God’s Living Water:

Isaiah’s Invitation to Spiritual Satisfaction

 

Title: God’s Living Water

Text: Isaiah 55:1-13

Proposition: You must trust the Lord alone for your spiritual needs. 

Introduction: During my first visit to Arizona, I decided to go on a hike with some friends.  The particular area that we chose was Catalina State Park, a large Saguaro-filled area that is full of rattlesnakes, scorpions, and many other kinds of creatures.  After picking up a map and filling up our water bottles, we were ready to begin.  We walked for awhile and made a left turn.  We continued walking for another half hour without seeing any of the landmarks that we thought we would see.  We suddenly realized that we were supposed to make a right turn.  To make matters worse, we had used much of our water, only having planned for a short hike.  The general consensus was to continue following the path that we were on in hopes that we would return to the main park area.  The half hour that followed was the most exhausting that I can remember.  We were all out of water.  When we reached the car, I wanted something to drink…really bad!  We had plenty of sodas in the car, but I wanted nothing but water.  The taste wasn’t important to me, just the satisfaction that water can only bring.

            We all have spiritual thirsts and desires that need true satisfaction; the prophet Isaiah told the people of Judah that this was the case around 2,700 years ago.  The Israelites knew the meaning of spiritual thirst.  Even though they were God’s chosen people, they had been looking for other things to satisfy themselves for the past 700 years.  The people had tried every kind of physical and spiritual fulfillment that they could find, even before they had entered into the Promised Land.  After settling in the land, they proceeded to go after idolatry to satisfy the needs of their aching souls.  God’s message to the thirsting nation of Israel is the same for us today.  You must trust the Lord alone for your spiritual needs.

 

I.                   Your belief is necessary because of the vital invitation (vv. 1-7).

A.    You are invited to a complete satisfaction (vv. 1, 2).  Why does one need to come to the Lord for satisfaction?  What kind of thirst will cause a person to drink from the springs of living water?  Primarily, one must realize his part in a universal need.  Everyone is in need of this call because of the unrestricted nature of the call.  God calls “every one” to drink of His life giving stream.  If only some people thirst, then there would be no need for the Lord to open this invitation to Jews as well as Gentiles (vv. 3-5).  Barnes felt that it was “impossible to conceive of language more universal in its nature than this” (see notes on v. 1).  Next, in order to receive this fulfillment, one must see the importance of his need.  The Lord is calling everyone that “thirsteth” to the water.  Only those who hunger and thirst after righteousness end up being filled.  Thirst in this passage is more than a mere want; one commentator stated that it is an “intense desire” (Steveson, 469).  David understood this desire both physically and spiritually.  In II Sam. 17:29, David and his people experienced thirst as they fled from Absalom.  David used this kind of thirst to describe his need for God as well (Psa. 42:2 – “My soul thirsteth for God, for the living God: when shall I come and appear before God?”  Psa. 63:1 – “O God, thou art my God; early will I seek thee: my soul thirsteth for thee, my flesh longeth for thee in a dry and thirsty land, where no water is.”).  One who sees his need for what it is will become desperate for a life-giving stream.  Also, in order for one to want to come and drink, he must see his inability to meet his own need.  You must not come as a king, but as a beggar with “no money” if you would desire the mercy of God.  Throughout the Bible, it is not the wise and the rich (I Cor. 1:26) that come when they are called, but the poor and the needy that come from the highways and byways to the wedding supper of the Lamb (Matt. 22:1-14).  Satisfaction is never found in the hearts of those who already believe that they are satisfied.  Only the poor in spirit will inherit the kingdom of God.  We are poor servants of the King and we owe Him an unimaginable debt; only His pardon will enable us to live (Matt. 18:23-27).  As another writer said, “Ye are really spiritual bankrupts: but thinking yourselves to have money, namely, a devotion of your own making, ye lavish it on that "which is not bread," that is, on idols, whether literal or spiritual” (JFB, 581).  Why must we come needy and poor?  Calvin wrote that “He shows us that we are poor and utterly destitute, and that we have nothing by which we can become entitled to God's favor; but that He kindly invites us, in order that He may freely bestow everything without recompense” (VIII:157).  Grace is only shown by giving to someone that what he cannot obtain and could never repay.  Once one has finished his desperate search for satisfaction, he is ready to come to the spring of water.  Finally, in order to receive water, one must see the danger in continuing in his state of need.  The prophet, under inspiration, tells the people that their idolatrous ways are “not bread” and that they “satisfieth not.”  In other words, Isaiah is pointing up the problem of continuing the journey of life with only a bag of “junk food” (Motyer, 453) and a can of soda.  A hike in the barren desert with poor provisions like these will surely result in one’s death.  An individual is taking his life into his own hands if he decides to live life “on his own” even if he has already been saved.  Only after taking one’s eyes off the temporal values of life is he ready to accept the eternal salvation of God.  But what does God promise to those who realize their need?  What must one do to receive God’s blessing?  The call is based on a simple choice…coming to the Lord.  In verses 1 and 3, the word “come” is repeated four times; this fact emphasizes two things.  First, we are not looking for water in the right place.  Second, the location of the water is obvious.  God’s call to salvation is central to the message of the book of Isaiah.  Even in the first chapter of the book, the prophet was calling for the people to “Come now, and let us reason together, saith the LORD: though your sins be as scarlet, they shall be as white as snow; though they be red like crimson, they shall be as wool” (1:18).  The matter of coming to the Lord is not complicated; it is simply a matter of trust.  Coming to the Lord indicates that you trust Him to provide what you need; Christ used this kind of language when He invited people to be freed from their burdens (Matt. 11:28).  When one comes to God, he receives four gifts.  The first three of these gifts are pictured as liquids.  First, “the waters” are being offered.  The plural form here indicates abundant water.

