Old Testament - Isaiah 54-55 - September 29, 2022

 9/29/2022 – Isaiah 54-55

Isaiah 54:

I like the student manual’s introduction to this chapter: “The Lord spoke of the Latter-day gathering of Israel and of His mercy toward those who repent. The Lord also taught that His ways are higher than man’s ways and condemned the wickedness of the Israelites.” 

The synopsis of this chapter is also very helpful: “In the last days, Zion and her stakes shall be established, and Israel shall be gathered in mercy and tenderness—They shall triumph”

V 2: “Enlarge the place of thy tent and let them stretch forth the curtains of thine habitations: spare not, length thy cords, and strengthen thy stakes;” These Israelites certainly understood tents, as they had spent 40 years in the desert putting them up and taking them down. We might look at the tent symbolically: the prophet and the apostles are like the center pole of the tent; the tent is large and covers the earth—it brings us protection from the elements of the world; the stakes of the Church are like the stakes that anchor the tent and the cords that connect the tent to the stakes…those cords can be lengthened when more people need the protection of the Lord.

The Lord is speaking of the latter-days—that’s us! In v 4 He specifically tells US: “Fear not”. And he follows that with the assurance “For thy Maker is thine husband, the Lord of hosts is his name; and the Redeemer, the Holy one of Israel: The God of the whole earth shall he be called.” (v 5) I love His referring to himself as “thine husband” for I know that Bob will jump up to protect me in any situation, and that is the same that the Lord does for us.

In v 7 He alerts us to the fact that these last days may not be easy: “For a small moment have I forsaken thee; but with great mercies will I gather thee.”

V’s 8-9 seem to me to speak of the eternal parental struggles the Lord has, and will, and does for us: “For this is as the waters of Noah unto me: for as I have sworn that the waters of Noah should no more go over the earth; so have I sworn that I would not be wroth with thee, nor rebuke thee. For the mountains shall depart and the hills be removed; but my kindness shall not depart from thee neither shall the covenants of my peace be removed, saith the Lord that hath mercy on thee.”

He goes on telling us what we will finally find as the Lord winds up things on the earth: “And all thy children shall be taught of the Lord; and great shall be the peace of thy children. 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.” (v’s 13-14). That is the peace that is found in the Lord.

He then, in v 15, tells us to gather together. And he finishes his description of these last days with v 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.” 

He has given us so many reasons to stay close to Him—in our good times and especially through our bad times. I look back on my life and I can recall when He eased my path through difficult times. I knew He was there, and that quieted my fears. He will always do that—if only we stay close enough to hear Him and to feal His comforting presence.  

Isaiah 55:

The Lord invites us all to come close to Him and to stay close to Him. In v 1 He invites us: “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.” He continued on in v 2 to alert us: telling us not to “spend money for that which is not bread” or “for that which satisfieth not.” We simply need to “Hearken diligently unto me, and eat ye that which is good, and let your soul delight itself in fatness.”

He then immediately tells us just how to do this: “Incline your ear, and come unto me: hear, and your soul shall live; and I will make an everlasting covenant with you…” (v 3)

He continues to encourage us: “Seek ye the Lord while he may be found, call ye upon him while he is near.” (v 6)

In case we still don’t quite understand Him, He gives us v’s 8-9: “For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways, saith 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.”

In v’s10-11 He speaks of the rain and the snow that come down on us, but that enables the earth to later bring forth and bud, that it may give seed to the sower, and bread to the eater: So shall my word be that goeth forth out of my mouth…it shall prosper in the thing whereto I sent it.”

If we can simply follow His commandments, then this is what we can expect: “For ye shall go out with joy and be led forth with peace: the fountains and the hills shall break forth before you into singing, and all the trees of the field shall clap their hands. Instead of the thorn shall come up the fir tree, and instead of the brier shall come up the myrtle tree: and it shall be to the Lord …for an everlasting sign that shall not be cut off.”

The closer we come to the Lord, the happier we are, and the calmer we are, and the more helpful we are, and the more love we give and feel.