Chapter 55

The salvation appeal to Israel

The reality of salvation in the Old testament. The gospel was preached in the Old Testament; the gospel is preached today. There never was a time during the history of mankind since his fall when the gospel has not been preached. Man is always saved by a positive faith response to God’s revelation of Himself. There is a very important doctrine in this connection: revelation is progressive, reaching its zenith with the New Testament canon. But God has always revealed His Son long before His Son went to the cross historically. The content of revelation varies but the object of salvation never varies, He is revealed in many different ways.

Don’t let any one ever try to tell you that people were not saved in the Old Testament times by faith in Christ, it has always been the way of salvation without variation. Futhermore, don’t let anyone talk you into the idea that people in the Old testament were saved by keeping the Law and now they are saved by faith in Christ. No one has ever been saved by keeping the Law, in the Old Testament or New — Galatians 2:16.

As then, so now, the alternative to salvation is eternal judgment — Revelation 20:12-15. The basis of the foundation of the Jewish race was regeneration — Romans 9:6-14.

Isaiah 55:1 — “Ho, everyone that thirsteth.” “Thirsteth” is translated as if it were a verb but it is not, it is an adjective. It should be translated “thirsty ones.” It is an adjective in the vocative case. “Ho” is simply a Hebrew word for calling someone to attention. And the corrected translation should go like this: “All thirsty ones, attention!”

Who are the thirsty ones? They are those Jews who have positive volition. Isaiah is speaking to the unregenerate of Israel; he is not talking to believers. He is preaching a salvation message to those who are without Christ.

“come ye to the waters” — the word “water” is used in scripture figuratively in three ways. Generally throughout scripture water is literal water. But frequently we find another area of the use of the word “water.” It is often applied to the Word, as in Ephesians 5:26. Water is applied to the Holy Spirit as in John 7:38,39. And water also refers to salvation as in Isaiah 55:1 and Revelation 22:17. Now “the waters” means the gospel is available to these people but they must come and get it. So we have in the word “come” positive volition correlated with the word “faith.” We must obey this command for salvation. Drinking water is a picture of believing in Christ because the ability to drink water is common to all members of the human race. No member of the human race could survive without the ability to drink water. So the drinking of water is a perfect illustration of faith because faith is one of the two inherent qualities in man which has absolutely no merit attached to it. The ability to be saved is inherent in all members of the human race without any merit attached to it. The merit is in the object, the Lord Jesus Christ. “Come to the waters” means believe on the Lord Jesus Christ.

“and he that hath no money” — a rapid change of analogy. It is a reference to the person being saved without works. Money here represents works. No money means no works, no ability, no energy of the flesh. The principle: salvation is free. We cannot pay for it because it is already paid for. Christ paid for it.

There are now three verbs to illustrate the concept of faith: “come ye” also includes the concept of drinking the water; secondly, “buy”; thirdly, “eat .

1. “Drink", which is based on “come to the water.” You must drink when you get there.

2. “buy” simply means the capital is provided, as it were, for you — faith in Christ.

3. “eat,” believe, analogous to faith.

All three are qal imperatives, commands, and all three of these are found elsewhere: John 7:37 — come and drink; Revelation 3:18 — buy; John 6:50, 53 — eat.

“buy wine and milk without money” — “buy” expresses faith in Christ. Notice that there are three ingredients to be procured in this verse: water — salvation, phase 1; milk — sustenance, phase 2; wine — stimulation, phase 2. So when you have “buy” again it means that after the word “buy” you have one of the results of salvation, and milk is sustenance for babies and intelligent adults; it is for the provision of phase 2. Wine is for stimulation and there is in phase two the concept of inner happiness, inner peace, inner blessing, and this is also part of God’s provision for us. These things are the result of salvation so when you buy you not only have salvation but you also have all of the marvellous things for phase 2.

“without money [no works involved in salvation] and without price [no works involved in spirituality].” No works to enter phase one and no works to operate in phase two. Principle: You cannot be saved by works; you cannot be spiritual by energy of the flesh. There is no place for legalism in phase one or phase two.

Verse 2 — the negative side amplified.

Apparently in Isaiah’s day unbelievers were trying to be saved by their works, by keeping the law, circumcision, and so on, and believers trying to be spiritual the same way — through energy of the flesh. So the first word in verse 2 is not “Wherefore” but “Why.”

“Why do you spend money for that which is not bread?” The word to “spend” here means to weigh out silver, which is spending money today. “Not bread” means that which is not salvation. You see, we have had the analogy, “eat.” Christ is the Bread of life. So bread represents Christ; “not bread” is a system of salvation apart from Christ, i.e. a system of salvation by works. “Why do you spend your money on salvation by works?” in other words. Cf Romans 9:30-33.

