Verse-by-Verse Bible Commentary
Isaiah 55:6

Clarke's Commentary

Verse Isaiah 55:6. Seek ye the Lord while he may be found — Rab. David Kimchi gives the true sense of this passage: "Seek ye the Lord, because he may be found: call upon him, because he is near. Repent before ye die, for after death there is no conversion of the soul."

Bridgeway Bible Commentary

God’s free provision (55:1-13)

Many of the Jews had made life reasonably tolerable for themselves in Babylon. The prophet knew that they were so settled that they might not want to uproot themselves and face the hardships of life back in their desolated homeland. Many were more concerned with making life easier for themselves than with knowing God and looking to him for their provision. God warns against this self-centred attitude and invites them to trust fully in him. The blessings he gives are free. They cannot be bought with money, but they bring more satisfaction than all the temporary benefits that people might manage to gain (55:1-2).
If the people respond to God’s purposes for them, the divine blessings will extend far beyond the borders of the restored nation. When God’s people take his message to other nations, people who previously had no knowledge of God will become followers of the God of Israel. God’s people will see his covenant promises to David fulfilled beyond their expectations (3-5).
First, however, God requires repentance. When people turn from their sin to God, he forgives them freely according to his mercy (6-7). This mercy is so great that it is beyond human understanding. What God has prepared for his people is greater than they have ever imagined (8-9).
As surely as rain soaks into the ground and makes plants grow (it does not float back up to the clouds), so will God’s promise of Israel’s restoration come true (it will not return to God fruitless). God will lead his people out of Babylon and back to their homeland. The world of nature will rejoice along with God’s people, and their land will become fruitful again (10-13).

Coffman's Commentaries on the Bible

"Seek ye Jehovah, while he may be found; call ye upon him while he is near: let the wicked forsake his way, and the unrighteous man his thoughts; and let him return unto Jehovah, and he will have mercy upon him; and to our God, for he will abundantly pardon."

The call for sinners to repent and turn to God is urgent business. Note the dramatic imperatives of this chapter: "Come to the waters," "Come ye," "Come ye," "Buy and eat," "Come, buy," "Hearken diligently," "Eat that which is good," "Incline your ear," "Come unto me," "Hear," "Seek ye Jehovah," "Call ye upon him," "Forsake the wicked way," "Forsake unrighteous thoughts," - there are twenty of these in the first seven verses! It is as if God is standing and screaming for men to heed his word and be saved.

The balance of the chapter, and beginning right here in Isaiah 55:7, is devoted to the reasons why men should heed the Divine call to repentance, there being five of these: (1) "God will abundantly pardon" (Isaiah 55:7). (2) "My thoughts are not your thoughts," etc., (Isaiah 55:8). (3) A third for introduces this reason, "God's ways are superior to men's ways as the heavens are higher than the earth" (Isaiah 55:9). (4) "God's Word will accomplish its purpose anyway, regardless of what men do" (Isaiah 55:10-11). (5) The fifth and final for occurs in Isaiah 55:12, where the fifth reason for heeding God's call is cited as the everlasting joy and success which shall reward it (Isaiah 55:12-13).

"Seek ye Jehovah" Barnes made the following deductions from this imperative: "It is implied here that: (1) men are by nature ignorant of God, otherwise they should not have been commanded to `seek'; (2) if men will obtain God's favor, they must seek it; (3) the invitation to seek God is open to all men; and, (4) the knowledge of God is of inestimable value."Albert Barnes' Commentary, Vol. II, p. 300.

Cheyne noted that these verses apply to the captives in Babylon, and that they mean that, "God here urges his people to make sure that they are of the True Israel."T. K. Cheyne's Commentary, Vol. II, p. 61.

"He will have mercy… he will abundantly pardon" This definitely identifies the chapter with the times of the New Covenant, because forgiveness is the hallmark of the New Covenant only (Jer. 35:31-35). We like McGuiggan's comment on God's willingness to forgive sinners:

"God is so different. Men (and there's a message here for all of us) are not inclined to be forgiving. Men drink in forgiveness by the bucketful, and spoon it out under pressure."Jim McGuiggan, p. 280.

These verses indicate that, "The response to Jehovah's call involves a complete change of both lifestyle and heart; one must completely renounce evil activities and thoughts; when one does that, God will pardon and forgive all of his sins."Homer Hailey, p. 455.

Barnes' Notes on the Whole Bible

Seek ye the Lord - The commencement of religion in the heart is often represented as seeking for God. or inquiring for his ways Deuteronomy 4:29; Job 5:8; Job 8:5; Psalms 9:10; Psalms 14:2; Psalms 27:8. This is to be regarded as addressed not to the Jewish exiles only or uniquely, but to all in view of the coming and work of the Messiah. That work would be so full and ample that an invitation could be extended to all to seek after God, and to return to him. It is implied here:

1. That people are by nature ignorant of God - since they are directed to ‘seek’ for him.

2. That if people will obtain his favor it must be sought. No man becomes his friend without desiring it; no one who does not earnestly seek for it.

