they are keen. Are they not the touches of the Holy Ghost? They are all about beautiful things-saints and angels, a holy heaven, and a perfect Jesus.

III. “And be led forth with peace.” As we go on in the spiritual life the sense of sin grows deeper and deeper; and a deep sense of weakness, nothingness, and guilt, combining with a fuller sense of pardon and love, makes joy peace. To a mind led and taught of God all the changes and chances of life lend themselves to peace. A great affliction is a deep fountain of peace; the very agitation hushes, and it makes all troubles afterwards so very small. Another and another promise fulfilled every day is always enlarging the rock underneath our feet. Another and another answer to prayer is always strengthening the arguments for the future. Another and another new drop of the knowledge of Christ is always swelling the tide, till the “peace flows like a river,” because we see the “righteousness of Christ” as the waves of the sea.

J. Vaughan, Fifty Sermons, 4th series, p. 281.

References: Isa 55:13.-Spurgeon, Sermons, vol. xiv., No. 833; Homiletic Magazine, vol. xii., p. 20.

Fuente: The Sermon Bible

CHAPTER 55 Salvations Offer and Provision

1. The invitation to everyone and the promise (Isa 55:1-2) 2. The sure mercies of David (Isa 55:3-5) 3. The exhortation to seek and to forsake (Isa 55:6-7) 4. Gods thoughts and Gods ways (Isa 55:8-11) 5. The joy, peace and glory of the future (Isa 55:12-13) The scope and application of this chapter must not be limited. While Israel eventually will break forth in singing as the result of believing on Him, whom they once despised, the invitation to a free and full salvation goes forth to every one. It is the great gospel invitation in this book. But the national promises to Israel are in evidence in Isa 55:3-5. And when Israel is redeemed the invitation to salvation will go forth as never before. Now individuals are saved. Then nations will be brought into the kingdom. Nations that knew not thee shall come unto thee because of the Lord thy God, and for the Holy One of Israel; for He hath glorified thee.

Fuente: Gaebelein’s Annotated Bible (Commentary)

The Poor Mans Market

Ho, every one that thirsteth, come ye to the waters, and he that hath no money; come ye, buy, and eat; yea, come, buy wine and milk without money and without price. Wherefore do ye spend money for that which is not bread? and your labour for that which satisfieth not? hearken diligently unto me, and eat ye that which is good, and let your soul delight itself in fatness.Isa 55:1-2.

Ho, every one that thirsteth, come ye to the waters, and he that hath no moneywell may Isaiah be called the Evangelical prophet. Where in the New Testament itself will you find a clearer gospel invitation than this? Even the searching cry of our Lord on the great day of the feast, If any man thirst, let him come unto me, and drink, what is it more than this? It is simply Isaiahs call, its unique and moving power being due to no greater freeness or breadth in the call itself, but to the Person who now uttered it. Come unto me, said Isaiah; but he spoke in the name of another; Come unto me, echoed Jesus the Christ, and that day Isaiahs Scripture was fulfilled in their ears.

Isaiah is the gospel prophet. And what are the marks of a gospel? These three: propitiation, pardon, purity. In the fifty-third chapter we have the propitiation, the putting of One in the place of others, and making Him to be sin for us. In this chapter we have the other two, the pardon and the purity. The assurance of pardon is given in Isa 55:6-9, beginning, Seek ye the Lord while he may be found. The promise of purity goes from Isa 55:10 to the end of the chapter.

Samuel Rutherford has spoken of this verse as setting before us what he calls the poor mans market; and, in like manner, William Rutherford, of Fenwick, of Covenanting faith, declares: We have here a plain market, even the most pleasant, most substantial, and most glorious market that ever was. And indeed, when you think of it, you have here the strangest kind of market that you can conceive, in which every maxim of the merchantman is set at naught; in which the only payment is made by the seller, and all the gain is to the buyers, and in which goods the most precious, the most costly you can think of, are given away for naught.

I

The Universal Hunger and Thirst

The prophets call is to every one that thirsteth, to all who are unsatisfied, who feel that their life is not filled up, that there is something which they know they still lack, something they crave for, over and above their present possessions.

At the very outset the question meets us, Are there any beyond the reach of the prophets call? It is to every one that thirsteth, but are there those who are not thirsty, who are perfectly contented with what they have, and feel no need of anything more? Or does the call of the prophet appeal to all men? It does seem to us that we could point to a contented life which nevertheless does not possess what we know to be the essential secret of contentment. We know men who feel no need of God, who can live on in a world that is full of God and dependent on God, and neither see Him nor feel their dependence; and if we limit our question to this, Are there men who can exist without feeling a thirst for things higher than what we see and touch? the answer must be that there are; and it would seem as if the prophets call were not addressed to them. But if we allow that call to have its widest meaning, it speaks to all. It is not addressed to every one that thirsteth after God, or after righteousness, or after goodness, or after holiness; but simply to every one that thirsteth; it speaks to every one that is not absolutely contented with what he has. If that be so, then it speaks to the world.

1. There are dormant thirsts. It is no proof of superiority that a savage has fewer wants than we have, for want is the open mouth into which supply comes. And you will all have deep in your nature desires which will for ever keep you from being blessed or at rest unless they are awakened and settled, though these desires are all unconscious. The business of the preacher is very largely to get the people who will listen to him to recognise the fact that they do want things which they do not wish; and that, for the perfection of their nature, the cherishing of noble longings and thirstings is needful, and that to be without this sense of need is to be without one of the loftiest prerogatives of humanity. Some of you do not want forgiveness. Many of you would much rather not have holiness. You do not want God. The promises of the gospel go clean over your heads, and are as impotent to influence you as is the wind whistling through a keyhole, because you have never been aware of the wants to which these promises correspond, and do not understand what it is that you truly require. And yet there are no desires so dormant but that their being ungratified makes a man restless. You do not want forgiveness, but you will never be happy till you get it. You do not want to be good and true and holy men, but you will never be blessed till you are. You do not want God, some of you, but you will be restless till you find Him. You fancy you want heaven when you are dead; you do not want it when you are living. But until your earthly life is like the life of Jesus Christ in heaven even whilst you are on earth you will never be at rest.

You remember the old story in the Arabian Nights of the man who had a grand palace, and lived in it quite comfortably, until somebody told him that it needed a rocs egg hanging from the roof to make it complete, and he did not know where to get that, and was miserable accordingly. We build our houses, we fancy that we are satisfied; and then comes the stinging thought that it is not all complete yet, and we go groping, groping in the dark, to find out what it is.1 [Note: A. Maclaren, The Wearied Christ, p. 116.]

More liberty begets desire of more;

The hunger still increases with the store.2 [Note: Dryden, The Hind and the Panther, Part I, line 519.]

2. But, while dormant desires have to be roused, the prophets call is really addressed to everybody. Where shall we find a man who is absolutely contented, who has everything he desires to have, and nothing he would gladly get rid of, who, if only he could find a pleasant enough and feasible enough plan for accomplishing the transformation, would not wish to change anything in his outward condition, or be different in his inward character? Could we choose what we were to have and what we were to be, I imagine few would choose to remain as they are. If this be so, then are we of the number of those thirsty ones to whom Isaiah speaks. The whole world is athirst, and the prophets message is for every creature.

The invitation is as universal as if it had stopped with its third word. Ho, every one would have been no broader than is the offer as it stands. For the characteristics named are those which belong, necessarily and universally, to human experience. If the text had said, Ho, every one that breathes human breath, it would not have more completely covered the whole race, and enfolded thee and me, and all our brethren, in the amplitude of its promise, than it does when it sets up as the sole qualifications, thirst and penurythat we infinitely need and that we are absolutely unable to acquire the blessings that it offers.

The sharp shrill cry of Acqua! Acqua! constantly pierces the ear of the wanderer in Venice and other towns of sultry Italy. There is the man who thus invites your attention. Look at him. On his back he bears a burden of water, and in his hand a rack of bottles containing essences to flavour the draught if needed, and glasses to hold the cooling liquid. In the streets of London he would find but little patronage, but where fountains are few and the days are hot as an oven, he earns a livelihood and supplies a public need. The present specimen of water-dealers is a poor old man bent sideways by the weight of his daily burden. He is worn out in all but his voice, which is truly startling in its sharpness and distinctness. At our call he stops immediately, glad to drop his burden on the ground, and smiling in prospect of a customer. He washes out a glass for us, fills it with sparkling water, offers us the tincture which we abhor, puts it back into the rack again when we shake our head, receives half a dozen soldi with manifest gratitude, and trudges away across the square, crying still, Acqua! Acqua! That cry, shrill as it is, has sounded sweetly in the ears of many a thirsty soul, and will for ages yet to come if throats and thirst survive so long.

