Isaiah 55:1-13

Chapter 55 is the second part of the call to celebrate the work of the Servant in ch. 53.

Israel is the main focus yet in this chapter, but the application of the invitation to everyone is appropriate.

This is the final chapter in a series of chapters that dealt with salvation and eternal redemption by God through his Servant. (chapters 49-55)

The Servant’s work has provided an abundance of blessings for his people.

These blessings are offered in grace to all who would come and receive them.

55:1

“Come” is “hoi” or “hoy” in Hebrew.

• “hoi” is used to get attention
• It is the voice of the evangelist or of Wisdom from Proverbs 9:1-6 calling out in the streets.
• Here the voice is pictured as that of the Eastern water merchant.
• The word “hoi” has a tone of pity in its meaning and here it is the voice of one concerned with the souls of men.

Five imperatives in this verse.

Proverbs 9:5,6 “Come, eat my food and drink the wine I have mixed.

Leave your simple ways and you will live; walk in the way of understanding.”

Rev. 22:17, “The Spirit and the bride say, ‘Come!’ And let him who hears say, ‘Come!’ Whoever is thirsty, let him come; and whoever wishes, let him take the free gift of the water of life.”

“thirsty” and “no money” and “without cost”

1. “Thirsty” refers to a need that men have but cannot satisfy from within themselves.
2. “No money” refers to a problem men have that can not be met because they cannot pay for it or earn it.
3. “Without cost” refers to the method of receiving something that is valuable and desired, but there is not price or charge for it.

“buy” is “sibru” and refers to the purchase of grain

Buy with out money is an intended paradox to draw attention to the uniqueness of this opportunity.

Water = Holy Spirit
Isaiah 32:15, “till the Spirit is poured upon us from on high, and the desert becomes a fertile field . . .”

Isaiah 44:3, “For I will pour water on the thirsty land, and streams on the dry ground; I will pour out my Spirit on your offspring, and my blessing on your descendants. They will spring up like grass in a meadow, like poplar trees by flowing streams.”

John 7:37-39, “On the last and greatest day of the Feast, Jesus stood and said in a loud voice, ‘If anyone is thirsty, let him come to me and drink. Whoever believes in me, as the Scripture has said, streams of living water will flow from within him.’ By this he meant the Spirit, whom those who believed in him were later to receive. Up to that time the spirit had not been given, since Jesus had not yet been glorified.”

55:2

Spend money on what does not satisfy is what the unbeliever does.

Receive without money (or any payment) what does satisfy is what the believer does.

This verse reflects Romans 6:23, “For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.”

Self labor results in emptiness (Is. 55) or death (Rm. 6:23)

Receiving for nothing results in satisfaction and life.

55:3

Instead of laboring for nothing, you can come to the Lord or “me” (the one who is speaking in 55:8) so that “your soul may live.”

“Everlasting Covenant” could refer to:

1) The New Covenant of Jeremiah 31:31

2) The Davidic Covenant of 2 Samuel 7:11-16

The “Eternal Covenant” is the opposite of the Sinai covenant.

This verse says that what the servant has accomplished is like the Davidic covenant and not like the covenant at Sinai.

The Old Covenant from Sinai had been broken and a New Covenant (Jer. 31:31 and Luke 22:20)

Israel would continue into the future with hope because of this New Covenant and not because of the covenant at Sinai.

The Davidic covenant was not fulfilled by David’s descendents as is seen in:

a) Isaiah 7:2, 13 – where the house of David rejects the sign and promise of God

b) Isaiah 39:7 – where the house of David ends its line in captivity

The Davidic covenant was fulfilled through the “child” or “the shoot of Jesse” or the Servant of Isaiah 53. Isaiah 8:8-10; 9:1-6; 11:1-16; 16:5; 32:1-5; 33:17-22

55:4-5

Both verses begin with “Behold”

Verse 4 speaks of the historical David who can witness to God’s power and faithfulness in his life.

Verse 5 speaks of the Messiah

55:6

Isaiah returns to the call for the people to seek God

The Lord is near because of the preaching of Isaiah in 700 BC

The Lord is near today because of the church age

The Lord is near because he is ready to be found and has revealed himself to those who where not looking (Is. 65:1)

The human response to this invitation of the free gift is:

1) Seek him

2) Call on him

55:7

This verse helps explain what seeking the Lord means.

Seeking means to seek God’s presence so we can learn his ways.

Seeking means forsaking our ways and our thoughts.

Often in the OT “seeking” the Lord meant to go to the seer for a word from God.

Ezekiel 20:1-4 rebukes the people for coming for a word but not changing their lives.

55:8-9

“thoughts” are what a person things that includes their values, goals, plans, understanding.

“ways” are what a person does that is based on their thoughts.

People should seek God for two reasons listed here:

1) To escape their sinful thoughts and ways that is in their nature. (55:8-9)

2) God’s word is the only thing that is stable and sure (55:10-11)

55:12-13

“ki” means for or because. It is left out of the NIV.

This is the result of God’s plan and includes those who have sought him.

This chapter has had:

1) An invitation

2) A call to repent (6-9)

3) A promise that God’s plan will succeed (10-11)

4) A final state described (12-13)

These last 2 chapters have had three eternal things:

1) The eternal hesed (loving kindness) (54:8)

2) The eternal covenant (55:3)

3) The eternal sign (55:13) – which is the redeemed world and restored earth. The result of the eternal hesed and eternal covenant