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This Chapter Verse Commentaries:
Tonight we shall read that precious chapter of gospel invitation, the fifty-fifth of Isaiah, which, I hope, you all know by heart.
Isa_55:1. Ho, every one that thirsteth,
God would have the attention of sinners; he calls for it. Are not sinners eager for God? Oh, no! It is God who is eager for sinners; and so he calleth
“Ho!” Men pass by with their ears full of the world’s tumult; and God calleth, again and again, “Ho! Ho!” Be you rich or poor, learned or illiterate, if you are in need, and specially if you feel your need, “Ho, every one that thirsteth.”
Isa_55:1. Come ye to the waters,
There are only in one place waters that can quench your thirst; and God calls you that way: “Come ye to the waters.”
Isa_55:1. And he that hath no money;
Water is a thing that is sold, not given away, in the East; and he that needs it, must buy it. But he who buys of God, has nothing to pay: “He that hath no money.”
Isa_55:1. Come ye, buy, and eat; yea, come, buy wine and milk without money and without price.
See how God’s good things grow as we look at them. The first invitation was, “Come ye to the waters;” the next was, “Eat;” but this one speaks of “wine and milk.” Our first idea of the gospel is very simple, it is water for our thirst. Soon we find that it is food for our hunger. Presently we discover it to be wine for our delight, and milk for our perpetual sustenance. There is everything in Christ; and you want him. Come and have him. There is no other preparation needed but that you feel your need of him.
“
‘Tis his Spirit’s rising beam.”
What a cheering verse this is to begin with!
If you spend your money for that which is not bread, you are likely to be disappointed. “Oh, but,” you say, “I have made many an effort.” Yes, I know you have; but, if you labour for “that which satisfieth not”, I do not wonder that you are not satisfied. Let your past defeats drive you to your God. If you have failed hitherto, so much the more reason why you should listen to the Lord’s message. He says to you,-
Isa_55:2. Hearken diligently unto me,
Salvation comes through the ear, more than through the eye. Hearken;
hearken; hearken diligently, with both your ears, with all your heart,
hearken unto your God.
Isa_55:2. And eat ye that which is good, and let your soul delight itself in fatness.
If we will hear, and will believe, we shall be satisfied; we shall be delighted; we shall be overjoyed. The Lord can take our thirst away, and give instead a delight in fatness.
Isa_55:3. Incline your ear,
Hold it near the mouth of the gracious Speaker. Be willing to hear what God has to say. Take out that wool of prejudice that has prevented you from hearkening to God’s voice: “Incline your ear.”
Isa_55:3. 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.
“When thus you live, I will make an everlasting covenant with you. I am not the God of the dead, but of the living; and when once, through hearing the divine Word, you have come to life, I will be your God.”
Isa_55:4. Behold, I have given him—
One greater than David, even the Beloved of the Lord, the Only-begotten, the Messiah Prince, the King of kings, even Jesus.
Isa_55:4. For a witness to the people, a leader and commander to the people.
God did not give us an angel to lead us, but he gave us his Son; and he did not merely give us his Son to be an example, but to die for us, to bleed to death on our behalf, to be our Substitute, dying in our place and stead. “I have given him.” This is the greatest wonder that ever was. “God so loved the world that he gave his Only-begotten Son;” not, “God so loved the saintly; God so loved the earnest; God so loved the moral;” but “the world”, the common-place, sinful world; he so loved those who lay dead in trespasses and sins “that he gave his Only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.” And the Father, in giving his Son, gives him a promise:-
Isa_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.
So, brethren, the gospel must succeed. Christ must have whole nations to come to him; they must come; they shall come; for God has glorified his Son, and he glorifies him in this among other ways, in bringing nations to his feet. The gospel is no experiment; there is not a question as to its success. There may be dark days just now, and our hearts may sink as we look around; but the Father will keep his promise to the Son, and that encourages us to look up in the darkest hour. This fact, which is more than a promise, will never be altered, “He hath glorified thee.”
Isa_55:6. Seek ye the LORD while he may be found, call ye upon him while he is near:
Oh, may the Holy Spirit make every word I read to be effectual with you! God himself speaks to you tonight, out of a Book which not only was inspired, but is inspired; and he says tonight, freshly from his own lip to you that have not rest of heart, “Seek ye the LORD while he may be found.” He may be found; therefore seek him. “Call ye upon him while he is near.” He is near; therefore call upon him.
Isa_55:7. Let the wicked forsake his way,
Do not let him wait till he has finished this thing, or done the other, or till he has so much to bring in his hand. Let him run away from his old master, and from his old way, and from his old self at once. May God help him so to do!
Isa_55:7. And the unrighteous man his thoughts: and let him return unto the LORD, and he will have mercy upon him; and to our God,
Whom we love, and in whom we trust, and who has pardoned us: “to our God.”
Isa_55:7. For he will abundantly pardon.
The marginal reading is, “He will multiply to pardon.” He will pardon, and pardon, and pardon, and pardon, and pardon, and pardon, ad infinitum. Enormous as the sin may be, God’s pardon shall suffice to put it all away. Is this message too hard for you to believe? Oh, broken heart! does this divine truth seem to you to be too good to be true? Oh, trembling one! does it seem impossible that the righteous God can cast all your sins behind his back, and drown them in the depths of the sea? Listen still to our Lord’s gracious words
Isa_55:9-11. 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.
