Isaiah 55:1-13

Joel Arnold
10/13/’03

The Call of the Gospel

Theme: The call of the gospel

Proposition: As attested by the word of God, true satisfaction and blessing comes
through laying aside sin and restoring right relationship with the Messiah.

•Introduction: Several years ago, I witnessed a process that changed the lives of two
people forever. A family I had known well had never been able to have children. Finally
they went to adoption, but even that process was difficult. The solution they finally
reached was to look across the sea and adopt two little boys out of an orphanage in
Russia. The boys were each only several years old. Now, four years later, they seem like
typical, normal, American boys. They have completely adapted to American culture,
taken on all of our ways, and actually forgotten that they ever were from a completely
different culture. They have become normal, American boys.
This is parallel with how the Jews to whom Isaiah was writing felt about their
culture.They had lived now for years in the culture of Babylon and had now they were
like typical, normal Babylonians. Many of them now owned property and had put their
roots down in this new culture. Now, a new generation was arising that had never known
anything but Babylon and considered themselves part of their Babylonian culture. Yet
Jehovah had intended for His people to be different and distinct in their culture. Never
was it part of his plan for them to fit in and adopt the ways of heathen nations. Far more
seriously, along with forgetting their Hebrew culture they had also forgotten their God.
Instead, the idolatrous gods of the Babylonians had become their worship, and the
materialistic, hedonistic lifestyle of pagan Babylon had become their lifestyle. Into this
scene, Isaiah injects this call. He forces them to question whether their material pursuits
really are satisfying and challenges them to return to the ways of true satisfaction – the
ways of the Lord.

When taken together, the content of the entire chapter is an astonishingly clear
presentation of the gospel. Though neither in this passage, nor anywhere in the Old
Testament, is the actual term “gospel” ever used, the concepts of the gospel are certainly
clearly seen. All of the elements of the gospel are present in this chapter. When the New
Testament definitions of the gospel (Rom. 1:2-4; 1 Cor. 15:1-4) are compared to what is
written here, this passage fulfills those definitions and could therefore be termed as the
gospel. Strong parallels exists with passages such as Christ’s offer of the gospel to the
Samaritan woman in John 4. Isaiah 55 is therefore, an Old Testament presentation of the
gospel.

This view of the chapter is fully in keeping with its context in the flow of the
book. Earlier in the book Isaiah has condemned sinful Israel for her rebellion against
Jehovah. He has prophecied swift and harsh judgement for Israel’s sin. He has discussed
the future purposes of God and His exclusive sovereighnty working in the earth. Now, in
this section of the book (chs. 49-57) Isaiah launches one of the clearest Old Testament
presentations of the good news concerning the Messiah. In chapter 51, Jehovah calls on
his people to awake and listen to his comfort for them. He continues by giving them that
comfort in chapters 52 and 53 that present the display and passion of the Messiah in the
behalf of his people’s sins. Chapter 54 breaks into a joyful song at the prospects of
Israel’s great blessing. And so Chapter 55 is arranged perfectly to call upon Israel to
accept the good news of the Messiah in order to receive her blessing.

Some of the major themes of the chapter include:

-true satisfaction through right relationship with Jehovah
-the Davidic covanant
-the transcendant holiness of Jehovah
-the words of God
-Millenial blessings

These themes are woven together in the topic of our message – as attested by the
word of God, true satisfaction and blessing comes through laying aside sin and restoring
right relationship with the Messiah. Or in other words, there is joy and blessing in the
gospel. Once again, we should be reminded that this passage is discussing the gospel –
the theme of Isaiah 55.

I. The gospel offers satisfaction (v. 1-3a)

a. This satisfaction is the fulfillment of a deep inner need.

