Week of August 3

The ascent to the summit of Mount Everest, the world’s tallest peak, requires great skill and predetermined rest stops along the way. Isaiah provides us with something spiritually similar in chapter 55. There is an obvious warmth to this passage that catches immediately the attention of a reader as it demonstrates God’s profound care for His children. This passage is something of a rest stop along the ascent because Isaiah is guiding the reader to the peak which is his prediction of a new heaven and earth (65:17; 66:22). We are ascending the mountain, we might say, that will ultimately climax when we see Christ face to face. Let’s receive the comfort and assurance that God provides our souls today in this “rest stop.”

God’s reach to sinners. Isaiah demonstrated skillful use of illustrations from nature and contemporary culture as the first verses show us. We may hear the voice of a Near Eastern water vendor or even the pleadings of “personified wisdom” in this focal passage (Proverbs 9:1-6; EBC). Either way, “The prophet is an evangelist with a concern for the souls of men and a realization of their desperate condition without the blessings that the servant has obtained” (as cited in EBC). We are getting the emotion right when we sense God’s pity for us in verse one—“Come.” There have been times in my life when I felt so ashamed of my attitudes and actions that I did not feel like God would have anything to do with me, though I did hope that He would reach out to me. Praise the Lord, He has reached out to us (Romans 5:8).

God’s call to blessing. I cannot help but think of the times that I was satisfied with my half-miserable life, which seems so silly now. I catch a hint of this tenor in God’s address to the people in verse 2. The water vendor was a part of the commercial scene in their day, so they would immediately identify with God’s voice as merchant. He was offering the people who were exiled in Babylon not only water but much more costly drinks and an invitation to a banquet (cf. Luke 14:15-24). Are you like me? I hope that both of us see that our God reaches out to us in love even while we are still living in our sin.

Are we satisfied? God was gently chiding the people, perhaps because some were considering putting down their roots in Babylon. One Bible commentator writes that God threw a “disturbing pebble” into the “quiet pool of their complacency” (Thexton, EBC). The Lord asks us the same question he was asking Israel: “Does all this really satisfy you?” We need to check the ripples in our calm waters, don’t we? God may be calling us to fresh commitment in our climb to the summit.

Heed Messiah’s call. Read verses 3-5. The Davidic Covenant was to be an everlasting one and the people knew, at least in principle, that this was a promise that God had made to David (2 Samuel 7:8-16). Isaiah has linked that covenant to the Davidic messiah earlier in his book. The nation was to be blessed within the radius of the Davidic pledge, but there was more to it than an earthly monarchy and physical geography.

We need to keep climbing or we will miss the fullness of God’s intent for our lives. Paul quotes this passage in Acts 13:34 with reference to the resurrection of Christ through whose “risen kingship” the promises in this passage take on their full eternal meaning and value. Look! There is more to the Christian life than living settled in our comfortable churches and going home to our warm and secure homes as we travel toward the goal of our IRA accounts and 401k’s. Surely, we hear God calling, even chiding, us today to continue to follow Him to the ultimate heights that He has intended for us in Christ (2 Timothy 4:6-8).

I distinctly recall traveling with my parents as a child across New Mexico to attend a conference at the Glorieta Retreat Center owned at that time by Baptists. I remember the mountains appearing at a distance, and they seemed to be quite small. However, as we drew closer to the destination they grew. Each mile provided me with more and more of the glory of God’s creation. 

Here is the spiritual reminder. God’s word through Isaiah is for you and me never to lose sight of “more.” There is so much more that awaits us at the end of our life’s climb. Keep pressing forward to receive the ultimate eternal prize.

1. Write down your life’s bucket list. How much of your “desire” is attached to the transient? Add the transcendent to your list as well. This will enable you to continue the climb of faith throughout your life.

2. For Families: The next time your family has a work day, and takes a water or snack break, encourage your family to lie on the floor, close their eyes, and listen to this wonderful song that bids us to “Come and See.” Have them imagine that they are in Galilee, and that Jesus is passing by! He wants us all to come . . . and Follow. Click here to listen.

May your paths be straight,
Larry C. Ashlock