Is. 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.
Is. 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.
The wording of these verses seems to make it clear that the prophet is speaking of spiritual sustenance. It obviously takes real money to buy real wine, milk and bread. Nourishment for the soul is, however, free for the asking from God the Father for those who look to Him in faith. Water, wine, milk and bread only satisfy temporarily; they do not provide real satisfaction. Spiritual sustenance from the LORD is available in abundance and never leaves those who partake feeling lack.
I can’t help but think of the many references the LORD Jesus made to Himself as bread and drink.
John 6:35 And Jesus said unto them, I am the bread of life: he that cometh to me shall never hunger; and he that believeth on me shall never thirst.
John 6:48 I am that bread of life.
John 6:51 I am the living bread which came down from heaven: if any man eat of this bread, he shall live for ever: and the bread that I will give is my flesh, which I will give for the life of the world.
John 6:53-58 Then Jesus said unto them, Verily, verily, I say unto you, Except ye eat the flesh of the Son of man, and drink his blood, ye have no life in you. Whoso eateth my flesh, and drinketh my blood, hath eternal life; and I will raise him up at the last day. For 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. This is that bread which came down from heaven: not as your fathers did eat manna, and are dead: he that eateth of this bread shall live for ever.
The spiritual sustenance provided by the Lord results in eternal life. Obviously, the Old Testament saints didn’t necessarily know how God was going to provide for them through the gift and sacrifice of His Son, but they did have faith in His provision for them according to His word. Their faith made them partakers of the LORD just as surely as our faith does today.
Is. 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.
Is. 55:4 Behold, I have given him for a witness to the people, a leader and commander to the people.
God is urging the people to listen to Him through the words of the prophet. The Hebrew for the word hear states, “to hear intelligently (often with implication of attention, obedience, etc.).” The LORD is eager to bless His people. He is promising to bless those that follow Him in faith in the same way that He blessed David. In looking at the Hebrew for “sure mercies,” I got the idea of the firm, faithful support of a parent for His child with kindness and loving favor as He leads him to do what is right. Just as David was a powerful testimony to the people of God’s “sure mercies,” so will be the person that follows God in faith and obedience to those around him. Just as surely as David was acknowledged as a spiritual leader, so too can the man or woman of faith be recognized as a spiritual leader.
Is. 55:5 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.
The wording of this verse is a bit confusing. When Messiah is on the throne in Israel, she will occupy the place of leadership and influence among the nations. I am not sure what is meant by “a nation that thou knowest not.” “Nations that knew not thee,” I think, is a reference to nations that had not previously accepted “the LORD thy God” and Jesus His Son, “the Holy One of Israel,” as THE way, truth and life. Because God will keep His promises and raise up Israel again to a place of blessing as His chosen people according to His word, the nations will be eager to seek her good favor and worship Messiah the King. Isaiah will speak of this in more detail in chapter 60. The prophet Zechariah also speaks of this time.
Zechariah 8:22-23 Yea, many people and strong nations shall come to seek the LORD of hosts in Jerusalem, and to pray before the LORD. Thus saith the LORD of hosts; In those days it shall come to pass, that ten men shall take hold out of all languages of the nations, even shall take hold of the skirt of him that is a Jew, saying, We will go with you: for we have heard that God is with you.
Zechariah 14:16 And it shall come to pass, that every one that is left of all the nations which came against Jerusalem shall even go up from year to year to worship the King, the LORD of hosts, and to keep the feast of tabernacles.
Is. 55:6 Seek ye the LORD while he may be found, call ye upon him while he is near:
Although there is direct address to Israel in the message of this chapter, there is also a message to all who would hear God’s truth and respond in faith.
Verse 6 definitely implies that there is coming a time when the Lord will not be able to be found. The opportunity for salvation will end. God is urging the people through His prophet to seek Him now, while the opportunity for salvation is still available. Scripture is full of admonitions for the people to seek the Lord and of God’s promises that those who seek Him will find Him.
Deuteronomy 4:29 But if from thence thou shalt seek the LORD thy God, thou shalt find him, if thou seek him with all thy heart and with all thy soul.
1Chronicles 16:11 Seek the LORD and his strength, seek his face continually.
1Chronicles 28:9 And thou, Solomon my son, know thou the God of thy father, and serve him with a perfect heart and with a willing mind: for the LORD searcheth all hearts, and understandeth all the imaginations of the thoughts: if thou seek him, he will be found of thee; but if thou forsake him, he will cast thee off for ever.
Psalm 9:10 And they that know thy name will put their trust in thee: for thou, LORD, hast not forsaken them that seek thee.
Psalm 119:2 Blessed are they that keep his testimonies, and that seek him with the whole heart.
