"hope And Restoration For A Hopless People"

Isaiah 55:1-9 Hope and Restoration for a Hopeless People

1. This part of the readings found in Isaiah offers a vision of hope and restoration to a nation suffering in Babylonian exile. This book is even sometimes called “Second Isaiah,”

• The date of the writings is near the end of the exile (probably between 545 and 539 B.C.).

• The prophecy speaks of a new social order for the returned exiles

2. Things are not the same “that have no money”

• (v. 1) But are able to secure not only life’s essentials (such as water, v. 1),

• but also the rich abundance of wine and milk (v. 1b), the latter a luxury item that would ordinarily be available only to the privileged few.

3. God is bringing about a new social order by using the idea of water

• God first invites the thirsty “to the waters” to which (v. 1)

• Water (the word occurs nearly 600 times), beginning with the waters of (Genesis 1:2)

• Noah from the waters of the flood, Genesis 7:7, 10, etc.;

• the Hebrews at the Sea of Reeds, Exodus 14:21; Isaiah 51:10; 63:12, etc.; the Israelites before the waters of the Jordan, Joshua 3:8, 13, 16,

• The waters mentioned here are the life-giving waters that will allow the restored Israel to flourish in all aspects of its natural and social life.

4. Hope and Restoration is available to those that will “COME” We acknowledge we need God

• To come to God, accepting God’s invitation means that we stop resisting God“Come to the waters,” God says (v. 1). Then in the same verse he repeats this two more times: Come to the waters, and you that have no money, come, buy and eat.” Three times: “Come.” Verse 4: “Incline your ear and come to me …”

• Jesus said, “Come to me, all you that are weary and are carrying heavy burdens, and I will give you rest. In John 1:39, Jesus says, “Come and see” to two of John’s disciples who followed Jesus, and were curious about him.

• In Revelation 3:20, Jesus says to the Laodicea church, “Listen! I am standing at the door, knocking; if you hear my voice and open the door, I will come in to you and eat with you, and you with me.”

5. Hope and Restoration is available to those who BUY

• This is the second step in God’s three-step program. To buy is to believe. To buy is to buy in, to take ownership, to embrace, to go big or go home. To buy is to say to God, “I’m in.”

6. Hope and Restoration is available to those that Come, Buy, And Eat

Come” (v. 1). God sets the table, but we have to pull up the chair. The disciple has to respond to God’s faithfulness by taking action of her own.

• “Buy” (v. 1). Or buy into. Commit. Take the step, the leap, the plunge.

• “Eat” (v. 1). Partake. Experience. Taste. Savor the goodness of God.

• “Listen” (v. 2). Pay attention. Be attuned to the voice of God, and tune out competing voices —

• “Hear me” (v. 3). Fix the spiritual circumstance so that the voice of God can be heard. Get rid of the noise and interference that can drown out the voice of God.

• “Seek the LORD while he may be found” (v. 6). Pursue single-mindedly, search diligently for. Make the presence of God a priority. Take advantage of the opportunities to walk with God while you still have them.

• “Forsake” (v. 7). Abandon whatever doesn’t work for your relationship with God. Decide what is holding you back, and let these things go.

• “Return to” (v. 7). After letting go of the bad, grab the good. Turn to what is right, good and positive. Re-Turn to God for forgiveness and mercy.