1 "Come, everyone who thirsts, to the waters! Come, he who has no money, buy, and eat! Yes, come, buy wine and milk without money and without price. 2 Why do you spend money for that which is not bread? and your labor for that which doesn't satisfy? listen diligently to me, and eat you that which is good, and let your soul delight itself in fatness. 3 Turn your ear, and come to 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, you shall call a nation that you don't know; and a nation that didn't know you shall run to you, because of Yahweh your God, and for the Holy One of Israel; for he has glorified you." 6 Seek Yahweh while he may be found; call you on him while he is near: 7 let the wicked forsake his way, and the unrighteous man his thoughts; and let him return to Yahweh, and he will have mercy on him; and to our God, for he will abundantly pardon. 8 "For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways," says Yahweh. 9 "For as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways, and my thoughts than your thoughts. 10 For as the rain comes down and the snow from the sky, and doesn't return there, but waters the earth, and makes it bring forth and bud, and gives seed to the sower and bread to the eater; 11 so shall my word be that goes forth out of my mouth: it shall not return to me void, but it shall accomplish that which I please, and it shall prosper in the thing I sent it to do. 12 For you 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 fields shall clap their hands. 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 Yahweh for a name, for an everlasting sign that shall not be cut off."
This chapter is closely connected in sense with the preceding chapter. It flows from the doctrines stated in Isaiah 53:1-12, and is designed to state what would follow from the coming of the Messiah. It would result from that work that the most free and full invitations would be extended to all people to return to God, and to obtain his favor. There would be such ample provision made for the salvation of human beings, that the most liberal invitations could be extended to sinners. The main idea in the chapter, I conceive to be, that the effect of the work of the Redeemer would be to lay the foundation for a universal invitation to people to come and be saved. So ample would be the merits of his death Isaiah 53:1-12, that all might come and partake of eternal life. To state this, I suppose to be the main design of this chapter. It may be regarded as comprising the following parts:
I. A universal invitation to come and embrace the provisions of mercy.
1. All were invited to come, even they who were the most poor and needy, who had no money, as freely as to running waters and streams Isaiah 55:1.
2. They were now regarded as spending their money and their labor for that which produced no permanent satisfaction - descriptive of the world in its vain efforts to find enjoyment Isaiah 55:2.
3. If they would come to God they should live, and he would make with them an eternal covenant Isaiah 55:3.
II. To encourage them to this, the assurance is presented that God had given the Messiah to be a leader of the people, and that under him distant nations should embrace the truth and be saved Isaiah 55:4-5.
III. In view of the fullness of the provisions of mercy, and of the fact that a great leader had been provided, all are encouraged to come and seek God. This invitation is pressed on their attention by several considerations:
1. Yahweh might now be found, and he was ready to pardon abundantly all sinners who were disposed to forsake the error of their way and to return to him Isaiah 55:6-7.
2. God shows that his plans were high above those of people, and his thoughts more elevated than theirs, and his counsels should stand. The rain descended on the earth and accomplished his great plans, and so it would be with his word. His promises would be fulfilled, and his designs would take effect, and there was, therefore, every encouragement to come, and partake of his favor and his grace Isaiah 55:8-11.
3. There should be rich and abundant blessings attending their return to God, and universal rejoicing from their embracing the religion of the Redeemer, and becoming interested in his mercy and salvation Isaiah 55:12-13.
There is not to be found in the Bible a chapter more replete with rich invitations than this, nor perhaps is there anywhere to be found one of more exquisite beauty. To the end of the world it will stand as the fullest conceivable demonstration that God intended that the offers of salvation should be made to all people, and that he designs that his gospel shall accomplish the great plans which he had in view when he devised the scheme of redemption. While this precious chapter remains in the book of God, no sinner need despair of salvation who is disposed to return to him; no one can plead that he is too great a sinner to be saved; no one can maintain successfully that the provisions of mercy are limited in their nature or their applicability to any portion of the race; and no minister of the gospel need be desponding about the success of the work in which he is engaged. The gospel shall just as certainly produce the effect which God intended as the rain which comes down in fertilizing showers upon the dry and thirsty earth.
This chapter first displays the fullness, freeness, excellence, and everlasting nature of the blessings of the Gospel, and foretells again the enlargement of Messiah's kingdom, Isaiah 55:1-5. This view leads the prophet to exhort all to seize the precious opportunity of sharing in such blessings, which were not, however, to be expected without repentance and reformation, Isaiah 55:6, Isaiah 55:7. And as the things now and formerly predicted were so great as to appear incredible, the prophet points to the omnipotence of God, who would infallibly accomplish his word, and bring about those glorious deliverances which he had promised; the happy effects of which are again set forth by images beautiful and poetical in the highest degree, Isaiah 55:8-13.
INTRODUCTION TO ISAIAH 55
As the two preceding chapters are prophecies of Christ and his church, this treats of his word and ordinances, and of the nature, use, and efficacy of them. It begins with an invitation of thirsty souls to them, Isaiah 55:1, an expostulation with them for taking wrong methods, and a dissuasive from them, Isaiah 55:2, which is followed with an exhortation to hear the word of Christ, attend on his ordinances; to which they are encouraged with promises of life and covenant blessings, Isaiah 55:2. Christ is prophesied of in his offices; and the conversion of the Gentiles to him is foretold, Isaiah 55:4, men are called upon to seek the Lord, where and while he might be found; and both wicked and unrighteous persons, forsaking their ways and thoughts, are encouraged to turn to the Lord, in hopes of pardon, and in consideration of his ways and thoughts not being like theirs, Isaiah 55:6, the nature and efficacy of the word of God are expressed and illustrated by the similes of rain and snow, Isaiah 55:10, and the conversion of the Lord's people, in consequence of the word being made effectual, is predicted, the issue of which is the glory of God, Isaiah 55:12.
(Isaiah 55:1-5) An invitation to receive freely the blessings of the Saviour.
(Isaiah 55:6-13) Gracious offers of pardon and peace.
*More commentary available by clicking individual verses.