God’s Word is not ineffectual. If thou wilt hear it, it will bless thee. When God sends snow and rain, they go not back again. The earth receives them; they sink into her pores; they refresh her secret life. Receive thou, O black heart, the Word of God, as the earth receives the snow! O thou dry heart, receive thou the Word as the dry ground receives the shower. It shall not go back again; it shall sink into thine inmost soul; it shall save thee. God can save thee. Believe it; receive his Word into thy heart, and it shall save thee. Mark who you are, who are spoken to in the first and second verses, you who are thirsty, you who have no money, you who have laboured, and are disappointed with the fruit of your toil.
Isa_55:12. For ye shall go out with joy,
You poor people who are invited to come to the waters, you who have nothing of your own, “Ye shall go out with joy.”
Isa_55:12. And be led forth with peace:
To some places you can “go” by yourselves; to others you must be “led”; but in either case you shall have “joy” and “peace.”
Isa_55:12. The mountains and the hills shall break forth before you into singing,
They do not look like singing, do they? They look as if their only music would be the howling of the wild winds about their brow, or the roaring of the wild beasts along their sides; but for you, for you, ye thirsty ones, they shall break forth into singing.
Isa_55:12. And all the trees of the field shall clap their hands.
Trees seem to have little sympathy with weary hearts; but when weary heads find peace with God in Christ, as I trust some will tonight, then even the trees of the field seem to be in harmony with man, and they clap their hands in jubilant exultation.
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,
Yes, it shall make God’s name great when you are converted; for you will talk about what the Lord has done for your soul, and that will bring God fame: “It shall be to the LORD for a name.”
Isa_55:13. For an everlasting sign that shall not be cut off.
O ye that thirst, O ye hungry, O ye unsatisfied, may the reading of this Word be blessed to you tonight! Amen.
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.
Let no one ask whether he may come to Christ for salvation; he is bidden to come. Whoever wills to come, is welcome. “Ho!” says God, as men cry when they have goods to sell, and would attract the passer-by; and not merely to one does he speak, but to everyone: “Ho, every one that thirsteth,” — whatever is the age he lives in, and to whatever age he may himself have attained: “Ho, every one that thirsteth.” But is there anything to be had by those who do come? There is in God exactly that which every soul needs; first, “waters” for the thirsty. There is even more than absolute, necessaries: “wine and milk,” God has an abundance of grace, yea, a superabundance. He can give us all we need, and even more than we desire. Oh, turn not away when God the Father cries, “Ho!”
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.
Apart from God, there is nothing for us but destruction. We may spend our money, and our labour, too, but happiness is not to be found by the creature apart from the Creator, or by a sinner apart from the Saviour. God has so constituted the human mind that it cannot be perfect without him.
Isa_55:3. Incline your ear, and come unto me: hear, and your soul shall live; —
It seems a very little thing to do, does it not? Simply to hear, — to incline the ear; yet that is the way of salvation: “Faith cometh by hearing, and hearing by the Word of God.” Alas! nowadays, the mass of men will not hear God’s message of mercy; they pass it by as if it were an old worn-out tale of which they knew quite enough, Hear, then, what God says to his poor forgetful creature: “I tear, and your soul shall live;” —
Isa_55:3. And I will make an everlasting covenant with you, even the sure mercies of David.
Will God make a covenant with man? Can it be that he will strike hands with sinful man, and enter into league and compact with him? Yes, so he says; if men will but incline their ear, and come unto him, he will enter into covenant with them: “I will make an everlasting covenant with you, even the sure mercies of David.” “But David is dead,” says someone. Yes, I know he is; but the David here meant always lives, it is Jesus, the Son of God.
Isa_55:4. Behold, I have given him for a witness to the people, a leader and commander to the people.
Jesus Christ is the people’s Witness and Leader; born among them, living among them, dying for them, living still to save them; and God declares that he gives this Christ to such as hear him, to such as incline their ear, and come unto him.
Isa_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.
Brethren, our Lord Jesus Christ did not die in vain. He died to redeem his chosen people, and those whom he redeemed he will certainly have. Even though some reject him, others will not. God has power over human hearts; and where Christ’s gospel is faithfully preached, and attended by the Holy Spirit’s power, sinners must come to Christ. Their will shall sweetly yield to the supremacy of love. Even though they set themselves against Christ, yet they shall come when the Lord draws them; and glory shall be gotten to his holy name by the salvation of those who never even thought of being saved.
Isa_55:6. Seek ye the LORD while he may be found, call ye upon him while he is near:
“Seek ye the Lord while he may be found;” that is, now. “Call ye upon him while he is near;” he is near now. Wherever Christ is lifted up, and his gospel is proclaimed, there is he according to his promise, “Lo, I am with you alway, even unto the end of the world.”
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.
What a grand word that is! “He will abundantly pardon.” However abundant sin may be, God’s pardon is still more abundant. As Paul puts it, “Where sin abounded, grace did much more abound.” Sin may be like the great mountains, but the mercy of God is like Noah’s flood, that rose above the tops of the highest hills: “He will abundantly pardon.”
Isa_55:8. For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways, saith the LORD.
Oh, what a mercy it is to be taught to think God’s thoughts, and to be led in God’s ways! It is the entrance into a new life; it is something infinitely beyond the greatest elevation to which any ordinary life can ever reach by its own unaided power.
Isa_55:9-12. 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.
“For ye” — that is, ye who have heard God’s Word, and believed it, — “ye shall go out with joy.” Happy hearts help to make a happy world. He who has found his Saviour, and received God’s pardon, and learned God’s thoughts, shall find the whole world full of music to him, wherever he may be.
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.
Wherever God’s grace begins to work, it cuts up thorns and thistles, and plants in place of them fir trees and myrtle trees. Oh, that his grace might renew each one of us! And, then, when that blessed work has been done, may we never cease to glorify that dear name by the power of which we have been changed!
