To Those Whose Souls Are Poverty-Stricken—Utterly Famished, Destitute, Unable to Find Anything That Will Satisfy Their Emptiness—The Lord Cries Out, “Come to Me!”

 

The Savior’s Great Invitation to the World, 55:1–56:8

Say there! Is anyone thirsty? Come and drink—even if you have no money! Come, take your choice of wine and milk—it’s all free! ²Why spend your money on food that doesn’t give you strength? Why pay for groceries that do you no good? Listen, and I’ll tell you where to get good food that fattens up the soul!

³Come to me with your ears wide open. Listen, for the life of your soul is at stake. I am ready to make an everlasting covenant with you, to give you all the unfailing mercies and love that I had for King David.^{a 4}He proved my power by conquering foreign nations.^{b 5}You also will command the nations, and they will come running to obey, not because of your own power or virtue, but because I, the Lord your God, have glorified you.

⁶Seek the Lord while you can find him. Call upon him now while he is near. ⁷Let men cast off their wicked deeds; let them banish from their minds the very thought of doing wrong! Let them turn to the Lord that he may have mercy upon them, and to our God, for he will abundantly pardon! ⁸This plan of mine is not what you would work out; neither are my thoughts the same as yours! ⁹For just as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than yours, and my thoughts than yours.

¹⁰As the rain and snow come down from heaven and stay upon the ground to water the earth and cause the grain to grow and to produce seed for the farmer and bread for the hungry, ¹¹so also is my word. I send it out, and it always produces fruit. It shall accomplish all I want it to and prosper everywhere I send it. ¹²You will live in joy and peace. The mountains and hills, the trees of the field—all the world around you—will rejoice. ¹³Where once were thorns, fir trees will grow; where briars grew, the myrtle trees will sprout up. This miracle will make the Lord’s name very great and be an everlasting sign of God’s power and love.^c (Isaiah 55:1-13)

 

Be just and fair to all, the Lord God says. Do what’s right and good, for I am coming soon to rescue you. ²Blessed is the man who refuses to work during my Sabbath days of rest but honors them; blessed is the man who checks himself from doing wrong.

³And my blessings are for Gentiles, too, when they accept the Lord; don’t let them think that I will make them second-class citizens. And this is for the eunuchs too. They can be as much mine as anyone. ⁴For I say this to the eunuchs who keep my Sabbaths holy, who choose the things that please me and obey my laws: ⁵I will give them—in my house, within my walls—a name far greater than the honor they would receive from having sons and daughters. For the name that I will give them is an everlasting one; it will never disappear.

⁶As for the Gentiles, the outsiders who join the people of the Lord and serve him and love his name, who are his servants and don’t desecrate the Sabbath, and have accepted his covenant and promises, ⁷I will bring them also to my holy mountain of Jerusalem and make them full of joy within my House of Prayer.

I will accept their sacrifices and offerings, for my Temple shall be called A House of Prayer for All People”! ⁸For the Lord God who brings back the outcasts of Israel says: I will bring others, too, besides my people Israel.^[1] (Isaiah 56:1-8) 

The Savior’s Great Invitation to the World, 55:1–56:8

The human race has the most unique opportunity imaginable, that of having worldwide peace, economic prosperity, and justice. Peace among all people is possible. A society in which need has been eliminated is possible. A society in which citizens live in comfort and joy, treat others fairly, and always do what is right is possible. Incomprehensible! Unimaginable! Yet this is the very offer that God extends to the world—the salvation of society. His great invitation to every society and group of people of the world is to receive His gift of peace, prosperity, joy, justice, and righteousness. This is the great message of the present Scripture. As seen earlier, God’s very special Servant, His Son Jesus Christ, died for the sins of the entire world (Is. 52:13–53:12). He died to offer salvation to the world. This is The Savior’s Great Invitation to the World, 55:1–56:8.

1.                  The Invitation to Come to The Lord (55:1–5).

2.                  The invitation to seek the Lord (55:6–13).

3.                  The invitation to live righteously and to worship the Lord (56:1–8). 

The First Invitation Is a Cry from The Depth of God’s Heart: Come! Everyone Come. The invitation is not extended only to the Jews. God does not call only the religious and righteous to come. He calls everyone, including the ungodly and unrighteous. Note the Scripture. 

