An Invitation to Return to the Lord
This world is marked by an excruciating paradox. On one hand,
When you putall this together, you get the idea that there will be some dark days ahead. Therewill be some terrible events, some difficult circumstances, and some judgmentfrom God. The Old Testament (OT) book of Isaiah is a terrific book to studywhen you realize these things and they are weighing on your mind.
Background
Throughout thisbook, the prophet Isaiah speaks primarily to the residents of Palestine priorto an invasion and captivity by their enemies, the cruel Assyrian empire. Thiscaptivity would come as a result of the Israelites repeatedly refusing to followGod from their hearts, despite his faithfulness to them. Instead of followingGod, they repeatedly chose to pursue the material benefits and pleasures thatthe land of Palestine offered them to the exclusion of God. They also chose to seekafter the gods and the values of the unbelieving nations around them.
Chapter 55completes a section that begins at 53:12 and ends at 55:13. In this section,Isaiah narrows his audience to a smaller group within the nation whom hedescribes as “servants of the LORD” (54:17). This likely refers to Israeliteswho would choose to rely on God’s help through his supreme chosen Servant (whowould be Jesus Christ).
Even so, in55:1 the prophet expands his audience worldwide by using the word all (כֹּל)and switching to plural pronouns. He also uses words for “nation” or “peoplegroup,” such as לְאֹם (plural twice in 55:4)and גּוֹי (singular once andplural once in 55:5), referring to nations and peoples beyond the Jewish realm.The double mention of a nation whom “you do not know” (55:5) corroborates thisexpansive audience.
This is a fascinatingtwist in the action for Israel. Why? Because their regular, wrong, but naturaldesire was to seek after the nations of the world, but for all the wrong reasons.They called out to them for marriages, for material possessions, for money, forprosperity, for pleasure, and for protection. They would run to these nationsfor these things.
Ironically, God would eventually turn this around so completely that the nation of Israel would call out to the nations of the world so that they might be saved from their wickedness and these nations would, in turn, come running to them and to their God.
Structure
The book ofIsaiah divides into two main sections, Chapters 1-39 and 40-66.
The firstsection (1-39) presents themes that would prepare residents of Judah for thejudgments God had planned against them and against the nations of the world.This section concludes with a “historical connecting link” that previews theimminent attack and captivity by the Assyrians (36-39).
The secondsection presents themes of redemption and restoration that would comfort ratherthan condemn the residents of Judah. Two subsections comprise this section, Chapters40-55 and 56-66.
The first subsectionunfolds the saving work of the divine Servant of the LORD and his specialrelationship to the nation of Israel (42:1-9; 49:1-13; 50:4-11; 52:13-53:12), anation which Isaiah also portrays as a servant of the LORD (41:8-9).
The second subsectionemphasizes the eventual formation of a community of servants of the LORD, whichwould include Israelites and people from other nations. It forecasts thefuture, climactic kingdom of God that would come at the end of time and wouldlast forever.
Isaiah 55serves as a strategic bridge between these two subsections and as a climax tothe second half of this book. It told the residents of Israel how to respond tothe future Servant of the LORD (Jesus Christ, Chapters 40-55) and how to preparefor the future kingdom of God which would come at the end of time (Chapters56-66).
You can outlinethis chapter as follows:
- I. A divine invitation to genuine life and satisfaction (vv. 1-3a)
- II. A divine promise of everlasting covenant loyalty (vv. 3b-5)
- III. A prophetic directive to return to the LORD (vv. 6-7)
- IV. A divine assurance of God’s entirely reliable word (vv. 8-11)
- V. A divine forecast of everlasting joy, peace and blessing (vv. 12-13)
As you can see, the first two sections and the last two sections are direct, divine statements from God, whereas the third and middle section is a prophetic announcement of how to respond to what God is offering.
Purpose
Isaiah 55 is adramatic invitation from God to enjoy abundant and genuinely satisfying life byreturning to the LORD (55:1, 3a, 6-7). This invitation rests squarely on thereliability of God’s spoken word (55:3b-5, 8-11) and extends both to Judah andthe world. Unlike the fallen world around us, this offer does not rest onunreliable promises that never come through. Furthermore, though the world’soffers never fully satisfy, the offer that God gives will genuinely satisfy youforever.