II

The Vain Search for Satisfaction

1. The phrase Wherefore do ye spend money for that which is not bread? in the Hebrew, referring to the custom of ancient times, reads: Wherefore do ye weigh money for that which is not bread? We see here how in their foolishness men are weighing out their lives, spending their energies, wasting their affections upon that which is not bread, and which brings no lasting satisfaction to the soul. The soul is fed and fed, but the sense of hunger remains. The soul is filled and filled, and yet the sense of emptiness continues! The Hebrew term for that which is not bread reads more correctly for that which is no-bread, it is the negative of bread; it is the very opposite of bread. It is that which not only does not alleviate our hunger, but makes us more hungry! It does not fill our emptiness, but makes us more empty than ever! Not only does it fail to satisfy, but it makes us more dissatisfied! Just as salt water not only fails to quench the thirst but aggravates it.

The excessive striving which is so evident to-day betokens a thirsty, unsatisfied world. Men are searching for happiness and contentment; it is natural they should, and they imagine that if they had certain things their hunger would be appeased. The poor man asks for money, the rich man seeks to be richer still, the ambitious longs for fame and power and position, the sensual for the means to gratify his passions, and each fancies that were his wishes to be granted, he would then know what happiness meant, and would be content.

2. In how many ways do men try to quench the thirst of the soul? Some of the most manifest are Sensuality, Work, Privation, Amusement.

1. Sensuality.It is a common endeavour to make the body receive double, so as to satisfy both itself and the soul with its pleasures. The effort is, how continually to stimulate the body by delicacies, and condiments, and sparkling bowls, and licentious pleasures of all kinds, and so to make the body do double service. Hence, too, the drunkenness, and high feasting, and other vices of excess. The animals have no such vices, because they have no hunger save that of the body; but man has a hunger also of the mind or soul, when separated from God by his sin, and therefore he must somehow try to pacify that. And he does it by a work of double feeding put upon the body. We call it sensuality. But the body asks not for it. The body is satisfied by simply that which allows it to grow and maintain its vigour. It is the unsatisfied, hungry mind that flies to the body for some stimulus of sensation, compelling it to devour as many more of the husks, or carobs, as will feed the hungry prodigal within. Thus it is that so many dissipated youths are seen plunging into pleasures of excessmidnight feastings and surfeitings, debaucheries of lust and impiety; it is because they are hungry, because their soul, separated from God and the true bread of life in Him, aches for the hunger it suffers. And so it is the world over; men are hungry everywhere, and they compel the body to make a swines heaven for the comfort of the godlike soul.1 [Note: H. Bushnell, The New Life, p. 37.]

My days are in the yellow leaf,

The flowers and fruit of love are gone,

The worm, the canker, and the grief

Are mine alone.2 [Note: Byron, on the day he completed his 36th year.]

2. Work.It was to a busy people that the words of our text were first addressed. Most probably this prophecy was uttered on the eve of the return of the Jews from captivity in Babylon. Long ago had they looked for deliverance from the miseries of the exile, but when it began to appear as if God had forgotten His people, and as if all their bright national hopes were for ever shattered, it was inevitable that they should seek for some other source of consolation and rest. Many lost hope, lost faith in the covenant promises, and turned to find in trade and worldly aims a substitute for religion. All their splendid powers of heart and mind they transferred to commerce, and joined in the pursuit of gain until, as one has put it, from being a nation of born priests, they equally appear to have been born traders. Gain now took the place of God. They had been a religious nation, now they became a commercial nation.

The exile in Babylon made money. He increased it by increased trade. He amassed possessions. His body revelled in conditions of ease. His carnal appetites delighted themselves in fatness. He climbed into positions of eminence and power. What else? In the fulness of his sufficiency he was in straits. The body luxuriated; the soul languished. He drenched the body with comforts; he could not appease its tenant. Soul, thou hast much goods laid up eat, drink, and be merry! And still the soul cried out, I thirst, and disturbed him like an unquiet ghost. He spent money and more money, but was never able to buy the appropriate bread. He plunged into increased labours, but his labours reaped only that which satisfieth not. The body toiled, the brain schemed, the eyes coveted, and still the soul cried out, I thirst.

It is related that a nobleman, greatly incensed that his sister had married a man of affairs, turned her picture, which hung in the manor house, face towards the wall, and on its back inscribed in crude letters the legend, Gone into trade. It was the expression of his abhorrence that one who had been nobly born should make an alliance which, in his estimation, was beneath her station. When Israel, by reason of her own iniquities, was led in exile from Jerusalem to Babylon, God turned her picture face to the wall and on it wrote the legend, Gone into trade. Her history expressed Gods abhorrence of her choice between His service and the worship of the world.1 [Note: N. Boynton in Sermons by the Monday Club, xvii. p. 51.]

He found his work, but far behind

Lay something that he could not find:

Deep springs of passion that can make

A life sublime for others sake,

And lend to work the living glow

That saints and bards and heroes know.

The power lay thereunfolded power

A bud that never bloomed a flower;

For half beliefs and jaded moods

Of worldlings, critics, cynics, prudes,

Lay round his path and dimmed and chilled.

Illusions passed. High hopes were killed;

But Duty lived. He sought not far

The might be in the things that are;

His ear caught no celestial strain;

He dreamed of no millennial reign.

Brave, true, unhoping, calm, austere,

He laboured in a narrow sphere,

And found in work his spirit needs

The last, if not the best, of creeds.1 [Note: W. E. H. Lecky, Poems, p. 99.]

3. Privation.In India ascetic practices have been very widely prevalent from the very earliest times. The mortification of the body, and the self-inflicted penances associated therewith, have been habitually carried to lengths beyond anything familiar to other peoples. Tradition and legend have united to glorify the ascetic, whether human or Divine; religion, as elsewhere, has sanctioned and encouraged his devotion; and the highest rewards of place and power have been within his reach, if only his austerities have taken a form sufficiently protracted and severe. Eastern patience, self-abnegation, and resolution are seen in their strangest guise, in submission to extreme conditions of self-torture and distress. The profession of the ascetic has always been held in the highest esteem, and his claim to support at the public charge by gifts and alms universally allowed. If it is his merit to practise, it is the merit of others to give to him, that his simple wants may never lack supply. And thus on both sides asceticism ministered to spiritual profit, to the actual and personal gain of the ascetic himself, both present and prospective, and to the store of credit which by his generosity the householder trusted to accumulate for himself, so as to win a higher position and birth in the next existence. Part of the secret of the hold which the ascetic ideal has maintained on the Indian mind lies in the fact that, according to the teaching of their sacred books, benefit accrues also to the donor who forwards the holy man on his way with gifts of money or food, or ministers in any way to his personal needs.2 [Note: A. S. Geden, in the Encyclopedia of Religion and Ethics, ii. p. 87.]

A Chinese traveller, describing the Japanese of the early centuries of our era, mentions this interesting custom: They appoint a man whom they call an abstainer. He is not allowed to comb his hair, to wash, to eat flesh, or to approach women. When they are fortunate, they make him presents; but if they are ill or meet with disaster, they set it down to the abstainers failure to keeps his vows, and unite to put him to death.1 [Note: A. E. Suffrin, ibid. ii. p. 96.]

My father, my father, if the prophet had bid thee do some great thing, wouldst thou not have done it? Would you not? Swung at the end of a pole, with hooks in your back; measured all the way from Cape Comorin to the Himalayas, lying down on your face and rising at each length; done a hundred things which heathens and Roman Catholics and unspiritual Protestants think are the way to get salvation; denied yourselves things that you would like to do; done things that you do not want to do; given money that you would like to keep; avoided habits that are very sweet; gone to church and chapel when you have no heart for worship; and so tried to balance the account. If the prophet had bid thee do some great thing, thou wouldst have done it.

4. Amusement.Another stream to which the world repairs, in hopes to refresh its weariness, is pleasure. Here it thinks to find fulness of satisfaction. In amusement, in gaiety, in excitement, many would find their greatest good. Nothing, they imagine, can be better than to have within reach the means of being constantly amused. So they wander from place to place, from entertainment to entertainment. For a time they may find satisfaction, but as the experiment is repeated, the simpler pleasures and innocent amusements of life pall upon the taste, and no longer yield the enjoyment they once did. New means are sought of satisfying a restless appetite, till we see the devotee of pleasure sinking lower and lower, throwing aside every restraint, and giving the rein to every base inclination of a pampered nature. If gain has slain its thousands, pleasure has slain her tens of thousands.