This chapter might very well have been found in the Gospel according to Matthew, or Mark, or Luke, or John, for it is so plain, so simple, and so full of Gospel teaching.
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.
Oh, the freeness of Gospel provisions; and, at the same time, their fullness, their plenty, their variety, their sufficiency! Here is a mention of “wine and milk.” It is not enough for the Lord to bid us “come to the waters,” but he invites us to partake of the choicest luxuries upon which the soul can be fed; he calls us to be filled even to the full, and to accept everything for nothing: “without money and without price.”
Isa_55:2. Wherefore do ye spend money for that which is not bread? and your labour for that which satisfieth not?
Why do ye act thus? Can you give any explanation of such folly? The gospel is consistent with the highest reason; and to believe in Christ is not a thing for which we need make any apology. It is a foolish thing not to believe in him,-a foolish thing to be living for the world,-to be spending our time and strength for thy attainment of some inferior object which can never satisfy the soul. This “wherefore” is not applicable to the Christian; it is applicable to the worldling; yet he often thinks himself the only wise man on the face of the earth, “Wherefore do ye spend money for that which is not bread? and your labour for that which satisfieth not?”
Isa_55:2-3. 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:
What a stress these gospel passages lay upon hearing the Word! “Faith cometh by hearing.” All the sights, and all the shows, all the gorgeous processions, and all the external ceremonies in the world, will never convert a single soul; but God says, “Hearken diligently unto me. Incline your ear, and come unto me.”
Isa_55:3. Hear, and your soul shall live;
Do not cavil, but hear. Do not come to find fault with the Word; but “Come unto me,” saith the Lord; “hear, and your soul shall live.”
Isa_55:3. And I will make an everlasting covenant with you, even the sure mercies of David.
What a surprising promise this is for God to make to men who are so poverty-stricken that they have “no money” in their hand, or in their pocket,-nothing in fact, that they can bring to him! Yet the Lord says, “I will make an everlasting covenant with you.” Will God enter into covenant with a poor sinner, and pledge himself, by promise and by oath, to do him good for ever? Yes, poor troubled, sinful soul, the Lord, in infinite mercy, is even now calling thee by his grace, I trust; and as surely as thou dost come to him, he will make with thee “an everlasting covenant, even the sure mercies of David.”
Isa_55:4. Behold, I have given him for a witness to the people, a leader and commander to the people.
God’s Witness of his great love to us is his own Son. You cannot doubt God’s readiness to receive guilty men, since Christ has come in the flesh.
You cannot doubt his love to sinners, since his only-begotten Son has come to be a Witness to it. Oh, for grace to range ourselves under his banner, and to follow his footsteps, for God has given him to he “a Leader and Commander to the people”! Nor shall he be a Leader without followers, nor a Commander without an army. Where is he to get his followers and his army? Read the next verse
Isa_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.
Observe, there was no communion between Christ and these people, for he knew not them, and they knew not him. It is the Scriptural mode of expressing the great gulf between these; yet, he is to call them, and they are to run to him. He is to find his subjects and his soldiers among those who have hitherto been ignorant of him. What a gracious covenant promise this is! Under the guise of a declaration made to Christ, this is really a promise made to the elect of God, that they shall be brought back from all their wanderings, and be ranged in their ranks beneath the banner of their Lord.
Isa_55:6-7. Seek ye the LORD 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 the LORD, and he will have mercy upon him; and to our God, for he will abundantly pardon.
There must be conversion,-that is, a turning of the soul, and that must be manifest in the outward life. The wicked must forsake his evil way; but the change must go much deeper than that, there must be a real spiritual conversion. The unrighteous man must forsake his sinful thoughts; and, oh, how glorious it is when, after such a generous exhortation, and such a gracious invitation, God sends his Spirit to those whom he calls, to enable them to forsake their own way, and their own thoughts, and to turn unto him! Wherever there is any such a turning as that, it is certain that “he will abundantly pardon.”
Isa_55:8-9. 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.
I think, dear friends, that not only may the unconverted pick up many crumbs of comfort as they hear about the abundant provision of divine mercy, but that the tried people of God may also be much cheered as they think upon the greatness of the Lord’s plans for them. You do not understand, tried child of God, what your Heavenly Father is doing with you. A child cannot always comprehend his father’s purposes of love; it is not needful that he should. Every father may say to his son, “My thoughts are not your thoughts;” but with what an emphasis does our Divine Father say it to us! “As the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways, and my thoughts than your thoughts.”
Isa_55:10-11. 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.
Such a promise as this ought to help us to preach in faith! How full our sermons ought to be of the Word of God; for it is not our word, but God’s Word, that is certain to be effectual to the salvation of our hearers! I recollect McCheyne saying that you will generally find that it is God’s Word, not man’s comment on God’s Word, that is blessed to the conversion of souls. There is a divine charm-a mystic power-about the very words of the Lord. I can never doubt the doctrine of plenary verbal inspiration, since I so constantly see, in actual practice, how the very words that God has been pleased to employ are blessed to the souls of men,-not merely their sense, but the very language. Sometimes, a plural instead of a singular noun, or one particular word, instead of its synonym, will be made, in the hands of the Spirit of God, the means of reaching some character which, otherwise, would not have been reached. Blessed be God that we do believe in his Book. We cannot, we will not, give up a jot or a tittle of it,-the dot of an I, or the cross of a t. We believe that no part of the Word of the Lord will return unto him void, but it shall accomplish all his good pleasure, and prosper in the thing whereunto he has sent it.