Illustration: The people of Israel knew well the importance of water.  Abundant waters could only be found at springs (often referred to as “living water”).  When an Israelite thought of “waters,” he would likely think of the spring of Dan.  Dan’s spring is one of three sources to the Jordan and it is the largest karst (fresh water) spring in the Middle East with an annual flow rate of 240 million cubic meters.  The waters of Dan were, and are, literally the life-blood for most of the nation. 

We are here being called to have an unimaginable source of water supplied to us even though we cannot afford it.  The importance of one having water is that it will cause him to survive.  The concept of water in the book of Isaiah is used extensively.  In similar contexts, water is used to illustrate the blessings of salvation (12:3, 44:3-4, 58:11) and the security of the righteous man in the Lord (33:16 – the analogy of Masada may be anachronistic, but very similar).  In the book of John, Jesus used the analogy of water on two very important occasions.  One time, Jesus told a woman that He could bring her eternal satisfaction through living water (John 4:10-14).  Also, Jesus offered water to the nation of Israel when they had gathered for the final day of the feast of Tabernacles.  During the water libation ceremony, while the priest was pouring out water and wine onto the altar at the Temple, Jesus stood up and said “If any man thirst, let him come unto me, and drink.  He that believeth on me, as the Scripture hath said, out of his belly shall flow rivers of living water” (John 7:37-38).  Second, “wine” is also offered.  The joy of life is also freely given to those who accept the Lord’s invitation.  Third, “milk” is supplied to those who come to the Lord.  The nourishment provided by God is beyond our wildest imagination while we wandered in the wilderness!  Finally, we are called to “eat” bread that will satisfy our hunger.  How awesome it is that we come to God looking for water to quench our thirst, only to find more blessings than we ever even asked for!  We are able to enjoy the “fatness,” or the extra gifts that come from the Father of lights.  Who would turn away from this “superabundant enjoyment” (Keil & Delitzsch)?  Why would anyone seek to purchase what is freely given?  But how are these blessings able to be given “without price”?  Here is the most blessed thought of all; the water, wine, milk, and bread have already been purchased.  The price for these gifts was supplied by none other than the Servant of the Lord, Who brings healing in His stripes.  He bore my griefs and carried my sorrows that I might delight in fatness. 

Application: Are you searching for satisfaction in life?  Do you find your joy in life in immorality?  Maybe you satisfaction comes from drugs or thrill-seeking, but God offers you the ultimate form of satisfaction.  Jesus alone can fill the void of your soul.  If you have never trusted in Jesus for forgiveness of your sin, you can accept Jesus’ satisfaction for your sins today.  Maybe you have already asked Christ to satisfy your sin debt, but you feel empty inside.  Christian, please realize that your thirst is not because the life-giving spring has left you, but because you have walked away from the spring.  Return to Christ and trust in Him to supply your needs.  He is sufficient for your salvation and your sanctification. 

