The Servant died not only for the sins of Israel (53:8), but also for the sins of the whole world (John 1:29; 1 John 4:14). Isaiah makes it clear throughout his book that the Gentiles are included in God’s plan. What Isaiah and the other prophets did not know was that believing Jews and Gentiles would one day be united in Jesus Christ in the church (Eph. 3:1–12).
God gives a threefold invitation to the Gentiles: come (Isa. 55:1–5), seek (vv. 6–13), and worship (56:1–8).
Come (55:1–5). The invitation is extended to “everyone” and not just to the Jews. Anyone who is thirsting for that which really satisfies (John 4:10–14) is welcome to come. As in Isaiah 25:6, the prophet pictures God’s blessings in terms of a great feast, where God is the host.
In the East, water is precious, and an abundance of water is a special blessing (41:17; 44:3). Wine, milk, and bread were staples in their diet. The people were living on substitutes that did not nourish them. They needed “the real thing,” which only the Lord could give. In Scripture, both water and wine are pictures of the Holy Spirit (John 7:37–39; Eph. 5:18). Jesus is the “bread of life” (John 6:32–35), and His living Word is like milk (1 Peter 2:2). Our Lord probably had Isaiah 55: in mind when He said, “Do not labor for the food which perishes, but for the food which endures to everlasting life” (John 6: nkjv).
People have to work hard to dig wells, care for flocks and herds, plant seed, and tend to their vineyards. But the Lord offered to them free everything they were laboring for. If they listen to His Word, they will be inclined to come; for God draws sinners to Himself through the Word (John 5:24). Note the emphasis on hearing in Isaiah 55:2–3.
“The sure mercies of David” involve God’s covenant with David (2 Sam. 7) in which He promises that a Descendant would reign on David’s throne forever. This, of course, is Jesus Christ (Luke 1:30–33), and the proof that He is God’s King is seen in His resurrection from the dead (Acts 13:34–39). Jesus Christ is God’s covenant to the Gentiles (“peoples”), and His promises will stand as long as His Son lives, which is forever.
Isaiah 55: indicates that God will use Israel to call the Gentiles to salvation, which was certainly true in the early days of the church (Acts 10:1ff.; 13:1ff.) and will be true during the kingdom (Isa. 2:2–4; 45:14; Zech. 8:22). Jerusalem will be the center for worship in the world, and God will be glorified as the nations meet together with Israel to honor the Lord.
Seek (55:6–13). When God delivered His people from Babylon and took them safely back to their own land, it was a witness to the other nations. It also gave Israel another opportunity to be a light to the Gentiles (49:6) and bring them to faith in the true and living God. While it was important for Israel to seek the Lord and be wholly devoted to Him, it was also important that they share this invitation with the nations.
What is involved in “seeking the Lord”? For one thing, it means admitting that we are sinners and that we have offended the holy God. It means repenting (55:7), changing one’s mind about sin, and turning away from sin and to the Lord. We must turn to God in faith and believe His promise that in mercy He will abundantly pardon. Repentance and faith go together: “repentance toward God, and faith toward our Lord Jesus Christ” (Acts 20:21).
But no one should delay in doing this! The phrase “while he may be found” suggests that, if we do not take His invitation seriously, the invitation may cease while we are delaying. In the parable of the great supper, God closed the door on those who spurned His invitation (Luke 14:16–24; see Prov. 1:20–33). “Behold, now is the accepted time; behold, now is the day of salvation” (2 Cor. 6:2).
It is not a mark of wisdom to try to second-guess God, because His ways and thoughts are far beyond our comprehension (Isa. 55:8–9). We make God after our own image and conclude that He thinks and acts just as we do (Ps. 50:21), and we are wrong! Have you ever tried to explain the grace of God to an unsaved person who thinks that heaven is a “Hall of Fame” for achievers instead of the Father’s house for believers? In this world, you work for what you get, and you are suspicious of anything that is free.
How does God go about calling and saving lost sinners? By the power of His Word (Isa. 55:10–11). God’s Word is seed (Luke 8:11). Just as the rain and snow are never wasted but accomplish His purposes, so His Word never fails. “The Word of God shall stand forever” (Isa. 40:8). We never know how God will use even a casual word of witness to plant and water the seed in somebody’s heart.
Isaiah 55:12–13 describes both the joy of the exiles on their release from captivity and the joy of Israel when they share in that “glorious exodus” in the end of the age and return to their land. When the kingdom is established, all of nature will sing to the Lord (32:13; 35:1–2; 44:23; 52:8–9).
Worship (56:1–8). The nation had gone into captivity because she had disobeyed the law of God, particularly the fourth commandment: “Remember the sabbath day, to keep it holy” (Ex. 20:8). This commandment was a special “sign” between God and the Jews (31:12–18; Neh. 9:13–14); it was never given to the Gentiles. The Jews were rebuked for the careless way they treated the Sabbath during their wilderness wanderings (Ezek. 20:10–26) and when they lived in the land (Jer. 17:19–27). Even after their return to the Holy Land after the captivity, the Jews continued to violate the Sabbath (Neh. 13:15–22).
Keep in mind that the Sabbath day is the seventh day of the week, the day that God sanctified when He completed creation (Gen. 2:1–3). Sunday is the Lord’s day, the first day of the week, and it commemorates the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead. To call Sunday “the Sabbath” or “the Christian Sabbath” is to confuse these two important days. The Sabbath was a sign to the Jews and belongs to the law: You labor for six days, and then you rest. The Lord’s day speaks of resurrection and belongs to grace. God’s people trust in Christ, and then the works follow.
God never before asked the Gentiles to join the Jews in keeping the Sabbath, but here He does so. He calls the very people He prohibited from entering His covenant nation: foreigners and eunuchs (Deut. 23:1–8). This is another picture of the grace of God (see Acts 8:26ff.). The invitation is still “Everyone come!” It applies to sinners today, but it will apply in a special way when Israel enters her kingdom, the temple services are restored, and the Sabbath is once again a part of Jewish worship.
God’s admonition to the remnant to “keep justice and do righteousness” (Isa. 56:1) was not obeyed. When you read Ezra, Nehemiah, Haggai, and Malachi, you discover that the Jews soon forgot God’s goodness and returned to their old ways. Taking special time each week to remember the Lord and worship Him helps us to obey His will.