Isaiah 55 is a unique chapter. It has brought many people to an understanding of how salvation is mediated to all sinners who want to be saved. Salvation is not so much about what people do; it is all about what God has done in behalf of them through the Servant of the Lord.
The chapter can be divided into two sections. The first one encompasses verses 1 to 5, and the second one encompasses verses 6 to 13.
This lesson explores the two important expressions “to live” and “to seek” in connection with the loving invitation: “Return unto the LORD.”
The three topics that will be explored are: (1) mercy for everyone, (2) the way to get a true life, and (3) return unto the LORD.
Part II: Commentary
Mercy for Everyone.
The song of the Suffering Servant describes in a lively way the work of the Messiah in behalf of human beings. He suffers a vicarious death. Isaiah 54 reminds us that everything that God does for us is undertaken in order to procure our salvation: “For the mountains may depart and the hills be removed, but my steadfast love shall not depart from you, and my covenant of peace shall not be removed, says the LORD, who has compassion on you” (Isa. 54:10, NRSV). The chapter finishes with the assurance to His people that “their righteousness is of me, saith the LORD” (Isa. 54:17).
Thus, in loving language, Isaiah speaks of the redemption that God provides. However, the free and gracious invitation to all who are “hungry and thirsty” needs to be accepted. That is the topic discussed in Isaiah 55: ultimately, people need to accept the salvation that the Lord has provided. For this reason, the chapter opens with the invitation:
“Every one who thirsts, come to the waters;
And you who have no money come, buy and eat.
Come, buy wine and milk
Without money and without cost” (Isa. 55:1, NASB).
This invitation opens the door for everyone, which includes people from everywhere. The invitation goes far beyond the borders of Judah. No one need pay, because the impossible debt has been miraculously satisfied for each one of us.
In Isaiah 55:3, in clear parallelism, the author explains more about what that invitation entails:
A. “Incline your ear,
B. and come unto me:
A’. hear,
B’. and your soul shall live.”
It is interesting to note that the natural result of come unto me is that your soul shall live. The Hebrew verb in the last sentence is ḥyh, and the basic meaning is “live,” or “remain alive” (David J. A. Clines, ed., Dictionary of Classical Hebrew, vol. 3, pp. 204, 205). It has the connotation of “to save the life.” C. F. Keil has suggested that this expression reflects the idea of not only remaining alive but of obtaining the possession of true life (Minor Prophets, Commentary on the Old Testament in Ten Volumes [Grand Rapids, MI: Eerdmans Publishing Company, 1978], vol. 10, p. 279). What seems to be suggested here is that ḥyh is used in the sense of “to come alive again, or to revive.”
Thus, according to the verse, the only way to find true life, as a national entity and as individuals, is by hearing the invitation of God and coming to Him.
The Way to Get a True Life.
The second section in Isaiah 55, verses 6 to 13, reinforces the ideas expressed in the first section. It does so by using another key expression. That expression is the Hebrew verb ḏrš, which the NASB has rendered “seek,” as in:
“Seek the LORD while He may be found;
Call upon Him while He is near” (Isa. 55:6, NASB).
The verb ḏrš is used in the imperative, which means that it is not simply advice but a command. The basic meaning of ḏrš is “to seek,” which has the connotation of “worship and commitment.” Other possible meanings are “consult, inquire of, seek guidance of; seek with care” (David J. A. Clines, ed., Dictionary of Classical Hebrew, vol. 2, p. 473; Ludwig Koehler and Walter Baumgartner, The Hebrew and Aramaic Lexicon of the Old Testament, vol. 1, p. 233).
Seeking the Lord is not something alien to the experience of the nation of Israel. The Israelites are advised to seek the Lord when they live among the pagan nations: “But from there you will seek the LORD your God, and you will find Him if you search for Him with all your heart and all your soul” (Deut. 4:29, NASB).
To seek the Lord is also a personal experience. Rebekah seeks the Lord during her difficult pregnancy: “But the children struggled together within her; and she said, ‘If it is so, why then am I this way?’ So she went to inquire of the LORD” (Gen. 25:22, NASB). In the same way, God’s people are encouraged to look for the Lord particularly in times of crisis.