-The passage starts off with Ho, a call of someone trying to get the
readers’ attention. The picture here is of an ancient water vendor offering
refreshment to weary people. In an arid climate, people were well
acquainted with thirst and the satisfaction of having that thirst sated. Yet
Isaiah is clearly referring to something deeper than just thirst – spiritual
need. To argue, as some do, that this speaks simply of the physical needs
of the Jews in their captivity, is outlandish. The fact that he constantly
switches on what he is referring to (first water, then wine and milk, then
bread) seems to indicate that he doesn’t have a specific physical need in
mind. Furthermore, Isaiah uses terms that go beyond physical needs
(“satisfy”, “delight your soul with fatness”, “that you may life”). “Satisfy”
is in exact parallel to “bread” (v. 2a), suggesting an equivalence between
the two. And physical nourishment was not the need of the Babylonian
exiles anyway. They were spending their wages on that very thing and
therein lied their problem (v. 2a). They were lacking the fulfillment of
deeper spiritual need. This offer is for fulfillment of that need.
-Note how this parallels Christ’s offer of the gospel to the Samaritan
woman in John 4. The first point that Christ made to her regarding
spiritual things was an offer of spiritual water – spiritual satisfaction of
deep spiritual needs.
 •Application: Everywhere you turn, people are all searching for the same
thing – they want fulfillment, purpose in life, and satisfaction. They try
everything from posessions, to prestige, to knowledge, to perverse sins in
their search for something that answers their inner need. Augustine said
that there is a God-shaped void in every human heart, and only God can
fill it. If you are a human being, you know what this is, but only if you
have come to the waters do you know what it is to have that desire
fulfilled. Have you come to the waters, and have you been filled?

b. This satisfaction is freely offered. (v. 1b)

-Why the use of the figure of money? To begin with, the use of money
holds literary signifance in that it fills out the picture of the water vendor,
who would certainly charge for his offer. This water vendor, however, is
like none other – his wares are given freely. But in addition, the figure of
money holds theological significance. God’s offer of spiritual satisfaction
isn’t free. A price must be paid even for it. For mankind it is offered
freely, because the price has already been paid. The Messiah took “the
chastisement of [for] our peace” (53:5) and paid the payment for our
redemption in full by offering Himself on the cross. Now, we truly have
“wine and milk without money and without cost.”
-Remarkable, that the one thing that satisfies, which is of far greater worth
than anything else, is also offered freely! This wine and milk is “without
money and without price” not only because the price has been paid, but
also because any price, save the very life-blood of the Messiah, would not
begin to make the balance. This offer is without price, because it is
priceless.
-Again, note the parallel with John 4. Christ freely offered to give her
living water (John 4:10,14).

c. This satisfaction is contingent on acceptance.

-Simply tracing all the imperative verbs through these verses is instructive.
Isaiah tells his readers to “come,” “buy,” “eat,” “listen,” “let your soul be
delighted,” and “incline your ear.” In summary, he is inviting them to
accept this free offer. Those who do the opposite of what he commands
enjoy none of these benefits.
-Particularly emphasized is the imperative to listen. In verse 2b it is used
twice as an intensifying infinitive (lit. “listening, listen”). Not counting
this double repition, it is repeated three times within four lines. It is
apparent that the speaker has a message of immense significance regarding
the listeners’ search for satisfaction. Later in the passage, it becomes
apparent that the message – the word of Yahweh – is itself the source of
the satisfaction as it is heard, imbibed, and obeyed. This emphasis is in
keeping with the earlier context of chapters 51-52 that 30 times call upon
 the Jewish exiles to “awake” or to “listen.” Isaiah is trying to rouse them
from their unbelieving stupor with his message.
-Returning to the parallel of John 4, it was only when the Samaritan
woman was willing to accept the water Christ offered, that she could come
and drink (John 4:10).

II. The gospel is centered on the Messiah (v. 3b-5)

a. The Messiah is the fulfillment of the Davidic covenant. (v. 3b)

