Isaiah 55

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Are people “thirsty” for God? If so, they are told to “come to the waters.” It will not cost any money, but it will require a listening ear. The food and drink that the Lord has for His waiting people is in His Word. He says, “Listen diligently to Me, and eat what is good.”

God's Word comes from a person that Isaiah calls “David.” He is referencing King David, but David is long gone by the time Isaiah writes these words. God had promised David that one of his descendants would be on the throne of an everlasting kingdom. It is this Son of David who came to us when the Word of God was made flesh and dwelt among us. Our “David” now lives and reigns forever. Through Jesus, the Word of God is preached by ambassadors, and the thirsty and hungry people of God gather and are satisfied with heavenly food.

The joy that comes from hearing this message depends on both the preacher and the hearer. If the human ambassador is not rightly interpreting and proclaiming the word of truth, then the hearer can still hear the Word read, but he does not have the benefit of a helper who will bring God’s Word to light. But this is not the only potential problem. The worshiper of the Lord must be seeking the Lord, repenting of sin, and returning to the Lord moment by moment if he would experience the pardoning grace of God through the ministry of gospel preaching.

For the one who humbles himself and listens to God, the amazing miracle is that the message of God will indeed be heard. God has thoughts that are not our thoughts, and He will speak to us. God has ways of doing things that are not our ways, and He can help us. The difference between God and us is not an insignificant matter. God’s thoughts and ways are higher than the heavens. He lowers Himself through the means of a human ministry to first produce His holy Word in written form and then to explain His Word through those He has sent to teach His congregation. When this happens, and it can only happen by the Spirit of God working through weak human beings, then God really speaks to people, and they really do hear the voice of God.

The Lord has promised that He will communicate with His church. He sends His Word like rain from heaven upon a dry and weary land. When the rain falls on the right soil, God gives “seed to the sower and bread to the eater.” When He sends forth His Word, it will not come back to Him empty. It will have its intended impact. This is a great encouragement both to ministers and those who listen to preaching. God has determined to overcome our weakness because of the important purpose of His grace. For the glory of His Name, and by the power of His Spirit, He will accomplish everything that He intends to do.

There is a vital connection between the fulfillment of the promises of God in the future and the experience of joy that we can have in worship today. We are called to take in the life-healing and soul-feeding Word of the Lord. When we hear the truth and believe, we yield ourselves to God and experience His goodness. This is today’s miracle for us, that through the Word we can have joy as we believe in the promises of God which are perfectly secure for us in the cross and resurrection of Jesus Christ.

Prayer from A Book of Prayers

Lord of the Harvest, You are bringing forth children for the desolate woman. We are the descendants that You have made for the glory of Your Holy Servant, Jesus. He is the Lord of Hosts and our Husband. Your people were cast off in their sin, but now they are being brought back home in Your divine compassion. Your steadfast promise is fulfilled in the One who is both just and justifier. Therefore we rejoice in You and in the covenant of peace with which You have made us glad. We are precious stones now in Your holy temple. The day without fear will soon come in all perfection, and we will be changed from glory to glory. Even today, no weapon fashioned against us will prosper.

Isaiah 54

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God's covenant people face trials in every age, but not every age is the same. We are not always the most accurate assessors of our own spiritual vitality. We tend to confuse ease with goodness. The testimony of history is that the church is frequently at her best when she is facing the most trying discomforts. Whether things may seem great or especially challenging, the promises of God always remain the same. Several of these divine commitments are given to God's people in Isaiah 54.

First, God promises that the church will be a fruitful mother. For the one who desires to have children, there is little that could be more disheartening than the news that you are unable to do so. Old Testament heroes like Sarah or Hannah faced this trial. But when the Lord took away their reproach, it was the beginning of a new day.

In the days of Isaiah, Israel was like a barren woman. Yet in words that remind us of the contest between Sarah and Hagar, God announces that the children of the desolate one would be more than the children of the one who was married. Paul quotes this verse to refer to the blessings of the New Covenant era. The church would have “offspring” and would “possess the nations.”