Isa_55:12. For ye shall go out with joy, and be led forth with peace:
That shall be your happy condition when you have once fed upon Christ. When you have entered into covenant with God, you “shall go out with joy, and be led forth with peace.”
Isa_55:12. The mountains and the hills shall break forth before you into singing, and all the trees of the field shall clap their hands.
And many of us can testify that it is so. Once reconciled to God, all nature seems to wear another aspect. Whatever the weather is, it pleases us because it pleases him who sends it to us; and when we look upon the beauties of nature beneath the sunlight, there is a peculiar glory upon them; for the light of God, that shineth more brightly than the sun, is, to the believing eye, upon everything.
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.
Wherever God’s Word is, there are transformations. Miracles though we see them not in the natural world, are abundant in the spiritual realm. Conversion is the great standing proof of the presence of the Holy Ghost, and his abiding presence is the perpetual witness to the truth of the Gospel. Beyond all arguments from internal or external evidence, stands this one, the Word of God is effectual in the salvation of Sinners. Thorns are turned into fir trees, and briers into myrtles; and, so, God is glorified, and “an everlasting sign” is thus preserved among us, “that shall not be cut off.”
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.
The description of gospel blessings grows sweeter as it advances. “Waters” first, “wine and milk” next, and still all “without money and without price.”
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.
All your largest desires you will find in Christ; you shall have not only necessaries, but delicacies, delights that shall satisfy you to the full, you shall not be able to conceive of anything that shall be more rich and full than the grace of God.
Isa_55:3. Incline your ear, and come unto me;
This is the gate by which salvation enters into man, — Ear gate, by hearing and believing: “Incline your ear,” bend it forward as if you would catch every word; “and come unto me: — “
Isa_55:3. Hear, and your soul shall live; and I will make an everlasting covenant with you, even the sure mercies of David.
Only think of a covenant made with needy sinners, thirsty sinners, God striking hands with guilty men in the person of Jesus Christ. It is a sure covenant, too; not made up of “ifs” and “buts” and “peradventures”, —but a covenant sealed with blood, and signed by him who gives an oath with it that he will never turn from it, that you may have “strong consolation.”
Isa_55:4. Behold, I have given him for a witness to the people, a leader and commander to the people.
He who is our greater David comes to us to bear witness of the immutable love of God, and to be to us our Captain and our King. Happy are the souls that accept this David to be their Leader. You remember how David, in the cave Adullam, gathered to himself “every one that was in distress, and every one that was in debt, and every one that was discontented, and he became a captain over them.” Even so, the great Antitype, David’s Son and David’s Lord is willing now to gather to himself those who are spiritually bankrupt, discontented, and weary with the world, and God says, “I have given him for a witness to the people, a leader and commander to the people.”
Isa_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.
What joy this gives to you who love him! Jehovah has glorified his Son and given to him the power to call to himself a people that he knew not in a saving sense, and he shall so call nations that knew not him that they shall run unto him. We do not preach the gospel, dear brethren, at haphazard, we are sure of results. It we speak in faith, in the name of Christ men must be saved, they must run to Christ. It is not left to their option, there is a divine hand that secretly touches the springs of the will of men, so that, when Christ calls them, they run unto him. Oh, that he would just now call them, even those that are furthest off, that they may run unto him, and that he may be glorified!
Isa_55:6. Seek ye the LORD while he may be found,
In these happy gospel times when Christ is set forth on purpose that “he may be found.”
Isa_55:6. Call ye upon him while he is near:
And he is very near when the gospel is preached with holy unction, when Christians are praying, when hearts are breaking for the conversion of sinners, and when his Spirit is working in their hearts, that they may repent of sin.
Isa_55:7. Let the wicked forsake his way, —
It is a bad way, it is a downward way, it is a way that will end in destruction; do not follow it any longer: “Let the wicked forsake his way,”-
Isa_55:7. And the unrighteous man his thoughts:
“Thoughts!” says one, “we shall not be hanged for our thoughts.” Oh, but you may be damned for your thoughts! No man has really forsaken the way of wickedness until he hates the very thought of wickedness. If your thoughts run after evil, your tongues will soon utter evil, and your hands will soon do evil.
Isa_55:7. And let him return —
He is like one who has wandered from his father’s house: “let him return.” He is like the dove that flew away from Noah’s ark, and was ready to faint: “let him return” —
Isa_55:7. Unto the LORD, and he will have mercy upon him; and to our God, for he will abundantly pardon.
What a blessed word “abundantly” is here! Abundant pardon to cover abundant sin, abundant provocation, abundant rejection of his Word!
Isa_55:8. For —
Saith God, as if he would not leave the prophet to speak any longer on his behalf; he himself appears upon the scene, and speaks: “For” —
Isa_55:8. My thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways, saith the LORD.
No doubt he refers here to the pardon of sin. Our thoughts are narrow; we find it hard to forgive great offenses, to forgive many offenses, to forgive many offenders, to continue completely to forgive, — all this is very difficult to men.
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.
Think of the biggest thought you ever had concerning God’s forgiveness of sins; try again, let your thoughts rise higher still; ye cannot have reached the utmost height yet, “for as the heavens are higher than the earth,” so are his thoughts and ways higher than yours.
Isa_55:10-11. 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.
