OUTLINE

1. God’s Everlasting Mercy and Kindness (Isaiah 54:1-10) 

2. God’s Promise to His People (Isaiah 54:11-17) 

3. God’s Invitation to the Nations (Isaiah 55:1-13) 

Central Truth: God is full of love and compassion for all people. 

Focus: Explore God’s compassion to all people and lead compassionate lives. 

Evangelism Emphasis: Christians are to extend God’s invitation of salvation to all people. 

Text: “Ho, every one that thirsteth, come ye to the waters, and he that hath no money; come ye, buy, and eat; yea, come, buy wine and milk without money and without price” (Isaiah 55:1). 

INTRODUCTION 

After the graphic description of suffering in the previous chapter, Isaiah 54 presents an entirely different tone. The prophet turns his attention to the glorious future of Israel. With encouraging words, the Lord calls on His people to trust in Him. This chapter speaks of a time of restoration when His people who had forsaken Him return to a right relationship with Him. Ultimately, the Lord will establish the millennial kingdom, the strength of which will be righteousness. No foe will be successful in any conquest of His people, for no weapon formed against them will prosper. 

 Isaiah 55 is one of the great invitation chapters of the Bible. The Lord calls the needy to come to Him. The word come appears three times in verse 1. Some have referred to this chapter as the Old Testament counterpart to the parable of the Great Supper (see Luke 14:15-24).   

 The prophet continues his theme that a glorious future awaits the people of God if they walk in obedience to Him. His appeal to them is to look beyond earthly riches and discover the true riches available to them through God’s redeeming power. 

l. GOD’S EVERLASTING MERCY AND KINDNESS

A. A God of Enlargement (Isaiah 54:1-3) 

 1 Sing, O barren, thou that didst not bear; break forth into singing, and cry aloud, thou that didst not travail with child: for more are the children of the desolate than the children of the married wife, saith the Lord.

 Nothing was more disappointing to a woman in Israel than to be childless. Hannah is an example. Not being able to bear children left her distraught, but when she was blessed with a son, her heart was filled with joy (see 1 Sam. 1—2).

 Israel found herself in a situation similar to that of the barren woman. The nation’s despondency is expressed in Isaiah 49:14: “Zion said, The Lord hath forsaken me, and my Lord hath forgotten me.” But the prophet has good news for the nation. In His providence, God will enable her to have a host of children, giving her cause to sing and rejoice (54:1). She is to enlarge the tent in which they live and prepare for the increase the Lord is going to bring about (v. 2). So great will the Lord bless Israel that she will be faced with an overpopulation problem. Her overflowing population will spread out to other nations and cities that are now in ruins because there will not be enough room for them in their homeland (v. 3).

 In Galatians 4:27, the apostle Paul quoted Isaiah 54:1 and applied its message to the Church, for God is still a God of enlargement. He wants His people to grow and mature in Him, to possess what they profess. He wants us to reach out to a wider circle than we have ever reached before. Our challenge is to carry the message of Christ to all people. This includes our neighbor next door, and those who live in a land we may never visit personally.

—What should cause believers to “break forth into singing” (v. 1) today? 

B. Divine Compassion and Everlasting Love (Isaiah 54:4-8) 

 7 For a small moment have I forsaken thee; but with great mercies will I gather thee. 8 In a little wrath I hid my face from thee for a moment; but with everlasting kindness will I have mercy on thee, saith the Lord thy Redeemer.

 The language Isaiah uses reminds us of Hosea and the return of his prodigal wife. Israel has nothing to fear as it relates to her disgraceful past. So great will be the glory of her future, that the shame she felt because she had no children will be forgotten. Isaiah describes her husband as her “Maker . . . the Lord of hosts . . . the God of the whole earth” (v. 5). He is also referred to as her “Redeemer.” Isaiah applies this term to God thirteen times, and three times he calls Israel “the redeemed” (35:9; 51:11; 62:12).

 Isaiah makes it clear that the Lord will restore the people, and it will be like the restoration of a wandering wife. The same concept appears in Jeremiah 2 and 3.

 The Lord acknowledges that, for a short time, He had forsaken His people (Isa. 54:7). He doesn’t say why He forsook them here, but elsewhere on several occasions, Isaiah explains what happened. God’s actions resulted from the sins of the people (see 50:1).

