In chapter 54 we found a wonderful promise, guaranteed by God’s unfailing word, and chapter 55 fitly follows with a wide invitation to Israel. The offer is Millennial glory; the invitation is free; all that is required, we note, is that the “thirsty” shall come, and those that have “no money.”
Israel is now set aside, and a grander offer of eternal glory with Christ is going out to Jew and Gentile on one common footing that “all have sinned.”
But the present day of grace is waning, plainly drawing near its close, and after the children of Israel will hear God’s word with the hearing of faith, they will accept the gracious invitation of Isaiah 55 and welcome their Messiah, our Lord Jesus Christ, when He comes again. Countless Gentiles to 'whom the present gospel has never been brought, will be saved through the preaching of converted Jews.
Precious are the pleadings of the Holy Spirit in these opening verses of our chapter; there is nothing to compare with them except the present invitation to accept God’s offer of salvation. The sure mercies of David (verse 3) are referred to in Psalm 89:3-4, 19-37, 493I have made a covenant with my chosen, I have sworn unto David my servant, 4Thy seed will I establish for ever, and build up thy throne to all generations. Selah. (Psalm 89:3‑4)
19Then thou spakest in vision to thy holy one, and saidst, I have laid help upon one that is mighty; I have exalted one chosen out of the people. 20I have found David my servant; with my holy oil have I anointed him: 21With whom my hand shall be established: mine arm also shall strengthen him. 22The enemy shall not exact upon him; nor the son of wickedness afflict him. 23And I will beat down his foes before his face, and plague them that hate him. 24But my faithfulness and my mercy shall be with him: and in my name shall his horn be exalted. 25I will set his hand also in the sea, and his right hand in the rivers. 26He shall cry unto me, Thou art my father, my God, and the rock of my salvation. 27Also I will make him my firstborn, higher than the kings of the earth. 28My mercy will I keep for him for evermore, and my covenant shall stand fast with him. 29His seed also will I make to endure for ever, and his throne as the days of heaven. 30If his children forsake my law, and walk not in my judgments; 31If they break my statutes, and keep not my commandments; 32Then will I visit their transgression with the rod, and their iniquity with stripes. 33Nevertheless my lovingkindness will I not utterly take from him, nor suffer my faithfulness to fail. 34My covenant will I not break, nor alter the thing that is gone out of my lips. 35Once have I sworn by my holiness that I will not lie unto David. 36His seed shall endure for ever, and his throne as the sun before me. 37It shall be established for ever as the moon, and as a faithful witness in heaven. Selah. (Psalm 89:19‑37)
49Lord, where are thy former lovingkindnesses, which thou swarest unto David in thy truth? (Psalm 89:49); in 2 Samuel 7, and 1 Chronicles 17. They will be made good in Christ: of Him verse 4 in our chapter speaks, viewing Him as not for Israel only but for the Gentiles, the Prince of the kings of the earth (Revelation 1:55And from Jesus Christ, who is the faithful witness, and the first begotten of the dead, and the prince of the kings of the earth. Unto him that loved us, and washed us from our sins in his own blood, (Revelation 1:5)). The word “people”, twice in verse 4, is “peoples”,—the nations, as distinct from Israel.
The principles upon which God deals in grace with His fallen creatures, with mankind, whether Jew or Gentile, are set forth in verses 6-11. As for the sinner, there is the solemn consideration that God must be sought, called upon, while there is opportunity. Proverbs 1:20-3320Wisdom crieth without; she uttereth her voice in the streets: 21She crieth in the chief place of concourse, in the openings of the gates: in the city she uttereth her words, saying, 22How long, ye simple ones, will ye love simplicity? and the scorners delight in their scorning, and fools hate knowledge? 23Turn you at my reproof: behold, I will pour out my spirit unto you, I will make known my words unto you. 24Because I have called, and ye refused; I have stretched out my hand, and no man regarded; 25But ye have set at nought all my counsel, and would none of my reproof: 26I also will laugh at your calamity; I will mock when your fear cometh; 27When your fear cometh as desolation, and your destruction cometh as a whirlwind; when distress and anguish cometh upon you. 28Then shall they call upon me, but I will not answer; they shall seek me early, but they shall not find me: 29For that they hated knowledge, and did not choose the fear of the Lord: 30They would none of my counsel: they despised all my reproof. 31Therefore shall they eat of the fruit of their own way, and be filled with their own devices. 32For the turning away of the simple shall slay them, and the prosperity of fools shall destroy them. 33But whoso hearkeneth unto me shall dwell safely, and shall be quiet from fear of evil. (Proverbs 1:20‑33); 2 Corinthians 6:22(For he saith, I have heard thee in a time accepted, and in the day of salvation have I succored thee: behold, now is the accepted time; behold, now is the day of salvation.) (2 Corinthians 6:2); Hebrews 3:7-197Wherefore (as the Holy Ghost saith, To day if ye will hear his voice, 8Harden not your hearts, as in the provocation, in the day of temptation in the wilderness: 9When your fathers tempted me, proved me, and saw my works forty years. 10Wherefore I was grieved with that generation, and said, They do alway err in their heart; and they have not known my ways. 11So I sware in my wrath, They shall not enter into my rest.) 12Take heed, brethren, lest there be in any of you an evil heart of unbelief, in departing from the living God. 13But exhort one another daily, while it is called To day; lest any of you be hardened through the deceitfulness of sin. 14For we are made partakers of Christ, if we hold the beginning of our confidence stedfast unto the end; 15While it is said, To day if ye will hear his voice, harden not your hearts, as in the provocation. 16For some, when they had heard, did provoke: howbeit not all that came out of Egypt by Moses. 17But with whom was he grieved forty years? was it not with them that had sinned, whose carcases fell in the wilderness? 18And to whom sware he that they should not enter into his rest, but to them that believed not? 19So we see that they could not enter in because of unbelief. (Hebrews 3:7‑19) witness to the importance of accepting His grace without delay.
The whole plan of redemption is God’s, and man has no part in it, to do aught for himself, but only to believe it, to take God at His word. Nothing to do but acknowledge the truth about one’s self to Him, and then to receive mercy, abundant pardon (verse 7).
All blessing for man is founded upon believing, receiving, God’s Word. Men refuse the Word, deny its inspiration, its authority, but He has declared (and we bless Him for it!) that it shall not return to Him void, it shall accomplish that which He pleases, and that for which He sent it (verse 11).
The result on earth of the acceptance of His Word by Israel is foretold in verses 12 and 13.
Much more than this is the portion of those who believe to the saving of the soul, we know.