-The Davidic covenant (2 Sam 7) had two basic components. First, it

promised a dynastic line that would never end but would be eternal. This
would have seemed impossible. For the dynasty to be eternal would
require someone immortal – God Himself. Yet He would have to
somehow be a physical descendant of David. The miracle of the kenosis
fulfilled this impossibility. The second component of the Davidic covenant
was for right relationship with the Messiah (“I will be a Father to him and
he will be a son to me” [2 Sam. 7:14]; “my lovingkindness shall not depart
from him” [2 Sam. 7:15]). Christ made possible this right relationship
through His payment for sin and offer of the gospel.
-Hence, when God offers to make a covenant “according to the faithful
mercies shown to David,” he offers to the hearer the blessing of having
Messiah as king, but more significantly, the blessing of enjoying right
relationship with the Messiah.
-The term dRsRj carries great theological significance. The word has the
idea of favor and blessing – some of the same components of the Greek
cariß. Yet the word also has an important association with the covenants
of God. Certain people are chosen as the recipients of God’s special favor
granted through His covenants. David was one such person. Those who
respond to the call of Isaiah in this chapter also become recipients of this
special favor.
-A number of verses refer to the Messiah by the name David – a type of
the Messiah (Jer. 30:9; Ezek. 34:23-25; Hos. 3:5). David typifies the
Messiah’s reign and His power.
-That this verse has reference to the Messiah is especially made clear by
Paul’s quotation of it in Acts 13:34 with special reference to the
resurrection of Christ. Paul argues that the resurrection of Christ was the
fulfillment of the “sure mercies [shown] to David.” Those who come
within the sphere of these “sure mercies” would be those that enjoy the
benefits of the ressurection – believers in the gospel.

b. The Messiah is the authoritative head of the nations. (v. 4-5)

-The term for people, MOaVl, is in the plural and is routinely used in the
plural for the Gentiles. This interpretation is especially bolstered by the
extention in verse 5 – “a nation you do not know and . . . which knows you
not,” both expressions used of Gentile nations (Deut. 28:36; 2Sam. 22:44;
24:6; Jer. 9:16; 10:25).
-The division of verses 4-5 into two categories as following is supported
by the dual reptition of “behold” and is reflected in the versification.

i. He is an authoritative head by his title. (v. 4)

-Some point out the change in tenses (verse 4 in perfect meaning

past, and verse 5 in imperfect meaning future), and argue against this
being the Messiah on that basis. Verse 4, however, can either be a
prophetic perfect, or could have the sense of the Messiah having
been already established in His titles at the very time of Isaiah’s
writing. Verse 5 then would foresee a future day when the Gentiles
would also come to the Messiah.

1. The Messiah is a witness to the nations.

- This may be referring to Christ’s work as a testimony to

the truth and revelation of the Father (Rev. 1:5; John
18:37).

2. The Messiah is a leader and commander to the nations.

-In the great and final baddle of Armageddon, Christ will

come forth with all the armies of heaven and take His
eternal throne to lead and command all the nations of the
earth.

ii. He is an authoritative head by His right to command. (v. 5)

-Verse 5 cannot refer to national Israel because of the second

person pronouns throughout. Considering its placement, it would
refer to the same person as verse 4 – the Messiah.
-This prophecy is fulfilled even now as Gentile people come to the
Messiah. The Messiah has issued a world-wide call to come, and
people from every tongue and every nation have responded to that
call and run to Him. This prophecy will be ultimately fulfilled in
the Millinium, when “nations will come to thy light, and kings to
the brightness of thy rising.”
-The Messiah’s call to the nations is epitomized in His
resurrection – the clearest testimony to His sonship (Rom. 1:4) and
the beginning of His call to the nations (Acts 26:23). This ties in
completely with Paul’s quotation of verse three in reference to the
resurrection, as well as verse five’s reference to the Messiah being
glorified by Jehovah (John 17:1; 1 Pet. 1:21). When the Messiah
 was raised from the dead, an earth-shattering call was made that
resonated around the globe, that all the nations would come to put
their faith in Him who was dead, and now is alive forevermore
(Rev. 1:17). As the Gentiles come to accept this resurrected Lord,
they partake of the blessings of the Davidic covenant.
-Once again, in John 4, the Messiah is a central issue in the presentation of
the gospel to the Samaritan woman (John 4:25-26, 29, 42).

III. The gospel requires a turn from sin to Jehovah. (v. 6-13)

a. Turn to the Lord. (v. 6)

-The term for “seek” (vår∂;d) is sometimes used for “seeking deity through
prayer and worship” (BDB). The term for “call” (a∂r∂q) is the typical term
for calling out, but could also be a “call for help” (BDB).
-The idea of seeking and calling on the Lord is a theme in the book (Is.
8:19; 9:13; 11:10; 31:1; 34:16; 58:2; 65:1,10). Over and over again, Isaiah
has admonished the people to turn from their sin and to seek the Lord.
-The command certainly implies that turning to the Lord is not a quick
breeze through a formulaic prayer. In an effort to enlarge the gospel, we
may overemphasize the simplicity of coming to the Lord. Yet God is a
treasure to be sought.