If you believe this great promise, you shall have the full benefit of it. Let this gracious rain drop on you, and it must refresh you. Let these blessed snowflakes come down on you, and they shall melt into your bosom, and remain there to bless you for ever; they shall not go back to God with their mission unfulfilled. As for us who preach that Word, or teach it in the Sunday-school, we may have a full assurance that we shall not labour in vain nor spend our strength for nought. No, no; the raindrops go not on an errand that can fail, and the snowflakes that fall to the earth accomplish the end for which they are sent. Much more shall the purpose of God’s Word be accomplished! Behold, it drops like the gentle rain; like snowflakes fly the messages of mercy from the lips of the Lord himself, and they shall not fall in vain, blessed be his holy name!
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.
There shall seem to be joy everywhere when there is joy in your heart. When you receive Christ you have put everything round about you into its true position. The whole creation is a vast organ, and man puts his tiny fingers on the keys and evokes thunders of harmony to the praise of God. When the heart is filled with joy and peace, mountains and hills break forth before us into singing, and all the trees of the field clap their hands.
Isa_55:13. Instead of the thorn —
Which is everywhere today, pricking our feet and maiming our hands: “Instead of the thorn,”-
Isa_55:13. Shall come up the fir tree,
Where is the thorn then? I see it upon the bleeding brows of Christ; he has taken it away, and worn it as a crown.
Isa_55:13. And instead of the brier shall come up the myrtle tree: and it shall be to the Lord for a name, —
It shall make men know what he is like, what gracious power he has, what goodness dwells in him: it shall be to Jehovah for a name,”-
Isa_55:13. For an everlasting sign that shall not be cut off.
That sign is exhibited, today, in the eyes of men. An evil and adulterous generation called for a sign, and this is the sign that God has given, — his converting grace in his Church. Instead of miracles, we have the work of the Holy Ghost in the hearts of sinners; and if any will not believe when this sign is sent to them, neither would they believe though one rose from the dead. It stands as “an everlasting sign that shall not be cut off.”
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.
The description of gospel blessings grows sweeter as it advances. “Waters” first, “wine and milk” next, and still all “without money and without price.” We preach no narrow salvation: we rejoice in the covenant of grace; it is the backbone of our theology, but the gospel hath wide arms, and a loud voice, and persuasive tones: “Ho, every one that thirsteth, come ye to the waters.” In Christ there is a full supply for all our necessities, —bread and water; yea, there are luxuries sufficient for our largest desires, —wine and milk, and he wants us to bring nothing in payment for them: “without money and without price.” That is indeed free grace. Some people object to that expression, and say that it is tautology, for grace must be free; but we mean to keep on using it that all may know that grace is free, gratis, all for nothing.
Isa_55:2. Wherefore do ye spend money for that which is not bread? and your labour for that which satisfieth not?
The less value there is in any religion, the more you have to pay for it. The pardon that cost a shilling is not worth a farthing, but that which costs us nothing is worth more than the whole world.
Isa_55:2. Hearken diligently unto me, and eat ye that which is good, and let your soul delight itself in fatness.
All that your largest desires can long for you will find in Christ. You shall have not only necessaries, but delicacies, delights that shall satisfy you to the full; you shall not be able to conceive of anything that shall be more rich and full than the grace of God. The gospel is “that which is good;” yea, it is the best food our souls can ever eat; it gratifies, it satisfies, and fills our spirits with holy joy and exhilaration.
Isa_55:3. Incline your ear, and come unto me; —
This is the gate by which salvation enters into man, — Ear gate, — by hearing and believing. “Incline your ear,” bend it forward as if you would catch every word; “and come unto me;” —
Isa_55:3. Hear, and your soul shall live; and I will make an everlasting covenant with you, even the sure mercies of David.
Only think of a covenant made with needy sinners, thirsty sinners; God striking hands with guilty men in the person of Jesus Christ. It is a sure covenant, too; not made up of “ifs” and “buts” and “peradventures”, but a covenant sealed with blood, and signed by him who gives an oath with it that he will never turn from it, that you may have “strong consolation.
Isa_55:4. Behold, I have given him for a witness to the people, a leader and commander to the people.
He who is our greater David comes to us to bear witness to the immutable love of God, and to be to us our Captain and our King. Happy are the souls that accept this David to be their Leader. You remember how David, in the cave Adullam, gathered to himself “every one that was in distress, and every one that was in debt, and every one that was discontented, and he became a captain over them.” Even so, the great Antitype, David’s Son and David’s Lord, is willing now to gather to himself those who are spiritually bankrupt, discontented, and weary with the world, and God says, ‘ I have given him for a witness to the people, a leader and commander to the people.”
Isa_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.
What joy this gives to you who love him! Jehovah has glorified his Son, and given to him the power to call to himself a people that he knew not in a saving sense, and he shall so call nations that knew not him that they shall run unto him. We do not preach the gospel at haphazard; we are sure of results. If we speak in faith, in the name of Christ, men must be saved, they must run to Christ. It is not left to their option; there is a divine hand that secretly touches the springs of the will of men, so that, when Christ calls them, they run unto him. Oh, that he would just now call them, even those that are furthest off, that they may run into him and that he may be glorified! A Saviour without souls saved by him would be only a Saviour in name. A head without a body would be a very ghastly thing. A shepherd without sheep would be a man without occupation. A Christ anointed to save the lost, and yet no lost ones coming unto him, where would his glory be? But sinners, drawn by his almighty grace, run unto him, and so God glorifies him.
Isa_55:6. Seek ye the LORD while he may be found, call ye upon him while he is near:
In those happy gospel times, when Christ is set forth on purpose that “he may be found,” seek him, call upon him. He is very near when the gospel is preached with holy unction, when Christians are praying, when hearts are breaking for the conversion of sinners, and when his Spirit is working in their hearts, that they may repent of sin.
