seekeroftruth
Well-Known Member
Isaiah 55:1 “Come, all you who are thirsty,
come to the waters;
and you who have no money,
come, buy and eat!
Come, buy wine and milk
without money and without cost.
2 Why spend money on what is not bread,
and your labor on what does not satisfy?
Listen, listen to me, and eat what is good,
and you will delight in the richest of fare.
3 Give ear and come to me;
listen, that you may live.
I will make an everlasting covenant with you,
my faithful love promised to David.
4 See, I have made him a witness to the peoples,
a ruler and commander of the peoples.
5 Surely you will summon nations you know not,
and nations you do not know will come running to you,
because of the Lord your God,
the Holy One of Israel,
for he has endowed you with splendor.”
come to the waters;
and you who have no money,
come, buy and eat!
Come, buy wine and milk
without money and without cost.
2 Why spend money on what is not bread,
and your labor on what does not satisfy?
Listen, listen to me, and eat what is good,
and you will delight in the richest of fare.
3 Give ear and come to me;
listen, that you may live.
I will make an everlasting covenant with you,
my faithful love promised to David.
4 See, I have made him a witness to the peoples,
a ruler and commander of the peoples.
5 Surely you will summon nations you know not,
and nations you do not know will come running to you,
because of the Lord your God,
the Holy One of Israel,
for he has endowed you with splendor.”
6 Seek the Lord while he may be found;
call on him while he is near.
7 Let the wicked forsake their ways
and the unrighteous their thoughts.
Let them turn to the Lord, and he will have mercy on them,
and to our God, for he will freely pardon.
call on him while he is near.
7 Let the wicked forsake their ways
and the unrighteous their thoughts.
Let them turn to the Lord, and he will have mercy on them,
and to our God, for he will freely pardon.
8 “For my thoughts are not your thoughts,
neither are your ways my ways,”
declares the Lord.
9 “As the heavens are higher than the earth,
so are my ways higher than your ways
and my thoughts than your thoughts.
10 As the rain and the snow
come down from heaven,
and do not return to it
without watering the earth
and making it bud and flourish,
so that it yields seed for the sower and bread for the eater,
11 so is my word that goes out from my mouth:
It will not return to me empty,
but will accomplish what I desire
and achieve the purpose for which I sent it.
12 You will go out in joy
and be led forth in peace;
the mountains and hills
will burst into song before you,
and all the trees of the field
will clap their hands.
13 Instead of the thornbush will grow the juniper,
and instead of briers the myrtle will grow.
This will be for the Lord’s renown,
for an everlasting sign,
that will endure forever.”
neither are your ways my ways,”
declares the Lord.
9 “As the heavens are higher than the earth,
so are my ways higher than your ways
and my thoughts than your thoughts.
10 As the rain and the snow
come down from heaven,
and do not return to it
without watering the earth
and making it bud and flourish,
so that it yields seed for the sower and bread for the eater,
11 so is my word that goes out from my mouth:
It will not return to me empty,
but will accomplish what I desire
and achieve the purpose for which I sent it.
12 You will go out in joy
and be led forth in peace;
the mountains and hills
will burst into song before you,
and all the trees of the field
will clap their hands.
13 Instead of the thornbush will grow the juniper,
and instead of briers the myrtle will grow.
This will be for the Lord’s renown,
for an everlasting sign,
that will endure forever.”
Of course I went back to bible-studys.org.
God’s free gift of salvation is offered to all who will receive it. Those who are spiritually hungry and thirsty may come to eat and drink “without money” (or freely). He promises an “everlasting covenant” to the Gentiles like the one He established with Israel. His invitation to all men is clearly stated by the appeal, “Seek ye the Lord” and “call ye upon him.”
Here is one of the clearest Old Testament invitations to salvation now and kingdom blessings later. It gives an excellent example of how people were saved during the Old Testament period.
Salvation, grace and mercy were available to the soul that was willing to;
(1) Seek the Lord (Deut. 4:29); and
(2) Call on Him while He is still available (Psalm 32:6; Prov. 8:17; Matt. 25:1-13; John 7:34; 8:21; 2 Cor. 6:2; Heb. 2:3; 3:13, 15).
Such true seeking in faith is accompanied by repentance, which is described as forsaking ways and thoughts and turning from sinful living to the Lord. A sinner must come, believing in God, recognizing his sin and desiring forgiveness and deliverance from that sin.
At the same time he must recognize his own inability to be righteous or to satisfy God and cast himself on God’s mercy. It is then that he receives a complete pardon. His sin has been covered by the substitution of the Messiah in his place (chapter 53). This Old Testament pattern of salvation is illustrated (in Luke 18:9-14).
God’s sovereignty and omniscience are extolled by the statement that His “thoughts” (i.e., purposes and intentions), and “ways” (derakim, or “directions”), are “higher” than ours.
While God may certainly be known by men, He is still incomprehensible in the totality of His person and purposes. Therefore, he reveals Himself to men by “His word,” which shall “not return” to Him “void” (in vain). The Word of God, therefore, accomplishes His purpose in announcing salvation to all mankind.
“My thoughts … my ways”: Some may doubt such willingness as described (in verse 7), but God’s grace is far beyond human comprehension, especially as manifested toward Israel.
“Rain … snow … my word”: Moisture from heaven invariably accomplishes its intended purpose in helping meet human physical needs. The Word of God will likewise produce its intended results in fulfilling God’s spiritual purposes, especially the establishment of the Davidic kingdom on earth.
The commentaries are really working hard to present the Plan for Salvation. I've noticed that when humans see the Plan.... they get wordy.... as if the word needs human interpretation. I have a feeling.... every time the Plan sees daylight.... the Spirit is there to interpret it.They say..... if I wait until I'm thirsty to get a drink.... I've waited too long... dehydration has begun. By the time the lips get dry and the saliva becomes salty to the taste.... dehydration is already working on the body..... Humans require water.
Humans mess with water..... I saw a news report on a sanitation system out in the desert. The system takes flushed toilet water.... full of poop and pee..... and converts it into potable.... clear, cool, water. Now don't that beat all..... so I was cooking while this news story was on.... and I looked up at the TV when they poured this water into a beaker.... the news person was saying "And there you have it.... drinkable water" and he gagged.... really.... that cool, clear water was tan..... it might have been bacteria free.... but it was not something I would want to put to my lips.
As soon as that tan water gets past the eyes and the tongue.... the body will try to use it.... it's tan.... not clear.... so the body will go to work removing the impurities..... so that the clear, clean water can do it's work.
All this reminds me of the seven churches..... and how they are supposed to be a place where I could go when I am thirsty. Do this don't do that.... signs signs..... the church is like that tan water. I've heard the preachers saying "You can have Salvation 'if'" and then they go on to tell the people that they have to get themselves right...... IMHO>>>>>>that's a lie! Salvation is a gift.... nothing I can do can change the gift.... it's a gift.... I don't have to work for it.... it is given freely.
Jesus said..... “‘Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.’This is the first and greatest commandment. And the second is like it: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’ All the Law and the Prophets hang on these two commandments.” Matthew 22:36-40
On the other hand..... the notion of cool clear water brings on a memory.... my grandmother's kitchen had a water pump.... a bucket and a ladle. The water that came from that water pump was so clear and cold.... It wasn't poopy pee water out of a beaker.... like some people are forced to drink now.... it was delicious.... it came from rock.