God promisesspiritual life through an eternal relationship with God, made possible throughthe mercy and forgiveness which the Davidic covenant affords (55:3, 5, 7, 13).It also promises additional blessings, such as:
- Physicalprovision and satisfaction (55:1-2)
- Anirresistible influence over the nations (55:4-5)
- Immeasurableand unhindered peace, freedom, and joy (55:12)
- Theabundant renewal of plant life everywhere (55:13)
Ultimately,this beautiful, heartfelt overture from God offers an unrighteous people a wayof returning to him (55:7), even though judgment for their sin was coming soon.Through this amazing offer, God provided hope for those who were languishing insin, frustrated by economic challenges, and perplexed by political turmoil.
As you studythis chapter, you should ask yourself the question, “Am I a servant of God whohas turned to him and is following his thoughts and his ways? Or am I lookingfor pleasure and satisfaction in all the wrong places?”
You could alsoask yourself this question, “As I observe the economic challenges and politicalturmoil of the world today, am I worried, frustrated, or afraid? Or do I havepeace and joy instead because my sins have been forgiven and I know what liesahead for me in the eternal kingdom of God?”
The LORD offers genuine life and satisfaction.
55:1 Oh! Everyone who is thirsty,
come to the waters!
Whoever does not have money,
come, buy, and eat!
Even come and buy wine and milk,
without money and without price.
The opening exclamation“Oh!” announces a sumptuous feast the way that a street vendor hawks his waresto people walking by in a busy, open-air market. It may also express a feelingof grief that people would somewhere other than the LORD to satisfy their needs.
Verse 1consists of three couplets. (In Hebrew poetry, a couplet is a pair oflines. The first is called the A-line and the second is the B-line.)
The first twoestablish the audience in the A-line and the appeal in the B-line. The firstA-line portrays the audience as those in need of water, which is a fundamentalrequirement for life and not a luxury. The second intensifies this crisis byportraying them as incapable of meeting their need because they have no moneyto buy things. Together, these lines depict a desperate situation.
The firstB-line invites thirsty people to come to a source of water that is being madeavailable. The second B-line intensifies this opportunity with threeimperatives instead of one, emphasizing that the water-source is available andincludes food, which means that the offer is larger and more satisfying that itfirst appears.
The third couplet further intensifies the magnanimity of this offer by bundling in additional luxury provisions, like wine and milk. This intensification rises in the final B-line, echoing in two words what the second couplet mentions with only one, that this offer will cost absolutely nothing. This “zero cost” aspect of the offer deserves final emphasis because it is the most unbelievable element. How is it that this offer is absolutely free? It seems too good to be true!
Isaiah repeats come(הָלַךְ) three times (once in each couplet) and buy(שָׁבַר) in the second two. He also uses sensoryimagery to portray thirst, hunger, and poverty. The rising intensity of theselines paired with a string of six imperatives forms a captivating appeal that speaksdirectly to your heart.
Through a pairof thought-provoking couplets (v. 2), Isaiah now seeks to hold the attention ofanyone who has shown interest in his announcement.
55:2 Why do you pay money for what is not bread?
Or why do you labor for what is not satisfying?
Listen carefully to me and eat what is good,
and let your soul delight in fatness!
The firstcouplet asks a pair of penetrating questions. These are not questions lookingfor an answer; they are questions designed to cause personal introspection. Todeepen this introspection, the second question intensifies the first: it movesfrom wasting “money” in general (שׁקל)to wasting “your hard-earned” money, which describes your own personal, hard,physical labor (יְגִיעַ). It also moves froma general reference to bread (לֶחֶם)to a word (“satisfying”) that means a state of having more than enough.
A similar intensificationoccurs in the subsequent couplet. Isaiah offers what is good (טוֹב) to eat (אכל) in the A-line as a generalconcept, then “pampering” (ענג) yourself with“luxuriant abundance” (or “fatness”) in the B-line (דֶּ֫שֶׁן).
Also, thissecond couplet shifts the call to action from a response of “walking” (“come”)to “listening,” which shifts attention from outward activity to an inward heartresponse. The next verse continues this shift, repeating “listen” in the firstB-line, after inserting a more intense description, “turning your ear.”