“and your labour” — attempting to be saved by works — “for that which does not satisfy.” The words “satisfieth not” is a noun and you expect a verb and when you have a verb it gives it great emphasis. It should be translated: “and your labour which is unsatisfactory,” underlined.

“hearken diligently” — which means: “Listening, be sure to listen” — two verbs, like “Dying thou shalt die” in Genesis 2:17. In other words, something very important is about to be said. Therefore, Isaiah says to his congregation: “Now you’re sitting here listening, listen!”

“eat ye the good” literally. “The good” is the absolute good, the Lord Jesus Christ. Eat means faith. In other words, Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ.

“and let your soul delight itself in fatness” — fatness means prosperity. In the ancient world the fatter you were the more prosperous you were. Fatness is often an idiom for prosperity. “Let your soul delight” or literally, respond to. This is reflexive in the Hebrew: You yourself, let your soul respond to prosperity. In other words, If you really want prosperity then believe in Christ.

Verses 3-5, the salvation results to Israel. The first result is the fulfilment of the Davidic covenant — Verses 3,4.

Verse 3 — “Incline your ear.” This is an idiom which means to listen and obey; hear the command and do it. This is the beginning of the mechanics of salvation. There are four verbs in verse three to describe it. “Incline your ear” is positive volition. That is the first step when you reach God consciousness. Secondly, “come unto me”; thirdly, “hear.” In the correct order it should be “hear” and then “come.” “Hear” is the gospel being presented. “Come unto me” — qal imperative. This is actually believing, how to be saved.

“and your soul shall live” — notice, it is always the soul which is saved, never the body.

The real point in going through this is to show how these Jews can get into the Davidic covenant — 2 Sam. 7:8-16; Psalm 89:20-37; 2 Chronicles 21:7.

“and I will make” — qal imperfect. The word to “make” is to “cut” a covenant. This word is derived from the fact that when God made a covenant with Abraham, and when He confirmed it, Abraham cut up animal sacrifices and walked between them. The reason he cut up the animals into two parts and walked between them was to show that all permanent eternal covenants made by God with man are based on the shedding of blood. No one can enter into eternal relationship with God apart from the shedding of blood — Ephesians 1:7; Hebrews 9:22. The Hebrew word does not say to make a covenant, it says to cut a covenant. There was only one covenant to the Jews that wasn’t cut: the Mosaic law. The other four are eternal covenants and are entered through the shedding of blood. So it was a very powerful gospel message that Isaiah gave, and all of these things were understood by the Jews.

“an everlasting covenant with you” — if you are going to live with God forever you must have the same kind of life that God has, eternal life. The moment you believe in Christ you receive this life — 1 John 5:11-12. Christ shed His blood on the cross and so the eternal covenants are always cut.

And then this everlasting covenant is defined: “even the sure mercies of David.” The word “sure” is irrevocable; “mercy” is grace in action. Literally, “irrevocable grace in action to David.” The mechanics of salvation as described in verse three result in irrevocable grace in action, to David, and those who are believers. This will be fulfilled at the second advent of Jesus Christ, at which time all Jews — Old Testament and Tribulational — will be gathered together under the rule of Christ.

Verse 4 — the fulfilment of the Davidic covenant. “Behold” I have given him [Christ, who is David’s greater Son]” — Cf Romans 1:3, “ … who came into existence as the seed of David according to his humanity.” Jesus Christ is the seed of David in His humanity. Mary was definitely descended from David through Nathan. The legal, but not the real father of Jesus Christ, Joseph, was also descended from David through Solomon.

“I have given” — the word “give” is always the word of grace. The word to give is nathan.

“for a witness” — Jesus Christ is the Revealer of God — John 1:18; 6:46; 1 Tim. 6:16; 1 John 4:12 — “to the peoples” (pl)” — not only to the people of Israel but to all the Gentiles as well.

“a leader” — literally, a prince — “and commander to the people (singular)” — Christ rules Israel as David’s greater Son.

Thus we have a great appeal to the Jews of Isaiah’s day. They were all familiar with the Davidic covenant, the irrevocable grace to David. And if they wanted to have a part in it then they had to personally come to the waters — they had to personally believe in the Lord Jesus Christ.

Verse 5 — a brief statement as to the regathering of Israel. Those who are saved, and only those who are saved of Israel, will be involved in the future regathering of Israel. This regathering can only occur when Christ returns to the earth.

“Behold, thou [God the Father] shalt call a nation [Israel] that thou knowest not, and a nation that knew thee not shall run unto thee, because of the Lord thy God, and because of the Holy One of Israel; for he hath glorified thee.”