B.     You are invited to a covenant-relationship (vv. 3-5).  Throughout God’s workings with men, He has made many agreements with them; these agreements are called covenants.  God’s initial covenant with Adam was contingent on his not eating of the tree. 

Illustration: As a young boy, I used to enjoy building with Legos; however, my brothers and I did not play with these toys like normal little boys.  We enjoyed making what we called “wreckers.”  These creations averaged around a foot in length and were made as strongly as possible.  We would smash our wreckers into each other, and the one with the most pieces together after the appointed blows won.  After some time we all decided to call a truce.  I gave all my good wrecking Legos to my brother on the terms that we would never build another wrecker again.  A month later…big surprise…my brother built the best one ever.  Although this may seem trivial to me now, it was my greatest emotional letdown to that point in my life.  The covenant between us was broken. 

However, God’s covenant with Noah was not based on Noah’s (or his children’s) obedience to His laws, but it was based on the Lord’s own mercy and faithfulness.  In other words, God would never destroy the earth with a flood…period.  The previous chapter of this book draws into our context a fascinating allusion.  God promises a covenant of “everlasting kindness” and “peace” that will never end regardless of any geographical changes that may take place (54:8-10).  For what reason is this covenant established?  There is no obvious reason, but the strange statement of “the LORD thy Redeemer.”  This reason, however, is enough; the LORD, Who is the Kinsman-Redeemer (see TWOT for detailed information) of Israel is none other than the Servant of chapter 53.  The use of the covenant in chapter 54 highlights the type of covenant as unconditional (i.e. “Royal Grant”) and the time of the covenant as eternal.  The covenant reference in chapter 55 now defines more accurately the covenant being discussed.  Not only does chapter 55 clarify the free invitation (c.f. vv. 1, 2) to this covenant, but it also clarifies the basis of the covenant; however, before covering these topics, the main result of the covenant is presented.  The basic result of the covenant is spiritual life.  The promise of life is contingent on hearing God’s Word (Rom. 10:14) and, by faith (implied from vv. 1, 2), accepting it.  In John 14:6, Jesus claimed to be “the life.”  Jesus’ claim implies that He somehow provides the promise of this covenant.  In order to confidently trust Him for this promise, one must also see that Jesus is at the foundation of this entire covenant.  The basis of the eternal covenant is multi-faceted; this covenant is both a type and a fulfillment of God’s promise to David (or, in the terms of Keil and Delitzsch, a look forward and a look backwards).  The everlasting covenant is a type of the Davidic covenant in that it is unconditional (c.f. Psalm 89:2-4).  It stands in contrast to the unmentioned Mosaic covenant, which Israel had failed to fulfill.  The covenant with the nation at Sinai was based on their obedience of God’s laws (similar to a “Suzerin-Vassal” type of treaty).  Since Israel had failed to keep the commandments of the Lord, they were to be sent into exile.  Now a new covenant was needed.  The eternal covenant in this passage is powerfully linked to the covenants of the past.  David and Noah were saved by trusting in God’s promises to them, and the people of Israel could be saved by trusting in God as well.  Paul makes it clear in Romans 4 that Abraham was trusting in the Lord, and that his faith both predated and was the foundation of the Mosaic covenant.  