55:3a Turn your ear and come to me;
hear and your soul will live.
By introducing “soul,life” (נֶ֫פֶשׁ) here, the prophet signals that God isoffering something more than the physical gratification of water and food; heis offering spiritual life.
The Lord promises everlasting covenant loyalty.
The prophetfollows his opening appeal with a direct allusion to the Davidic covenant (v.3b). But what does this covenant have to do with the Israelites living so many yearsafter David? And what does it have to do with us today?
55:3b Then I will make an everlasting covenant with you –
according to the faithful lovingkindness of David.
Though it was givento King David, the coming “Servant of the LORD” would ultimately fulfill thiscovenant as a descendant of David. It is important to observe that the A-lineof this second couplet promises a future covenant relationship, not thefulfillment of the Davidic one per se. Nevertheless, the B-line describe this future,eternal covenant as being related to (“according to”) the Davidic one.
It seems bestto understand this new covenant both as an outcome of the Davidic covenant andas a covenant of a similar nature. The coming Servant of the LORD would fulfillthe Davidic covenant in a way that makes an everlasting relationship with theLORD possible for anyone who would respond to Isaiah’s invitation. Byreferencing חֶ֫סֶד (hesed),Isaiah alludes to the loyal, unrelenting love of God that undergirds hiscommitment not only to David (cf. 2 Sam 7:13, 15-16; Psa 89:28-29), but also toall who would come to him for spiritual life.
Through thisallusion and promise of a never-ending covenant relationship with God, Isaiahcompletes his transition from an offer of physical nourishment to an offer ofeverlasting, spiritual life.
55:4 Behold, I have made him a witness to the peoples,
a leader and commander for the peoples.
This briefverse (v. 4) consists of one couplet and uses only one verb, I have made(נתן). He had given David as a witness(A-line), but of what kind? Specifically as a leader and a commander.He sharpens this focus by repeating “to the people” (לְאוּמִּים)in both lines, which refers to people from an “ethnic community.”
By repeatingthis word (and doing so as bookends to this verse), Isaiah draws attention toits plural form, which indicates that he is referring to more nations thanIsrael alone. This is somewhat surprising because though David was a leader forIsrael (1 Sam 13:14; 25:30; 2 Sam 5:2; 6:21), he was not a leader of othernations in a military or governmental sense. So how did he function this wayfor other nations?
All three wordswhich Isaiah uses – witness, leader, and commander – implygiving information in an influential (A-line) and authoritative way (B-line).
- Witness(עֵד) means “a person whichgives verbal testimony and provides information about a situation.”
- Leader (נָגִיד) means “a ruler,officer, etc.” who leads by “speaking or reporting a message or verdict.”
- Commander (צוה) means “to order, tell,instruct, give direction, decree – to state with force or authority what othersmust do.”
Knowing this, Isaiahis probably referring to David’s prophetic ministry through Old Testament Psalmsthat he wrote, which what David said from God, not only to Israel but also tothe world.
55:5 Behold, you will call a nation whom you do not know,
and a nation that does not know you will run to you
because of the LORD your God – even the Holy One of Israel –
for he has glorified you.
In verse 5,Isaiah continues his emphasis from the previous one, but this time with twocouplets rather than one. He links these verses by opening each one with theinterjection “behold!” (הֵן), calling for specialattention to what he says.
By doing thisconsecutively, he not only links verses 4 and 5, but he calls attention totheir distinctive contrasts portrayed in this opening couplet.
- Verse4 opens with a past tense verb, while verse 5 opens with a pair of futures.
- Verse4 presents David as the influential figure, whereas verse 5 presents the Jewishpeople instead, especially those who would respond to the invitation of this chapter.
Ultimately,however, the coming Davidic Messiah, the Servant of the LORD, stands behindboth these ministries of speaking to the nations for God, enabling both toaccomplish their mission.
Like David, thefuture believing nation of Israel (according to the A-line) would speak (קָרָא, lit. “call”) to the nations of the world;but according to the B-line (and unlike their response to David), the nationswould respond in an enthusiastic and noticeable way (רוץ,lit. "run").
Isaiah repeats גּוֹי (“nations”) in this couplet, depicting theentire Gentile world as coming to the Davidic Messiah through the witness of afuture, believing Israel.