 For a brief moment God hid His face from His people, but in compassion and tender care He remembered them (54:8) and their infirmities (see Heb. 4:15-16). In everlasting love, He showed Himself to be steadfast and reliable. The combination of these two attributes manifests itself in mercy.

The Father’s Love 

 You are loved by our Maker not because you try to please Him and succeed, or fail to please Him and apologize, but because He wants to be your Father. Nothing more. . . . You can no more make Him want you than you can convince Him to abandon you.—Max Lucado, Grace 

C. Divine Restoration (Isaiah 54:9-10) 

 10 For the mountains shall depart, and the hills be removed; but my kindness shall not depart from thee, neither shall the covenant of my peace be removed, saith the Lord that hath mercy on thee.

 If there was any question in the minds of God’s people as to whether He would fulfill His promise of restoration, He reminds them of the promise He made to Noah (v. 9). He promised He would never again destroy the world with water, and He has kept that promise. He makes the same kind of solemn promise to Israel. His promise is that His people will walk in His favor and enjoy unchanging blessings (v. 10). Undoubtedly, this is a reference to the millennial kingdom, because the Jews have experienced periods of great suffering across the centuries. But God’s promise of everlasting goodwill toward Israel is like a rainbow across the sky.

 God made a covenant with Noah after the Flood, and now He pledges to make a covenant of peace with Israel. This extraordinary covenant contains an eternal component. The mountains may crumble and the hills be flattened, but this covenant of peace will never be broken. God will give His people lasting peace.

 The grace of God is a covenant of peace. It brings us salvation we don’t deserve. We have done nothing to deserve redemption; it comes to us because of His grace and mercy. In this covenant of peace, the Lord offers us perfect wholeness. This marvelous provision is made available to us because God is a God of compassion and everlasting love. Christ is the Prince of Peace, and the peace He offers includes all the blessings made available by His grace. One writer called this covenant “a hive of heavenly honey.”

—Compare God’s promise in verse 10 with Jesus’ proclamation in Matthew 24:35. 

2. GOD’S PROMISE TO HIS PEOPLE

A. A Covenant of Peace (Isaiah 54:11-12) 

 11 O thou afflicted, tossed with tempest, and not comforted, behold, I will lay thy stones with fair colours, and lay thy foundations with sapphires. 12 And I will make thy windows of agates, and thy gates of carbuncles, and all thy borders of pleasant stones.

 In the beginning of verse 11, Isaiah addresses the plight of the people of God exiled from their homeland. We are reminded of how often ill winds have blown against Israel, including the murder of six million Jewish people during World War II. 

 Great persecution has also come against the Church through the years. Even today, many Christians in many parts of the world are being killed for no reason other than their avowed commitment to Christ. But a better day is coming. 

 The Lord speaks to His people out of great compassion and pledges to rebuild them as He might rebuild a city. He will use precious stones and costly materials in this rebuilding process, saying, “I will set your stones in antimony” (v. 11 ESV). Antimony is a silvery white element which Oriental women used as eyeshadow. It would make a very costly mortar for setting the foundation of sapphire. Other stones used in this building include rubies, beryl, turquoise, and crystal. Only God had the imagination and wealth to build a city so magnificent. 

 In Revelation 21:18-21, John paints a picture of the eternal city: “The wall was made of jasper, and the city of pure gold, as pure as glass. The foundations of the city walls were decorated with every kind of precious stone. . . . The twelve gates were twelve pearls, each gate made of a single pearl. The great street of the city was of gold, as pure as transparent glass” (NIV). 

—How can “storm-battered” and “troubled” people (v. 11 NLT) find hope? 

B. The Promised Peace (Isaiah 54:13-14) 

 13 And all thy children shall be taught of the Lord; and great shall be the peace of thy children. 14 In righteousness shalt thou be established: thou shalt be far from oppression; for thou shalt not fear: and from terror; for it shall not come near thee. 

 The teaching and training of their children has always been a high priority with the Israelites. An example of this is found in the words of the psalmist, “We have heard with our ears, O God, our fathers have told us, what work thou didst in their days, in the times of old” (44:1). Now Isaiah tells us that during the millennial kingdom, the Lord himself will teach the children. As a result, their peace will be great. The hearing, believing, and acting upon His Word brings inward peace. By walking in His strength, they will also enjoy outward peace from their enemies. When Jesus appeared to His disciples after His resurrection, He said, “Peace be unto you” (Luke 24:36). Today, His peace comes to all who will follow Him (John 16:33). 