The Invitation to Come to The Lord

Say there! Is anyone thirsty? Come and drink—even if you have no money! Come, take your choice of wine and milk—it’s all free! ²Why spend your money on food that doesn’t give you strength? Why pay for groceries that do you no good? Listen, and I’ll tell you where to get good food that fattens up the soul!

³Come to me with your ears wide open. Listen, for the life of your soul is at stake. I am ready to make an everlasting covenant with you, to give you all the unfailing mercies and love that I had for King David.^{a 4}He proved my power by conquering foreign nations.^{b 5}You also will command the nations, and they will come running to obey, not because of your own power or virtue, but because I, the Lord your God, have glorified you.^[2] (Isaiah55:1–5) 

A. The People Invited to Come Are Those Who Have Thirsty Souls and Poverty-Stricken Hearts.

To thirst means to desire, crave, long after, yearn for, and eagerly seek. To those whose souls are like a desert—dry and barren, eagerly seeking and yearning to have their thirst quenched—God says, “Come to me!”

To be poverty-stricken means to be poor, impoverished, distressed, and in desperate need. To those whose souls are poverty-stricken—utterly famished, destitute, unable to find anything that will satisfy their emptiness—the Lord cries out, “Come to me!” Let all who are thirsty and poor come to the Lord. 

B. The Offer of The Lord Is Salvation (V. 1).

The thirsty, hungry soul can be saved and delivered from its thirst and hunger. The Lord offers streams of living waters to satisfy the dry, thirsty soul, and He offers wine and milk to satisfy the hungry heart. Keep in mind that water and food are the most valuable commodities in a dry, barren country. When traveling through desert areas, people will perish unless they have prepared themselves by securing water and food. So, it is with the human soul. As people walk through life, they must secure the water and food that the Lord provides, or else they will perish. What is the water and food that God provides? 

Ø  Jesus Christ Is the Living Water of God.

V  “Jesus answered and said unto her if thou knewest the gift of God, and who it is that saith to thee, give me to drink; thou wouldest have asked of him, and he would have given thee living water” (Jn. 4:10).

V  “In the last day, that great day of the feast, Jesus stood and cried, saying, if any man thirst, let him come unto me, and drink. He that believeth on me, as the Scripture hath said, out of his belly shall flow rivers of living water” (Jn. 7:37–38; also see Re. 7:17; 22:1–2; 22:17). 

Ø  Jesus Christ Is the Bread of Life.

V  “And Jesus said unto them; I am the bread of life: he that cometh to me shall never hunger; and he that believeth on me shall never thirst” (Jn. 6:35).

V  “I am that bread of life. Your fathers did eat manna in the wilderness and are dead. This is the bread which cometh down from heaven, that a man may eat thereof and not die. I am the living bread which came down from heaven: if any man eats of this bread, he shall live forever: and the bread that I will give is my flesh, which I will give for the life of the world. The Jews, therefore, strove among themselves, saying, how can this man give us his flesh to eat?” (Jn. 6:48–52). 

C. What Is the Cost for God’s Water and Food? Astoundingly, They Are Free, Absolutely Free. 

This fact suggests several points: 

First, God’s salvation is a free gift. It cannot be secured by money or by giving religious offerings, or by working for it. If salvation were by works, the good deeds of people would put God in debt to them. God would owe them. If that were the case, God would be subjected to them, owing them salvation to pay His debt. But God cannot be subjected to any man. God is the Lord of the universe, ruling and reigning over all. All creatures are in debt to Him; He is in debt to no creature. Whatever He gives is from grace, freely given. He restates the point: God’s salvation—the water and food that satisfy the human soul—is freely given. It is a gift. 

V  “And by him, all that believe are justified from all things, from which ye could not be justified by the law of Moses” (Ac. 13:39).

V  “For all have sinned and come short of the glory of God; Being justified freely by his grace through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus” (Ro. 3:23–24).

V  “For what saith the Scripture? Abraham believed God, and it was counted unto him for righteousness. Now to him that worketh is the reward not reckoned of grace, but of debt. But to him that worketh not, but believeth on him that justifieth the ungodly, his faith is counted for righteousness. Even as David also describeth the blessedness of the man, unto whom God imputeth righteousness without works, Saying, Blessed are they whose iniquities are forgiven, and whose sins are covered” (Ro. 4:3–7).