She dwells with BeautyBeauty that must die;

And Joy, whose hand is ever at his lips

Bidding adieu; and aching Pleasure nigh,

Turning to poison while the bee-mouth sips:

Ay, in the very temple of Delight

Veild Melancholy has her sovran shrine,

Though seen of none save him whose strenuous tongue

Can burst Joys grape against his palate fine;

His soul shall taste the sadness of her might,

And be among her cloudy trophies hung.2 [Note: Keats, Ode on Melancholy.]

III

The True Source of Satisfaction

Men not only make the mistake of seeking rest in the pursuit of such definite things as gain and pleasure, but they make the fundamental mistake of seeking to quench the thirst of an immortal spirit at a human fountain. That cannot be done. The human fountain runs dry, and the soul is not satisfied; for the soul must rest in God, the immortal in the immortal, spirit in spirit, the infinite in the infinite. Nothing short of this will satisfy; the souls true and only true environment is God; outside of Him there is no rest for a weary world. Lord, says the saintly Augustine, Thou hast created us for Thyself, and our heart is restless till it finds rest in Thee. More possessions, more pleasures, cries the man of the world, and we shall be satisfied. It is not so. The man in the valley looks up to the hills, and imagines that were he on the top of the peak he sees he would have gained the highest point of the hill, but when he climbs up it is only to discover that there are other reaches yet. It is not by adding to your possessions that satisfaction comes to you. Nothing this world can give, even were you to get it all, is proportionate to your need. Your need lies deeper than you yourselves know, deeper than your own desires; it lies in the immortal part of you, which can be fed with no earthly bread. It is because men think it can that they never find rest. They spend their money for that which is not bread, which cannot satisfy the life of man, which can no more feed the spirit than the wind of heaven can feed the body.

They tell an old story about the rejoicings at the coronation of some great king, when there was set up in the market-place a triple fountain, from each of whose three lips flowed a different kind of rare liquor, which any man who chose to bring a pitcher might fill from, at his choice. Notice the text, Come ye to the waters buy wine and milk. The great fountain is set up in the market-place of the world, and every man may come; and whichever of this glorious trinity of effluents he needs most, there his lip may glue itself and there he may drink, be it water that refreshes, or wine that gladdens, or milk that nourishes. They are all contained in this one great gift that flows out from the deep heart of God to the thirsty lips of parched humanity.

A story is told of a shipwrecked crew who had been drifting for days in a small boat, suffering the horrors of thirst. In the extremity of their suffering, when all hope had been abandoned, a vessel was seen bearing towards them. When sufficiently near, they called out as well as their parched throats permitted, Water, water. Dip your bucket over the side, came back, as they thought, the mocking answer. But unconsciously they had drifted into that part where the mighty Amazon bears its fresh waters far out to sea. They were actually floating in an ocean of plenty and were unaware of the fact.

i. What True Satisfaction is

1. The knowledge of God.It is the grand endeavour of the gospel to communicate God to men. They have undertaken to live without Him, and do not see that they are starving in the bitterness of their experiment. It is not, as with bodily hunger, where they have a sure instinct compelling them to seek their food; but they go after the husks, and would fain be filled with these, not even so much as conceiving what is their real want or how it comes. For it is a remarkable fact that so few men, living in the flesh, have any conception that God is the necessary supply and nutriment of their spiritual nature, without which they famish and die. It has an extravagant sound; when they hear it, they do not believe it. How can it be that they have any such high relation to the eternal God, or He to them? It is as if the tree were to say, What can I, a mere trunk of wood, all dark and solid within, standing fast in my rod of groundwhat can I have to do with the free, moving air, and the boundless sea of light that fills the world? And yet it is a nature made to feed on these, taking them into its body to supply and vitalise and colour every fibre of its substance. Just so it is that every finite spirit is inherently related to the infinite, in Him to live and move and have its being.

The fruition of God is contemporaneous with the desire after God. The one moment, My soul thirsteth; the next moment, My soul is satisfied. As in the wilderness when the rain comes down, and in a couple of days what was baked earth is flowery meadow, and all the torrent-beds where the white stones glistened ghastly in the heat are foaming with rushing water, and fringed with budding willows; so in the instant in which a heart turns with true desire to God, in that instant does God draw near to it. The Arctic spring comes with one stride; to-day snow, tomorrow flowers. There is no time needed to work this telegraph; while we speak He hears; before we call He answers. We have to wait for many of His gifts, never for Himself.

While we were passing through the crowded bazaars this afternoon, on our way to visit some of the fine houses of this city, I was very much interested and amused by the number and variety of the street calls or cries. I have been startled in Beirut by shrill warning to look behind or before me to avoid being run over by loaded animals, but here in Damascus ones ears are assailed by many additional calls. Two lads carrying between them a large tray loaded with bread, cried out, Ya Karim! Ya Karim! That is not the name for bread. No, it is one of the attributes of God, and signifies the bountiful or generous; and since bread is the staff of life, the name implies that it is the gift of the Bountiful One.1 [Note: W. M. Thomson, The Land and the Book, iii. p. 388.]

2. In the face of Jesus Christ.We may say that the satisfaction which the soul of man finds final is the knowledge of God, but more explicitly, it is the knowledge of God in the face of Jesus Christ. In one word it is Christ. He, and not merely some truth about Him and His work; He Himself, in the fulness of His being, in the all-sufficiency of His love, in the reality of His presence, in the power of His sacrifice, in the daily derivation, into the heart that waits upon Him, of His life and His spirit, He is the all-sufficient supply of every thirst of every human soul. Do we want happiness? Christ gives us His joy, permanent and full, and not as the world gives. Do we want love? He gathers us to Himself by bonds that Death, the separator, vainly attempts to untie, and which no unworthiness, ingratitude, coldness of ours, can ever provoke to change themselves. Do we want wisdom? He will dwell with us as our light. Do our hearts yearn for companionship? With Him we shall never be solitary. Do we long for a bright hope which shall light up the dark future, and spread a rainbow span over the great gorge and gulf of death? Jesus Christ spans the void, and gives us unfailing and undeceiving hope. For everything that we need here or yonder, in heart, in will, in practical life, Jesus Christ Himself is the all-sufficient supply, my life in death, my all in all.

Our blessed Lord appears to have always the feeling that He has come down into a realm of hungry, famishing souls. You see this in the parable of the Prodigal Son, and that of the Feast or Supper. Hence, that very remarkable discourse in the sixth chapter of John, where He declares Himself as the living Bread that came down from heaventhat a man may eat thereof and not die. Whoso eateth my flesh, and drinketh my blood, hath eternal life. My flesh is meat indeed, and my blood is drink indeed. He that eateth my flesh, and drinketh my blood, dwelleth in me and I in him. As the living Father hath sent me, and I live by the Father: so he that eateth me, even he shall live by me.

See how His promises suit your condition, (a) Are you heavy laden with guilt? The gospel message is, The blood of Jesus Christ his Son cleanseth us from all sin. (b) Are you groaning under the power of indwelling sin? He giveth power to the faint; and to them that have no might he increaseth strength. (c) Are you striving to obtain salvation by the deeds of the law? Christ is the end of the law for righteousness to every one that believeth. (d) Are you in temptation? He has been tempted Himself, and knows how to pity you. He has power over your enemy, and can deliver you with a word. The God of Peace shall bruise Satan under your feet shortly.

One of the most accomplished men of his time said, some days before his death, I have surveyed most of the learning that is among the sons of men, and my study is filled with books and manuscripts on various subjects, yet at this moment I can recollect nothing in them all on which I can rest my soul, save one from the sacred Scriptures, which lies much on my spirit. It is this: The grace of God that bringeth salvation hath appeared unto all men, teaching us that, denying ungodliness and worldly lusts, we should live soberly, righteously, and godly in this present world; looking for that blessed hope, and the glorious appearing of the great God and our Saviour Jesus Christ. 1 [Note: R. W. Pritchard.]

How is it that Christ satisfies us, and puts an end to all dispeace? Of the streams of the world at which men drink it is said, Whosoever drinketh of this water shall thirst again: but whosoever drinketh of the water that I shall give him shall never thirst; but the water that I shall give him shall be in him a well of water springing up into everlasting life. Christ satisfies us because His gift is a well of water in the soul itself, because wherever we are, whatever happens to us, the source and centre of our spiritual life cannot be separated from us. This is mans victory and end, when within himself he so has the source of life and joy that he is independent of circumstances, of possessions, of things present and things to come. It is this gift that God offers to us without money and without price.