It may be hard to sort out some of the imagery being used here, but the promise of God is clear. Though Israel might seem to be barren, through the blessing of God she will be fruitful. Her descendants will not be restricted to the Promised Land in Palestine, for her mission will have an international scope. God has made a promise that will not be broken. His church will be a fruitful wife.

Second, God promises that the church would be a beloved bride. Again, there are many who are ashamed because they feel alone and unloved. They long to know the love of the right man. The church will not have this fate. She will have a husband. In fact, her husband will be God, who is her Maker. This does not mean that God will abandon Israel. The Lord will fulfill His promises to His ancient people. He hid His face from the descendants of Jacob for a brief moment, but with everlasting love the Lord will have compassion on them forever.

The church will not only be a fruitful mother and a beloved wife, she will also be a glorious temple—a beautiful building rich with precious gems. Her foundations, her gates, and her walls will all be made with rare stones of great worth. It is clear that God is actually referring to people here rather than to treasuries, for Isaiah writes of children being taught by the Lord. This is a promise of a building of living stones, and a wonderful glimpse into future days when a godly seed will grow in the grace and knowledge of Jesus Christ.

In the Old Testament, this imagery of precious stones and a glorious building was displayed through the temple itself and through the gems that stood for the tribes of Israel on the breastplate of the Levitical priests. The same symbols are also prominent in the descriptions of the church in the New Testament books written by Peter, Paul, and John. There we learn that the long-expected cornerstone of the final temple will be the Lord Jesus Christ Himself. With the foundation of apostles and prophets in perfect alignment with that one cornerstone, the church is being built up into a holy temple of the Lord.

Finally, God promises that the church will be safe from all enemies. Throughout the present age we may face the wrath of enemies, but this final promise will also have its day of perfect fulfillment. Even now we believe that no weapon that is formed against the church can ultimately prosper, since our final life is a heavenly one. Even when our foes would steal away the life of one of God’s elect, at the point of death here below the Lord's beloved child is brought into His glorious presence above.

All of these promises of God are secured for us in Jesus Christ, who is our great King, our covenant Head, our solid Rock, and our Maker and Defender. The church will be a fruitful mother, a beloved bride, and a glorious temple. She will be perfectly safe from all her enemies. This is the blood-bought destiny of all the servants of the Lord.

Prayer from A Book of Prayers

Lord of the Harvest, You are bringing forth children for the desolate woman. We are the descendants that You have made for the glory of Your Holy Servant, Jesus. He is the Lord of Hosts and our Husband. Your people were cast off in their sin, but now they are being brought back home in Your divine compassion. Your steadfast promise is fulfilled in the One who is both just and justifier. Therefore we rejoice in You and in the covenant of peace with which You have made us glad. We are precious stones now in Your holy temple. The day without fear will soon come in all perfection, and we will be changed from glory to glory. Even today, no weapon fashioned against us will prosper.

Isaiah 53

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Can it be that the sinless Servant of the Lord would stand in for His followers and pay their spiritual debt? Can it be that His character and goodness would be credited to their accounts? This is the message of the gospel and it is the good report that comes from a straight-forward reading of the Bible. But who will believe this report?

The “Servant” was nothing to look at. He was despised and was a man of sorrows. Those who were around Him did not esteem Him. At the height of His suffering, people wanted to look away from Him. Yet that moment of His deepest affliction was also the moment of His greatest service. He finished a most difficult race for all those who would learn to trust in Him. He was running that horrific course for them. They had the grief, but He carried it. They had the transgressions, but He took the wounds that they deserved. They had the iniquities, but He faced the weight of the Lord’s crushing justice. They needed peace, so He took the punishment. They were wandering away from God, so the Lord laid on Him their overwhelming iniquity.

The redemption of the Lord's people was a plan that involved the Father and the Son. The suffering that the Servant of the Lord faced was from the hand of the Father. It was the just penalty for the sins of all those He loved. That debt was not owed to the devil or to any other creature. It was paid in full to Almighty God.

The Servant of the Lord faced this terrible divine wrath in silence. Though He went to His death with complete awareness of what would happen to Him, He accepted His ultimate trial with the peace of a lamb going to its shearers. He was completely submissive to His Father’s will.

