God's Invitation Song

We can’t help but love the way Calvin introduced this section of prophecy:

Ho, all that are thirsty. Here the Prophet describes in lofty terms of commendation the goodness of God, which was to be poured down more copiously and abundantly than before under the reign of Christ, “in whose hand are hid all the treasures” (Col. 2:3) of the grace of God; for in him God fully explains his mind to us; so that the saying of John is actually fulfilled, “We have all drawn from his fulness, and have received grace for grace.” (John 1:16.) The fathers were, indeed, partakers of that divine goodness and spiritual kindness which is here mentioned. “How great,” says David, “is thy goodness, which hath been laid up for them that fear thee!” (Ps. 31:19.) But he hath poured it out far more liberally and abundantly in Christ. Thus, it is a remarkable commendation of the grace of God, which is exhibited to us in the kingdom of Christ; for the Prophet does not instruct us what has been done once, but also what is done every day, while the Lord invites us by his doctrine to the enjoyment of all blessings. Commentary on Isaiah

The Festal Background may be taken from Exodus 24

Just as God had made his covenant with Israel, he will make a new covenant with his new people in whom his glory will be manifested.

Come to the Feast

Isaiah 55:1 ““You there! Everyone 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.”

Why Waste Your Time ?

Isaiah 55:1–2 NASB 2020

“You there! Everyone 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. “Why do you spend money for what is not bread, And your wages for what does not satisfy? Listen carefully to Me, and eat what is good, And delight yourself in abundance.

God Supplies All Our Needs: “As we are nourished by “bread, wine, milk, and water,” so in like manner let us know that our souls are fed and supported by the doctrine of the Gospel, the Holy Spirit, and other gifts of Christ” (Calvin).

God as the Water of Life

Psalm 36:8-9 “They drink their fill of the abundance of Your house; And You allow them to drink from the river of Your delights. For the fountain of life is with You; In Your light we see light.”

Jeremiah 2:13 ““For My people have committed two evils: They have abandoned Me, The fountain of living waters, To carve out for themselves cisterns, Broken cisterns That do not hold water.”

John 4:14 “but whoever drinks of the water that I will give him shall never be thirsty; but the water that I will give him will become in him a fountain of water springing up to eternal life.””

John 7:38-39 “The one who believes in Me, as the Scripture said, ‘From his innermost being will flow rivers of living water.’ ” But this He said in reference to the Spirit, whom those who believed in Him were to receive; for the Spirit was not yet given, because Jesus was not yet glorified.”

Enjoy God’s Everlasting Covenant

Isaiah 55:3–4 NASB 2020

“Incline your ear and come to Me. Listen, that you may live; And I will make an everlasting covenant with you, According to the faithful mercies shown to David. “Behold, I have made him a witness to the peoples, A leader and commander for the peoples.

The Everlasting Covenant

“Make” is to “cut” which probably should echo the Levitical sacrifices which prefigured Christ’s sacrifice.

The “everlasting” nature of the covenant is joined with God’s “everlasting salvation” (45:17; 51:6, 8), “everlasting joy” (51:11), and “everlasting kindness” (54:8).

The covenant is located in a person rather than a tablet or scroll--”I have made him a witness”

The Perfect Covenanter

According to the sure mercies of David

2 Samuel 7:13 “He shall build a house for My name, and I will establish the throne of his kingdom forever.”

Psalm 89:28-29 ““I will maintain My favor for him forever, And My covenant shall be confirmed to him. “So I will establish his descendants forever, And his throne as the days of heaven.”

A Witness

A Leader

A Commander

Enjoy God’s Perfect Nature

Isaiah 55:5–9 NASB 2020

“Behold, you will call a nation you do not know, And a nation which does not know you will run to you, Because of the Lord your God, the Holy One of Israel; For He has glorified you.” Seek the Lord while He may be found; Call upon Him while He is near. Let the wicked abandon his way, And the unrighteous person his thoughts; And let him return to the Lord, And He will have compassion on him, And to our God, For He will abundantly pardon. “For My thoughts are not your thoughts, Nor are your ways My ways,” declares the Lord. “For as the heavens are higher than the earth, So are My ways higher than your ways And My thoughts than your thoughts.

Enjoy God’s Powerful Word

Isaiah 55:10–13 NASB 2020

“For as the rain and the snow come down from heaven, And do not return there without watering the earth And making it produce and sprout, And providing seed to the sower and bread to the eater; So will My word be which goes out of My mouth; It will not return to Me empty, Without accomplishing what I desire, And without succeeding in the purpose for which I sent it. “For you will go out with joy And be led in peace; The mountains and the hills will break into shouts of joy before you, And all the trees of the field will clap their hands. “Instead of the thorn bush, the juniper will come up, And instead of the stinging nettle, the myrtle will come up; And it will be a memorial to the Lord, An everlasting sign which will not be eliminated.”

Some Applications:

Don’t waste your life.

Redeem the time.

Redeem your resources

Meditate on how blessed we are because God is better than we are.

Rejoice in God’s graces.