Second Kings 22 narrates the experience of King Josiah when he says, “Go, inquire of the LORD for me and the people and all Judah concerning the words of this book that has been found” (2 Kings 22:13, NASB).
In some cases, the experience of seeking the Lord is related to true worship, and it stands as the antithesis to idolatry (Jer. 8:2). “But there is some good in you, for you have removed the Asheroth from the land and you have set your heart to seek God” (2 Chron. 19:3, NASB).
To seek the Lord also is linked with a covenant relationship: “They entered into the covenant to seek the LORD God of their fathers with all their heart and soul” (2 Chron. 15:12, NASB). And likewise, of Jehosaphat it is said that he did not walk in the way of the Baals, “but sought the God of his father,” David, and “followed His commandments” (2 Chron. 17:4, NASB). The psalmist avers, “How blessed are those who observe His testimonies, who seek Him with all their heart” (Ps. 119:2, NASB).
Not to seek the Lord leads, as a consequence, to behavior that misses the mark, as is seen in the case of Rehoboam, of whom it was said, “He did evil because he did not set his heart to seek the LORD” (2 Chron. 12:14, NASB). Not seeking the Lord also reflects a lack of understanding: “The LORD has looked down from heaven upon the sons of men to see if there are any who understand, who seek after God” (Ps. 14:2, NASB).
A legal use of ḏrš with Yahweh as subject carries the sense of a requirement. David Denninger suggests that “prophets warn against two abuses: seeking [those] other than Yahweh and seeking him emptily” (Willem A. VanGemeren, ed., New International Dictionary of Old Testament Theology and Exegesis, vol. 1, p. 995).
In short, the act of seeking the Lord is always indicative of restoring the relationship and getting true life. Isaiah 58:2 provides more insights about seeking the Lord: “Yet they seek Me day by day and delight to know My ways, As a nation that has done righteousness. And has not forsaken the ordinance of their God. They ask Me for just decisions, they delight in the nearness of God” (Isa. 58:2, 3, NASB).
Return Unto the LORD.
Isaiah 55 begins with an open invitation for those who desire salvation. It is open to everyone. It is an invitation that brings radical change in one’s life, as the recipient moves from one salvific experience to another. Why is such a change necessary? It is because of sin.
The book is clear about what sin represents to God. The message of hope for Judah in Isaiah 40 starts by saying, “She [Jerusalem] hath received of the LORD’S hand double for all her sins” (Isa. 40:2). Sin in Isaiah is defined as walking far away from the ways of the Lord. It is to live in opposition to the instruction of God (Isa. 42:24). In other words, choosing a life of sin is to choose to live in alienation from God: “But your iniquities have separated between you and your God” (Isa. 59:2). Thus, sin is a serious impediment in the relationship between God and humanity.
Isaiah 55, particularly verse 7, takes the same tack: “Let the wicked forsake his way, and the unrighteous man his thoughts.” Here forsake means “to relinquish, to leave.” Thus, it does not include the idea of saving a human being in (or with) his/her sins, but from his/her sins. It is important to notice the sympathetic relationship between “way” (in the Hebrew Bible it denotes “to live”) and “thoughts.”
The first part of verse 7 helps us to understand the process that we must undergo in order for God to bestow upon us a restored life. The way to forsake the life of sin is to return to the way of the Lord. It is on the way toward the Lord that the sinner forsakes his/her ways and becomes, step by step, a new person, thereby acquiring a new life:
A. “and let him return unto the LORD,
B. and he will have mercy upon him;
A’. and to our God,
B’. for he will abundantly pardon.”
Part III: Life Application
Listen or hear are imperative verbs that the Bible often uses to frame God’s counsel to His people through His messengers. For instance, in Deuteronomy 4:1, we read: “O Israel, listen to the statutes and the judgments which I am teaching you to perform, so that you may live and go in and take possession of the land which the LORD, the God of your fathers, is giving you” (NASB). What has been your experience with hearing and listening to the Word of God?