It is related by one who had experienced the horrors of the great African desert, that the thirst which had absorbed all other feelings while it raged, was no sooner slaked, than the feeling of hunger was revived in tenfold violence; and I scruple not to spiritualise this incident in illustration of the prophets language. The sensation of relief from undefined anxiety, or from a positive dread of Divine wrath, however exquisite, is not enough to satisfy the soul. The more it receives, the more it feels its own deficiencies; and when its faculties have been revived by the assurance of forgiveness, it becomes aware of its own ignorance, and of those chasms which can be filled only with knowledge of the truth. This is the sense of spiritual hunger which succeeds the allaying of spiritual thirst. The soul, having been refreshed, must now be fed. The cooling, cleansing properties of water cannot repair the decaying strength. There must be nutriment, suited to the condition of the soul. And it is furnished. Here is milk as well as water.1 [Note: J. A. Alexander, The Gospel of Jesus Christ, p. 339.]

ii. The Price paid for it

The words of the text are a paradox. We are invited to buy, yet without money and without price. But it is a paradox that needs little explanation. The contradiction on the surface is but intended to make emphatic this blessed truth, which I pray may reach your memories and hearts, that the only conditions are a sense of need, and a willingness to takenothing else, and nothing more. We must recognise our penury, and must abandon self, and put away all ideas of having a finger in our own salvation, and be willingwilling to be obliged to Gods unhelped and undeserved love for all.

Cheap things are seldom valued. Ask a high price and people think that the commodity is precious. A man goes into a fair, for a wager, and he carries with him a tray full of gold watches and offers to sell them for a farthing apiece, and nobody will buy them. It does not, I hope, degrade the subject, if I say that Jesus Christ comes into the market-place of the world with His hands full of the gifts which the pierced hands have bought, that He may give them away. He says, Will you take them? And one after another you pass by on the other side, and go away to another merchant, and buy dearly things that are not worth the having.

In a beautiful passage in his Roots of Honour John Ruskin says that it may become the duty of any man to die for his profession: the soldier, he says, to die at his post in a battle; the physician to die rather than leave his post in time of plague; the pastor to die rather than preach falsehood; the lawyer to die rather than countenance injustice; and the merchantman, he says, to die rather than that the nation should be unprovided or any great wrong be done to the mass of men committed to his care. But here is One who did die for the buyers in His market, who did die that His market might be furnished with infinite stores, who did die that no one coming to His market should ever be sent empty away.

Another cry was made by a man carrying on his back a large leathern bottle, and jingling in his hands several deep and bright copper saucers, to attract attention, I could hear nothing but Ishrub ya atshan! Ishrub ya atshan! which is the Arabic for Drink, O thirsty! That sounded like the Biblical invitation, Ho, every one that thirsteth, come ye to the waters. Yes; but, according to Isaiah, they were to buy without money and without price. That mans invitation, however, is very different. By the sale of his sherbet he makes his living, and he who has no money will get no drink; and if he should thus publicly offer to sell wine with or without price, he would be torn to pieces by a fanatical Moslem mob. I liked the sound of his invitation, nevertheless. And I will only add that it is a most significant and encouraging fact that the colporteur may be seen in those bazaars pursuing his humble vocation, and offering the true bread and the water of everlasting life to the perishing multitudes in this intensely Moslem city. And the best wish we can express on behalf of the Demascenes is that they may be brought to accept it, through Him whose Kingdom, according to the inscription over the entrance to their mosk, is an everlasting kingdom, and whose dominion endureth throughout all generations.1 [Note: W. M. Thomson, The Land and the Book, iii. p. 388.]

The selling price is naught; but that does not mean that these goods cost nothing to the heavenly seller. There goods are the cheapest sold and the dearest bought that ever any goods were. Go out by night and see those countless worlds as so many bright gems flashing on the diadem of the universe; all these and all their untold wealth could not purchase one item of the goods in Emmanuels market-place, for the Son of Man bought them at a great price, and now they are all free. No money can buy them; they are without price because they are priceless; they are without price because, after all, they are not so much sold as given away. He who has them is of princely estate, and princely are all His gifts. The selling price is naught, because already they have been bought and paid for. The selling price is naught, because, truth to tell the buyers have naught to give.

Louis 1., on one occasion, sent one of his aides-de-camp to request that a place should be reserved for him at the morning service. Tell His Majesty, said Leon Pilatte, that all seats are free and open. I have often thought, says M. Luigi, that that little sermon was the best that poor Louis of Bavaria ever heard in his life. No one else would have dared to tell him that Gods house is free to all, and that in it all are equal.

Earth gets its price for what earth gives us;

The beggar is taxed for a corner to die in;

The priest has his fee who covers and shrives us,

We bargain for the graves we lie in;

At the devils booth are all things sold,

Each ounce of dross costs its ounce of gold;

For a cap and bells our lives we pay.

Bubbles we earn with a whole souls tasking;

Tis heaven alone that is given away,

Tis only God may be had for the asking.2 [Note: James Russell Lowell.]

iii. The Benefit of it

It is unfolded in this chapter. First of all, there is the assured promise of a fuller life. Your soul shall live. Your soul! Hitherto life has been a thin existence, a mere surface glitter, a superficial movement. Now, vitality shall awaken in undreamed of depths. Your soul shall live. Life shall no longer be confined to the channels of the appetites, to mere sensations, to the outer halls and passages of the sacred house. Your soul shall live. The unused shall be aroused and exercised. Unevolved faculty shall be unpacked. Benumbed instincts shall be liberated. Barren powers of discernment shall troop from their graves. New intelligences shall be born. The ocean of iniquity shall ebb, and the sea shall give up its dead! Your soul shall live. Life shall no longer be scant and scrimpy. Your soul shall delight itself in fatness. Every tissue shall be fed. Weakness shall depart with the famine. The people that do know their God shall be strong. The tree of its life shall bear all manner of fruits, and the leaves of the tree shall be for the healing of the nations.

1. The first benefit is, the pleasure of it: Eat ye that which is good, and let your soul delight itself in fatness. I recollect the time when I used to look upon the precious things of God as many a poor street arab has gazed at the dainties in a confectioners window, wishing that he could get a taste, and feeling all the more hungry because of that which was stored behind the glass out of his reach. But when the Master takes us into His banqueting house, and His banner over us is love; and when He says to us, Eat, friends; drink, yea, drink abundantly, O beloved, then we have a grand time of it, and we feel almost as if heaven had begun below.

2. The second benefit is, the great preserving power of good spiritual food. It helps to keep us out of temptation. I do not think a man is ever so likely to be tempted as when he has neglected to eat his spiritual meat. We have this truth, in a parable, for in Him there was no lack of spiritual meat; but, after He had fasted, when He was an hungered, then it was that He was tempted of the devil; and if your soul has been, for a long time, without spiritual food, you are very likely to meet the devil. I have known men go away for a holiday on the Continent, and when they have been away, there has been no hearing of the Word, and, possibly, no private reading of the Word. Or they may have gone to live in a country town, where the gospel was not faithfully preached; and they have made a terrible shipwreck of character, because their inward strength was not sustained by spiritual meat, and then the tempter fell upon them. There is rather a pretty remark that someone makes, though I do not vouch for the truth of it. You know that, when the Lord put Adam in the garden of Eden, He said to him, Of every tree of the garden thou mayst freely eat; but of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, thou shalt not eat of it; and, says one, If Eve had availed herself of that gracious permission, on that fatal day, and if she had eaten freely of all the other trees in the garden, of which she might have eaten, she would not have been so likely to wish to eat of that which was forbidden

3. A third blessing is this. Spiritual food comforts mourners. The analogy of this will be found in the Book of Nehemiah, the eighth chapter, and the ninth and tenth verses, where we read that Nehemiah said to the people, This day is holy unto the Lord your God; mourn not, nor weep. Go your way, eat the fat, and drink the sweet, and send portions unto them for whom nothing is prepared. A feast is a good way of breaking a fast. He that eats forgets his former misery, and remembers his sorrow no more, especially if he eats the mystic meat which God provides so abundantly for his sorrowing children. It was of this that Mary sang, He hath filled the hungry with good things.