3. That the invitation to seek God should be made to all. In this passage it is unlimited (compare Isaiah 55:7). Where there are sinners, there the invitation is to be offered.

4. That the knowledge of God is of inestimable value. He would not command people to seek that which was worthless; he would not urge it with so much earnestness as is here manifested if it were not of inexpressible importance.

While he may be found - It is implied here:

1. That God may now be found.

2. That the time will come when it will be impossible to obtain his favor.

The leading thought is, that under the Messiah the offer of salvation will be made to people fully and freely. But the period will come when it will be withdrawn. If God forsakes human beings; if he wholly withdraws his Spirit; if they have committed the sin which hath never forgiveness; or if they neglect or despise the provisions of mercy and die in their sins, it will be too late, and mercy cannot then be found. How unspeakably important, then, is it to seek for mercy at once - lest, slighted now, the offer should be withdrawn. or lest death should Overtake us, and we be removed to a world where mercy is unknown! How important is the present moment - for another moment may place us beyond the reach of pardon and of grace! How amazing the stupidity of men who suffer their present moments to pass away unimproved, and who, amidst the gaieties and the business of life, permit the day of salvation to pass by, and lose their souls! And how just is the condemnation of the sinner! If a man will not do so simple a thing as to ask for pardon, he ought to perish. The universe will approve the condemnation of such a man; and the voice of complaint can never be raised against that Holy Being who consigns such a sinner to hell.

Call ye upon him - That is, implore his mercy (see Romans 10:13; compare Joel 2:32). How easy are the terms of salvation! How just will be the condemnation of a sinner if he will not call upon God! Assuredly, if people will not breathe out one broken-hearted petition to the God of heaven that they may be saved, they have only to blame themselves if they are lost. The terms of salvation could be made no easier; and man can ask nothing more simple.

While he is near - In an important sense God is equally near to us at all times. But this figurative language is taken from the mode of speaking among people, and it denotes that there are influences more favorable for seeking him at some periods than others. Thus God comes near to us in the preaching of his word, when it is borne with power to the conscience; in his providences, when he strikes down a friend and comes into the very circle where we move, or the very dwelling where we abide; when he lays his hand upon us in sickness, he is near us by day and by night; in a revival of religion, or when a pious friend pleads with us, God is near to us then, and is calling us to his favor. These are favorable times for salvation; times which, if they are suffered to pass by unimproved, return no more; periods which will all soon be gone, and when they are gone, the sinner irrecoverably dies.

Calvin's Commentary on the Bible

6.Seek ye Jehovah. After having spoken of the good success of the gospel among the Gentiles, who formerly were strangers to the kingdom of God, he urges the Jews to be ashamed of loitering while others run; for since they were the first who were called, it is shameful that they should be last. This exhortation, therefore, relates strictly to the Jews, to whom the example of the Gentiles is held out in order to excite their jealousy; in the same manner as the Lord hath foretold that “he would provoke the Jews to jealousy by a foolish nation.” (Deuteronomy 32:21)

While he is found. “The time of finding” is here used not exactly in the same sense as in Psalms 32:6, ⁽⁸⁵⁾ but as the time when God offers himself to us, as in other passages he has limited a fixed day for his good­pleasure and our salvation. (Isaiah 49:8) Yet I readily admit that it likewise denotes the time when necessity prompts us to seek God’s assistance; but we ought chiefly to remember that God is sought at a seasonable time, when of his own accord he advances to meet us; for in vain shall indolent and sluggish persons lament that they had been deprived of that grace which they rejected. The Lord sometimes endures our sluggishness, and bears with us; but if ultimately he do not succeed, he will withdraw, and will bestow his grace on others. For this reason Christ exhorts us to walk while it is day, for the night cometh when the means of pursuing our journey shall be taken from us. (John 12:35) We ought to draw high consolation from being assured that it is not in vain for us to seek God. “Seek,” says Christ, “and ye shall find; knock, and it shall be opened; ask, and it shall be given to you.” (Matthew 7:7)

Call upon him while he is near. The word “call” may here be taken in a general sense; but I think that it denotes one description of” seeking” God, which is of more importance than all the others, as if he commanded us to betake ourselves to him by prayers and supplications. He says that he is “near,” when he opens the door and gently invites us to come to him, or when he comes forth publicly, so that we do not need to seek him through long windings. But we must attend to Paul’s definition, who tells us that it denotes the preaching of the gospel. (Romans 10:8) “The Lord is nigh,” (Philippians 4:5) and exhibits himself to us, when the voice of the gospel cries aloud; and we do not need to seek far, or to make long circuits, as unbelievers do; for he exhibits himself to us in his word, that we, on our part, may draw near to him.