Isa_55:7. Let the wicked forsake his way, —
It is a bad way, it is a downward way, it is a way that will end in destruction; do not follow it any longer: “Let the wicked forsake his way.” —
Isa_55:7. And the unrighteous man his thoughts:
“Thoughts!” says one, “we shall not be hanged for our thoughts.” Oh, but you may be damned for your thoughts! No man has really forsaken the way of wickedness until he hates the very thought of wickedness. If your thoughts run after evil, your tongues will soon utter evil, and your hands will soon do evil.
Isa_55:7. And let him return —
He is like one who has wandered from his father’s house: “let him return.” He is like the dove that flew away from Noah’s ark, and is ready to faint: “let him return” —
Isa_55:7. Unto the LORD, and he will have mercy upon him; and to our God, for he will abundantly pardon
What a blessed word “abundantly” is here! Abundant pardon to cover abundant sin, abundant provocation, abundant rejection of his Word!
Isa_55:8. For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my way, saith the LORD.
“Saith the Lord,” as if he would not leave the prophet to speak any longer on his behalf; he himself appears upon the scene, and speaks: “For my thoughts are not your thoughts.” No doubt he refers here to the pardon of sin. Our thoughts are narrow. We find it hard to forgive great offences, to forgive many offences, to forgive many offenders, to continue completely to forgive, — all this is very difficult to man.
Isa_55:9. For as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways, and my thought than your thoughts.
Think of the biggest thought you ever had concerning God’s forgiveness of sins; try again, let your thoughts rise higher still; ye cannot have reached the utmost height yet, “for as the heavens are higher thou the earth,” so are his thoughts and ways higher than yours.
Isa_55:10-11. 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.
If you believe this great promise, you shall have the full benefit of it. Let this gracious rain drop on you, and it must refresh you. Let these blessed snowflakes come down on you, and they shall melt into your bosom, and remain there to bless you for ever, they shall not go back to God with their mission unfulfilled. As for us who preach that Word, or teach it in the Sunday-school, we may have a full assurance that we shall not labour in vain, nor spend our strength for nought. No, no; the raindrops go not on an errand that can fail, and the snowflakes that fall to the earth accomplish the end for which they are sent. Much more shall the purpose of God’s Word be accomplished! Behold, it drops like the gentle rain; like snowflakes fly the messages of mercy from the lips of the Lord himself, and they shall not fall in vain, blessed be his holy name !
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.
There shall seem to be joy everywhere when there is joy in your heart. When you receive Christ, you have put everything round about you into its true position. The whole creation is a vast organ, and man puts his tiny fingers on the keys, and evokes thunders of harmony to the praise of God. When the heart is filled with joy and peace, mountains and hills break forth before us into singing, and all the trees of the field clap their hands.
Isa_55:13. Instead of the thorn shall come up the fir tree,
The thorn is everywhere today, pricking our feet and maiming our hands: but “instead of the thorn shall come up the fir tree.” Where is the thorn then ? I see it upon the bleeding brows of Christ; he has taken it away, and worn it as a crown.
Isa_55:13. 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.
It shall make men know what he is like, what gracious power he has, what goodness dwells in him: “it shall be to Jehovah for a name,” — “An everlasting sign.” That sign is exhibited, today, in the eyes of men. An evil and adulterous generation called for a sign, and this is the sign that God has given, — his converting grace in his Church. Instead of miracles, we have the work of the Holy Ghost in the hearts of sinners; and if any will not believe when this sign is sent to them, neither would they believe though one rose from the dead. It stands as “an everlasting sign that shall not be cut off.”
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. Yea, he stands like the salesman crying in the market, and cries, “Ho! ho! every one that thirsteth!” 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. Yea, he invites you to come and receive it, and presses upon you the good things of the covenant of grace. Why stand you back? 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 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? God has given his Son to be such a leader to you. Oh! who would not enlist beneath his banner?
Isa_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.
Here God speaks to Jesus, whom he has made a commander, and he tells him that he shall not be without a people, for those who never knew him shall come to him. There are some in this house tonight who have not yet yielded themselves to Christ — some of whom he will say, “Tonight I must abide in thy house”; and when that voice of power is heard, their hearts will yield, and they will become the disciples of Jesus.
Isa_55:6. Seek ye the LORD while he may be found,
And that is tonight; for still the promise of finding is given to every one who seeks.
Isa_55:6. Call ye upon him while he is near:
And he is near, for in all places where his name is recorded, there he has promised to be. Wheresoever the gospel is preached, we have Christ’s word for it: “Lo, I am with you alway.” So, then, call ye upon him while he is near.
Isa_55:7-9. 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. 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.
Oh! that we could rise to God’s thoughts — that we could speak his thoughts of love — that we could really believe that he is ready now to receive and forgive us, and could, therefore, fly into his arms without hesitancy or delay! God help us to do it!
Isa_55:10-11. 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 is shall accomplish that which I please, and it shall prosper in the thing whereto I sent it.
Trust, then, in the gospel, which is the word of God, for it cannot fail you. Rest yourselves in the divine promise of pardon, for it cannot drop to the ground. It must accomplish the divine will.
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.
“For,” if ye do this — if ye forsake your sins — if ye turn unto God — God can make such joy in the heart that all the world shall be full of joy. When a man feels that his sins are forgiven, then nature seems replete with ditty, and the hills, and rocks, and trees all proclaim the presence of a gracious God. Until then, when the heart is heavy, nature seems dull and dreary; but, oh! may the grace of God so light up our hearts that all the world may be lit up for us.
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 the name, for an everlasting sign that shall not be cut off.