He had not done any wrong, but He was oppressed and judged by corrupt men. He died and was buried in a borrowed grave. Yet the Lord, who could never be the author of any injustice, was working out His sovereign and holy will. “It was the will of the Lord to crush Him.” Beyond the Messiah's profound humiliation would come the greatest exaltation for the Redeemer of God's children.

Isaiah 53 promised that this great dying Man would see His “offspring.” All those who were united to Him in faith would be counted as His sons and daughters. Though His life under the sun was brief, God prolonged His days into the most wonderful eternal life, not only for Jesus, but for all who would call upon His name. Observers could see the anguish of His final hours, but did they know what the Son of God was actually doing? The Servant of Isaiah 53 accomplished the will of God. He made “many to be accounted righteous.”

Jesus poured out His life completely. He faced the indignity of being numbered with transgressors. He bore the sins of many, and then He prayed for those who were responsible for His death. The church throughout the world must never forget what Christ has done for us. God surely knows what His Son has accomplished. Suffering must give way to glory. The cross is finished. The crown is forever.

Prayer from A Book of Prayers

O Lord, so many have ignored the truth of Your grace. So many were offended by the lowliness of our holy King. How is it that men would dare to despise Jesus, who was wounded for our transgressions? Thank You for this great truth: that the Shepherd died for the sheep. The One who was oppressed and afflicted in silence now lives forever in the strength of resurrection power. When He is seen again, every knee shall bow before Him who was an offering for sin. He has justified many. He has carried our guilt. Through the strength of His death, and through His intercession for us, we have been saved.

Isaiah 52

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The best news for God’s people will be the final coming of Messiah’s Kingdom. On that day Zion will truly awake with joy, and God's children will put on their beautiful garments. No longer will demonic enemies assail them. They will shake off the dust of this dying world and rise up as the glorified city of God.

The people of Israel lived not only in the hope of a coming salvation, but also in the experience of brokenness and trouble. Centuries earlier they had been oppressed by Egyptian taskmasters. They had also faced the assault of the Assyrian empire. Babylon and Rome would one day bring much trouble upon them. None of these nations would be as destructive as their most formidable enemies—sin, death, and Satan. But God, who was greater than any enemy, had determined that His people know His name. He would one day say to them in their affliction, “Here am I.”

People all over the earth would hear the promise of the great day of Zion’s future redemption. That good news would be proclaimed through messengers of God’s Word with this beautiful simplicity: “Your God reigns.”

In the camp of God’s covenant people there should have been watchmen who were waiting for the coming of messengers bringing the announcement of the Lord's victory for the people of faith. True watchmen would be the ones to first hear and see the blessed report. Their souls would awaken to God through the preaching of His Word. These ministers would come to know the Word of faith. They would sing for joy at the news of the return of the Lord to Zion, and at the message of encouragement that would be announced to those who were weak with tears, “Your God reigns.”

The covenant people of God were break forth in songs of praise to the Lord. All who would rejoice at that arrival of the messengers of the Almighty would confess His Name together. “All the ends of the earth shall see the salvation of our God.”

Those who would hear of this future day of glory would also be called to depart from evil. They would need more than ritual purity. God's gift of perfect cleansing and true repentance would only come through the Messiah, the “Servant” of the Lord.

The Christ would one day be highly exalted, but the pathway to His enthronement would be through the most profound suffering of body and soul. He would be “marred” beyond recognition, but His blood would “sprinkle” many nations. The oppressive power of enemy kings would be stopped.

This good news has reached us today through the proclamation of Christ to the world. The reign of a new king has begun in the resurrection of Jesus. We have heard good news from the mouths of the Lord's appointed messengers. Our God reigns.

Prayer from A Book of Prayers

Come in strength, O God, in the garments of Your power. We were sold for nothing, but we have been redeemed through the precious blood of the Lamb. Speak in the voice of Your gospel herald soon. Let the weary come again to Zion, that we might sing to our God. Your arm is strong. Show us Your salvation. Release us from the filthy chains of wickedness and be our God. Thank You for Your amazing Servant. He is our strength.

