ISAIAH 55: 1-3 -5
THE FREE OFFER OF MERCY AND GRACE
[John 4: 10-14]
People everywhere are called to listen to and receive God’s wonderful new covenant. The gods of this world extract a high price for what eventually turns into dust and ashes. God’ free offer though is a covenant relationship that will never end. This covenant is available to all who will come and partake of it.
The tone of the book of Isaiah has change to one of encouragement and hope. Because of the just announced work of the Servant in chapter 53, inescapable destruction can now be exchanged into a covenant promise of a most glorious future. The arm of the Lord has acted against sin and removed the sin that separated us from Him. The only thing that we must do is accept the Servant and His offering for our sin and receive the gift of God. If we do, we will be enabled to be servants of God in the world (which is what God has been looking for throughout the book of Isaiah).
I. A GRACIOUS INVITATION, 1-2.
II. AN EVERLASTING COVENANT, 3.
III. THE MESSIAH’S MISSION, 4-5.
Verse 1 is a gracious invitation to come to the Lord. "Ho! Every one who thirsts, come to the waters. And you who have no money come, buy and eat. Come, buy wine and milk without money and without cost.
God invites people in need to come to Him. The imperative come occurs four times in verse 1. It is imperative that we come to God. We must come to Him on His terms an not on ours, for there is salvation in no one else. The command to come is a sweeping invitation. The invitation is for everyone, for everyone who realizes they thirst. It is called thirst because it is a necessity and universal to human experience. If the verse had said, every one that breathes, it would not have more completely covered all mankind.
The sole qualification: thirst — that means desire and need. We all have this great need and yearning. None of us carry within our natural self that which is sufficient. We are all dependent upon external things for life and for well-being.
Our thirst though is often misunderstood. We might not know or realize for what we really thirst. Many have been driven by this thirst to many fountains and found what they drank down incapable of satisfying them.
The call of wisdom is also to them who have no resources (no money). For those who realize that what they so desperately need, a relationship with the Lord God, they are informed that it cannot be purchased.
They are also called to come, buy and partake. How can you buy something without money? Anything worth having has its price. By coming they indicate that they are trusting in and relying on the Lord God for salvation and are agreeing to obey His commandments [Walvoord, John & Zuck, Roy: The Bible Knowledge Commentary: Wheaton, IL: Victor Books, 1983-c1985, S. 1110].
The blessings God gives them are available without cost. Salvation is a free gift of God, [whether it refers to spiritual redemption or physical deliverance.] The Lord asked the people how they could be interested in other things more than Him. For He is the only One who can bring genuine satisfaction. Yet throughout all history people have tried to find satisfaction through many things other than God.
Make no mistake about how to satisfy this basic desire. Some set their desire on money thinking it is the answer to all things, but this satisfaction cannot be purchased with money.
My brother, do you know what it is that you want? It is God. Nothing else, nothing less. ‘My soul thirsts for God, for the Living God’ (Ps. ). The man that knows what it is which he desperately needs, is blessed. The man who only feels dimly that he needs something, and does not know that it is God whom he need, will wander in a dry and thirsty land, where no spiritual water is, and where the heart becomes parched and hardened. Understand your thirst. Interpret your desires correctly. Open your eyes to your need! Be sure of this also, that mountains of money and the clearest insight into intellectual problems, and fame, and love, and wife, and children, and a happy home, and an abundance of all the things that you desire, still will leave a central aching emptiness that nothing and no being but God can ever fill. Oh, that we all would realized what these yearnings of our heart mean.
For what then do we thirst and long? Christ Jesus. He, and not merely some truth about Him and His work. He Himself, in the fulness of His being, in the all-sufficiency of His love, in the reality of His presence, in the power of His sacrifice, as the daily source of refreshing which every heart awaits. We thirst for His life and His Spirit. For He alone is the all-sufficient supply of every thirst of every human soul.
Do we want happiness? Christ gives us His joy, abiding and full, and not as the world gives. Do we want love? He gathers us to His heart, in which "there is no variation nor alternate shadow cast" (Jas. 1:17) .’ He binds us to Himself by bonds that the separator death vainly attempts to untie, and which no unworthiness, ingratitude or coldness of ours will ever be able to unloose.
Do we want wisdom? He will dwell with us as our light. Do our hearts yearn for companionship? With Him we will never be alone. Do we long for a bright hope which lights up the dark future, and bridges a rainbow span over the great gorge and gulf of death? Jesus Christ spans the void, and gives us unfailing and undeceiving hope. For everything that you and I need here or yonder, in heart, in will, in practical life, Jesus Christ Himself is the all-sufficient supply. {MaClaren, Vol 5. 145-6]
Who could wait for such a relationship? Come now and freely receive Him as Lord and Savior of your life.
Verse 2 is a command to listen careful to what God is saying to you here. "Why do you spend money for what is not bread, and your wages for what does not satisfy? Listen carefully to Me, and eat what is good, and delight yourself (your soul -nepes) in abundance (fatness).
Such a wonderful truly amazing offer of grace has been made. Who would not come and accept it? Only those who had accepted, who were following other offers. The free offer of a relationship with God through Jesus Christ is not the only one out there. There are many gods and their salesman offering what they claim will satisfy the most basic need and desire of life. God proclaims here that what they offer is not bread. People exchange their life, the greatest value we possess on the eternal exchange, and with that money we have bought shams, ‘that which is not’ the bread of life. [The word for money is literally "weight out."]