4. Spiritual meat has a fourth excellence. It revives the fainting ones. Did you ever study the sermon that was once preached by an angel to a desponding prophet? It consisted of only three words, and he preached it twice. The prophet was Elijah, who, after the wondrous victory and excitement on the top of Carmel, fainted in spirit, and was afraid of Jezebel, and said, Let me die; and so fled from the field of battle, and longed to expire. In his weariness and sorrow, he fell asleep, and an angel came, and awoke him, and this was the sermon he preached to him, Arise and eat. And when he opened his eyes, he saw that there was a cake baken on the coals, and a cruse of water at his head. And he did eat and drink, and laid him down again;the very best thing he could do. But the angel awoke him, the second time, and preached the same sermon to him, Arise and eat; and I pass on that little sermon to some of you who feel faint in heart just now. You do not know how it is, but you are very low-spirited; here is a message for you, Arise and eat. I will not prescribe you any physic, but I say, Arise and eat. Go to the Bible and study that; search out the promises, and feed upon them. Get away to Christ, and feed upon Him. Arise and eat. Often, the best cure possible for a poor, dispirited, fainting soul is a good meal of gospel food. Your bright spirits will, in that way, come back to you; you will not be afraid of Jezebel, and you will not say, Let me die; but you will go, in the strength of that meat, for many a day according to the will of God. So I give this as Gods message to any discouraged, dispirited ones whom I may now be addressing, Arise and eat.1 [Note: C. H. Spurgeon, The Metropolitan Tabernacle Pulpit, xlviii. p. 321.]

Hard-pressed, wayfaring men long for a drink of pure, cold water. David cries: Oh that one would give me drink of the water of the well of Bethlehem, which is by the gate; and often in the country I have known of dying men whose last wish was that they might be strong enough only once more to go to the well and have a drink of pure cold water. One of my earliest recollections is of the time my grandfather lay dying, and we were sent to a famous well, called Fultons Well, to bring pure spring water; and if at times it had not been convenient to send a messenger, and they sought to put off the sick man with the water from the ordinary well at the farm, he could check it in a moment. And so there is a spiritual thirst that checks the water from Jacobs Well, the clear crystal water from the spring of life:

I came to Jesus, and I drank

Of that life-giving stream;

My thirst was quenched, my soul revived,

And now I live in Him.2 [Note: J. Barr, in Christian World Pulpit, lxxvii. p. 341.]

5. And it has a great strength for service, for he who eats that which is good, and lets his soul delight itself in fatness, will be strong to run in the way of the Divine commands, or to perform any work that may be required of him. You recollect what Jonathan said, concerning that long day of fasting to which I have already alluded. Jonathan said, Mine eyes have been enlightened because I tasted a little of this honey. How much more, if haply the people had eaten freely to-day of the spoil of their enemies which they found? for had there not been a much greater slaughter among the Philistines? Quite right, Jonathan; as the old proverb puts it, Prayer and provender hinder no mans journey; and, for a soul to wait upon God to be fed, is to gather such strength thereby that it can do much more work than it could otherwise have done. Eat well, that you may work well. Eat ye that which is good, that you may have the delight of being useful in the service of your Lord.1 [Note: C. H. Spurgeon.]

May I reach

That purest heaven, be to other souls

The cup of strength in some great agony,

Enkindle generous ardour, feed pure love,

Beget the smiles that have no cruelty

Be the sweet presence of a good diffused,

And in diffusion ever more intense.

So shall I join the choir invisible

Whose music is the gladness of the world.2 [Note: George Eliot.]

The Poor Mans Market

Literature

Alexander (J. A.), The Gospel of Jesus Christ, 332.

Campbell (J. M.), Responsibility for the Gift of Eternal Life, 31.

Fairweather (D.), Bound in the Spirit, 209.

How (W. W.), Twenty-four Practical Sermons, 35.

Jerdan (C.), Pastures of Tender Grass, 327.

Jowett (J. H.), Apostolic Optimism, 19.

Kennedy (J. D.), Sermons, 131.

Kingsley (C.), The Water of Life, 116.

Leeser (I.), Discourses on the Jewish Religion, 133.

Levens (J. T.), Clean Hands, 44.

Maclaren (A.), Expositions (Isaiah xlix.lxvi.), 142.

Maclaren (A.), The Wearied Christ, 113.

Marten (C. H.), Plain Bible Addresses, 30.

Price (A. C.), Fifty Sermons, viii. 257.

Smellie (A.), In the Hour of Silence, 118.

Spurgeon (C. H.), Metropolitan Tabernacle Pulpit, iv. No. 199; xx. No. 1161; xxix. No. 1726.

Fuente: The Great Texts of the Bible

Ho: Rth 4:1, Pro 1:21-23, Pro 8:4, Zec 2:6

every: Isa 41:17, Isa 41:18, Psa 42:1, Psa 42:2, Psa 63:1, Psa 143:6, Joh 4:10-14, Joh 7:37, Joh 7:38, Rev 21:6, Rev 22:1, Rev 22:17

and: Mat 13:44, Rev 3:18

buy wine: Son 1:2, Son 1:4, Son 5:1, Zec 9:15, Zec 10:7, Mat 26:29, Joh 2:3-10

milk: Joe 3:18, 1Co 3:2, 1Pe 2:2

without money: Isa 52:3, Rom 3:24, Eph 2:4-8

Reciprocal: Gen 42:25 – commanded Num 10:10 – in the day Psa 36:8 – abundantly Psa 45:10 – Hearken Psa 107:9 – General Pro 1:23 – Turn Pro 8:1 – General Pro 8:5 – General Pro 8:33 – Hear Pro 9:5 – General Pro 17:16 – a price Pro 23:23 – Buy Pro 25:25 – cold Isa 1:19 – General Isa 12:3 – with joy Isa 25:6 – make Isa 43:20 – to give Isa 49:9 – They shall feed Jer 31:14 – my people Eze 47:1 – waters issued Zec 1:6 – my words Zec 10:8 – hiss Mat 5:6 – for Mat 11:28 – Come Mat 22:3 – sent Mat 22:9 – General Mat 25:9 – but Mat 26:27 – Drink Mar 4:3 – Hearken Luk 6:21 – ye that hunger Luk 8:43 – had Luk 14:16 – bade Luk 22:18 – the fruit Joh 6:35 – he that cometh Joh 6:54 – eateth Joh 12:44 – cried 1Co 11:24 – eat 1Co 12:13 – to drink Eph 5:18 – but 1Ti 2:4 – will Heb 5:12 – as have

Fuente: The Treasury of Scripture Knowledge

The Great Invitation

Isa 55:1-13

INTRODUCTORY WORDS

Isa 55:1-13 is a marvelous appendix to the fifty-second and fifty-third chapters. In discussing the fifty-third chapter we saw the marvelous story of redemption. The fifty-fourth chapter follows with God’s appeal to Israel to sing because of the promise of her marvelous enlargement. God tells her she will break forth on the right hand, and on the left hand, that her seed will inherit the Gentiles, and make the desolate city to be inhabited. The assurance is given to Israel that God, who is her Maker, is her Husband; He is also her Redeemer. In His wrath He hid His face from her, but in loving-kindness He will yet have mercy.

Isa 55:1-13 is the call of the Prophet for Israel to return to her Lord. She is asked why she is turned aside to strangers, and why she is spending her money for that which is not bread, and her labor for that which satisfieth not. God has promised to do wonderful things for His people, Israel, and yet there are some things which they must do. They must seek the Lord. They must forsake their ways and thoughts, and return to God. Then the promise is given that they shall go forth with joy. At that time the thorns shall be supplanted by fir trees, and instead of the briars there shall come up the myrtle trees.

In a previous study we failed to give any dispensational teaching. For our part we are satisfied that the fifty-third chapter of Isaiah definitely sets forth the very prayer and heart throbs of Israel toward the Lord Jesus Christ in the day of our Lord’s coming to the Mount of Olives. It is then that the expression in the fifty-second chapter, “Thy God reigneth” will also be realized. It is then that He will make bare His holy arm in the eyes of all nations, and all will see the salvation of Israel’s God. It is then that Israel, in the language of Isa 53:1-12, will, in the anguish of her soul, cry for mercy.

When Christ was despised and rejected of men Israel hid, as it were, their faces from Him, and esteemed Him not. In the hour of Christ’s Return she will cry, “Surely He hath borne our griefs, and carried our sorrows, yet we did esteem Him smitten, stricken of God, and afflicted.” The prophecy of these wonderful verses in chapter fifty-three will be fulfilled.