Hebrews 11:6 But without faith it is impossible to please him: for he that cometh to God must believe that he is, and that he is a rewarder of them that diligently seek him.
Is. 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.
The Lord never tires of pleading with us to get in right relationship to Him. His love for the sinner is constant as is His hatred of their sin. The prophet is urging those people who have rebelled against the Lord to forsake (relinquish, leave) their ways and their thoughts. Sin is not limited to what we do or don’t do; it includes our thoughts and intents; that is a major emphasis of Christ’s teaching in the Sermon on the Mount in Matthew 5-7.
“let him return unto the LORD” – This is an obvious address to the Jewish people who were unique in their experience with the Lord. Technically, it is also an appropriate plea to all people. Mankind was created in right relationship to God. Man chose to rebel, to sin. God has given every man an awareness of who He is through creation. Paul declares this truth in Romans.
Romans 1:18-20 For the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men, who hold the truth in unrighteousness; Because that which may be known of God is manifest in them; for God hath shewed it unto them. For the invisible things of him from the creation of the world are clearly seen, being understood by the things that are made, even his eternal power and Godhead; so that they are without excuse….
Every man who comes to God in faith is returning to the relationship with God that was intended for him from the beginning.
God will never turn away the person who comes to Him seeking and in faith (as referenced in the passages above). He is a God of mercy (love, compassion).
Exodus 20:6 And shewing mercy unto thousands of them that love me, and keep my commandments.
Numbers 14:18 The LORD is longsuffering, and of great mercy….
1Chronicles 16:34 O give thanks unto the LORD; for he is good; for his mercy endureth for ever.
Ephesians 2:4 But God, who is rich in mercy….
“abundantly pardon” – Webster defines abundantly as “in sufficient degree, fully.” Pardon means to forgive. When God forgives us of our sin, He forgives us completely. He doesn’t hold grudges. He doesn’t bring them back up to us in anger. He doesn’t consider them as He gives us new opportunities for service. When He forgives our sins, He “remembers no more” (Hebrews 8:12, 10:17). He removes them “as far as east is from the west,” (Psalm 103:12) which is an immeasurable distance.
Is. 55:8 For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways, saith the LORD.
Is. 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.
These are two verses in scripture that I lean on quite often. There is so much about God and about His word that I don’t really understand. Frankly, I think these verses are telling us that that is as it should be. If we could understand all about God and His ways and thoughts, He would no longer be God.
God acts and thinks with an eternal perspective, and we act and think most naturally with a temporal perspective. God acts with unselfish love, and we most naturally act with love of self. God is no respecter of persons; He is totally just and righteous. There is much that God has revealed about His character through creation, His Word, His Son, and His dealings with mankind……but there is still so much more to learn about Him. He doesn’t expect us to totally understand Him, but to totally trust Him. We are to accept the fact that we cannot understand His thoughts and actions, but follow Him in faith and obedience because of what He has revealed to us about Himself.
Is. 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:
Is. 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.
The Lord gives the prophet another word picture to declare His truth. We all understand that the Lord provides rain and snow to water the earth and nourish the seeds to grow the crops that feed us.
His word is like rain for the seeds of His purposes that have been planted in our hearts. His word represents His authority and power. Whatever His word declares will come to pass.
Jeremiah 4:28 …. because I have spoken it, I have purposed it, and will not repent, neither will I turn back from it.
Hebrews 4:12 For the word of God is quick, and powerful, and sharper than any twoedged sword, piercing even to the dividing asunder of soul and spirit, and of the joints and marrow, and is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart.
Is. 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.
Is. 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.
What has God declared in His Word? That Israel will return to Him in repentance and faith to enjoy the abundant blessing and prosperity that was promised to Abraham and his seed (the Messiah) so long ago.
Galatians 3:16 Now to Abraham and his seed were the promises made. He saith not, And to seeds, as of many; but as of one, And to thy seed, which is Christ.
Israel will enjoy sweet fellowship with Messiah their King. They will never again be out of fellowship with God. Satan will be defeated. The curse on planet earth will be lifted. Because of this, even the mountains, hills, and trees are pictured as rejoicing. When Jesus assumes His throne, it will be for eternity. Satan will be given one more opportunity to work his evil and will amazingly gather a formidable army, but he will immediately and forever be defeated.
(Revelation 20:7-9)
Revelation 20:7–9 “And when the thousand years are expired, Satan shall be loosed out of his prison, And shall go out to deceive the nations which are in the four quarters of the earth, Gog and Magog, to gather them together to battle: the number of whom is as the sand of the sea. And they went up on the breadth of the earth, and compassed the camp of the saints about, and the beloved city: and fire came down from God out of heaven, and devoured them.”
