Isaiah 55
55
An Invitation to Grace
1All you who are thirsty,#The prophet invites all to return, under the figure of a banquet; cf. the covenant banquet in Ex 24:9–11 and wisdom’s banquet in Prv 9:1–6. The Lord’s covenant with David (2 Sm 7) is now to be extended beyond his dynasty.
come to the water!
You who have no money,
come, buy grain and eat;
Come, buy grain without money,
wine and milk without cost!#Jn 4:10–15; 6:35; 7:37–39; Rev 21:6; 22:17.
2Why spend your money for what is not bread;
your wages for what does not satisfy?
Only listen to me, and you shall eat well,
you shall delight in rich fare.
3Pay attention and come to me;
listen, that you may have life.
I will make with you an everlasting covenant,
the steadfast loyalty promised to David.#2 Sm 7:12–16.
4As I made him a witness to peoples,
a leader and commander of peoples,
5So shall you summon a nation you knew not,
and a nation#The “nation” is Persia under Cyrus, but the perspective is worldwide. that knew you not shall run to you,
Because of the Lord, your God,
the Holy One of Israel, who has glorified you.#Acts 13:34.
6#The invitation to seek the Lord is motivated by the mercy of a God whose “ways” are completely mysterious. Seek the Lord while he may be found,
call upon him while he is near.
7Let the wicked forsake their way,
and sinners their thoughts;
Let them turn to the Lord to find mercy;
to our God, who is generous in forgiving.
8For my thoughts are not your thoughts,
nor are your ways my ways—oracle of the Lord.
9For as the heavens are higher than the earth,
so are my ways higher than your ways,
my thoughts higher than your thoughts.
10#The efficacy of the word of God recalls 40:5, 8. Yet just as from the heavens
the rain and snow come down
And do not return there
till they have watered the earth,
making it fertile and fruitful,
Giving seed to the one who sows
and bread to the one who eats,
11So shall my word be
that goes forth from my mouth;
It shall not return to me empty,
but shall do what pleases me,
achieving the end for which I sent it.
12Yes, in joy you shall go forth,
in peace you shall be brought home;
Mountains and hills shall break out in song before you,
all trees of the field shall clap their hands.
13In place of the thornbush, the cypress shall grow,
instead of nettles,#Thornbush…nettles: suggestive of the desert and therefore symbolic of suffering and hardship; cypress…myrtle: suggestive of fertile land and therefore symbolic of joy and strength. To the Lord’s renown: lit., “to the name of the Lord.” the myrtle.
This shall be to the Lord’s renown,
as an everlasting sign that shall not fail.
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Confraternity of Christian Doctrine, Inc
Isaiah 55
55
Come to the Lord
1“Come, everyone who is thirsty,#Ps 42:1–2; 63:1; 143:6; Is 41:17; 44:3; Jn 4:14; 7:37; Rv 21:6
come to the water;
and you without silver,
come, buy, and eat!
Come, buy wine and milk
without silver and without cost!
2Why do you spend silver on what is not food,
and your wages on what does not satisfy?
Listen carefully to me, and eat what is good,
and you will enjoy the choicest of foods.#55:2 Lit enjoy fatness
3Pay attention and come to me;
listen, so that you will live.
I will make a permanent covenant with you#Gn 9:16; 17:7; 2Sm 23:5; Is 24:5; 59:21; 61:8
on the basis of the faithful kindnesses of David.#55:3 Or with you, the faithful acts of kindness shown to David#Ac 13:34
4Since I have made him a witness to the peoples,#Ps 18:43
a leader and commander for the peoples,#Ezk 34:24; 37:24–25; Dn 9:25; Mc 5:2
5so you will summon a nation you do not know,#Is 45:14,22–24; 49:6
and nations who do not know you will run to you.#Zch 8:22
For the Lord your God,
even the Holy One of Israel,#Is 1:4
has glorified you.”#Is 60:9
6Seek the Lord while he may be found;
call to him while he is near.#Ps 32:6; Am 5:4
7Let the wicked one abandon his way
and the sinful one his thoughts;#Ps 33:10; Is 32:7; 59:7; 65:2
let him return to the Lord,
so he may have compassion on him,
and to our God, for he will freely forgive.#Is 1:18; 43:25; 44:22
8“For my thoughts are not your thoughts,
and your ways are not my ways.”
This is the Lord’s declaration.
9“For as heaven is higher than earth,#Ps 103:11
so my ways are higher than your ways,
and my thoughts than your thoughts.
10For just as rain and snow fall from heaven
and do not return there
without saturating the earth
and making it germinate and sprout,
and providing seed to sow
and food to eat,#2Co 9:10
11so my word that comes from my mouth
will not return to me empty,
but it will accomplish what I please
and will prosper in what I send it to do.”#Is 45:23; 46:10; 53:10
12You will indeed go out with joy
and be peacefully guided;
the mountains and the hills will break into singing before you,
and all the trees of the field will clap their hands.#Ps 98:8; Is 44:23
13Instead of the thornbush, a cypress will come up,
and instead of the brier, a myrtle will come up;#Is 35:1–2; 41:19; 60:13
this will stand as a monument for the Lord,#Is 63:12–14; Jr 33:9
an everlasting sign that will not be destroyed.
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