Isaiah Chapter 55

From The Open Bible Project

55:1 "Come, everyone who thirsts, to the waters! Come, he who has no money, buy, and eat! Yes, come, buy wine and milk without money and without price.

  • (a) Christ by proposing his graces and gifts to his Church, exempts the hypocrites who are full with their imagined works, and the Epicureans who are full with their worldly lusts, and so do not thirst after these waters.
  • (b) Signifying that God’s benefits cannot be bought for money.
  • (c) By waters, wine, milk and bread, he means all things necessary to the spiritual life, as these are necessary to this corporal life.

55:2 Why do you spend money for that which is not bread? and your labor for that which doesn't satisfy? listen diligently to me, and eat you that which is good, and let your soul delight itself in fatness.

  • (d) He reproves their ingratitude, who refuse those things that God offers willingly, and in the mean time spare neither cost nor labour to obtain those which are not profitable.
  • (e) You will be fed abundantly.

55:3 Turn your ear, and come to me; hear, and your soul shall live: and I will make an everlasting covenant with you, even the sure mercies of David.

  • (f) The same covenant which through my mercy I ratified and confirmed to David, that it would be eternal, (2 Samuel 7:13; Acts 13:34).

55:4 Behold, I have given him for a witness to the peoples, a leader and commander to the peoples.

  • (g) Meaning Christ, of whom David was a figure.

55:5 Behold, you shall call a nation that you don't know; and a nation that didn't know you shall run to you, because of Yahweh your God, and for the Holy One of Israel; for he has glorified you."

  • (h) That is, the Gentiles, who before you did not receive to be your people.

55:6 Seek Yahweh while he may be found; call you on him while he is near:

  • (i) When he offers himself by the preaching of his word.

55:7 let the wicked forsake his way, and the unrighteous man his thoughts; and let him return to Yahweh, and he will have mercy on him; and to our God, for he will abundantly pardon.

  • (k) By this he shows that repentance must be joined with faith, and how we cannot call on God correctly, unless the fruits of our faith appear.

55:8 "For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways," says Yahweh.

  • (l) Although you are not soon reconciled one to another and judge me by yourselves, yet I am easy to be reconciled, yea, I offer my mercies to you.

55:9 "For as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways, and my thoughts than your thoughts.

55:10 For as the rain comes down and the snow from the sky, and doesn't return there, but waters the earth, and makes it bring forth and bud, and gives seed to the sower and bread to the eater;

55:11 so shall my word be that goes forth out of my mouth: it shall not return to me void, but it shall accomplish that which I please, and it shall prosper in the thing I sent it to do.

  • (m) If these small things have their effect, as daily experience shows much more will my promise which I have made and confirmed, bring to pass the things which I have spoken for your deliverance.

55:12 For you shall go out with joy, and be led forth with peace: the mountains and the hills shall break forth before you into singing; and all the trees of the fields shall clap their hands.

55:13 Instead of the thorn shall come up the fir tree; and instead of the brier shall come up the myrtle tree: and it shall be to Yahweh for a name, for an everlasting sign that shall not be cut off."

  • (o) To set forth his glory.
  • (p) Of God’s deliverance, and that he will never forsake his Church.
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