The people of the world are shopping for satisfaction. They are exchanging their life for a stone. Though it looks like a loaf, it has no value on the eternal exchange. Having sold their life for what was not bread, they do not heed the free offer of God to receive what truly is the Bread of Life. Our efforts may and do win for us the lower satisfactions which meet our transitory and superficial necessities, but no effort of ours can secure for us the higher, the nobler, the eternal blessings which slake the thirst of immortal souls for God. Men have spent so much for that which left them unsatisfied. Are you one of them?
When people could receive a rich spiritual life as a free gift, why would they exchange their life for other things? Because they have not listened carefully to what the word speaks. One eats of the good, satisfying bread that gives delight and fullness to life by listening carefully to the Word of God. Spiritual vitality springs from obedience to God.
Money can buy many things but it can’t buy a relationship with God or ticket to heaven. How tragic that people pay a high price for being lost when salvation is free. Have you received the real nourishment of life? The water of life, the wine of joy and the milk of growth are ours for the taking. Recognizing our thirst is for Christ is the only prerequisite.
II. AN EVERLASTING COVENANT, 3.
Verse 3 teaches the great benefits that come to those who listen to God’s Word. "Incline your ear and come to Me. Listen, that you may live; And I will make an everlasting covenant with you, according to the faithful mercies shown to David.
The essential qualifications are inclining your ear, coming to the Lord and listening to Him. By coming to the Lord and listening to Him people will have life and covenant benefits. They must turn from their unbelief and rebellion and accept the provisions for life and life eternal established by the sacrifice of the Servant.
God offers two specific benefits to those who come to Him in submission and freely receive what He offers. The first benefit of His grace is life, for you are dead in your trespasses and sins. He not only offers life, spiritual life and eternally significant life He offers an abundance of this life for all who will come to Him.
The second benefit is an eternal covenant. It is the offer of eternal love and commitment. A covenant that God will never annul or void. God offers a lifetime guarantee. God’s everlasting covenant is inclusion into the covenant promises made with David (2 Sam. 7:11b-16). There the Lord promised that David’s line would continue forever. These irrevocable promises (1 Sam. 25:28; 2 Sam. 7:12, 16; 1 Kg. 8:23-26; 1 Chr. 17: 23-26; 2 Chr. 1:9; Ps. 89:34-37) were made to the Messiah of Davidic lineage. But just as David kept his promises and Israel participated in the blessing, so we benefit by the Messiah keeping His promises. These covenant blessings are beyond our ability to comprehend.
[Mercies or kindnesses renders the word ese (plural), God’s covenantal "loyal love," which relates to His loyal covenant with David (ese, "love," in 2 Sam. 7:15). Here it seems to refers to the New Covenant (Jer. 31:31; 32:40; Heb. 13:20). Just as God promised to keep His good hand on David, so He assured those who come to Him that He will never remove His hand of blessings from them. He will always be with them and consider them His people."] [Walvoord, John & Zuck, Roy: The Bible Knowledge Commentary: Wheaton, IL : Victor Books, 1983-c1985, S. 1110]
All they need to do to experience that unchanging covenant love is to respond to His invitation.
III. THE MESSIAH’S MISSION, 4-5.
Verse 4 gives the first element of the Messiah’s mission. "Behold, I have made him a witness to the peoples, a leader and commander for the peoples.
God is addressing the Servant, the Davidic Messiah. Behold, or wake up, alert your attention.
In exercising the functions of leader and commander of God’s people, David was ultimately bearing witness to the power of God.
Verse 5 references the Messiah forming a new nation. "Behold, you will call a nation you do not know, and a nation which knows you not will run to you, Because of the Lord your God, even the Holy One of Israel; For He has glorified you."
Through the witness of and to the servant Messiah He will call a nation to Himself. As He bears witness to the power of God to deliver all peoples everywhere from the power of their sin they will become His nation.
CONCLUSION / RESPONSE
A story was told of a wealthy man who felt his son needed to learn gratefulness. So he sent him to stay with a poor farmer’s family. After a month, the son returned. The father asked, "Now don’t you appreciate what we have?" The boy thought for a moment and said, "The family I stayed with is better off. They take what they’ve planted and enjoy meals together. And they always seem to have time for one another."
This story remind us that money can’t buy everything. Money is a necessary part of living. Without it, we couldn’t secure the necessities or luxuries of life. But there are things money can not buy. Money will buy luxuries, but it will not buy spiritual power. Money will buy advancement and preferences, but it will not buy the recognition of God. Money will buy favor and accolades, but it will not buy character. Even though our bodies can live on what money can buy, money can’t keep our souls from drying up.
Is it possible to buy what truly satisfies without money? Yes, the prophet Isaiah is pointing to the grace of God. This gift is so infinitely valuable that it has no price tag. The One who offers it, Jesus Christ, has paid the full price with His death. When we acknowledge our thirst is for God, ask forgiveness for our sins, and accept the finished work of Christ on the cross, we will find spiritual food that satisfies and our soul will live forever!
Only Jesus, the living Water, quenches the thirsty soul. Only Jesus, the Bread of Life satisfies the hungry soul. Have you trusted Jesus as your Lord and Savior? Do you hear Him calling; "Come to Me and listen"? The invitation He extends is not simply for everyone, it is for you.
The faintest response of faith opens wide the door to forgiveness and peace with God. As the Spirit tenderly calls, you come. Come to Jesus.