Is. 56:1 Thus saith the LORD, Keep ye judgment, and do justice: for my salvation is near to come, and my righteousness to be revealed.
In the Lord’s economy of time, the time of rejoicing being referenced at the end of chapter 55 is near.
“keep” = hedge about, guard, protect, be circumspect, preserve
I just thought the words used to define keep in the Hebrew were very interesting in connection to judgment, which is a reference to a verdict reached according to law, human or divine. I think we can safely deduce that divine law is being referenced as well as divine justice, that which is right or of moral virtue. When the LORD comes to deliver Israel, as well as all other believers on planet earth, He will rule with righteousness. The word for righteousness in the Hebrew is the exact same word as that for justice in the first part of the verse. I think the implication being that if you are not keeping judgment and doing justice, you will experience His divine justice in judgment.
Is. 56:2 Blessed is the man that doeth this, and the son of man that layeth hold on it; that keepeth the sabbath from polluting it, and keepeth his hand from doing any evil.
The LORD is declaring through His prophet that the man who understands this truth and applies it to his way of life will be happy. This message is of direct significance to the Jewish people. In Isaiah’s day one of the most obvious signs of a person’s relationship with the Lord was his observance of the Sabbath. To pollute the Sabbath is to break it, to not use it as God intended. God intended the Sabbath for the good of His people, as a time to meditate on Him without being distracted by the cares of this world, a time of worship and spiritual fellowship with Him, and a time of physical renewal.
As the scripture states, “The fear of the LORD is the beginning of wisdom: a good understanding have all they that do his commandments….” (Psalm 111:10) If we spend no time with the LORD in meditating on who He is and our need to depend upon Him, we will inevitably begin to serve the flesh and fall prey to the deceit of the enemy. When the Sabbath is utilized as God intended, His people are more likely to “do His commandments.”
To pollute the Sabbath would include going through ritual without the heart being involved. To go through the motions without the proper heart attitude is of no spiritual benefit, therefore, defeating the purpose for which God established the day. The Sabbath day was a day of strengthening one’s heart connection to the LORD and giving one’s body the rest needed to tackle the demands of the coming week. God is interested in our body as the conduit through which we can enjoy spiritual blessing in service to Him.
“keepeth his hand from doing any evil” – Obviously, one cannot live according to divine judgment and justice if he is involved in evil actions. Also obvious, one cannot be an evildoer and enjoy true happiness.
Is. 56:3 Neither let the son of the stranger, that hath joined himself to the LORD, speak, saying, The LORD hath utterly separated me from his people: neither let the eunuch say, Behold, I am a dry tree.
Is. 56:4 For thus saith the LORD unto the eunuchs that keep my sabbaths, and choose the things that please me, and take hold of my covenant;
Is. 56:5 Even unto them will I give in mine house and within my walls a place and a name better than of sons and of daughters: I will give them an everlasting name, that shall not be cut off.
This section is one that shows the great compassion and mercy of God. He takes special care to give hope to those who are most rejected and hopeless—the stranger and the eunuch. The stranger being referenced is one who has left his own people to follow God and fellowship with His people, but finds that there are limits to the degree in which he can participate as part of the community.
In doing some research on the word eunuch, I found a verse I hadn’t noticed before.
Matthew 19:12 For there are some eunuchs, which were so born from their mother’s womb: and there are some eunuchs, which were made eunuchs of men: and there be eunuchs, which have made themselves eunuchs for the kingdom of heaven’s sake. He that is able to receive it, let him receive it.
Of the three types of eunuchs, the first one, those that were born that way, would be the ones to be most pitied among the Jewish people. I would assume you could also include those who had been mutilated by men, whether willingly or not, who wanted to become proselytes to the faith (whether by association with the Jews in the Old Testament or the church in the New Testament), such as the Ethiopian eunuch of Acts 8. Eunuchs were prevented from participating in the “congregation of the LORD” (Deuteronomy 23:1) and from the priesthood even if born a Levite (Leviticus 21:18-21). Eunuchs obviously could not have children, thus, the reference to “the dry tree” in verse 3.
The LORD promises that any eunuch that keeps His Sabbaths, chooses the things that please Him and takes hold of His covenant will also be able to experience the blessings available to all other people of faith. Keeping the Sabbath was discussed in the previous verse.
“choose the things that please me” – As declared often throughout the scriptures, this verse is clear that man is responsible for the choices He makes. He is not preprogrammed. People of faith will prove their faith through the choices they make. One who makes choices that are pleasing to the LORD gives proof of his faith. One who makes choices that he knows are displeasing to the LORD is demonstrating that he has not submitted to God as LORD in faith.