This exposition consisted of readings from Isaiah 55.; Jer_30:1-11.
Hear these inspired words, dear friends, as though they came fresh from heaven, as though God himself spoke them at this moment out of the excellent glory, for indeed he does so. The Word of God never grows old; these messages are just as new as if the ink on the pens of the prophet and the psalmist were not yet dry.
Isa_55:1. Ho every one that thirsteth, come ye to the waters,
This invitation is not given to you who are full, to you who can satisfy your own needs out of the buckets of your own righteousness. No, the prophet speaks to you thirsty ones, who feel an awful necessity which will not let you rest. Hunger you may appease; but thirst is terrible, none can bear its pangs long. “Ho, every one that thirsteth.” Whatever your age, sex, character, rank, or position in life, if you do but thirst, then the gospel stands with uplifted finger, and cries to you, “Ho!” as do merchants and traders who want to dispose of their wares.
Isa_55:1. And he that hath no money; come ye, buy, and eat; yea, come, buy wine and milk without money and without price.
In the Lord Jesus Christ there is all you want, and more than you know that you want. As yet you only thirst, but here is bread for your hunger as well as drink for your thirst. Whereas “waters” might seem to satisfy your thirst, here is a superfluity of grace, an exceeding abundance of mercy: “Come, buy wine and milk without money and without price.” Christ is as free as the air. As you have only to take in the air by breathing, in order to live by it, so have you only to receive Christ into your soul, and you live by him. As flows old Father Thames through the green meadows, and every dog may come and lap, and every ox may stand knee-deep in the stream, for there is none to keep even an animal away, so is it with Christ: “Come, buy wine and milk without money and without price.”
Isa_55:2. Wherefore do ye spend money for that which is not bread?
Why are you so busy about your ceremonies, your work mongering, your feelings, none of which can yield food for your soul? Come to Christ, and buy without money the Bread of Life which came down from heaven.
Isa_55:2. 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.
If we will but hear the gospel, and attentively hear it, “faith cometh by hearing,” and that faith leads us to Jesus Christ, and in him we find that which is substantial, solid, the very thing we need. We find in Christ all that is super-excellent, so that our soul delights itself in fatness. I have no lean Christ to preach to you, no half-starved salvation that will drag you into heaven, and save you “so as by fire.” But in coming to Christ, you are invited to “let your soul delight itself in fatness.” A Christian cannot be too happy; “the joy of the Lord” is beyond all description. You must taste it to prove its sweetness. As honey among the sweets, such is the joy of the Lord among joys; yea, as the sun and the lesser lights in the sky, such is the joy of Christ compared with all other delights that men can ever know. “Let your soul delight itself in fatness.”
Isa_55:3. Incline your ear,
You know what that means; bend forward, to catch the faintest utterance of the voice that is speaking.
Isa_55:3. And come ‘unto me; hear, and your soul shall live;
We do not live by sight; all the pretty things that you can see in a Romish place of worship will not save a single soul. The preaching of the gospel is God’s way of salvation: “Hear, and your soul shall live.” Christ rides into the City of Mansoul through Ear-gate. Take heed what ye hear, and take heed how ye hear.
Isa_55:3. And I will make an everlasting covenant with you, even the sure mercies of David.
Think of God making a covenant with you; this is a very wonderful thing. You may almost leap for joy at the thought that God should ever enter into covenant with you. You think very little of yourself, and reckon yourself to be amongst the most obscure of mankind; “yet,” says the Lord God, “I will strike hands with you, and be your Friend, and pledge my word to you; ay, and make a covenant with you, and an everlasting covenant it shall be, too. Surely, blessing, I will bless thee.” Oh, what a wonder of divine grace it is that God should enter into covenant with sinful man! “Even the sure mercies of David.” You know what David this is; this is the Son of David, the inheritor of great David’s name, “great David’s greater Son.”
Isa_55:4. Beheld, I have given him. for a witness to the people, a leader and commander to the people.
Jesus Christ is a witness to you of his Father’s love. I do not knew how God could show his love more fully than he does in the life and death of his Son, Jesus Christ. Christ is the great witness of the Father’s love. Behold how he loves his people in that he gives his Son to die for them! Will you not clasp hands with God across this great sacrifice of his only-begotten Son? Let us do so now again as we have often done before. “I have given him for a witness to the people, a leader and commander to the people.” If he leads, let us follow; if he commands, let us obey. His command is, that we are to believe in his name, and to be baptized in his name; let us not be disobedient to any part of his holy will. Now comes a promise made to our great Leader, our Covenant Head
Isa_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.
That is, Jehovah has glorified Christ. It is promised that multitudes shall come to him. “Thou shalt call a nation that thou knowest not.” He never saw you in his house before, he never knew you to fall on your knees in prayer, but he is calling even you by his grace and by his gospel. You are here tonight, and he is calling you, even yen; therefore, come to him at Once. There are some here who do not know Christ Jesus our Lord, they are strangers to his love and to his power to save, but the promise is that “nations that knew not thee shall run unto thee.” That implies speed, it is a double quick march. Oh, that many sinners would at once run to Christ! Some who often hear the gospel are very slow in coming to Christ; but I pray that some of you who do not know as much of it as they do may run to Christ at once, and be saved by him. It is a blessed thing to take Christ at the first time of asking. Love to Christ at first sight is the wisest kind of love that can be. May it be largely bestowed on many of you! Listen to these next words
Isa_55:6-7. Seek ye the LORD while he may be found, call ye upon him while he is near:Llet 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.
Hear the music of the glorious message, “he will have mercy,” “he will abundantly pardon.” Return unto the Lord, and he will have mercy upon you, he will abundantly pardon you.