•Application: You may need to get down on your knees and stay there for
hours to find the Lord. You may need to spend much time crying out to
Him. Yet do not grow discouraged, for you will find Him when you seek
diligently (Prov. 8:17).

-If the hearer is instructed to seek while He may be found, it only follows
that there will be a day in the which He cannot be found. The offers of
God extend to a specific term, and when they have been rejected beyond
that term, the offer is removed.

•Application: Beware, lest you continually reject the call of the Spirit of
God and that call is removed. You may lose your life in an instant. Every
exposure to the gospel could be your last. When your life is done, there
will be no more seeking or calling upon the Lord.

b. Turn away from your sin.

-Because sin is opposite to the very nature of God, (1 John 1:5) every true
turn to the Lord requires a turn also from sin.

•Argumentation: It is a sad fact that some have begun omitting the

necessity of repentance from the gospel call. The word of God has not be
informed of this omission. There can be no salvation apart from
repentance from sin (Matt. 3:2; 4:17; Mark 1:15; Acts 2:38; 3:19).

i. This is a forsaking of all aspects of a man’s rebellious life.

-"Forsake" is just the simple term for turning away and leaving
something alone. A vast majority of the other uses in the book
speak of Israel's forsaking the Lord. It is possible that some kind of
parralelism exists here.

1. The wicked must forsake his way.

-The concept behind JK®r®;d is rich and extensive. It

describes the whole corpus of a man’s decisions,
associations, and attitudes. It is his lifestyle. An
Englishman would call it his “way of life.” It encompasses
the whole man and includes every decision and course of
action that makes him distinct.
-The Bible describes two basic ways. There is on the one
hand, the way of the wicked that leads to death, contrasted
with the way of righteousness that leads to life. Both are
evaluated relative to the same standard – the way of
Jehovah. As a man follows Jehovah’s ways he is righteous,
and as he strays he shows himself to be unrighteous.

2. The unrighteous must forsake his thoughts.

-"Thoughts" is more than just any mental cogitation. It

speaks of intention, direction, purposes, or priorities that
become the defining directives for everything about a
person's life.

-After the Samaritan woman finally asked Christ for the gift of
living water, He immediately turned to confront her sin (John 4:16-
18)

ii. This is received with a promise of forgiveness.

-Notice that God’s forgiveness is contingent upon (1) turning

completely from sin, and (2) turning to Him. Do not think that you
can continue in your sin and expect the blessings of forgiveness.
God does not forgive those that harbor remaining sin in their lives.

•Application: The promises of God’s forgiveness are so sweet.

Why would you continue to follow a way that does not satisfy,
when by returning to the Lord, you can know this complete
forgiveness? You must be willling to give up your sin first, but
 your sin never did anything but hurt you. God offers to remove
every vestige of your guilt if you will remove every vestige of
practicing your sin.

Transition: But why should we follow all of these commands? For seven verses, God
has been commanding the hearers to change their whole lifestyle and turn to Him alone.
Why should I believe this and why should I accept its authority?

IV. The gospel is authoritatively certified. (v. 8-13)

yI;k
-Verses 8-13 repeat a single word four times – “because” ( ) These four
repitions of the term give us the four reasons behind the admonition of verses
6-7 in particular and of the entire passage in summary. These reasons prove
the verity of his right to make the demands.
-These verses then are an argument for the verses that have preceeded. They
argue for and certify the statements of what has already been demanded.
-The Samaritan woman received verification and proof that Christ was truly a
prophet (John 4:19,29).

a. Because God’s ways are distinctly separate.

-Notice the important parallel to verse 7. “Let the wicked forsake his way
and the unrighteous man his thoughts. . . for my thoughts are not your
thoughts, nor are your ways my ways. Returning to the theology behind
the term JK®r®;d, God has set out His own “way of life,” and this stands
completely opposite to the “way of life” being followed by these men.
Where their way is wicked and unrighteous, God’s way is holy and pure.
-The order of ways and thoughts has been switched from v. 7, and there is
a chiasm in the personal pronouns of verse 8. It is difficult to interpret
significance to this beyond the poetical ornamentation the chiasm adds. It
could also indicate that from every possible perspective and every possible
ordering, the ways of Jehovah are still far superior to the ways of man.