The “nation” actually connotes a mass of people which, in this case, is a mass of Jews scattered throughout the earth during the Church Age and during the Tribulation. The call of Jehovah the Father in regathering Israel into the land ends the discipline of Israel. “thou knowest not” simply means that God the Father does not recognise. It would be better translated: “which thou dost not recognise.” The Jews are not recognised by God today. The only way a Jew can get divine recognition today is to personally receive Christ as saviour, at which moment he enters the body of Christ and is no longer a Jew. But there is no recognition for the nation Israel today.

“and a nation that knew thee [Christ] not shall run unto thee” — that is, they did not know Him personally on the earth, and so on. They were saved in the past but they did not know Him during the Tribulation at the time this occurred. Now here is why they will come: “because of the Lord thy God, because of the Holy One of Israel.” The Jews are gathered for one reason: because of the power of the Father and — the Holy One of Israel refers to Christ — because of Jesus Christ. Only the Lord Jesus Christ can gather them. The Father is mentioned first because He is the author of the plan, and the Son is mentioned because He is the executor of the plan. “for he [God the Father] hath glorified thee [God the Son]” — the principle is: Christ is the Fulfiller of the unconditional covenants and a part of His glorification is that He Himself has the privilege of regathering Israel.

Remember this was given several hundred years before the cross and therefore it was prophetic at the time and it is still prophetic. But why this prophetic implication that only Christ can regather Israel once they are disciplined? Because in Isaiah’s day there were hundreds of thousands of Jews who needed the gospel and who needed to know the entire plan of God with regard to Israel. And therefore he has given in this way, up to verse 5, a salvation appeal and then he has made it very pertinent to Israel. Now having given all of this information he is going to go back and in the closing half of this chapter, verses 6-13, he is going to give one final salvation appeal to Israel. He is going to repeat what he has said before with a little more amplification. And the principle is that repetition is necessary to make the issue clear. And while he repeats he also adds information that was not given before.

Verse 6 — positive volition leads to salvation. “Seek ye the Lord” — this has to do with reaching God-consciousness and being desirous of relationship with Him. This does not have anything to do with getting the gospel; this is positive volition. We can desire a relationship with the Lord and in that sense the word “seek” is used. But seeking the Lord is simply wanting to know God better and does not make the gospel clear. Someone must provide that information; God is responsible.

“while he may be found” — Isaiah is winding up his salvation appeal to the Jews of his day. And when he puts in the phrase “while he may be found” he is indicating very clearly that the time to be saved is during the course of one’s lifetime on the earth. And the implication is that once a person departs from this earth there is no possibility of salvation. The object of “seeking” is said to be the Lord, and the Lord refers to Jesus Christ. “While he may be found” is a niphel infinitive (passive) which expresses a purpose. It is God’s purpose that Jesus Christ be found. And what this phrase says, in effect, is this: “Now is the accepted time; now is the day of salvation", as you have it in 1 Corinthians 6:2.

Verses 7-9, the necessity for salvation. The necessity for salvation is based on the fact that there was a barrier between man and God, and Christ has removed the barrier by His work on the cross. Christ solved every problem that existed by way of the barrier between man and God. It was the work of Christ alone. With the removal of the barrier the human race faces the issue of the work of God — specifically the work of Christ — versus the works of man. And man’s works cannot do the job. The issue is no longer sin, but works.

Verse 7 — “Let the wicked forsake his way” — incorrect. It is not “his way” but “his ways,” plural. And it doesn’t have to do with sin. The “wicked” is always the religious unbeliever trying to be saved by his good works. So when it says “let the wicked forsake his ways” it means “let the religious unbeliever forsake his good deeds as the way of salvation” .

“and the unrighteous man” — a reference to the self-righteous person, the do-gooder — “his thoughts” — which are, by his own good deeds he can be saved. So here we have the expression of human viewpoint.

“and let him return to the Lord [Jesus Christ]” — Acts 4:12 — “and he will have mercy upon him” ."Have mercy [grace]” is a piel imperfect. The piel stem is intensive and it refers to an expression of great compassion. “and to our Gods [elohim is plural]” — there are three persons in the Godhead. Only God the Son, the second Person of the Trinity, is the saviour and you must believe on Him for salvation. When you believe on Him you enter into fellowship with the Father, with the Son, and with the Holy Spirit. “for he [Christ] will abundantly pardon” — but that isn’t what the Hebrew says. There are two verbs here, the first means to multiply and the second means to pardon. To multiply is a hiphil imperfect — “he will cause to increase, or cause to multiply to pardon” — qal infinitive construct. What does that mean? “Multiplying, He will pardon.” Multiplying has to do with giving eternal life; pardon has to do with the cleansing of all sin and everything that God has against the individual — and both are involved in salvation. Multiplication refers to eternal life; pardoning refers to eliminating, cancelling out, every just demand that God the Father has against the individual.

Verse 8 — two concepts: thoughts and ways. The thoughts of the self-righteous man were salvation by works; ways are the actual performance of works for salvation.