Isa_55:8-9. 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.
Perhaps you are thinking that he cannot forgive you, that he cannot possibly mean that he will blot out your sins; but he does mean it, ay, and he is willing to do it now. Oh, that you would come to your pardoning God, through Jesus Christ his dear Son!
Isa_55:10-13. 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.
Now let us read the 136th Psalm.
This exposition consisted of readings from Isaiah 55, and Psalms 136
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.
“Ho, ... come ye to the waters, ... to buy wine,” saith the Lord by his servant the prophet. It is just like it was at the wedding-feast at Cana, when the servants went to the water-pots, and found them full of wine. God often gives us more than we even think we need. Water would suffice to quench our thirst, but the Lord adds, “Come, buy wine and milk without money and without price.” Wine and milk were among the blessings that old Jacob pronounced upon Judah, and they are symbolic of the special blessings which come to believers through Jesus Christ, who is our true Judah. He gives us joy, he gives us nourishment, he gives us everything we really need. Whatever you lack, you shall find it in Christ; you have nothing to do but to come for it. You have no money; but even if you had, the blessings are priceless, they cannot be purchased. The price of mercy is without price. This is all you have to do in order to receive it, come and take it, take it freely, come and take it now. Never did a salesman plead with a customer more earnestly than the Spirit of God here pleads with sinners, yet it is not God who is to be profited by the transaction. He gains nothing except the indulgence of his love, we are the eternal gainers by his gracious gift, yet the Lord saith, “Come ye,” and then again, “Come ye,” and then a third time, “Come.” When he saith, “Come, come, come,” who will refuse to come?
Isa_55:2. Wherefore do ye spend money for that which is not bread?
All your care, your toil, your anguish of heart, are spent in a vain desire to get this world; and if you do get it, it is nothing more than bread, and bad bread, too; it cannot satisfy the cravings of your immortal spirit, why do you waste your time and money trying to get that which is not worth the having? Will you hunt after shadows? Will you pursue the wind?
Isa_55:2. 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.
True religion gives substantial joy to the heart; it is no dream; it is a blessed reality, as those of us know who have tried it. If you will come and have it, you shall eat what is really good, and your soul shall find such a satisfaction in it that you shall delight yourself in fatness.
Isa_55:3-4. 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.
These words refer not only to David, but to Jesus, great David’s greater Son. The next verse is spoken specially to him, not to us, yet as we overhear it, we suck comfort for ourselves out of it.
Isa_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.
Christ must have a people. He did not die in vain. God will give him a following; he shall not be a Commander without troops; he shall not be a Leader without disciples. I shall preach tonight in strong confidence that many will be saved in this place tonight. Where there is faith, God will respond to it. Pray, you who are the people of God, that this promise may be kept. It is a promise to Christ, and the Father will keep his promise to his own Son. Be ye sure of this, he will glorify him, but he would have us pray for him. Let every heart that knows how to pray be breathing out the petition, “Father, glorify thy Son.”
Isa_55:6. Seek ye the LORD while he may be found, call ye upon him while he is near:
There may come a day when he cannot be found, a time when he will not be near. When the great Judge of all has once said, “Depart,” when once the Master of the house has risen up, and shut to the door, in vain will be all your seeking, and your praying, and your knocking at the door that will never open again. Therefore, “Seek ye Jehovah while he may be found, call ye upon him while he is near.”
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.
The marginal reading is, “He will multiply to pardon.” We multiply sin, but God’s multiplication table goes farther than ours: “He will multiply to pardon.”
Isa_55:8-11. 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. What comfort there is here for Christian workers, for you who proclaim God’s Word! Yours is no hap-hazard business; look at the “shalls” in this eleventh verse: “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.” When we make known God’s Word, we are not drawing a bow at a venture we are not sowing seed which may or may not beget a harvest: it shall, it shall, it shall. God saith it three times. He is very fond of the number three, the Trinity is constantly revealed throughout both the Old and the New Testaments. When it is not spoken and declared so such doctrinally, you see its practical effect in the frequent threefold utterances of God.
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.
There shall be demonstrative delight. All nature is in sympathy with the man who is in harmony with God; the world itself echoes to the joy of the little world within man’s bosom.
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.
We read, in the third verse, about “the sure mercies of David.” To explain that phrase, let us read a few verses from the second Book of Samuel, and the twenty-third chapter. I might have selected another passage, but these being David’s dying words will be the more striking.
This exposition consisted of readings from ISAIAH 44. and 45; and 2Sa_23:1-5.
Isa_55:1-2. 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?
Why have you sought rest where it can never be found? Why have you craved delights which can never satisfy you? Cease from such folly.
Isa_55:2. Hearken diligently unto me, —
Thus speaks the Lord Jehovah: “Hearken diligently unto me, —
Isa_55:2-3. 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, —
“With you” who have any desire for it, — “with you” who hunger and thirst after righteousness, and who have no other recommendation than that, poor as it is, — “I will make an everlasting covenant with you” —
Isa_55:3-4. Even the sure mercies of David. Behold, I have given him —
The Son of David, — “great David’s greater Son,” — and God’s own well beloved and only-begotten Son, even Jesus Christ, our Lord and Saviour. God says “I have given him”—
Isa_55:4-7. 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. Seek ye the LORD 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 the LORD, and he will have mercy upon him; and to our God, for he will abundantly pardon.
Blessed be his holy name!
Isa_55:8-13. 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 making 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 briar 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.
This exposition consisted of readings from Psalms 23 and Isaiah 55.