•Application: Have you ever stopped to think about how God views your
sin? We excuse the little sins, but God looks at all sin as a loathsome and
disgusting thing. Sin is a horrible stench in the nostrils of a holy God. The
marvel is that He can still forgive us for something so odious, and call us
His own.

b. Because God’s ways are infinitely superiour.

-God’s intention is not for us to make a literal comparison between the

heights of the heaven to His transdance over us. The height of the heaven
over the earth was probably the greatest expanse known to the Jewish
readers and would have made the point that “Jehovah transcends
 immeasurably, even infinitely.”
-The reference to height is particularly appropriate, as it sometimes also
carries a figurative meaning of “exalted, honored, high in esteem (Isa
52:13).
-There are multiple senses in which Jehovah’s ways are immeasurably
higher than people’s ways:
i. In their moral excellence as opposed to the people’s moral lapse (v.
7)
ii. In reference to the wisdom of His eternal purposes (v. 3-5; 11).
iii. In reference to His willingness to forgive (v. 7b)
-if any would question how this holy God could simply have
compassion and forgive, He gives this answer – that His thoughts
and ways are higher than man’s.

c. Because God’s word is powerful and effective. (v. 10-11)

-The metaphor of precipitation has a double force. First, it is a picture of

the way in which the word of God descends from heaven, imparts life and
nourishment, and ultimately brings forth growth and fruit. Second, it
implies by analogy, the surety and dependability of the word of God.
Elsewhere in scripture, the physical cycles are used to speak of never
failing consistency (Jer. 31:35-36).
-“Seed to the sower” implies by the analogy that the word of God
sometimes brings about propagation of itself. “Bread to the eater” is a very
close tie to the call of verses 1-2 to come and eat true bread. Hence a
strong connection exists between the offer of satisfaction and the word of
God – that the word of God is itself the very satisfaction offered.

d. Because God’s promises are joyous. (v. 12-13)

-The chapter ends with a rich song of jubilation. Isaiah’s imagery is as

usual, rich and beautiful and filled with images from nature.
-Some view “go out” and “be led forth” as referring to the captives return
march to Jerusalem. Though this is possible, it seems that the true
fulfillment of these promises does not occur until the Millinium. Verse 13
prophecies a change in climate that will not be reversed. This hardly
occurred at the return of the Jewish captives. Rather it seems that “go out”
and “be led forth” should be viewed as simple references to Israel’s
freedom in the Millinium as opposed to their present bondage.
-The fulfillment of these promises will be an everlasting sign to the Lord.
Ancient kings would often set up great seals and memorials to their
accomplishments. Jehovah’s memorial will be the land itself and the
reversal of the effects of the fall in it. This sign will last forever.
Conclusion: Isaiah laid before his listeners the entire picture. From the transcendant
ways and thoughts of God, to His eternal purposes in the Davidic covenant, to the
prophecy of the Messiah, to the efficacy of the word of God, to the true satisfaction found
in right relationship to the Messiah, Isaiah’s hearers were faced with an unavoidable fact
- as attested by the word of God, true satisfaction and blessing comes through laying
aside sin and restoring right relationship with the Messiah.
Are you like the people to whom Isaiah wrote? Are you so distracted with the
pursuit of physical things or pleasures? Have you forgotten your relationship with God
and with His son, the Messiah? Today, are you willing to lay aside every vestige of your
sin, forsake your old ways and thoughts, seek the Lord, and come to right relationship
with Jesus Christ? You can partake of the satisfaction that is in a relationship with Christ.
You can be a partaker of the covenantal blessings to David. You can break forth into
songs of joy at your salvation in Christ. Today, come, eat, and be filled.
 Bibliography

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Linguistic and Exegetical work: 10 hours

-I translated parts of it (which takes me a long time) and checked all the terms of
any real signifance in BDB and then traced them through OT usages. I also spent
some time tracing the Davidic covenant through the OT as it relates to verse 3.

Total hours of reading: 9:25

Total pages read: 175
Total hours: 19:25