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ERE, in Isaiah 55:1, we read the glorious invitation to "everyone that is thirsty" to
buy wine and milk without using money. In light of Isaiah 52-54 and in
anticipation of Revelation 22:17, it is apparent that this invitation is a
spiritual one. It is an invitation to sinners to receive the gift of God, which
is eternal life through Jesus Christ, the Lord (Romans 6:23 & Ephesians
2:8-9). To put things very bluntly, read the words of Christ Himself: Luke
6:24, "Woe unto you that are rich!
for you have received your consolation" (compare this with Luke 2:25,
which calls Christ THE consolation). Also, consider Mark 10:25.
The focus in this chapter isn't on who will fail to come,
but on who can come, and how they can come to God so that their soul can live
and not die (Isaiah 55:3). This is an invitation from Jehovah to everyone, for
all of us to receive mercy and pardon (Isaiah 55:7). Notice the inviting verbs
that are used in Isaiah 55. Come, buy, hearken, eat, hear, incline, seek, call,
forsake, return... and the understood subject in every case is the pronoun
"you" - You are invited to come to God... You should incline your
ear... You must forsake your way, etc. Clearly, God wants to save sinners (Isaiah
55:2).
This everlasting covenant of salvation does have 1 simple
stipulation. When we come to Him for rescue, we must come with open hands. That
is to say, "Repent and believe the
gospel" (Mark 1:15, Acts 20:21 & Hebrews 6:1). It would be
difficult either to try to name all of the individual vices from which men may
need to turn (1st Thess. 1:9), or to attempt to single out just 1 thing that must
change in a man's mind in order for Him to be rescued. But, it is sure that we
cannot serve both God and other things simultaneously (Luke 16:13 & Isaiah
55:7).
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