Meditate upon the following excerpt in relation to God’s love: “Can you believe that when the poor sinner longs to return, longs to forsake his sins, the Lord sternly withholds him from coming to His feet in repentance? Away with such thoughts! Nothing can hurt your own soul more than to entertain such a conception of our heavenly Father. He hates sin, but He loves the sinner, and He gave Himself in the person of Christ, that all who would might be saved and have eternal blessedness in the kingdom of glory. What stronger or more tender language could have been employed than He has chosen in which to express His love toward us? He declares, ‘Can a woman forget her sucking child, that she should not have compassion on the son of her womb? yea, they may forget, yet will I not forget thee’ (Isaiah 49:15).”—Ellen G. White, Steps to Christ, p. 54. How have you experienced the reality of God’s love in your own life?
Ask your class to talk about what their experiences in “seeking the Lord.”
Adjust My Preferences
Welcome! Please set your reading preferences below.
You can access this panel later by clicking the
preference icon
in the top right of the page.
Study Focus: Isaiah 55
Part I: Overview
Isaiah 55 is a unique chapter. It has brought many people to an understanding of how salvation is mediated to all sinners who want to be saved. Salvation is not so much about what people do; it is all about what God has done in behalf of them through the Servant of the Lord.
The chapter can be divided into two sections. The first one encompasses verses 1 to 5, and the second one encompasses verses 6 to 13.
This lesson explores the two important expressions “to live” and “to seek” in connection with the loving invitation: “Return unto the LORD.”
The three topics that will be explored are: (1) mercy for everyone, (2) the way to get a true life, and (3) return unto the LORD.
Part II: Commentary
Mercy for Everyone.
The song of the Suffering Servant describes in a lively way the work of the Messiah in behalf of human beings. He suffers a vicarious death. Isaiah 54 reminds us that everything that God does for us is undertaken in order to procure our salvation: “For the mountains may depart and the hills be removed, but my steadfast love shall not depart from you, and my covenant of peace shall not be removed, says the LORD, who has compassion on you” (Isa. 54:10, NRSV). The chapter finishes with the assurance to His people that “their righteousness is of me, saith the LORD” (Isa. 54:17).
Thus, in loving language, Isaiah speaks of the redemption that God provides. However, the free and gracious invitation to all who are “hungry and thirsty” needs to be accepted. That is the topic discussed in Isaiah 55: ultimately, people need to accept the salvation that the Lord has provided. For this reason, the chapter opens with the invitation:
“Every one who thirsts, come to the waters; And you who have no money come, buy and eat. Come, buy wine and milk Without money and without cost” (Isa. 55:1, NASB).
This invitation opens the door for everyone, which includes people from everywhere. The invitation goes far beyond the borders of Judah. No one need pay, because the impossible debt has been miraculously satisfied for each one of us.
In Isaiah 55:3, in clear parallelism, the author explains more about what that invitation entails:
A. “Incline your ear, B. and come unto me: A’. hear, B’. and your soul shall live.”
It is interesting to note that the natural result of come unto me is that your soul shall live. The Hebrew verb in the last sentence is ḥyh, and the basic meaning is “live,” or “remain alive” (David J. A. Clines, ed., Dictionary of Classical Hebrew, vol. 3, pp. 204, 205). It has the connotation of “to save the life.” C. F. Keil has suggested that this expression reflects the idea of not only remaining alive but of obtaining the possession of true life (Minor Prophets, Commentary on the Old Testament in Ten Volumes [Grand Rapids, MI: Eerdmans Publishing Company, 1978], vol. 10, p. 279). What seems to be suggested here is that ḥyh is used in the sense of “to come alive again, or to revive.”
Thus, according to the verse, the only way to find true life, as a national entity and as individuals, is by hearing the invitation of God and coming to Him.
The Way to Get a True Life.
The second section in Isaiah 55, verses 6 to 13, reinforces the ideas expressed in the first section. It does so by using another key expression. That expression is the Hebrew verb ḏrš, which the NASB has rendered “seek,” as in:
“Seek the LORD while He may be found; Call upon Him while He is near” (Isa. 55:6, NASB).
The verb ḏrš is used in the imperative, which means that it is not simply advice but a command. The basic meaning of ḏrš is “to seek,” which has the connotation of “worship and commitment.” Other possible meanings are “consult, inquire of, seek guidance of; seek with care” (David J. A. Clines, ed., Dictionary of Classical Hebrew, vol. 2, p. 473; Ludwig Koehler and Walter Baumgartner, The Hebrew and Aramaic Lexicon of the Old Testament, vol. 1, p. 233).