Thus, this eternal covenant could be said to be based on the covenant with David (i.e. – grounded in faith) and typical of the covenant with David (i.e. – eternal and unconditional).  God has always allowed men to enter into an eternal covenant with Him; however, only when Christ came was this covenant fully unveiled.  In this light, Spurgeon stated that “When you come to die, I hope that you will not have the faults of David to confess; but I trust that you may have his covenant to fall back upon” (MTP, 35:356).  Next, the eternal covenant is a fulfillment of the Davidic covenant.  It would also appear that this covenant is to be mediated or established by One Who is linked to the name David.  David was never a “witness” that brought nations to himself (or even to Israel for that matter).  Solomon may have brought the nations, but he was never a commander.  Ultimately, the eternal reign of a son of David could never be assumed by a mere man, but only by One Who would be born a child and yet a king, One Who will have the government on His shoulder and is the Father of Eternity Whose rein will never cease (9:6, 7; II Sam. 7:16).  Christ is both the kinsman redeemer of 54:8, and the transaction witness (TWOT #1576b) of our covenant relationship in 55:4.  He can completely do the work of Boaz before the Father and He will also keep Himself accountable to do the same.  Notice how that in the eternal covenant, Christ fulfills these two roles, just like God did with Abraham in Genesis 15:17.  How wonderful it is to realize that Christ walked the blood-path alone for you and me, promising His death in the place of our failure to keep the covenant!  In the book of Hebrews, Jesus is pictured both as the perfect sacrifice and the perfect priest.  Christ has done the whole job of redemption for the Christian, there is nothing left to be done.  He does the work of the redeemer, the oath taker, and the witness; He is the complete propitiation for my sins.  He is the perfect fulfillment of the “leader” Who is above all others (Dan. 9:25 uses this term to denote the Messiah).  He is also the “commander” Who possesses all authority on heaven and earth.  How amazing it is that God would become flesh in order to bring mediate this everlasting covenant!  Another amazing event is taking place in verse five.  The Holy One of Israel is being glorified by God (see Steveson, 471) and bringing in the nations of the world.  The goyim that once stood outside of the covenant with Israel have the privilege of being grafted into an eternal covenant with Yahweh (c.f. Rom. 11:13-24).  Ultimately, after the coming of Jesus, the middle wall of partition between Jews and Gentiles would be broken down and all people would be able to come before the throne of God’s grace.  The context of this statement is significant in that the Servant (c. 53) provides a covenant with Israel (c. 54) and with the outcasts (c. 56).  Those that had been considered outside the realm of God’s fellowship are encouraged to trust the Lord and to follow Him, because of the broadness of this covenant (56:3-5).  The covenantal context of these chapters is highly significant.  Without the Servant there would be no covenant, and without the covenant there would be no mercy.  God’s amazing grace has provided a way of escape; because of divine mercy, the Servant has been sent to justify many.  The Grace of God is designed to reach the priest and the prostitute, the Pharisee and the Publican, the Jew and the Greek, the bond and the free.  No man is too far gone or too far from His grace.  Simple trust in the covenant with God will establish a relationship with Him.  You can, like Abraham, believe God and have righteousness accounted to you.  You can, like Noah, trust in the unfailing and unconditional promise of God.  You can, like David, receive a promise that is fulfilled in Christ.