It is alsofascinating to see how though the prophet is appealing to Israel (vv. 1-3) andreceiving a surprisingly apathetic response; but in the future, Israel would bethemselves be the ones who appeal to the whole world. Most ironically, thenations of the world would not be as resistant as Israel had once been.
The cause ofthis seismic spiritual shift among the nations would be twofold, signaled bythe causative markers which begin both lines of the second couplet (לְמַ֫עַן andכִּי respectively). These causes would be:
- Accordingto the A-line, the all-powerful nature of the LORD God of Israel (Isa 5:24;37:24; 45:11-12), in contrast to the gods of the nations.
- Accordingto the B-line, the successful deliverance and exaltation of Israel before thenations (Isa 12:6; 43:3; 49:7).
In the A-line,Isaiah inserts an appositional phrase, using a word (וְ)which further magnifies the unique and supreme character of the LORD, callinghim “the Holy One of Israel.” This re-emphasizes the attribute of God’s holinessand is a title which appears frequently (28 times) throughout the book ofIsaiah (1:4; 5:19, 24; 10:20; 12:6; 17:7; 29:19; 30:11, 12, 15; 30:11, 12, 15; 31:1;37:23; 41:14, 16, 20; 43:3, 14; 45:11; 47:4; 48:17; 49:7; 54:5; 55:5; 60:9, 14).As “the Holy One of Israel,” God is:
- In aclass of his own and entirely separate from all other God’s of other nationsand religions. The God of Israel is entirely unlike and unrelated to any othergods.
- Furthermore,though he is supreme and infinitely separated from this fallen world, he is completelyready and willing to enter a relationship and to identify with sinful Israel.
Only in afuture, eternal age will all nations of the world submit themselves to Israel,in contrast to Israel’s subjugation to them (as in the Assyrian captivity thatwas about to come and like the many ways that Israel has suffered until now). Inthat future day, the nations of the world will turn away from their gods andwill run to the God of Israel.
This ends thefirst stanza of this chapter.
Isaiah invites you return to the LORD.
The secondstanza opens with a reiteration of the opening appeal given at the start ofthis chapter (55:1-3a). It also continues Isaiah’s appeal to a universal,worldwide audience, indicated by resumption of masculine plural pronouns andverbs – as at the beginning of the chapter.
55:6 Seek the LORD while you can find him;
appeal to him while he is near.
These are theonly two verses that are clearly spoken by Isaiah the prophet and not by God directly.Verses 1-5 portray God as speaking directly to the people, and so do verses8-13. Sandwiched between these two divine invitations is an invitation from Isaiahthe prophet, who tells us how to respond to what God is saying in the rest ofthe chapter.
Unlike theinitial appeal, Isaiah injects a time element here using the word “while” (בְּ) in both lines. Though God offered an everlasting covenant (v. 3),this offer itself would not go on forever. It is an offer of an endlessrelationship with God, but with a limited window for accepting the offer.
God will notalways be “findable” (מָצָא), nor will he always be“close by” (קָרֽוֹב). Against this backdrop,Isaiah issues this appeal in the A-line as an imperative, urging the people ofJudah to seek the Lord with heartfelt care and seriousness, not just curiosityor casual interest (דרשׁ).
In the B-line,he intensifies this appeal with another imperative that clarifies the reasonfor diligently seeking the Lord – that they may give him a formal appeal (קרא).Isaiah has already used this word (קרא)in the previous stanza (v. 5); but before the residents of Judah would be ableto call out (קרא) to the nations of theworld, they would first need to call out (קרא)to the LORD for themselves (v. 6).
Verse 7continues the second iteration of Isaiah’s opening appeal and closes thissecond stanza. It consists of three couplets distinguished by some interestingfeatures.
55:7 Let the wicked abandon his way,
and the unjust man his plans.
Let him return to the LORD,
that he may show compassion to him;
and [let him return] to our God,
for he will abundantly forgive.
For instance,it features a “narrowing” effect in which the first couplet narrows into thesecond and the second into the third.
Can you see howthe first couplet names the subject outright in the A-line (“the wicked”), thesecond A-line merely refers to the subject by means of a generic pronoun (“him”),and the third A-line eliminates both the subject but and the verb completely. This“narrowing” effect requires you to keep these elements in your heart and mindas you read, giving them thoughtful, personal attention.
