Old Testament Commentary - Isaiah 55

by Don R. Hender

Scriptural Text [& Editorial]	Commentary & Explanation	Footnotes ~ References ~ JST
CHAPTER 55 Come drink: Salvation is free—The Lord will maike an everlasting covenant with Israel—Seek the Lord while he is near.
1 HO, every one that ^athirsteth, come ye to the ^bwaters, and he that hath no money; come ye, buy, and eat; yea, come, ^cbuy wine and milk without money and without ^dprice. 2 Wherefore do ye ^aspend money for that which is not bread? and your ^blabour for that which satisfieth not? hearken ^cdiligently unto me, and eat ye that which is good, and let your soul delight itself in fatness. 3 Incline your ear, and ^acome unto me: hear, and your ^bsoul shall live; and I will make an everlasting ^ccovenant with you, even the ^dsure mercies of David.
4 Behold, I have given him for a ^awitness to the people, a ^bleader and commander to the people. 5 Behold, *thou shalt call a nation that* thou knowest not^a*, and ^anations that* knew not thee shall run unto thee because of the LORD thy God, and for the Holy One of Israel; for he hath glorified thee.	*5^a thou shalt call a nation that* thou knowest not** There is a nation set forth before the preparation of the earth named unto Christ which goes by the name of Jerusalem, or the city or community of peace, and it is named unto the LORD (see Zechariah 3:2). All nations, kindreds, tongues and people will be called and gathered unto it in preparation for the Second Coming of the Lord. It is not a nation unto the world but a nation unto God, for it is but God's and God's Kingdom that this nation unknown to man will be given, he being its King, even the Beloved David, Lord of the Millennial Day.
6 ¶ ^aSeek ye the ^bLORD while he may be found, call ye upon him while he is near: 7 Let the wicked forsake his way, and the unrighteous man his thoughts: and let him ^areturn unto the LORD, and he will have mercy upon him; and to our God, for he will abundantly ^bpardon.
8 ¶ For my ^athoughts are not ^byour thoughts, neither are your ^cways my ^dways, saith the LORD. 9 For as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ^aways ^bhigher than your ways, and my ^cthoughts than your thoughts.
10 For as the ^arain cometh down, and the snow from heaven, and returneth not thither, but watereth the earth, and maketh it bring forth and bud, that it may give seed to the sower, and ^bbread to the eater: 11 So shall my ^aword be that goeth forth out of my mouth: it shall not return unto me void, but it shall accomplish that which I please, and it shall prosper in the thing whereto I sent it.
12 For ye shall go out with ^ajoy, and be led forth with peace: the mountains and the hills shall break forth before you into singing, and all the ^btrees of the field shall clap their hands. 13 Instead of the thorn shall come up the ^afir tree, and instead of the brier 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.