“For my thoughts [divine viewpoint] are not your thoughts [human viewpoint]” — God’s thoughts are grace: You can’t earn it or deserve it; man’s thoughts are works: I can do it — “neither your ways my ways, saith the Lord” .God’s thoughts: salvation by grace; man’s thoughts: salvation by works; God’s ways: the provision of salvation through the blood of Christ; man’s ways: salvation by works — in the case of the Jews, keeping the Law.

Verse 9 — the illustration. “For as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways, and my thoughts than your thoughts.” Man’s legalism versus God’s works — grace. “My thoughts” — divine viewpoint, grace; “your thoughts” — human viewpoint, legalism.

What is the criterion for distinguishing between divine and human viewpoint?

Verses 10-11 — the criterion is the Word of God.

Verse 10 — the illustration of the Word as the criterion. “For as the rain cometh down and the snow from heaven” — rain and snow are water which is very needy in the agricultural economy in Israel. Water, of course, is analogous to the Word. In other words, the source of the absolute criterion is heaven. The Word comes from heaven. “and returneth not thither” — now, some water returns toward heaven — evaporation. But certain water is not evaporated, water which is absorbed by plants, the ground, and so on. And this analogy is talking about water which is absorbed or the illustration: the Word of God absorbed. In the case of salvation, the gospel accepted. In the case of the believer, doctrine in the frontal lobe.

“but watereth the earth” — this is the gospel going out — “and maketh it bring forth and bud” — to bring forth is salvation; to bud or blossom is the production of the one who is saved.

“that” introduces a purpose clause in the Hebrew. “that it may give seed to the sower” — in other words, the person who accepts Christ as saviour has the seed of the gospel which he sows. The seed is the gospel message; the Word is the source of the gospel message; the sower is the person who receives Christ as saviour. In the time of Isaiah it was the Jewish believer, born again, and now responsible for the dissemination of the gospel. Application to us: every believer priest is an ambassador or a witness for Christ.

“and bread to the eater” — bread is a picture of the gospel and the eater is the Gentile believer who accepts Christ as saviour. Bread is the gospel going out to the Gentile and the eater is the Gentile believer.

Verse 11 — the principle. “So shall my word be that goeth forth out of my mouth.” “My word” is specifically that part of the Word of God which pertains to the gospel. Many parts of God’s Word deal exclusively with the gospel. “So shall my word be” completes the analogy of verse 10 — “goeth forth” is the dissemination of the Word — “it shall not return to me void [empty],” — the gospel will have a response; “but it shall accomplish that which I please” — it is God’s will that men be saved, 2 Peter 3:9 — “and it shall prosper in the thing whereto I sent it.” “It shall prosper” is a reference to not only the preaching of the gospel in the past but a specific reference to the Tribulation. Who are the people who come running in verse 6? Those who hear the gospel in the Tribulation. So there is a very pertinent reference here to the preaching of the gospel by the Jews — the 144,000 evangelists in the Tribulation — and the tremendous response they will have.

Verses 12, 13, the future of salvation. In this brief picture of the future of salvation we have a picture of the Millennium. The unbelievers have been weeded out in the Millennium by the baptism of fire and only the regenerate of Israel and the regenerate among the Gentiles enter the Millennium.

Verse 12 — “For ye shall go out with joy, and be led forth with peace”; “ye shall go out” is a term which means simply egress from their own dwelling place. It means that they will have great inner happiness as they go back to the land, establish their homes, and as they go to and from their homes. “led forth” is a hophal [passive causative stem] imperfect — “ye shall be caused to be led forth with peace.” This refers to the Jews of the Tribulation who are hiding out in the mountains of Edom, Moab and Ammon. They are mentioned in Daniel 11:41 and Matthew 24:16.

“the mountains and the hills shall break forth before you into singing, and all the trees of the fields shall clap their hands.” The reference to mountains and trees speaks of a great restoration of nature. So the mountains and the trees describe the great revival of nature which takes place at the second advent of Christ, and which is described in Romans 8:19-22; Isaiah 35. The evidences of the curse will be removed from nature.

Verse 13 — the thorn and the briar. These are the signs of the curse given in Genesis 3:18. “Instead of the thorn shall come up the fir tree, and in stead of the brier shall come up the myrtle tree.” In other words, wherever there had been evidence of the curse in the Millenniun all of these evidences will be removed.

“and [Israel] it shall be to the Lord for an everlasting sign [memorial] that shall not be cut off.” “it shall be to the Lord” is a reference to the regathering of Israel. In other words, God keeps His word. God promised the Jews unconditionally the four unconditional covenants and He cannot lie; He keeps His word to the regenerate of Israel and therefore the regathering of the born again Jews in the land is a memorial to the grace of God. In other words, the Jews have a future. “shall not be cut off” is niphel stem — they shall not receive cutting off.