Seeking the Lord is not something alien to the experience of the nation of Israel. The Israelites are advised to seek the Lord when they live among the pagan nations: “But from there you will seek the LORD your God, and you will find Him if you search for Him with all your heart and all your soul” (Deut. 4:29, NASB).
To seek the Lord is also a personal experience. Rebekah seeks the Lord during her difficult pregnancy: “But the children struggled together within her; and she said, ‘If it is so, why then am I this way?’ So she went to inquire of the LORD” (Gen. 25:22, NASB). In the same way, God’s people are encouraged to look for the Lord particularly in times of crisis.
Second Kings 22 narrates the experience of King Josiah when he says, “Go, inquire of the LORD for me and the people and all Judah concerning the words of this book that has been found” (2 Kings 22:13, NASB).
In some cases, the experience of seeking the Lord is related to true worship, and it stands as the antithesis to idolatry (Jer. 8:2). “But there is some good in you, for you have removed the Asheroth from the land and you have set your heart to seek God” (2 Chron. 19:3, NASB).
To seek the Lord also is linked with a covenant relationship: “They entered into the covenant to seek the LORD God of their fathers with all their heart and soul” (2 Chron. 15:12, NASB). And likewise, of Jehosaphat it is said that he did not walk in the way of the Baals, “but sought the God of his father,” David, and “followed His commandments” (2 Chron. 17:4, NASB). The psalmist avers, “How blessed are those who observe His testimonies, who seek Him with all their heart” (Ps. 119:2, NASB).
Not to seek the Lord leads, as a consequence, to behavior that misses the mark, as is seen in the case of Rehoboam, of whom it was said, “He did evil because he did not set his heart to seek the LORD” (2 Chron. 12:14, NASB). Not seeking the Lord also reflects a lack of understanding: “The LORD has looked down from heaven upon the sons of men to see if there are any who understand, who seek after God” (Ps. 14:2, NASB).
A legal use of ḏrš with Yahweh as subject carries the sense of a requirement. David Denninger suggests that “prophets warn against two abuses: seeking [those] other than Yahweh and seeking him emptily” (Willem A. VanGemeren, ed., New International Dictionary of Old Testament Theology and Exegesis, vol. 1, p. 995).
In short, the act of seeking the Lord is always indicative of restoring the relationship and getting true life. Isaiah 58:2 provides more insights about seeking the Lord: “Yet they seek Me day by day and delight to know My ways, As a nation that has done righteousness. And has not forsaken the ordinance of their God. They ask Me for just decisions, they delight in the nearness of God” (Isa. 58:2, 3, NASB).
Return Unto the LORD.
Isaiah 55 begins with an open invitation for those who desire salvation. It is open to everyone. It is an invitation that brings radical change in one’s life, as the recipient moves from one salvific experience to another. Why is such a change necessary? It is because of sin.
The book is clear about what sin represents to God. The message of hope for Judah in Isaiah 40 starts by saying, “She [Jerusalem] hath received of the LORD’S hand double for all her sins” (Isa. 40:2). Sin in Isaiah is defined as walking far away from the ways of the Lord. It is to live in opposition to the instruction of God (Isa. 42:24). In other words, choosing a life of sin is to choose to live in alienation from God: “But your iniquities have separated between you and your God” (Isa. 59:2). Thus, sin is a serious impediment in the relationship between God and humanity.
Isaiah 55, particularly verse 7, takes the same tack: “Let the wicked forsake his way, and the unrighteous man his thoughts.” Here forsake means “to relinquish, to leave.” Thus, it does not include the idea of saving a human being in (or with) his/her sins, but from his/her sins. It is important to notice the sympathetic relationship between “way” (in the Hebrew Bible it denotes “to live”) and “thoughts.”
The first part of verse 7 helps us to understand the process that we must undergo in order for God to bestow upon us a restored life. The way to forsake the life of sin is to return to the way of the Lord. It is on the way toward the Lord that the sinner forsakes his/her ways and becomes, step by step, a new person, thereby acquiring a new life:
A. “and let him return unto the LORD, B. and he will have mercy upon him; A’. and to our God, B’. for he will abundantly pardon.”
Part III: Life Application