 The millennial kingdom will, by the grace of God, be home to a righteous people. It will be set up and governed by perfect justice. Its business will be conducted in righteousness, which is the gold standard for any society. Because this will be the character of the Kingdom, God’s people will have no reason to fear. 

 Every believer should look forward to the day when righteousness and holiness will be the order of the day; when peace will prevail; when opposition and terror will not even come near; and we will be secure and prosperous under the Messiah’s reign. 

Representing the Father 

The Creator has given to us the awesome responsibility of representing Him to our children. Our heavenly Father is a God of unlimited love, and our children must become acquainted with His mercy and tenderness through our own love toward them.—James Dobson 

C. The Fruit of Righteousness (Isaiah 54:15-17) 

 17 No weapon that is formed against thee shall prosper; and every tongue that shall rise against thee in judgment thou shalt condemn. This is the heritage of the servants of the Lord, and their righteousness is of me, saith the Lord. 

 During the millennial reign of Christ, the Lord will not send any nation to fight against His people. He assures Israel that any such attack will go down in defeat (v. 15). The Lord created those who are the makers of the instruments of war, and He is greater than them (v. 16). Although the Lord used Israel’s enemies to make war against them in the past, that will never happen during this glorious era. He will protect His people. 

 In verse 17, the prophet makes a statement of assurance that all believers can embrace: “No weapon that is formed against thee shall prosper.” As God’s people, our enemies can do nothing against us except what God allows. Ultimately, their efforts will not succeed. Not only can God protect us from enemy attacks, He will enable us to refute any false charges leveled against us. 

 There is a reason God’s people will enjoy this wonderful provision at His hand; it is the fruit of their God-given righteousness. When the servants of the Lord are attacked physically or verbally, the Lord declares He will vindicate them. When Satan comes against God’s people, he is also coming against the Lord, who always prevails. 

—What is “the heritage of the servants of the Lord” (v. 17)? 

3. GOD’S INVITATION TO THE NATIONS 

A. Incomparable Offer (Isaiah 55:1-5) 

 1 Ho, every one that thirsteth, come ye to the waters, and he that hath no money; come ye, buy, and eat; yea, come, buy wine and milk without money and without price. 2 Wherefore do ye spend money for that which is not bread? and your labour for that which satisfieth not? hearken diligently unto me, and eat ye that which is good, and let your soul delight itself in fatness. 3 Incline your ear, and come unto me: hear, and your soul shall live; and I will make an everlasting covenant with you, even the sure mercies of David. 4 Behold, I have given him for a witness to the people, a leader and commander to the people. 5 Behold, thou shalt call a nation that thou knowest not, and nations 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.

 The Lord calls people to come to Him for salvation, which may be obtained without monetary cost; it is a gift (v. 1). He wonders why people would seek salvation through any other means, when He alone can satisfy the longing of their soul (v. 2). In vain, many have spent their hard-earned money through the centuries on goods that never provide the nourishment the soul needs. The finest food is only found at the table of the Lord. At His table, we will find divine doctrine and counsel, which is true and produces everlasting good. Nothing compares to the joy the Gospel brings. 

 The prophet appeals to his listeners to do what the Lord says, because in His Word is life. Jesus said, “The words that I speak unto you, they are spirit, and they are life” (John 6:63). If we will obey His Word, the Lord promises to enter into an everlasting covenant with us as He did with David (Isa. 55:3). The promise He made to bless David, He makes to us. This promise is firm, coming from the faithful One who never fails His people. 

 As the Lord blessed David and his influence spread among the nations (v. 4), so He will use us as we follow Him (v. 5). As people see Christ in us, they will be drawn to Him who alone is the Savior of the world. It will be with us as it was with the disciples of Christ. When the religious leaders saw the boldness of Peter and John, “they took knowledge of them, that they had been with Jesus” (Acts 4:13). 

—What does this passage reveal about God’s feelings toward the world? 

