603-588 B.C.

Isaiah 55)

1 Ho, every one that thirsts (this cry heard in Jerusalem today. All water has to be brought. Cp. John 4:14; 7:37-39. The invitation is only to these. Cp. Amos 8:11), come you all to the waters (of life [Rev. 22:17]), and he that has no money; come you all, buy, and eat; yes, come, buy wine (of gladness [Ps. 104:15]) and milk (of nourishment [1 Pet. 2:2]) without money and without price. (God's Word is free to everyone. He wants you to sit down at His table and partake of His Word. Truth is free. You can eat and drink, until you are well satisfied.)
2 Why do you all spend money for that which is not bread? and your labor for that which satisfies not? (emphasizing the universal corruption and practice of the natural man. Cp. John 6:27) listen diligently (i.e. continue to listen) to Me, and eat you all that which is good, and let your soul delight itself in fatness. (That is God's promise. If you will hunger and thirst for His Word, He will fill you. You will be satisfied. Partake of God's Word on a regular basis and your soul will become so healthy that you will want to rejoice. You will delight in the fact that you are on the right road, and you are able to help others find that way, as well.)
3 Incline your ear, and come to Me: hear, and your soul shall live; and I will make an everlasting covenant with you (see 44:7), even the sure mercies pertaining to David. (i.e. the loving-kindness well assured to David, the "everlasting covenant" made with David in 2 Sam. 7:8-16. Quoted in Acts 13:34. Assured by oath to David, Ps. 132:11. God makes the same promises to you that He made to His servant David. Claim those promises. Open your spiritual ears and listen. God has promised His only begotten Son through the seedline of David to bring eternal life to those who believe.)

4 Behold, I have given Him (= Messiah: not David, but David's Son and David's Lord) for a Witness to the peoples, a Leader and Commander to the peoples. (Now we switch to David's Son and David's Lord. The previous verse refers to Messiah.)
5 Behold, you shall call a nation that you know not, and nations that knew not you shall run to you (i.e. Israel, who is addressed here. Prophecy true of today) because of the Lord your God, and for the Set Apart One of Israel; for He has glorified you. (Jesus Christ is our Leader and Commander. We do things His way. That is the reason this nation is blessed.)

6 Seek you all the Lord while He may (i.e. lets Himself be) be found, call you all upon Him while He is near: (Seek the Lord, and you will find Him. Ask for His help, and He will answer. God's elect have some potentially hard times ahead. There is no need for you to suffer those hard times, when you have Father. When you thirst and hunger for truth, you know what is going on in this world. Prophecy is being fulfilled almost every day.)
7 Let the lawless man forsake his way (see 1:4), and the unrighteous man his thoughts: and let him return to the Lord, and He will have mercy upon him; and to our God, for He will abundantly pardon. (Do it before it's to late! If you don't know what I mean by "to late", you need to read Matthew 25:1-12. God rejoices when one of His children returns to Him.)

8 For My thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways My ways,” says the Lord. (The contrast thus emphasized is not merely holiness, but vastness. This may come a a great disappointment to some, but we just don't know everything. God does. You should know Who to ask when you need knowledge. He gives knowledge and wisdom freely to those who seek Him.)
9 For as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are My ways higher than your ways, and My thoughts than your thoughts. (Aren't you glad He is the Judge? Our ways fall short of Father's ways. But, we should do our best to learn His ways and follow His ways.)
10 For according as the rain comes down, and the snow from the heavens, and returns not to that place, except it (i.e. until it. Note the 4 succeeding tenses are pasts, and in the singular number. The waters do return, as stated in other Scriptures, Ps. 135:7. Jer. 10:13; 51:16) waters the earth, and makes it bring forth and bud, that it may give seed to the sower, and bread to the eater: (God's thoughts involve things we can't even comprehend. He physically and spiritually takes care of His own.)
11 So shall My word be that goes forth out of My mouth (see Deut. 8:3; 32:2): it shall not return to Me void, but it shall assuredly accomplish that which I please, and it shall assuredly prosper in the thing whereto I sent it. (God's Word accomplishes exactly what He intends it to do. It puts His children on the right road. His Word causes us to prosper. He wants to show you the good and prosperous way. Or, you can flounder through life with Satan nipping at your heels. The choice is yours. I hope you choose the right way, the prosperous way.)
12 For you all shall go forth with joy (i.e. from the lands of your wandering), and be led forth with prosperity: the mountains and the hills shall break forth before you into singing, (see 14:7) and all the trees of the field (i.e. the open country beyond the limits of cultivation) shall clap their hands.
13 Instead of the thorn shall come up the fir tree, and instead of the brier (or, nettle) shall come up the myrtle tree: and it shall be to the Lord for a name, for an everlasting sign that shall not be cut off.” (see 44:7)

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