Isaiah 51

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Abraham and Sarah were beyond the age of child-bearing. Even in their earlier years, Sarah had never been able to have a baby. As God promised, He gave them many descendants. How did they become so fruitful? God alone could make the barren field yield a full harvest. Only He could bring true gladness and songs of rejoicing to those who had lost all hope.

Beyond any other gift that He gave, the Lord made one of Abraham's descendants a light to all the people groups of the earth. Far off “coastlands” of even distant continents would one day receive the Word of God.

The world and all that it contained would pass away, but the kingdom that God would bring about would be eternal. Which would God’s people prefer, a salvation bought for them with the precious blood of Christ, or the fleeting pleasures of the present world?

By the strength of the Almighty, His redeemed would be made alive by the King of a Resurrection world. They would come to “Zion” with joyful singing. This would not be merely a temporary return to the earthly temple mount, as great as that would be in the sixth century before Christ. The joy that God's children would possess in the heavenly Zion would one day be fuller than they could have ever imagined. Sorrow, and even sighing, would vanish forever.

God alone would do this. He said, “I am the Lord your God, and you are my people.” He who is the Word would remake His children and secure for them His greatest gifts.

How should Israel have responded to this news? Were they “awake” to all that their God would do for them through their Savior and King? God called them to trust in Him and to turn away from idolatry and sin. He still invites us to believe and obey today.

The great Redeemer descended from Abraham and Sarah has come. Only He could drink the cup of God’s wrath and live again. He did this for us. Now we are safe and secure. We will be with our God forever. It will not be good for the tormentors of the church when the Lord comes again. But because of the blood of Christ, there will be bountiful blessings for all who truly call upon the Name of the Lord.

Prayer from A Book of Prayers

Lord our Rock, we have come from You. You have called men before us to be people of faith. Surely we must follow in this way. We are in One who was the hope of Abraham. He is a light to the peoples. We wait for His strong arm even today. The day of our salvation is approaching. You have put your Law in our hearts, and Your righteousness and salvation rise up within Your holy people. You will not be stopped by the most evil foe. You can make us glad again today. You are the Comforter who lives in us. You alone made the world, and You have brought about the new creation. Blessed be Your Name, O Lord of Hosts. Speak to Zion today in Your Word. Take away the cup of Your wrath, since this has already been consumed to the very dregs by our Helper who died on the cross for our sins. Yet today there remains an adversary against us. Help us, O Lord.

Isaiah 50

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Israel was in a desperate condition. The nation would eventually be sent off into exile. Why would this disaster come to pass? “Behold, for your iniquities you were sold, and for your transgressions your mother was sent away.” The discipline that would eventually come upon God's people would be brought about by the Almighty. He could have stopped their sufferings at any time. “Is My hand shortened, that it cannot redeem?” Yet this time of great trouble would fit into His own purposes for His elect.

The Lord's children could not solve their own sin problem. Therefore God prepared them to eventually receive His Son. Isaiah 50 contains the third of four revealing songs that would eventually help His people to embrace a suffering king. In this divinely-inspired composition we learn that there would finally come one Man who would delight in the Word of the Lord. The Messiah would listen well and would learn how to speak rightly, “that I may know how to sustain with a word him who is weary.”

The willing obedience of Israel's Savior would be all the more amazing because of the specific instructions that He would be called to follow. “I gave my back to those who strike, and my cheeks to those who pull out the beard; I hid not my face from disgrace and spitting.” Jesus would not run away from this calling. In the words of Isaiah 50:7, “I have set my face like a flint.” This courageous determination was fulfilled in Luke 9:51, “When the days drew near for Him to be taken up, He set His face to go to Jerusalem.” Though He knew that He would suffer shame and death, He also had confidence that His Father would vindicate Him in the end.

Isaiah asked his original readers this probing question: “Who among you fears the Lord and obeys the voice of His Servant?” The prophet's ancient words still challenge the church today to put our “trust in the Name of the Lord.” The alternative to faith remains a most frightening prospect. “This you have from My hand: you shall lie down in torment.” May God grant us grace to believe in Him and to trust in Jesus, who is able to “sustain” us with His powerful Word of grace.