Application: Today you either are in a covenant with God or you are not.  If you are not, simply trust Jesus to fulfill His promise to cleanse you of sin and set you right before God.  If you are in a covenant with God, why are you cast down?  Is your work schedule too hard for God to overcome?  Is God’s grace in your life not enough to give you wisdom in your school work?  Is your child beyond hope, when God’s covenant is still being made available?  Take heart, for God has not entered into a covenant with us in order to leave us hopeless and stranded.  Take Him at His word.  His covenant is everlasting and His mercies are sure. 

C.     You are invited to come while there is time (vv. 6, 7).  Divine urgency presses the unbelievers to go to God while time remains.  This passage indicates that there will not always be a time that the Lord may be “found.”  The time that one has on earth is his opportunity to seek the Lord.  We do not know how long our lives will last. 

Illustration: When I was in my later teen years, I had heard people tell me that death could be on my doorstep.  I guess I assumed that they were correct, but had never put much thought to the idea.  Only when I was mugged at knifepoint one night in New York City did I realize that my life was not my own.  As the unknown man held the blade of his knife against my throat, I found that I could die regardless of my age.  Since my “New York experience,” I have been much more aware of the brevity of my life. 

We are but a vapor and time is constantly going on.  Once one’s time on earth is over, he will stand before God and will be seen for who he is.  The uncertainty of life should create a desire within us to find the true meaning of life be seeking the Lord.  “Stepping to God” (Young, 380), requires faith in God’s promise (Keil and Delitzsch state that this phrase means that “they are to seek to press into the fellowship of Jehovah”).  The urgent and vital faith in this verse is not the fire-escape salvation of many people today, neither is it a blind leap.  The faith in this passage is a leap in the light, where the believer sees God’s promises and the proof offered to him and trusts them completely; however, God will not save the one who seeks only for information, but the one who seeks for a covenant-relation (Oswalt, 443).  Divine urgency presses unbelievers to go to God while His conviction lasts.  There will not always be a time when “God is near” to the persistent unbeliever.  Rebellious resistance to the call of God may result in the ending of God’s calls for your repentance.  Intrinsic to the seeking and calling of verse 6 is the forsaking and returning in verse 7.  True faith comes with true repentance.  One who would come to God must leave his sin behind him.  The concept of returning to the Lord is indicative of Israel’s past time of faith and present involvement in idolatry.  The modern understanding of this idea would be that one’s present fruit is the real test of belief.  A profession of faith or the belief of one’s parents is not enough to bring a person into a covenant relationship with God.  Present tense faith assures a present tense salvation.  Notice the response of God to the one who comes to Him in faith; the Lord offers “mercy” and “abundant pardon.”  Once again, these blessings are poured out of the everlasting covenant of “sure mercies” (v. 3).  To any listener, the promise of complete forgiveness to the one who accepts seems ludicrous.  No one forgives someone who has broken a solemn covenant with them.  Bitterness and anger lies at the heart of even the most pious members of society.  How then can one obtain this forgiveness?  The answer is found in the next verse (8); God’s ways of forgiving men are not as men’s ways of forgiving each other.  Another way of looking at this chiastic structure is that it emphasizes the drastic 180 degree turn of repentance.  In all honesty, both elements seem to be present in the chiasm.  God’s divine forgiveness is available to those who turn from man’s wisdom to the Wisdom of God (c.f. Prov. 8).  The listener was called to act immediately on this command-promise of God.  In the historical context of this passage, one may be wondering how people in the time of this prophecy could have obtained abundant mercy without an animal sacrifice or the death of Christ.  The Theological Wordbook of the Old Testament answers by saying that “the experience of forgiveness in the OT was personally efficacious, although objectively the basis and grounds of that forgiveness awaited the death of Christ” (#1505).  Both the Old Testament and New Testament believers share in the everlasting work of the Servant.  Only through His work are we, who have all gone astray, able to be freed from the burden of our own iniquity.  Although abundant pardon might be doubted in its possibility for OT saints and its effectiveness in general, God’s invitation clearly promises it for all who believe because it is grounded in Christ.

Application: How long will you wait to believe in Christ?  Look around you and see the brevity of life.  People are constantly planning for retirement, but are never assured of it.  Why not plan for the end of your life on earth?  Death is no mere possibility, but a definite fact.  Come to the Lord while it is still called today.  Don’t draw back, but cross over into His rest.  Go to His abundant pardon today.  You may be thinking that you have lived a life of terrible sin and your paths are far from God.  Don’t look to yourself for forgiveness, look to God for the forgiveness you could never give or merit.  Are you using your intellectual “seeking” as your hope of salvation?  Please don’t hope in such an empty idea; trust in Christ’s work and on Him alone to cleanse you.  Seek a relationship with Him and not simply thoughts about Him.  Are you a Christian caught up in a besetting sin?  Christ offers mercy and abundant pardon for you.  He came to save His people from their sins.  You are not in bondage to sin.  Do you take pride in your standards or convictions in life?  Do you feel important because you are part of a certain Christian subculture?  Are you trying to earn the smile of God through your good works?  Throw all these things all aside and say; “Nothing in my hands I bring, simply to the cross I cling” (Toplady, “Rock of Ages”).  Nothing sets you apart from the vilest sinner but the mercies and abundant pardon of Christ.  You already have the smile of God on your life because of the work of the Son.  Strive not to earn what you already have.  Don’t put on your filthy rags after you have received a robe of righteousness. 

II.                Your belief is necessary to become part of the vast plan of God (vv. 8-13).

A.    You are able to see some of God’s infinite wisdom (vv. 8, 9).  First, His wisdom is seen in His forgiveness.  As stated before, God’s forgiveness goes above and beyond all human capacity.  Albert Barnes aptly stated this concept in the following way:

1. People find it difficult to pardon at all. They harbor malice; they seek revenge; they are slow to forgive an injury. Not so with God. He harbors no malice; he has no desire of revenge; he has no reluctance to forgive.

