Isaiah 55

“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.

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.

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.

Behold, I made him a witness to the peoples, a leader and commander for the peoples.

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.

“Seek the LORD while he may be found; call upon him while he is near;

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.

For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways, declares the LORD.

For as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways and my thoughts than your thoughts.

“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,

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.

“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.

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.”

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Isaiah 55

The Lord issues an urgent invitation to all who thirst to come to the waters and to those without money to come, buy, and eat without payment, establishing the free and gracious character of divine salvation. The oracle emphasizes that the Lord's thoughts are not like human thoughts and His ways are higher than human ways, establishing the transcendence of divine wisdom. The passage promises that the Lord's word will not return empty but will accomplish the purposes for which it is sent, establishing the power and reliability of God's proclamation. The vision includes the promise that those who seek the Lord will find Him and that the wicked will find mercy and abundant pardon, establishing the accessibility and generosity of divine grace. The oracle concludes the Book of Comfort with the promise that the redeemed will go out with joy and be led forth in peace, and that mountains and hills will break into singing. The passage establishes that the redeemed will return to their land with everlasting joy and that sorrow and sighing will flee away, echoing the vision of Isaiah 35. Isaiah 55 demonstrates that divine salvation is gracious, free, and accessible to all and that God's purposes, though transcending human understanding, inevitably move toward the blessing and restoration of the people. This chapter concludes the Book of Comfort with a vision of universal redemption and joy.

Isaiah 55:1

The universal invitation—'Ho, everyone who thirsts, come to the waters; and you that have no money, come, buy and eat! Come, buy wine and milk without money and without price'—extends God's abundance to all who thirst, regardless of economic status. The image of abundant water, wine, and milk suggests both physical and spiritual satisfaction. The emphasis that purchases are 'without money and without price' emphasizes grace rather than exchange. This verse makes restoration universally available, transcending economic barriers.

Isaiah 55:2

The call to abandon false sustenance—'Why do you spend your money for that which is not bread, and your labor for that which does not satisfy? Listen carefully to me, and eat what is good, and delight yourselves in rich food. Incline your ear, and come to me; listen, so that you may live'—critiques futile pursuits while inviting toward true satisfaction. The question about spending money on non-bread and laboring for non-satisfying food suggests that people waste resources on false gods and empty pursuits. The invitation to listen carefully and come to God suggests that true satisfaction requires attentive response. This verse contrasts false and true sources of nourishment.

Isaiah 55:3

The covenant renewal—'Incline your ear, and come to me; listen, so that you may live. I will make with you an everlasting covenant, my steadfast, sure love for David'—offers renewed covenant relationship to those who listen. The promise of 'everlasting covenant' recalls the Davidic covenant. The reference to 'steadfast, sure love for David' (hesed) suggests that the same commitment given to David will extend to the people. This verse renews covenant relationship as the foundation of restoration.

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