Prayer from A Book of Prayers

O Lord, the church is suffering in the filth of her own foolishness, weakness, poverty, and rebellion. How can we come to You as a pure bride if not in the righteousness of a Substitute? We have only one Man who was not rebellious. He suffered for us. He set His heart toward the perfect obedience that you require, and He was not put to shame. You have been His strength, and He is now our hope. We will fear You and obey You. We will walk by the light that You have provided us in Him.

Isaiah 49

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Who was the “Servant” of the Lord in Isaiah? The figure at the center of the prophet's songs was the personification of a faithful Israel. As we continue in Isaiah, the fact that this perfect Israel would actually be a specific individual becomes more obvious.

What does the second song teach us about the coming Servant-Messiah? This Savior appealed to people from the “coastlands” (far-off Gentile nations) to listen to His message. He was called “from the womb.” His words would be like a sharp sword. The Lord would protect His Servant from danger. It would look like His mission yielded nothing. Yet God would send His Christ not only to restore Jews to God, but to be a light to far-off Gentile lands. Though the Savior would be deeply despised by God's own “nation,” many powerful rulers would one day bow before Him.

Because of the grace of adoption that united Jews and Gentiles together in one body in the Lord, there would eventually be so many descendants of Israel that their living space in His kingdom would need to be broadened. They would welcome in many people from all over the world into the household of faith.

We should sing for joy because of the great blessings that have already been secured for us in the work of this great Christ. Yet there are times when we find it hard to see with the eyes of faith. We think that the Lord has turned away from us and has forgotten to love us. The Lord is like a tender mother who will never forget her child. Even if a loving mother would forget, the Lord’s love will never fail. The names of His children are carved into the palms of His hands, just as the nails made their marks in the hands of Jesus Christ. The message for us in Isaiah remains very powerful for all who will believe: “Those who wait for me shall not be put to shame.”

Prayer from A Book of Prayers

Great God, Your Son is the One! He is the Savior. He is the Suffering King. You have called Him from the womb. He has saved Jacob. He has even saved Your beloved elect from every tribe and tongue and nation. You have made Him to be a Covenant to Your people. A day of the greatest provision is surely coming. None of this could ever have happened without our Messiah. You have comforted us in Him. Even if our mothers and fathers have forgotten us, You will never forget us. Your plans for us are glorious. We are to be a holy bride. The children of our bereavement will yet speak in our ears. There will be many for the ones who thought that they were left all alone. This will be the day of resurrection glory. We will know that You are the Lord. We wait for You, and we shall not be put to shame. You will save our children who have been taken captive by a foul adversary. You are the mighty one of Jacob.

Isaiah 48

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God was fully aware of Israel's sins. Recognizing their weaknesses, the Lord both concealed and revealed what He knew would eventually come to pass. He had written about certain matters long ago so that people could not claim that their idols had brought about these events. But there were also new developments that He had never mentioned. Therefore His people could not claim to know all the hidden things of God.

For the glory of His own Name the Lord remained committed to His people. It was only right that the One who was immeasurably greater than all of creation should glorify Himself. He was the first and the last. He had laid the foundation of the earth and spread out the heavens. All the stars had responded to His commands.

The Babylonians would not continue to stand by their own sovereign will. It was God who gave them their years of rule and the extent of their empire. If He eventually appointed a man to defeat them, that man would prosper.

There would ultimately be one amazingly victorious King who would rule over an eternal kingdom by the power of God’s Holy Spirit. The Lord would redeem His wayward people by that royal Messiah. God would lead them in a new way.

Surely Israel experienced a small taste of this redemption in the time of Ezra and Nehemiah. Yet this little victory was nothing when compared to the new world that is coming through Jesus Christ. The God who brought His people through the wilderness has now given them every spiritual blessing and an eternal hope. There is no peace for the wicked, but God has provided a way for the ungodly to be counted as righteous in His sight. This blessing comes to sinners only through the death and resurrection of the Son of God.