B. Higher Thoughts (Isaiah 55:6-9) 

 6 Seek ye the Lord 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 return unto the Lord, and he will have mercy upon him; and to our God, for he will abundantly pardon. 

 Whether those being called are Israelites in captivity or unbelievers anywhere, the call to seek the Lord is an urgent call. There are occasions in life when the human heart is more inclined to seek after God: times of sickness, sorrow, or a troubled conscience. Those are times when the heart is tender, when the Lord seems nearer, and when we are more inclined to seek His face. We must not allow those opportunities of grace to pass. The Lord warned of a time when those opportunities will pass: “Because I have called, and ye refused; I have stretched out my hand, and no man regarded. . . . Then shall they call upon me, but I will not answer; they shall seek me early, but they shall not find me” (Prov. 1:24, 28). 

 To “seek . . . the Lord” (Isa. 55:6) involves turning from our wicked ways and, by turning, finding mercy and pardon (v. 7). The prophet calls for complete abandonment of our corrupt practices, unrighteous ways, and evil thoughts. To seek Him in this fashion is to have all sorts of sins forgiven and abundantly pardoned. 

 We may think it is impossible for such sinners, as we have been, to become the objects of God’s mercy; but His thoughts are infinitely above ours (vv. 8-9). The distance between our thoughts and the thoughts of the highest heavens is unmeasurable. When we come to His mercy seat, we receive the benefits of all the Savior’s suffering, the promises in God’s book, the comfort of the Holy Spirit, and the inheritance of His kingdom. 

The Work of Compassion 

Jesus teaches that human need must always be helped, that there is no greater task than to relieve someone’s pain and distress, and that the Christian’s compassion must be like God’s—unceasing. Other work may be laid aside, but the work of compassion never.—William Barclay 

C. God’s Promises Never Fail (Isaiah 55:10-13) 

 10 For as the rain 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 bread to the eater: 11 So shall my word 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. 

 It is difficult to overstate the importance of rain in the Promised Land. Other areas of the Middle East had rivers like the Nile or the Euphrates to keep their crops alive, but Canaan was primarily dependent on rain and snow to cause their crops to flourish. Although the land in that area is dry and hard, it will yield vegetation after the first rains of the rainy season. By giving rain and snow at the right time, the Lord caused food to grow.   

 Isaiah said God’s Word is like the rain. His Word will do what He says it will; it brings forth spiritual life. In his commentary on Isaiah, Raymond C. Ortlund Jr. wrote: 

“My word” in verse 11 sums up all God’s gracious promises in the Book of Isaiah thus far. The prophet comes full circle from 40:8, where he declared, “The grass withers, the flower fades, but the word of our God will stand forever” (ESV). Now we know that God’s promises not only last, they give us life. We don’t keep the hope of the Gospel alive; this hope keeps us alive. . . . Rain never fails. Neither does the promise of God to save sinners. 

Because of the promises of God, we will be led forth in joy, having found redemption in Christ, whose power is greater than sin and Satan (v. 12). Having experienced the wonderful and mighty presence of God, we will walk in peace, safety, and triumph. Even the mountains and hills will sing His praises, and the trees of the field will “clap their hands,” applauding the deliverance we have found in Jesus. Everything about this great salvation brings honor and glory to the name of the Lord and reminds us what kind of person God is. 

HOPE FOR ALL 

Isaiah 40—55 carries a message of comfort to the Jews who are exiled in Babylon, and provides hope to all people who will trust in the Lord. These chapters also mark the beginning of a new emphasis in which the prophet speaks of future events. The Holy Spirit used Isaiah in much the same way He used the apostle John in writing the Book of Revelation. Chapter 54 is filled with colorful language describing the golden age of the millennial kingdom. Chapter 55 extends an invitation to accept the free gift of salvation with the promise of hope and peace. 

Daily Devotions: 

M.  God Prevents Sin (Genesis 20:1-7) 

T.    God Blesses Potiphar’s Home (Genesis 39:1-5) 

W.  God’s Mercy to All (Psalm 145:8-16) 

T.  God’s Law Written on the Heart (Romans 2:12-16) 

F.  God Desires All to Be Saved (1 Timothy 2:1-7) 

S.  God Establishes Governments (1 Peter 2:13-21)

*Adopted from the Evangelical Sunday School Lesson Commentary 2020-2021.