2. It may refer to the number of offences. People, if they forgive once, are slow to forgive a second time, and still more reluctant to forgive a third time, and if the offence is often repeated they refuse to forgive altogether. Not so with God. No matter how often we have violated his law, yet be can multiply forgiveness in proportion to our faults.

3. The number of the offenders. People may pardon one or a few who injure them, but if the number is greatly increased, their compassions are closed, and they feel that the world is arrayed against them. Not so with God. No matter how numerous the offenders - though they embrace the inhabitants of the whole world - yet he can extend forgiveness to them all.

4. In regard to the aggravation of offences. People forgive a slight injury. However, if it is aggravated, they are slow to pardon. But not so with God. No matter how aggravated the offence, he is ready to forgive. It may be added:

5. That his thoughts in regard to the mode of pardon are far above ours. The plan of forgiveness through a Redeemer - the scheme of pardon so fully illustrated in Isa. 53:1-12, and on which the reasoning of the prophet here is based - is as far above any of the modes of pardon among people, as the heavens are above the earth. The scheme which contemplated the incarnation of the Son of God; which proffered forgiveness only through his substituted sufferings, and in virtue of his bitter death, was one which man could not have thought of, and which surpasses all the schemes and plans of people. In this respect, God’s ways are not, our ways, and his thoughts are not our thoughts.

Secondly, His wisdom is seen in His redemptive plan.  Here I must point the listener outside of the present text to see the response of the apostle Paul when he penned Romans 9-11.  In Romans 9, Paul writes about God’s selection of a chosen nation, and in the following chapter, he writes about Israel’s rejection of God.  In chapter 11, however, he pens the most amazing thoughts.  First, God has not cast off Israel, but will still wait on them and bring them to Himself again.  Secondly, God will work with the Gentiles in the mean time in order to provoke the Jews.  These amazing thoughts (contra to man’s) echo throughout this passage in Isaiah.  God offers salvation to those who will return to Messiah, but it appears that the Gentiles will end up accepting what the Jews are not said to believe (v. 5, also 60:9).  However, the similarity between Romans 9-11 and Isaiah 55 is much more striking when one compares the similarity of the exaltation given to God.  Paul writes:

O the depth of the riches both of the wisdom and knowledge of God! how unsearchable are his judgments, and his ways past finding out!  For who hath known the mind of the Lord? or who hath been his counselor?  Or who hath first given to him, and it shall be recompensed unto him again?  For of him, and through him, and to him, are all things: to whom be glory forever. Amen. (Rom. 11:33-36)

Compare this to Isaiah 55:8, 9.  When one looks at the way God has worked throughout time in directing a seed and choosing a nation in order to bring salvation to the world, he must fall back in amazement.  God deserves all the honor and glory for our salvation (Psalm 57:10, 89:2, 103:11).  God does not just have wisdom that is larger than ours, but He has wisdom that is superlative to ours.  His ways have reasons that the greatest of men could never understand (e.g. Job).  Reasoning has never brought a man to God, but believing has always brought men to God. 

Application: God has been working from eternity past to bring salvation to you.  Will you accept it today?  Will you turn away from that which God has done so much to bring about?  Do you, as a Christian, find yourself going about life not placing much value on your salvation?  Is the gift of God’s grace to you as Esau’s birthright?  How often do you realize the wonderful stewardship you have been given?  Look at God’s works with the Jews.  Look at Christ today.  Can you see the amazing plan of God unraveled before you?  We must not sit back and continue our lives in constant boredom, but we must come before God today and praise Him for His unspeakable gift. 

B.     You are able to participate in the work of God’s word (vv. 10, 11).  In these verses, the writer presents a picture of the marvelous work of God’s Word.  Here the picture of water is continued.

Illustration: Those who have spent time in the western states of the US well understand the picture given here.  During late summer and early fall, the rainy season strikes with a vengeance.  As the torrents of rain pour down on the dry land, the water does not soak into the earth, but flows to the lowest point.  The rushing water often cuts gorges in the ground.  Within a few days the water evaporates and, seemingly overnight, many plants sprout in the low areas.  