Chapter fifty-five presents God’s call to Israel to return. The fifty-fifth chapter was written of the day of Israel’s return, yet it has a very potent message to each lost sinner, and to each saved sinner of every age.

One of the marvels of the Bible is the fact that it gives a twofold message at one and the same time. First, a message distinctive to a certain class and race; and yet a message definitely delivered for all. This is set forth by the Spirit through Timothy where we read, “All Scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness.” The Word of God may have a dispensational meaning, and yet at the same time a general message. In other words, the same thing written to Israel, conveys a marvelous instruction to the Church. God’s dealings with the Gentiles are along the same lines as His dealings with the Jews, for there is no difference, for “All have sinned, and come short of the glory of God,” and all must be saved by the same Lord, and the same sacrifice.

I. THE UNIVERSALITY OF GOD’S CALL (Isa 55:1)

1. God’s great WHOSOEVER. “Ho, every one that thirsteth.” This “every one” makes us think of Joh 3:16 : “For God so loved the world, that He gave His only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in Him should not perish, but have everlasting life.” We read of one dear man who thought it would be so wonderful to have his name in the Bible, so he had a printer put his name in this verse instead of “whosoever.” When it was done, he became alarmed, “Because,” said he, “there may be a hundred men who bear my name, and I might not be the one to whom God referred.” Thus he decided to leave the words as God wrote them.

2. God’s great “if any man.” In Joh 10:9 we read, “By Me if any man [shall] enter in.” Whosoever includes everybody. It means me, or you, or anyone else. However, in the expression “any man” there is a significance that had an appeal to some who have imagined that they were too deep in sin. They may have felt themselves not included even in whosoever, which takes on, perhaps, too general a meaning. God, therefore, narrowed it down and out of the multiplied millions of men invited, He addressed each individual personally and said, “If any man.”

3. God’s great “not willing that any should perish.” These words are found in 2Pe 3:9. Here is something that shows more than God’s willingness to save; it shows God’s unwillingness that men should be lost. God might have put a “whosoever may come” knowing that whosoever could not come, therefore God, not willing that any man should perish, provided a way for every man and any man by which he might approach God and be saved. That way was the Cross. God’s “every one,” “whosoever,” and “any man,” in order to be saved, must come to the Waters. He must drink if he would have his thirst assuaged; he must eat if he will have his hunger relieved. The last chapter of the Bible says, “Whosoever will, let him take the Water of Life freely.” Do not forget this: while God is willing, the sinner must also be willing.

II. A STARTLING QUESTION (Isa 50:2)

As God looks at the sinner He asks him, “Wherefore do ye spend money for that which is not bread? and your labour for that which satisfieth not?” We have often wondered to ourselves why a sinner would live for the things that die, that fade, and pass away. Why should he build his house upon the sand? Let us suggest three other great questions:

1. Where art thou? God asked this of Adam, as He came, walking in the garden of Eden. It is the first great question of the Old Testament Let each unsaved young man or young woman of our day hear God asking this same question. Let each consider what his response will be. Are they hiding, or running away from His call? God is still saying, “Where art thou?”

2. What hast thou done? This is the second great question of Gen 3:1-24. It was asked in the garden, as God laid before the woman the wide scope, and result of her disobedience. Every sinner should face this same query. When we live in sin, let us stop to consider the wreckage which our life is causing, not to others alone, but to ourselves as well. The earth is filled with heartaches and groanings, sorrows and sighings-all the result of sin.

3. The third question is the first question of the New Testament. God says, in Genesis: “Where art thou?” and, “What hast thou done?” The sinner as he struggles under the answer which must be given to God, cries out, “Where is He that is born King of the Jews?” He is now seeking a Saviour, a refuge, a shelter from his sins. After all, the greatest question that every sinner must face, is, “What shall I do then with Jesus which is called Christ?”

III. A STRIKING ADMONITION (Isa 55:3-4)

There are three things which God says to us.

1. Incline your ear. There are some people who are like the people stoning Stephen. They have their fingers in their ears. They refuse to listen to God’s queries, or to pay attention to His warnings. They shut Him out of their lives. Every one will grant that God is calling, calling, calling, but man is refusing to hear. Christ said, “Having ears, ye hear not.” Let us then “incline” our ears.

2. Come unto Me. This is the second admonition. The verse continues: “Come unto Me: hear, and your soul shall live.” You can almost see the Master as He stood among the weary and worn people and said, “Come unto Me, all ye that labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest.” You can almost see Him on the great day, that last day of the feast, as He cried, saying, “If any man thirst, let him come unto Me.” Our Lord still calls. He is a Refuge from the storm, a Shadow of a great rock in a weary land; He is the “Rock that is higher than I.” He is the Ark of our redemption, and He is saying, “Come unto Me.”

3. Seek ye the Lord. This is the third appeal. First, it was “Incline,” then “Come,” and now it is “Seek.” We remember the promise, Then shall ye “find Me, when ye shall search for Me with all your heart.” We remember, also, how Jesus said, “Ask, and it shall be given you; seek, and ye shall find; knock, and it shall be opened unto you.” We have a seeking Saviour, for we read, “The Son of Man is come to seek and to save that which was lost.” If there is also a seeking sinner, we are sure that it will not take long for the two to come together.

IV. CONDITIONS OF BLESSING (Isa 55:7)

The Lord is leading us, step by step. First of all He gave His great call to every one that thirsted. Secondly, He gave His startling query, “Wherefore?” This was to arouse the people to a sense of their need, and to the fact of their wasted lives. Thirdly, He gave His admonition calling upon them to incline their ears, to come unto Him, and to seek Him. Now, in Isa 55:7, He is giving the conditions under which they may find Him, and be blessed. These conditions are threefold.

1. “Let the wicked forsake his way.” In Isa 53:1-12, two chapters before this study, we find a verse which reads, “We have turned every one to his own way.” This expression carries with it the very essence of sin. Sin is the transgression of the Law. Transgression is taking our way, and our will, against the way and will of our Lord. Salvation is bringing us back into His will and way. In order to walk with Him, we must forsake our own path. Sin is rebellion against the Almighty, a star disorbed-out of its circuit, unhelmed, wandering in its mad way. To such a sinner is reserved the blackness of darkness forever. It is for this cause the Lord says, “Let the wicked forsake his way.”

2. Let the unrighteous forsake his thoughts. Our thoughts are not His thoughts any more than our ways are His ways. There is a span between the two that is as far as the heavens are separated from the earth. The thoughts of the sinful heart is only evil continually. Not only that, but sinful thoughts are self-centered, and not God-centered. It is necessary, therefore, for the unrighteous to forsake his thoughts.

3. Let them return unto the Lord. The suggestion here is that Israel once knew the Lord. However, the sinner may return unto the Lord. Even if he has never known Him personally, his progenitors knew Him. And even the ungodly of today have known much about the Lord. Yet he has been wandering from God every day, farther and farther away. Now he must turn about, retrace his steps, and follow the Master.

V. WHAT GOD WILL DO (Isa 55:7)

Linked with the conditions of blessing are given the promises of blessing. Three things are stated.

1. God will have mercy. When Moses wanted to see God, God said, “I will cause my [mercy] to pass before you.” Mercy is as much the character of God, as is His love or His justice. Mercy is God’s spirit of forgiveness toward an enemy. The ark of the covenant, which Moses, under God’s directions built, was covered with a mercy seat. It was over this mercy seat that the cherubims were placed, looking downward. It was there the blood was sprinkled. The mercy of God is not contrary to His justice. God could not be merciful to a criminal so long as his sins were upon him. God’s mercy is made possible through the Blood of the Cross.

In First John we read that Christ is the propitiation for our sins. Propitiation bears the thought of the mercy seat, and might well read, “He is the mercy seat for our sins, and not for ours only, but for the sins of the whole world.” The mercy seat where the blood of atonement was sprinkled, was the basis of God’s mercy upon those who return unto Him.

2. God will abundantly pardon. He not only forgives the sinner, but He forgives abundantly, in large measure. Pardon is based upon mercy, and mercy is based upon the Blood of the Cross. God does not pardon because He is sorry for the sinner, but because in His mercy, Jesus Christ was made an offering for sin. We are not forcing a New Testament message into an Old Testament statement. The promise of Isa 55:1-13, that God will abundantly pardon, is based upon the fact of Christ bearing our sins as our Substitute, as expressed in Isa 53:1-12.