“take hold of my covenant” – Again, this implies making a choice. Since the first verse makes reference to judgment and justice and goes on to reference keeping the Sabbath and avoiding evil actions, I think the LORD is referencing the covenant of the law at Sinai. The law establishes clear guidelines for making choices that are pleasing to God.
What is the wonderful promise to these people of faith? That they will get to live in the house of God in a position of honor and security.
“better than of sons and of daughters” - In the Jewish community children were considered a sign of God’s blessing. The reference to “the dry tree” in verse 3 makes me think that the Lord is promising them a name that includes blessing far greater than that of being known for having many progeny. This name and the blessings associated with it would be an everlasting name that could never be cut off. I think this is a direct reference to what has been their shame. They need never fear that they would experience shame for being incomplete because they are made complete in God through their faith.
Is. 56:6 Also the sons of the stranger, that join themselves to the LORD, to serve him, and to love the name of the LORD, to be his servants, every one that keepeth the sabbath from polluting it, and taketh hold of my covenant;
Is. 56:7 Even them will I bring to my holy mountain, and make them joyful in my house of prayer: their burnt offerings and their sacrifices shall be accepted upon mine altar; for mine house shall be called an house of prayer for all people.
The address now jumps back to the “sons of the stranger” referenced in verse 3—those that are not of the nation of Israel that choose to:
Join themselves to the LORD
Serve the LORD
Love the name of the LORD
Be servants of the LORD
Keep the Sabbath and not pollute/break it
Take hold of the covenant of the LORD
These people will be recognized as full-fledged members of the community of God’s people with all the privileges thereof. One thing that immediately jumps out in the above list is that there appears to be a duplication of serving and being a servant. The Hebrew, however, associates the word serve with worship and the word servant with bondservant. Frankly, as I look at the list, though one can make distinctions, they are all descriptive of love and obedience to YHWH, their Creator.
“joy” = The passion or emotion excited by the acquisition or expectation of good; pleasurable feelings or emotions caused by success, good fortune, and the like, or by a rational prospect of possessing what we love or desire; gladness; exhilaration of spirits; delight.
“make them joyful in my house of prayer” – The thought that stood out to me when I looked at the definition of joy was that of possession. God is saying that coming to His house of prayer will bring joy because of answered prayer—receiving what you desire because your heart is so attuned to the Lord’s. One proof of a right heart condition is that one’s sacrifices are acceptable. No one will be trying to go the way of Cain; each will be acting in obedience to the Savior.
The LORD is emphasizing that His house has always been intended to be a place for ALL people of faith—not just the nation of Israel.
Mark 11:17 “And he taught, saying unto them, Is it not written, My house shall be called of all nations the house of prayer? but ye have made it a den of thieves.”
Is. 56:8 The Lord GOD which gathereth the outcasts of Israel saith, Yet will I gather others to him, beside those that are gathered unto him.
The “outcasts of Israel” is a reference to all the peoples of Israel that have been scattered throughout the world as part of the judgment of God for their rejection of Him as LORD and of His Son as the Messiah. This verse is declaring that God will gather those of the nation of Israel that have been outcast and, in the process, will gather other people of faith along with them. I believe this is speaking of the time when Messiah comes to set up His kingdom, but I also believe that gathering has already begun.
Is. 56:9 All ye beasts of the field, come to devour, yea, all ye beasts in the forest.
Is. 56:10 His watchmen are blind: they are all ignorant, they are all dumb dogs, they cannot bark; sleeping, lying down, loving to slumber.
Is. 56:11 Yea, they are greedy dogs which can never have enough, and they are shepherds that cannot understand: they all look to their own way, every one for his gain, from his quarter.
Is. 56:12 Come ye, say they, I will fetch wine, and we will fill ourselves with strong drink; and to morrow shall be as this day, and much more abundant.
After a beautiful promise of blessing to those who will look to YHWH in faith and obedience, the LORD directs His message to the enemies of Israel and those in leadership in Israel who are focused on self and are in rebellion against their God. The beasts seem to represent the enemies of Israel. The watchmen are the supposed spiritual leaders of Israel. Being spiritually blind and ignorant, they don’t even recognize when they are supposed to bark out a warning to the people that they are on dangerous spiritual ground. They are so focused on self that they are content to live their lives in a sleepwalking mode. They love to slumber; they are not interested in improving their spiritual condition. Instead of caring for the spiritual needs of the people, these leaders are consumed with accumulating material wealth for themselves. Why can they not understand? Because they are not true men of faith. They form a brotherhood of wicked leaders that are constantly trying to outdo each other in the wealth they can amass and the worldly pleasures they enjoy.
This sounds disturbingly similar to many who claim to be spiritual leaders in the church today, doesn’t it!