The water and bread motifs are central to understanding this passage.  The picture of rain coming down demonstrates the ability of the Word of God in the fulfillment of the previous verses.  Isaiah’s believing listeners would have focused primarily on Isaiah’s prophecy as God’s Word; only secondarily would they have thought of the rest of the Tanach as the Word.  This is not meant to say, however, that “my word” does not refer to the rest of inspired revelation, but that it refers primarily to the words immediately preceding the text of this verse.  With this in mind, one can understand that the “word” is directed specifically to the message of God’s grace in the early verses of this chapter; the invitation both is water and provides water.  Now the picture is broader and able to encompass the wording of verse three; “your soul shall live.”  The Lord is offering life to all who will accept His words and promises by faith.  Through God’s Word, the thirsty can be made alive.  Though the thoughts and ways of men provide that which is “not bread,” the Lord offers true nourishment for the human heart (Deut. 8:3).  Another important detail given here is that God’s Word does not do an empty work.  One must, however, relate this verse to its context.  If God’s word accomplishes God’s work, and God’s ways and thoughts are not as man’s ways and thoughts, then one should not be surprised to see that God’s Word produces something he does not expect.  This concept can work both positively and negatively.  Positively, no person or family is beyond the reach of God.  His word can work in the hardest and driest of hearts in order to bring spiritual life.  On the negative side, the work of the ministry may be difficult, and it may begin to seem that the Lord is not blessing; however, God may be working behind the scenes to produce the fruit you may never see.  Obviously, God has used His Word in our hearts, and He can use it in the hearts of others.  Those of us who are saved today are a result of the rain and snow from heaven.  When relating this passage to the New Testament, one cannot help but notice some striking similarities.  Initially, John 1 makes it clear that Jesus Christ is the Word of God; in other words, He is the best revelation of God to man.  Also, Jesus claimed to be the bread of life (John 6:33, 35, 48, 51).  This claim ultimately fulfills the need of life provided by the “bread to the eater.”  Although Jesus may not be the direct referent of this picture, He clearly fits the image that is presented.  He came down from Heaven and poured out His grace all over Israel, and produced life-bread for all the nations.  All that Christ did while He was on earth was in perfect submission to the will of the Father.

Application: Have you accepted the Word of God today?  You have a chance today to do that.  Why not choose the life that the Bible offers you in Jesus Christ?  He alone can save you.  There may also be some Christians here who have failed to trust the Lord with His Word.  Are you enjoying God’s Word today?  Are you taking the life-giving Gospel to those around you?  Do you underestimate the power of God’s Word?  Trust the Lord at His Word.  Have faith in Him and you will not go away empty. 

C.     You are able to be part of God’s kingdom (vv. 12, 13).  Here is the glorious close of the entire chapter.  The prophecy has invited the reader to spiritual satisfaction, an eternal covenant, a future David, abundant pardon, God’s wisdom, and God’s word; now the prophet tells of yet another blessing that is part of the vast plan of God – His Kingdom.  Entrance into the Kingdom of God is not based on one’s fulfillment of Mosaic Law; neither is it based on being part of the seed of Abraham.  One’s being admitted into the Kingdom is based totally on the faith of the hearer in the promises of God, promises that are fulfilled by the Servant.  Entrance into the kingdom is no mere process.  The one gaining admittance first will receive “joy” and “peace.”  These two elements are only truly given to Christians who have believed the Gospel.  Assurance of the kingdom promises can be found in an individual’s joy and peace as it results as part of the Spirit’s fruit.  Even though full joy and peace cannot be known until the kingdom age, the believer can know them through the working of the Holy Spirit.  The joy and peace provided in salvation will at one point pour out into the physical earth.  Verse twelve focuses on joy and verse thirteen focuses on peace.  The entire understanding of these verses together is that through the salvation provided by the Servant, the entire earth will experience freedom from the curse of sin.  The plan of God was not that man and the earth should remain under the curse of Genesis three, but that he should be freed from the curse by the seed of the woman (Gen. 3:15).  Only then will the thorns (Gen. 3:18) be replaced by fir trees.  The kingdom promises of God are not just for mere information.  God has a purpose in His amazing plan.  Notice the following relationship between verses 3 and 13:

+A                           B                            

(3) I will cut an everlasting covenant with you…

                                                                        b                                                  -a

(13) an everlasting sign that shall not be cut off.

