God’s call to stop searching for spiritual food that doesn’t satisfy, and receive freely true spiritual food that does satisfy. The illustration of food is an important one, as what you eat is taken into the body and absorbed throughout. God wants us in like manner to absorb His Word so that it permeates our mind and being as we become a new creation in Him, turning from our disobedience and violations of God’s law. And just as the rain and snow nourish the land and provide sustenance for man, God’s Word will accomplish His purposes. So as wickedness is unleashed and the foundations are laid for the final antichrist, the chance and choice to follow God is running out. Soon there will be the rapture of God’s church and bride, snatched out of the earth before the seven years of tribulation when God finally unleashes his judgement and wrath on all those that reject Him and practice all kinds of evil on the earth. But we also have reference to what follows, as at the end of the chapter God talks of the millennial reign when the curse on the earth is lifted and the earth produces more abundantly when He shepherds His people directly on earth from His throne in Jerusalem, bringing with Him all the saints who were snatched out of the earth or already in Heaven with Him. If you are left behind in the tribulation, your time of accepting God’s invitation is growing precariously short as many will die suddenly in God’s wrath and judgement as the great and dreadful Day of the Lord approaches. And of note, these words were written over 2,700 years ago and preserved by God for us today, and how glorious is it that God has provided so much for us to understand all these things.
Isaiah 55
The Compassion of the LORD
[1] “Come, everyone who thirsts,
come to the waters;
and he who has no money,
come, buy and eat!
Come, buy wine and milk
without money and without price.
[2] Why do you spend your money for that which is not bread,
and your labor for that which does not satisfy?
Listen diligently to me, and eat what is good,
and delight yourselves in rich food.
[3] Incline your ear, and come to me;
hear, that your soul may live;
and I will make with you an everlasting covenant,
my steadfast, sure love for David.
[4] Behold, I made him a witness to the peoples,
a leader and commander for the peoples.
[5] Behold, you shall call a nation that you do not know,
and a nation that did not know you shall run to you,
because of the LORD your God, and of the Holy One of Israel,
for he has glorified you.
[6] “Seek the LORD while he may be found;
call upon him while he is near;
[7] let the wicked forsake his way,
and the unrighteous man his thoughts;
let him return to the LORD, that he may have compassion on him,
and to our God, for he will abundantly pardon.
[8] For my thoughts are not your thoughts,
neither are your ways my ways, declares the LORD.
[9] For as the heavens are higher than the earth,
so are my ways higher than your ways
and my thoughts than your thoughts.
[10] “For as the rain and the snow come down from heaven
and do not return there but water the earth,
making it bring forth and sprout,
giving seed to the sower and bread to the eater,
[11] so shall my word be that goes out from my mouth;
it shall not return to me empty,
but it shall accomplish that which I purpose,
and shall succeed in the thing for which I sent it.
[12] “For you shall go out in joy
and be led forth in peace;
the mountains and the hills before you
shall break forth into singing,
and all the trees of the field shall clap their hands.
[13] Instead of the thorn shall come up the cypress;
instead of the brier shall come up the myrtle;
and it shall make a name for the LORD,
an everlasting sign that shall not be cut off.” (ESV)