Prayer from A Book of Prayers

Father, should we be shocked when we face persecution and trial? You have warned us of the troubles that would come. You know our pride and our reckless wandering. You know the temptations all around us. You have seen our treachery and have heard our presumptuous boasting. You will not give Your glory to another. You have called us, and You will save us. You will use strong measures to keep Your chosen ones. You have not spoken about this in secret. We should pay attention to Your commandments. Then our peace would have been like a river, even when Your enemies abused us. Yet Your promises shall still stand. You have redeemed us from an adversary that was far too strong for us. We shall praise You together with all Your holy ones and we shall glorify Your Name forever.

Isaiah 47

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It is easy to be obsessed with issues of physical beauty and sensual comfort. Young women who were part of a conquering power might have been tender and delicate for a time, but what would they do when their men lost in battle? They might have to perform menial tasks that only their slaves did back in their former days of glory. They might even be the ones sent away as deported exiles.

Who would bring these changes to pass? It was the Redeemer of Israel, the Lord God. God revealed here through Isaiah that the “mistress” of kingdoms, great Babylon, would one day be led along in the darkness. She might then remember that she had moved descendants of Israel away from their land to serve as her slaves. In that earlier time, God was angry with His people. Why? They had been proud, foolish, and idolatrous. But God would not abandon them forever, for His commitment to His own Name would cause His discipline of Israel to come to an end. Those who had proudly abused His people would find Him to be a most formidable enemy.

The women of Babylon thought they were better than others. “I am, and there is no one besides me.” But it is only God who is truly unique. They imagined that they were not only beautiful, but also very wise, and even spiritually more sophisticated because of their special religious counselors. Their priests claimed to know secret truths and to have special powers, but lying divination would not be able to save them when the era of Babylonian supremacy came to an end.

There is a day of trouble that is too much for any earthly empire. All who seek eternal peace must hide in the righteousness of the strong and valiant husband of the church, the Lord Jesus Christ. We need His forgiveness, protection, and healing. There is no one like Him. Follow Him with the full assurance of His everlasting love. He gave His blood for His holy bride. We will be beautiful forever because of Him.

Prayer from A Book of Prayers

Lord God, men may exalt themselves now with all their wealth and glory. Yet they will be brought low in the Day of Judgment. The ones who have had no mercy on Your church, what will they receive from You when You come in vengeance? You can bring a sudden ruin upon those who counted on sorcery. How could the nations turn back to false gods and rituals when Your Son has been so clearly proclaimed as Lord? We will hope in Jesus Christ. We turn away from all false gods.

Isaiah 46

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Peace was never only a personal state of mind. It had a communal dimension. Nations looked to their gods to preserve good order in their lands. But could those divinities actually deliver people from danger and bring them prosperity? According to Isaiah, the day would surely come when it would be perfectly evident that the Babylonian gods were not doing their jobs. They were weights upon the necks of the people—burdens that did not solve any problems but only made things worse.

The true God of heaven and earth was the only answer for any people group. If what they needed was cradle to the grave care, there was simply no other god who would do. Everyone else was an impostor.

Jehovah took care of His chosen ones in Israel from birth to old age. He alone could carry them and save them. How sad when the Lord's own chosen flock decided that the artistically crafted idols of other nations were the answer for them. Lifeless idols could not speak or move. They had to be carried about on the shoulders of those that they were supposedly protecting.

Israel needed to cultivate the good habit of regular meditation upon the wisdom and power of the Almighty. How did they know about these attributes of God? He had revealed them in His written Word. There was no other god like Him.

Consider the events of redemption in the history of the Jews that culminated in the cross and the resurrection of the Savior of the world. From Adam to Jesus and all the way down to our own lives, so much has been perfectly accomplished! God brought His righteousness so near to us, but He also brought our sin so near to His beloved Son. Now the people of God have become a glorious inheritance for Jesus. One day we will be without spot or blemish. The zeal of the Lord of Hosts will flawlessly accomplish the fullness of our salvation. Our King will bring us peace. No other god could do this.

Prayer from A Book of Prayers

Father, now that You have revealed Yourself to us so fully in Your Son, will we turn to the foolish idols of the nations? Surely when Christ has been preached to all the nations, if Your people would turn back to some false messiah it would be an abomination. We trust You. Your plan is perfect. Your righteousness has come near to us in Christ. We shall not be moved.