V  “But not as the offense, so also is the free gift. For if through the offense of one many be dead, much more the grace of God, and the gift by grace, which is by one man, Jesus Christ, hath abounded unto many” (Ro. 5:15).

V  “Therefore, as by the offense of one [Adam] judgment came upon all men to condemnation; even so by the righteousness of one, the free gift came upon all men unto justification of life. For as by one man’s disobedience many were made sinners, so by the obedience of one shall many be made righteous” (Ro. 5:18–19).

V  “For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord” (Ro. 6:23).

V  “For as many as are of the works of the law are under the curse: for it is written, cursed is everyone that continueth not in all things which are written in the book of the law to do them. But that no man is justified by the law in the sight of God, it is evident: for the just shall live by faith. And the law is not of faith: but the man that doeth them shall live in them. Christ hath redeemed us from the curse of the law, being made a curse for us: for it is written, Cursed is everyone that hangeth on a tree: That the blessing of Abraham might come on the Gentiles through Jesus Christ; that we might receive the promise of the Spirit through faith” (Gal. 3:10–14).

V  “For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God: Not of works, lest any man should boast” (Ep. 2:8–9). 

Second, the Lord cares deeply for us. He longs to meet the hunger and thirst of our hearts by freely giving us the living water and the bread of life. When a gift is given without any expectation of payment, the gift reveals a caring heart. God is interested in our welfare. He is concerned about us, cherishes us, and holds us in the highest esteem. And He has proven His love by freely offering us the gift of salvation. 

Third, the price of salvation was extremely costly to God. Salvation cost God the death of His very own Son. Christ paid the ransom for our sin. Through His death, we are redeemed, set free from the bondage of sin and death, and given eternal life. Although we receive salvation freely, God paid an enormous price for our redemption. 

V  “The next day John seeth Jesus coming unto him, and saith, Behold the Lamb of God, which taketh away the sin of the world” (Jn. 1:29).

V  “For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life” (Jn. 3:16).

V  “Him, being delivered by the determinate counsel and foreknowledge of God, ye have taken, and by wicked hands have crucified and slain” (Ac. 2:23).

V  “But God commendeth his love toward us, in that, while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us” (Ro. 5:8).

V  “For as by one man’s disobedience many were made sinners, so by the obedience of one shall many be made righteous” (Ro. 5:19).

V  “Hereby perceive we the love of God, because he laid down his life for us: and we ought to lay down our lives for the brethren” (1 Jn. 3:16). 

D. The Plea of God for People to Come Is Urgent and Compelling (V. 2).

Come is an imperative that demands immediate attention. The life or death of the human soul is at stake, for the soul is as thirsty as a barren desert and as empty as a starving man. Thus, the appeal by God is pressing, requiring our utmost and immediate consideration. God makes a twofold plea: 

1)      Do not waste money or labor on things that do not satisfy. Note that God puts this plea in the form of a question, focusing on the fact that many people do just that. They spend their money on things that do not satisfy the human soul, things such as …

·         worldly pleasures and activities

·         immoral and illicit sexual behavior

·         material possessions

·         fleeting and worthless adventures

·         acquiring or buying position, authority, power, or fame 

Carnal pleasures and worldly possessions cannot satisfy the human soul. Stimulating the flesh and securing the possessions or fame of this world will leave a person empty inside. This world, with its bright lights, cheap thrills, and get-rich-quick schemes, will only make an individual more destitute. The person’s soul will be like a wasteland, hungry and starving for something that will give it a sense of fulfillment and satisfaction.

Think of all the people whose primary objective in life is to get more—more money, more cars, more houses, more property, and so on. They work as hard as they can, laboring day and night to make more money to buy even more things. Once people have enough to meet the necessities of life, they accumulate more money for one of at least three purposes: 

Ø  to hoard it to satisfy the emptiness within their souls

Ø  to become recognized as persons of wealth, authority, and power

Ø  to use it to meet the needs of the world and to carry the gospel of Christ to every living soul. (This is the only purpose that is truly personally satisfying and justified in the eyes of God.) 