3. God will give life. We go back to Isa 55:3 to read, “And your soul shall live.” In Ezekiel we read of Israel, polluted in her sins, and cast out to the loathing of her person. Then God said, “Live, live!” How wonderful is the story of a new life, of redemption, and regeneration. We are not only saved, but pardoned, and the life of God is richly given to us.

VI. THE CERTAINTY OF GOD’S PROMISES (Isa 55:10-11)

1. The fruitfulness of His Word. The Word which cometh forth from the mouth of the Lord is likened here unto the rain and the snow from heaven, watering the earth, and making it to bring forth and bud. This very thing is stated again and again in the Bible. The Word of God is described as a life-giving Word.

The Epistle of Peter says, “Being born again, not of corruptible seed, but of incorruptible, by the Word of God, which liveth and abideth for ever.” In Titus we read, “According to His mercy He saved us, by the washing of regeneration, and renewing of the Holy Ghost.” This washing of regeneration is the washing of the Word. Praise God that the seed which is sown is the Word of God, and the new life which is begotten in the believer is begotten through the Divine quickening of that seed.

2. The refreshingness of His Word. The rain and the snow, which water the earth, turns a dry, barren waste into a budding, fruitful field. So is the Word which cometh forth from His mouth. The first Psalm speaks of the blessed man whose delight is in the Law of the Lord. It also describes that blessed man under the figure of a tree which bringeth forth his fruit in his season, whose leaf shall not wither. This is realized because the blessed Man is planted by the rivers of water-the Law of the Lord, in which the blessed man delights.

Joshua was admonished to meditate day and night in the Word of the Lord, and he was promised prosperity and success. Who has ever failed to observe in nature the new life, after a wonderful rain has soaked the earth?

3. The effectiveness of His Word. Isa 55:11 tells us this Word will not return void. It is a Word which brings things to pass, and prospers in the thing whereto it is sent. If we who are ministers, and personal workers would realize more of the power of His Word we would preach His Word instead of our own ideas. In fact, we are admonished to preach the Word.

VII. THE CLIMACTIC RESULTS (Isa 55:12-13)

Some one has said that the middle verses of this remarkable chapter are a wicket gate through which the sinner may pass from the thirst, the hunger, and the waste of the first two verses, into the joy, peace, and singing of the last two verses. To us this is very suggestive. The chapter opens with, “Ho, every one that thirsteth!” with the call, “Come and eat,” and with the query, “Wherefore do ye spend money for that which is not bread? and your labour for that which satisfieth not?”

These verses plainly depict an unsatisfied heart and a life weary and worn. The last two verses are filled with exaltation. There is a going out with joy. The very mountains and hills are breaking forth into singing, the trees are clapping their hands. The fir trees and the myrtle trees are in full sway. This is a graphic picture, and how did it all happen? The sinner passed through the wicket gate of Isa 55:7 and Isa 55:8. Let us pause to consider these climactic results:

1.Ye shall go out with joy.

2.Ye shall be led forth with peace.

3.Instead of the thorn shall come up the fir tree.

We have grouped these marvelous statements together because of our lack of room, to enlarge upon them. We know by experience that this threefold statement is true. We came to the Lord through the wicket gate. We left our sorrows and sighings behind us; and went forth with joy, and with sweet peace flooding our souls. The sense of our sin was gone. We knew it was laid upon Christ. We experienced the peace of God which passeth understanding. We now have fruitfulness, where once there were thorns and thistles, when the harvest of our evil ways was upon us. We now grow myrtle trees and fir trees, and our lives are fruitful unto every good work and word.

AN ILLUSTRATION

“THE GREAT INVITATION”

“Good News of Salvation. Frank Anderson was a ‘bell hop’ in a Toledo, Ohio, hotel. One day while the boy was in his room two Indianapolis attorneys knocked at his door. Without trying to find out who his visitors were he ordered them to ‘git away from that door.’ However, they did not ‘git’ until they had informed the lad that a deceased aunt of his had left him $25,000 in her will.

“Christ is seeking entrance into every life, not only to impart the ‘good news’ of salvation, but to take up His abiding place in the heart.

“Isn’t it strange that men will not welcome Him in?”

Fuente: Neighbour’s Wells of Living Water

Isa 55:1. Ho, every one Not only Jews, but Gentiles; that thirsteth For the grace of God, and the blessings of the gospel; that desires them sincerely and earnestly, is active and diligent in the pursuit of them, and cannot be satisfied without enjoying them; come ye to the waters Where you may drink and be refreshed: come and partake of the graces and comforts of Gods Spirit, frequently compared to water in the Scriptures, and here designed by the other metaphorical expressions which occur in the next clause. And he that hath no money Even those who are most poor in the world, and those who are most worthless and wicked, if they do but thirst, shall be welcome. Come ye, buy and eat That is, come and receive that which is freely offered to you, and which you shall as freely partake of, and enjoy as your own, as if you had bought and paid the full price for it. Buy wine and milk Here put for all sorts of provisions, which are also to be understood of spiritual and gospel blessings, as is evident from the following words: as if he had said, These blessings shall not only refresh you, as water refreshes the thirsty, but they shall cheer you like wine, and nourish you like milk.

Fuente: Joseph Bensons Commentary on the Old and New Testaments

Isa 55:12. The mountains and the hills shall break forth before you into singing. Virgil has the like ideas. Eclogue 5:62.

Ipsi ltitia voces ad sidera jactant Intonsi montes; ips jam carmina rupes, Ipsa sonant arbusta.

That is, the unshorn mountains, elated with joy, raise their voices to the stars; yea, the rocks and groves resound with songs. The poets, as well as the prophets, sung the glory of the latter day.

REFLECTIONS.

The waters which flowed from the Gihon, the rivers of wine and milk, comprising every other blessing of providence, are here again copiously adduced to express the richer blessings of the gospel. Temporal mercies could not be obtained without labour or money, except when kings gave a royal treat. But here Gods sanctuary is full; the feast is abundant, and the vintage overflows. Peace springs from the threshhold of the Lords house, and righteousness drops from his bountiful hands.

The characters invited are those who hunger and thirst, those who have no money, and the worst of the wicked who forsake their thoughts and ways. Then, oh my soul, thou art included most expressly. Come then to the waters flowing from Christ the rock, and to the marriage supper of the Lamb. Eat and drink abundantly, and let all thy desires be satisfied with the fatness of his house.

Sinners are not only invited, but warned of the danger of delay. Wherefore spend ye money for that which is not bread, and your labour for that which satisfieth not? Pleasures, riches, honours, are unsatisfactory; they are but opiates for the moment, which leave both stupor and stings behind. Transient joys and sensual bliss are too mean and scanty to satisfy the vast desires of an immortal spirit, sighing for an immortal good, and erroneously seeking it in the vanities and pleasures of the present life.

God promises to renew with Israel his everlasting covenant, which he made with Abraham in the promised seed, and which he renewed with David. Gen 12:3. Psalms 89. Davids name is here mentioned, because he was a type of Christ; and because his children were about to lose the crown, and be tributary to foreign kings. Yet Gods mercies are sure, being all confirmed in Christ, who is prince of the kings of the earth, and the captain of our salvation. Hence we surely do right in expounding this prophecy of evangelical felicity, because the everlasting or new covenant everywhere refers to Christ.

In order truly to embrace the promises and grace of God, repentance is here enjoined. Seek ye the Lord while he may be found. Repentance, which saved Nineveh, often saved Jerusalem, and would have caused it, as our Saviour says of Sodom, to remain unto this day. But there is a crisis, an awful crisis in the sins of men and of nations, when God will not be found. Ezekiel 14. For the further illustration of this text, I refer the reader to three Sermons of Saurin, on the Delay of Repentance, which I have translated from the French; for I believe that more judicious and warm addresses to the unregenerate, never dropped from the lips of any minister.

To encourage Israel, during the Babylonian captivity and the Roman dispersion, to rely on those promises, the Lord pledges his perfections, that they might believe in the magnitude of his mercies. As the heavens are high above the earth, so his providence, his mercy, and his love are high above all our scanty views of grace. But oh my soul, abuse not the riches of his goodness: the promise is to him who forsakes the open wickedness of his life, and the secret concupiscence of his heart.

As the rain makes the earth fruitful, so Gods word shall not be barren; it shall fertilize the gentiles, and cause the earth to bud; yea, it shall make the wilderness as the garden of the Lord. Hence Israel was to go forth from Babylon with joy, and gladden the hills and woods with joyful hymns of the promises of the Messiahs kingdom and glory. The favours he would show to Zion should be to him for an everlasting name, and a sign. The Roman conquerors proudly assumed the name of Germanicus, Africanus, and Britanicus, after subduing those countries; but of the Messiah it is said, The God of the whole earth shall he be called. May he reign in all our hearts.

