Seek God While He May Be Found Series

It has been said that at the heart of every message spoken by God’s prophets are these three simple words: return to me. For centuries, the LORD sent many messengers to his people—everyone from Amos, that simple farmer from Tekoa, to Zephaniah, a member of David’s royal house. Whatever their background or ability, God’s prophets would preach that basic message: return to me. “I am your Creator – return to me. I am your Redeemer; your Father – return to me. I am your Husband – return to me.”

That core message really reflects the LORD’s heart. What is the character of God the LORD, but One who desires to fellowship with his people? He wants us near, living with him in trust and love and obedience.

And especially when his people wander from him, when we leave the good pathways of his Word, God reaches out with his gracious call: return to me. Now, reading the Old Testament prophets, we might overlook this loving message. To our mind, most of the prophets come down hard on Israel, pointing out gross sins, warning of judgment by plagues and exile—they are more “fire and brimstone” than “love and mercy.” Isaiah too, has spoken his share of harsh words, calling Judah an unclean nation, a perverted people, and a desolate vineyard.

But God always gives his rebukes in love. He makes a mockery of our idols so that we’ll put trust more in him. He chastises the unjust and oppressive so that they learn to show his kind of mercy. The message, again and again—not only in Isaiah but in all the prophets—is for sinners to come back to the ways of God. For that delights the LORD, when we don’t live in sin’s bitter wilderness, but in the peace of fellowship with God. That’s a good message for today too. We must hear God’s call, and answer. In Isaiah’s message, we’re all exhorted:

Seek the LORD while He may be found:

1) seeking

2) and finding

1) seeking: When we read Isaiah 55 a few minutes ago, what did you notice? Maybe one thing you noticed is that it is a profoundly beautiful chapter. Within its thirteen verses there are so many well-loved and favourite passages: “Everyone who thirsts, come to the waters…Seek the LORD while He may be found…My thoughts are not your thoughts, nor are your ways my ways…My Word shall not return to me empty.”

Maybe a second thing you noticed is the frequency of commands or imperatives. This whole chapter—especially the first seven verses—has a tone of urgency, a strong sense of appeal. If you count them, there are no less than twelve commands in the first seven verses. Just a sampling: “Come to the waters…Come, buy and eat…Listen carefully…Incline your ear…Seek the LORD…Call upon him…Let the wicked forsake his way.”

It’s a powerful series of invitations, which means that we better listen and respond. It’s true, of course, that even if God commands us just once, we need to pay attention. But the LORD is a communicator who knows how to get his message across. And sometimes repetition is highly effective, like these commands in our chapter. For all of them (we’ll see) convey essentially the same message: Go to God!

And here it’s worth asking why God is being so insistent. What has happened, that God now turns up the volume like this? A couple chapters ago, in chapter 53, there came a most significant message. It’s the revelation of the Christ, God’s Suffering Servant.

You know the chapter and what it says about our Saviour: “He is despised and rejected by men, a man of sorrows and acquainted with grief… Surely He has borne our griefs and carried our sorrows…He was led as a lamb to the slaughter…and for the transgressions of my people He was stricken.” All spoken long before it happened, but absolutely certain to happen through the power and grace of God!

These words are a gospel that is world-changing. Because of the coming of Christ, God pardons our sins. Because of Jesus’s atoning death, God grants life. It’s solely on the basis of Christ’s work in chapter 53 that God can speak good news to his unfaithful people in the following chapter, chapter 54. Like in 54:8, “With a little wrath I hid my face from you for a moment, but with everlasting kindness I will have mercy on you.”

So that’s the lead-in to all the urgent commands and invitations in our chapter. If it’s a sure thing that Christ has come—and suffered and died and rose the third day—and if sin has been totally paid for, then it’s high time for everyone to come near in order to receive that forgiveness. Everything has been done, all is ready, so now God makes an earnest call: “Everyone who thirsts, come to the waters!” (55:1).