2)      God’s second plea is, “Listen, listen carefully to me! Eat what is good! Be filled with my nourishment!” In most cases, excess money is used for worldly, carnal, and selfish purposes. For this reason, God pleads with all of us to ask ourselves this question: Why do we spend money on things that do not nourish us and feed us spiritually? And why do we labor to purchase material things that do not satisfy? God provides the Water and Bread of life, the Lord Jesus Christ Himself. Everyone who truly comes to God receives the fullness of Christ. Christ floods the thirsty, hungry soul with the fullness of His Spirit:

Ø  love

Ø  joy

Ø  peace

Ø  patience

Ø  gentleness or kindness

Ø  goodness

Ø  faithfulness

Ø  meekness

Ø  self-control or discipline

Ø  purpose

Ø  fulfillment

Ø  satisfaction

Ø  assurance

Ø  confidence

Ø  value 

When Jesus Christ fills a person’s soul, the individual walks victoriously in life, conquering and triumphing through all the trials and temptations that arise. Day by day, the person is filled with assurance and confidence in the Lord’s presence and guidance. This is the nourishment that Christ brings. He alone is the Water and Bread of life. He alone can meet every need to fill the human soul. He alone can keep man from dying of thirst and hunger. 

E. God Makes a Wonderful Promise to Those Who Come to The Lord (V. 3).

However, before the promise is stated, God again stresses how critical it is for people to come to Him. Two times in this one verse, the Lord urges people to hear, to open their ears because the issue involved is the life or death of the human soul. If people will listen and then heed what God says, that is, come to the Lord, God promises them two things: 

1)      Their souls will live. They will be given real life, the Water and Bread of God Himself. They will receive all the fullness of Christ described above (v. 2). 

V  “The thief cometh not, but for to steal, and to kill, and to destroy; I have come that they might have life and that they might have it more abundantly” (Jn. 10:10).

V  “But [God’s purpose] is now made manifest by the appearing of our Saviour Jesus Christ, who hath abolished death, and hath brought life and immortality to light through the gospel” (2 Ti. 1:10).

V  “And this is the record, that God hath given to us eternal life, and this life is in his Son. He that hath the Son hath life, and he that hath not the Son of God hath not life. These things have I written unto you that believe on the name of the Son of God; that ye may know that ye have eternal life and that ye may believe on the name of the Son of God” (1 Jn. 5:11–13). 

2)      They will receive all the mercies and love God promised to David (2 S. 7:11–17). God will make the same covenant with those who truly come to Him that He made with David. His covenant with David included the great promise of an eternal descendant, a throne, and a kingdom, all of which are fulfilled in Jesus Christ (Lu. 1:30–33). Jesus Christ is the covenant, the fulfillment of the promises that God gives to man. Any agreement between God and man is based solely upon Christ. If people wish to approach God, they must approach Him through Christ and Christ alone (Jn. 14:6). 

V  “And the angel said unto her, Fear not, Mary: for thou hast found favor with God. And behold, thou shalt conceive in thy womb and bring forth a son, and shalt call his name Jesus. He shall be great and shall be called the Son of the Highest: and the Lord God shall give unto him the throne of his father David: And he shall reign over the house of Jacob forever, and of his kingdom, there shall be no end” (Lu. 1:30–33).

V  “Jesus saith unto him, I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me” (Jn. 14:6).

V  “And we declare unto you glad tidings, how that the promise which was made unto the fathers, God hath fulfilled the same unto us their children, in that he hath raised up Jesus again; as it is also written in the second psalm, Thou art my Son, this day have I begotten thee. And as concerning that he raised him up from the dead, now no more to return to corruption, he said on this wise, I will give you the sure mercies of David. Wherefore he saith also in another psalm, thou shalt not suffer thine Holy One to see corruption. For David, after he had served his own generation by the will of God, fell on sleep, and was laid unto his fathers, and saw corruption: But he, whom God raised again, saw no corruption. Be it known unto you, therefore, men and brethren, that through this man is preached unto you the forgiveness of sins: And by him, all that believe are justified from all things, from which ye could not be justified by the law of Moses” (Ac. 13:32–39). 

F. The Agent of Salvation Is the Savior Himself, The Lord Jesus Christ (Vv. 4–5).

It is the Messiah who fulfills God’s promises to David, the Messiah who secures salvation for every living soul of every generation. Note that God has sent the Messiah to be His Witness to the people as well as their Leader and Commander. As their Leader and Commander, Christ has been given all authority throughout the universe: “All power is given unto me in heaven and in earth” (Mt. 28:18; also see Nu. 24:17–19; Is. 9:6–7; Re. 12:5; 19:15–16). As God’s witness, the Messiah will issue the call for all the Gentile nations of the earth to come to the Lord (v. 5).