Fuente: Sutcliffe’s Commentary on the Old and New Testaments

Isa 55:1-5. The Glorious Blessings of the New Covenant which Yahweh will Make with His People.Yahweh bids the thirsty come to the waters, the hungry to eat. Their life is now a constant striving issuing only in disillusion; but listening to His call they shall, without effort or cost, enjoy the utmost blessing (fat or oil was considered a great delicacy). He will grant (as a condescension, not make as on equal terms) His people a covenant, transferring to them the sure promises of loving-kindness which He made to David. Even as once by crowning his career with success He made David an evidence to the nations of His power and their suzerain, Yahweh will now prosper Zion so that nations as yet unknown shall obey her call, seek union with her, beholding the wonderful blessings wherewith Yahweh honours her.

Fuente: Peake’s Commentary on the Bible

55:1 Ho, every one that {a} thirsteth, come ye to the waters, and he that hath {b} no money; come ye, buy, and eat; yea, come, buy {c} wine and milk without money and without price.

(a) Christ by proposing his graces and gifts to his Church, exempts the hypocrites who are full with their imagined works, and the Epicureans who are full with their worldly lusts, and so do not thirst after these waters.

(b) Signifying that God’s benefits cannot be bought for money.

(c) By waters, wine, milk and bread, he means all things necessary to the spiritual life, as these are necessary to this corporal life.

Fuente: Geneva Bible Notes

Free salvation 55:1-5

The people would need to listen to and rely on God’s unconditional promise, but their salvation would cost them nothing.

Fuente: Expository Notes of Dr. Constable (Old and New Testaments)

"The introductory particle (hoi) is mainly an attention-getting device, but it expresses a slight tone of pity. The prophet is an evangelist with a concern for the souls of men and a realization of their desperate condition without the blessings that the servant has obtained." [Note: Ibid.]

After getting their attention, Isaiah, speaking as God and for God, called the thirsty to come and drink freely, and to the hungry to enjoy a free meal (cf. Pro 9:5-6; Mat 5:6; Joh 4:13-14; Joh 6:32-35; Rev 22:17). Water, that formerly represented the Holy Spirit (cf. Isa 32:15; Isa 44:3), was now available to the people because of the Servant’s work. Jesus extended a similar invitation to those in His day to come to Him to receive this water (i.e., eternal life through the Spirit; Joh 4:10-14; Joh 7:37-38). The Lord’s offer was to buy what was free. The only way to do this is to use someone else’s money to purchase it. It was the Servant’s payment for sin that made salvation free for those who count His "money" good.

"The abundance and freeness of the water of refreshment (Isa 44:3), the wine of joy (Isa 25:6-8) and the milk of richness ([nourishment] Exo 3:8) and supremacy (Isa 60:16) is figurative of the Lord’s salvation with the Servant at its centre (see Isa 55:3-5)." [Note: Motyer, p. 453.]

Fuente: Expository Notes of Dr. Constable (Old and New Testaments)

BOOK 4

THE RESTORATION

WE have now reached the summit of our prophecy. It has been a long, steep ascent, and we have had very much to seek out on the way, and to extricate and solve and load ourselves with. But although a long extent of the prophecy, if we measure it by chapters, still lies before us, the end is in sight; every difficulty has been surmounted which kept us from seeing how we were to get to it, and the rest of the way may be said to be downhill.

To drop the figure-the Servant, his vicarious suffering and atonement for the sins of the people, form for our prophet the solution of the spiritual problem of the nations restoration, and what he has now to do is but to fill in the details of this.

We saw that the problem of Israels deliverance from Exile, their Return, and their Restoration to their position in their own land as the Chief Servant of God to humanity, was really a double problem-political and spiritual. The solution of the political side of it was Cyrus. As soon as the prophet had been able to make it certain that Cyrus was moving down upon Babylon, with a commission from God to take the city, and irresistible in the power with which Jehovah had invested him, the political difficulties in the way of Israels Return were as good as removed; and so the prophet gave, in the end of chapter 48, his great call to his countrymen to depart. But all through chapters 40-48, while addressing himself to the solution of the political problems of Israels deliverance, the prophet had given hints that there were moral and spiritual difficulties as well. In spite of their punishment for more than half a century, the mass of the people were not worthy of a return. Many were idolaters; many were worldly; the orthodox had their own wrong views of how salvation should come; {Isa 45:9 ff.} the pious were without either light or faith. {Isa 50:10} The nation, in short, had not that inward “righteousness,” which could alone justify God in vindicating them before the. world, in establishing their outward righteousness, their salvation and reinstatement in their lofty place and calling as His people. These moral difficulties come upon the prophet with greater force after he has, with the close of chapter 48, finished his solution of the political ones. To these moral difficulties he addresses himself in 49-53, and the Servant and his Service are his solution of them:-the Servant as a Prophet and a Covenant of the People in chapter 49 and in Isa 50:4 ff.: the Servant as an example to the people, chapter 50 ff.; and finally the Servant as a full expiation for the peoples sins in Isa 52:13-15; Isa 53:1-12. It is the Servant who is to “raise up the land, and to bring back the heirs to the desolate heritages,” and rouse the Israel who are not willing to leave Babylon,” saying to the bound, Go forth; and to them that sit in darkness, Show yourselves”. {Isa 49:8-9} It is he who is “to sustain the weary” and to comfort the pious in Israel, who, though pious, have no light as they walk on their way back. {Isa 50:4; Isa 50:10} It is the Servant finally who is to achieve the main problem of all and “make many righteous”. {Isa 53:11} The hope of restoration, the certainty of the peoples redemption, the certainty of the rebuilding of Jerusalem, the certainty of the growth of the people to a great multitude, are, therefore, all woven by the prophet through and through with his studies of the Servants work in Isa 49:1., and Isa 52:13-15; Isa 53:1-12, -woven so closely and so naturally that, as we have already seen, we cannot take any part of chapters 49-53 and say that it is of different authorship from the rest. Thus in chapter 49 we have the road to Jerusalem pictured in Isa 49:9-13, immediately upon the back of the Servants call to go forth in Isa 49:9. We have then the assurance of Zion being rebuilt and thronged by her children in Isa 49:14-23, and another affirmation of the certainty of redemption in Isa 49:24-26. In Isa 50:1-3 this is repeated. In 51- Isa 52:1-12 the petty people is assured that it shall grow innumerable again; new affirmations are made of its ransom and return, ending with the beautiful prospect of the feet of the heralds of deliverance on the mountains of Judah {Isa 52:7 b} and a renewed call to leave Babylon (Isa 52:11-12). We shall treat all these passages in our twenty-first chapter.

And as they started naturally from the Servants work in Isa 49:1-9 a-and his example in Isa 50:4-11, so upon his final and crowning work in chapter 53 there follow as naturally chapter 54 (the prospect of the seed Isa 53:10 promised he should see), and chapter 55 (a new call to come forth). These two, with the little pre-exilic prophecy, Isa 56:1-8, we shall treat in our twenty-second chapter.

Then come the series of difficult small prophecies with pre-exilic traces in them, from Isa 56:9 through Isa 59:1-21. They will occupy our twenty-third chapter. In chapter 60 Zion is at last not only in sight, but radiant in the rising of her new day of glory. In chapters 61 and 62 the prophet, having reached Zion, “looks back,” as Dillmann well remarks, “upon what has become his task, and in connection with that makes clear once more the high goal of all his working and striving.” In Isa 63:1-6 the Divine Deliver is hailed. We shall take Isa 60:1-22 – Isa 63:6 together in our twenty-fourth chapter.

Chapter 63:7-64 is an Intercessory Prayer for the restoration of all Israel. It is answered in chapter 65, and the lesson of this answer, that Israel must be judged, and that all cannot be saved, is enforced in chapter 66. Chaps. 63:7-66 will therefore form our twenty-fifth and closing chapter.

Thus our course is clear, and we can overtake it rapidly. It is, to a large extent, a series of spectacles, interrupted by exhortations upon duty; things, in fact, to see and to hear, not to argue about. There are few great doctrinal questions, except what we have already sufficiently discussed; our study, for instance, of the term righteousness, we shall find has covered for us a large part of the ground in advance. And the only difficult literary question is that of the pre-exilic and post-exilic pieces, which are alleged to form so large a part of chapters 56-59 and 63-66.

Fuente: Expositors Bible Commentary