Also, can yousee how Isaiah shifts the focus by gradually eliminating these words? In thefirst couplet, he refers to the wicked and unjust man in both the A- and B-line.In the second couplet, he introduces the LORD; both lines in this secondcouplet also present both the wicked and unjust person (albeit generically) andthe LORD, so this verse serves as a bridge between Couplet 1 and Couplet 3.Couplet 3, then only implies the wicked and unjust man, but names Godexclusively.
These threecouplets illustrate for us the way the returning to the LORD happens. A wickedperson, like yourself, shifts his or her focus away from himself and entirelytowards God as his LORD, who he finds to be resplendently compassionate andforgiving.
The opening verb(“abandon”, עזב), which means “to leavebehind”, serves as the necessary counterpart to the “seek the LORD with care” (דרשׁ,as in v. 6) and the “turn to him” verbs (שׁוּב,mentioned explicitly in the second A-line of v. 7 and implied in third A-line).So to “seek the Lord in a serious way” (which is an action of forwarddirection), you must also “leave behind you” something else (which is an actionof letting something go in your past life as you go forward towards God in yournew life).
This entailsabandoning your “way” (דֶּ֫רֶךְ), which in this caserefers to prior external behavior. It also requires you to abandon your“thoughts” (מַחֲשָׁבָה), which refers here toprior internal beliefs and values, all of which are at odds with the ways andthoughts of God.
This emphasishighlights Isaiah’s prophetic outlook: though Israel desires information thatwill deliver them from Assyrian bondage, God offers them something better –information that will deliver them from their greater enemy, their own sinfulnature.
What shouldastound the reader here is the central thought (featured in the middle couplet)that when a sinful person returns to the LORD, that person will receivecompassion rather than judgment. This verb רָחַםmeans “to show mercy, take pity on, show love, i.e., have feelings and actionsof kindness and concern for one in difficulty, regardless of one’s state ofguilt for an offense.” This is especially important because you, like everyother person, whether Israelite or not, are incredibly guilty before God.
To highlightthis surprising result, Isaiah echoes this appeal to return to the LORD bymeans of an ellipsis, mentioning God by means of a general reference to God (אֱלֹהִים),but distinguishing him from every other god by means of the emphatic firstperson, plural pronoun “our” (אֲנַ֫חְנוּ). His message is clear:only the God of Israel behaves in this compassionate way towards wicked people.
If you studypagan gods, you will find that they do not respond this way. When a personcomes to them, these gods pour out vengeance, terror, and retribution. They donot forgive sins, show compassion, and offer mercy.
The final B-line further amplifies this astonishing result as a noteworthy reason (כִּי) for returning to the LORD: he will not only “remove the guilt associated with sin” (סלח), which is surprising enough, but he will do so inexhaustibly (רבה). This word (רבה) means “greatly” and “to an incredible degree.”
Conclusion
Though there ismore to study in this chapter (namely vv. 8-13), this is a good place to pausefor personal reflection. Here are some questions you should ask yourself today.
Do I have the right view of God? There is only one God. He is the God of Israel and of David. He is the God of the Bible. He is compassionate. He is very extremely forgiving. He is eternally faithful. He is near and ready to receive you.
Do I have the right view of myself? I am seeking for satisfaction, trying to meet my needs and experience pleasure in all the wrong places. I believe the unreliable promises of this disorderly and ungodly world more than I believe God. I am wicked and unjust and deserve God’s judgement.
Have I turned to follow God and left behind my former ways of living? Am I seeking after God just as seriously as I used to look for satisfaction in the marketplace of this world?
Do I study the Word so well that I know what God has told me through King David, especially in the Psalms? For instance, you should find continual encouragement, guidance, and instruction for your life and your relationship with God, by studying the Psalms.
Rather than chase after all that the world is offering you, you need to seek after God. You do not know how long this opportunity will last. The offer will eventually come to an end and you will no longer be able to enter God’s kingdom safely and forever. And when you come to him, through his supreme servant, Jesus Christ, you will become a faithful servant of the LORD yourself, someone who – like David and Isaiah – can take this message to the peoples of the world.