While Christ was on earth, He ministered only in Palestine. No other nation felt the direct impact of His ministry during His lifetime. In addition, there were many nations that did not even exist while Christ was on earth. Yet Isaiah predicts that the day will come when nations will rush to Christ and see Him glorified. Since His death on the cross, Christ has been bearing strong witness to the nations of the earth. As a result, multitudes of people have rushed to Him for the salvation He purchased through His death on the cross of Calvary. This prophecy is being carried out day by day as people from all nations hear God’s invitation to come to Him for salvation. But the ultimate fulfillment will take place when Christ returns to set up God’s kingdom on earth. On that day, every human being will either come to the Lord or else face His terrifying judgment. For all men will worship Him as He sits on the throne of God’s glory in the Holy City, Jerusalem (54:11–17). However, until that day, the invitation of the Lord is extended to every human being: 

V  “Ho, everyone 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 labor for that which satisfieth not? Hearken diligently unto me, and eat ye that which is good, and let your soul delight itself in fatness” (Is. 55:1–2).

V  “Come unto me, all ye that labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you and learn of me; for I am meek and lowly in heart: and ye shall find rest unto your souls. For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light” (Mt. 11:28–30).

V  “The kingdom of heaven is like unto a certain king, which made a marriage for his Son, and sent forth his servants to call them that were bidden to the wedding: and they would not come.… Then saith he to his servants, the wedding is ready, but they which were bidden were not worthy. Go ye therefore into the highways, and as many as ye shall find, bid to the marriage. So those servants went out into the highways, and gathered together all as many as they found, both bad and good: and the wedding was furnished with guests” (Mt. 22:2–3, 8–10).

V  “For there is no difference between the Jew and the Greek: for the same Lord over all is rich unto all that call upon him. For whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved” (Ro. 10:12–13).

V  “For this is good and acceptable in the sight of God our Saviour, who will have all men to be saved, and to come unto the knowledge of the truth. For there is one God, and one mediator between God and men, the man Christ Jesus” (1 Ti. 2:3–5).

V  “And the Spirit and the bride say, Come. And let him that heareth say, Come. And let him that is athirst come. And whosoever will let him take the water of life freely” (Re. 22:17).

V  “Come now, and let us reason together, saith the Lord: though your sins are as scarlet, they shall be as white as snow; though they are red like crimson, they shall be as wool” (Is. 1:18).

V  “Look unto me, and be ye saved, all the ends of the earth: for I am God, and there is none else” (Is. 45:22).^[3] 

Our Prayer of Thanks for Your Invitation to Come to You, Lord

God in heaven, we are thirsty and poor of Spirit and need you to sustain us in our time of spiritual poverty. We recognize that we have wasted the resources you have supplied us and beg your forgiveness for our wasteful stewardship. Father God, help us to seek You for our needs in this life so that we may grow spiritually honoring You. Father God, help us to hear Your Word, obeying it so that we do not lose our souls to the chasing of that which will not satisfy. Even as You have cared for Your witnesses of the past, we ask that You, too, will today care for us. We know and cannot deny Your power, for we have seen Your hand work in the past, and we ask that You work on our behalf today and in our future. Father God, we thank You for inviting us to come to You and receive Your love, grace, and mercy. May we honor You with our lives even as You honor us with Your invitation to come to You and receive Your Salvation. We pray this in Your Son’s precious name, Christ, Jesus our Lord and Savior, Amen.

---

^a 55:3  everlasting covenant . . . I had for King David. See 2 Samuel 7 for the terms of God’s covenant with David here remembered.

^b 55:4  foreign nations, implied.

^c 55:13  of God’s power and love, implied.

^[1] Taylor, Kenneth Nathaniel. 1997. The Living Bible, Paraphrased. Wheaton, IL: Tyndale House.

^a 55:3  everlasting covenant . . . I had for King David. See 2 Samuel 7 for the terms of God’s covenant with David here remembered.

^b 55:4  foreign nations, implied.

^[2] Taylor, Kenneth Nathaniel. 1997. The Living Bible, Paraphrased. Wheaton, IL: Tyndale House.

^[3] Leadership Ministries Worldwide. 2005. Isaiah: Chapters 36–66. Vol. II. The Preacher’s Outline & Sermon Bible. Chattanooga, TN: Leadership Ministries Worldwide.