 

This chiastic structure might be at first overlooked, but the use of the exact words in the same context is more than noteworthy.  The word “cut” (karath) and the word “everlasting” (‘olam) are the central elements of this structure.  First, notice that the word “cut” is used in two different ways.  Initially, the word is used in a positive way (i.e. to enter into a covenant through a sacrifice); however the word is used in its negative sense in verse thirteen (i.e. to cause someone or something to die).  The differences of these phrases demonstrate that the two verses point to salvation from opposite ends of the spectrum.  Verse three emphasizes the basis of the covenant in the death of a testator, and verse thirteen highlights the result of the covenant in the eternal hope of the believer (v. 3 – “life”).  What a stark contrast from the Mosaic covenant!  Instead of blessings contingent on obedience and curses based on disobedience, this eternal covenant showers blessings on the believer; however, these blessings are not based on the work of the believer, but the work of the Servant.  Another note of interest is that 56:5 is almost an exact parallel to 55:13.

                                                     A               B                         C                                      E

(55:13) “and it shall be to the Lord for a name, for an everlasting sign that shall not be cut off.”

                                            a                              c             b                              e

(56:5) “I will give them an everlasting name, that shall not be cut off.”

 

The contrast between these verses lies in the recipient of the “name.”  In 55:13, the Lord receives the “name,” and in 56:5, the strangers and the eunuchs (56:3) will receive a “name.”  The importance of the name in Hebrew culture goes far beyond our western understanding of the word.  Someone’s name (e.g. Yeshua ben Yoseph – “Yahweh is Salvation” son of “Yahweh has added”) tells much about their importance to their parents and their own personality.  Thus, when the prophet speaks of an everlasting name for the Lord, he is telling the listener that God will be exalted by the work of salvation in the hearts of men and in the whole of creation. 

Illustration: The mock praise in Percy Bysshe Shelley’s poem “Ozymandias” starts by glorifying an Egyptian monarch and ends up humiliating him.  In the first place, a traveler seemingly takes on an attitude of reverential awe towards a statue of a great Pharaoh of Egypt.  The statue appears to the traveler as having “vast” legs standing tall; the face of the statue appears to be stern and powerful.  The greatest measure of awe is reserved for the king’s shocking inscription on the pedestal, declaring him to be the “king of kings.”  However, the traveler is actually giving a different perspective on the great king.  The Pharaoh’s statue is grossly disfigured; the legs are “trunkless” and the decapitated head lies partially buried in the Egyptian sand.  Furthermore, the landscape of “level sands” around the inscription of the king Ozymandias only proves that his works, which are praised on the pedestal, did not stand the test of time.  Although the first glance might give the impression that the speaker praises Ozymandias as a great ruler, a closer look reveals that he recognizes that, like the other giants of history, Ozymandias also failed to retain permanent glory.

God will receive permanent glorification for His wonderful work of salvation.  We, as His children, also are recipients of a permanent glorification (though different in nature from the Lord’s) due to the work of the Son.  Every aspect of salvation ultimately will end up being to the praise of the glory of His grace.  In the end, no doubt will remain that God’s thoughts and ways are far above ours; the Lord will be high and lifted up. 

Conclusion:  You must trust in the Lord alone to meet your spiritual needs.  You are in need of God’s gracious invitation.  You are in need of His plans.  God’s glorious plan of salvation, sanctification, and glorification is for you!  The Lord is offering you saving grace this day.  If you have not accepted the offer of God’s kingdom and an eternity with Him, why must you delay?  Trust in Jesus Christ to forgive you of your sin debt and set you right with God.  The Lord is offering grace for your Christian life today.  You need a life that is empowered by the life-giving Word of God.  Trust in the Lord today for grace to change you into the man or woman He would have you to be.  Your apathy or legalism is not too hard for God’s grace to change.  Come to Him in faith for the cleansing you need.  You need to look to a future of God’s grace.  You may have already accepted God’s invitation, but you are living a life of sadness and depression.  Why not look at the coming kingdom?  See what joy you can have!  See what Jesus has done for you!  Look back at the cross and forward to the kingdom so that you may look at today in the joy of Jesus. 

 

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