(85) “In a time when thou mayest be found. Heb., in a time of finding.” (Eng. Ver.) Our author’s rendering is, “Therefore shall every one that is meek pray unto thee in the time of finding thee.” In his commentary he makes reference to this passage of Isaiah. ­ Ed.

Smith's Bible Commentary

Chapter 55

Ho, every one that thirsteth ( Isaiah 55:1 ),

Going into the glorious Kingdom Age. Now, God detests and hates commercialism. God hates how people take advantage of one another. Profiteering on someone else. God is going to bring down the whole commercial system. And when God brings it down there is going to be great rejoicing in heaven, though on earth there's going to be tremendous mourning and lamentation. But in Revelation 18:1-24 God spends a whole chapter telling of how He's going to bring down this whole commercial world that have put people into bondage through credit cards. And it makes slaves out of people. Put people under all kinds of financial pressures. Taking advantage of people's misfortunes. And God hates it with a passion. And He's going to bring it down. And in the new age that is going to be established by Jesus Christ, no commercialism at all. Man's greed will not have an opportunity of exploiting the weaker man or his fellowman or the poorer man. "Ho, every one that thirsteth."

come to the waters, and he that has no money; come, buy, and eat; yea, come, and buy the wine and milk without money and without price ( Isaiah 55:1 ).

God is going to allow the earth to just bring forth abundantly and every man shall see, set 'neath his own vine and fig tree and they shall live in peace together. There won't be the greed that has actually created so many of the horrible wars in our history. Those men who profit over wars, those men who have the commercial interest and all who can make great gain through bringing a nation against a nation, all would be gone. The basis of greed will be gone. Everything will be free. "Ho, every one that thirsteth, just come. Help yourself. Take what you want. No money. No price."

Why do you spend your money for that which is not bread? ( Isaiah 55:2 )

The Lord said.

you labor for that which does not satisfy? ( Isaiah 55:2 )

As He speaks out against our whole system today, how that we labor so hard to get things that really don't satisfy. Why is it that you do this?

hearken diligently unto me, and eat ye that which is good, and let your soul delight itself in fatness. Incline your ear, and come unto me: hear, and your soul shall live; and I will make an everlasting covenant with you, even the sure mercies of David. Behold, I have given him for a witness to the people, a leader and a commander to the people ( Isaiah 55:2-4 ).

So Christ shall come and sit upon the throne of David and order it and establish it in righteousness and in judgment. And He shall be as a witness to the people, a leader, a commander.

Behold, thou shalt call a nation that thou knowest not, and nations that knew thee not shall run unto thee because of the LORD thy God, and for the Holy One of Israel; for he hath glorified thee. Seek ye 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: and let him return unto the LORD, and he will have mercy upon him; and to our God, for he will abundantly pardon ( Isaiah 55:5-7 ).

Oh, what beautiful words of God to us tonight. Call upon the Lord while He is near, while He may be found. "Seek Him while He may be found, call upon Him while He is near: let the wicked forsake his way, the unrighteous man his thoughts of evil: return to the Lord, for God will have mercy; He will abundantly pardon you." For God says,

My thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways, saith the LORD ( Isaiah 55:8 ).

I will vouch for that. I don't understand so many times why God does the things He does. His thoughts are not my thoughts. Nor are His ways my ways. I would do many things much differently. I wouldn't do them more wisely; I'd just do them differently. But you see, the difference between God's thoughts and my thoughts, and God's ways and my ways, is that God knows the end from the beginning. Therefore, He doesn't do something and wonder if it's right. When He does it, He knows it's right. Now the way I do things, I do them and I hope it's right. And sometimes it is. But many times it isn't. But when I started doing it, I was sure it was.

So many times I think that this is the best way; and then I find out it isn't. There was a much better way. So God says, "Hey, My thoughts are not your thoughts. My ways are not your ways."

For as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than yours, and my thoughts than your thoughts ( Isaiah 55:9 ).

There is such a difference, and yet herein is the folly of man, because I get angry with God sometimes because He doesn't do it my way. Now isn't that ridiculous? For a person to get angry with God because God has done something a way they didn't want it done or a way they wouldn't do it? Now if I did it my way, I would never have any troubles. I would never have any weakness. I would never have any problems. If I did it my way, it'd just be smooth sailing all the way. No storms. But that's not God's way. For you see, if I did it my way, I would never develop any strength of character. I would become a very weak flabby, spoiled person. Miserable to be around 'cause I would not understand a person that did have problems. A person that did experience weaknesses. I would become intolerable towards them. So God doesn't let me do it my way. God lets me fall. God lets me stumble. God lets me experience weaknesses. God lets me experience troubles, trials, problems, difficulties. So that when my brother is in need, I can come to him in meekness and lift him, as I consider myself realizing that I too am tempted. So God's ways are really best.

Now for me to insist that God do it my way is sheer folly. Because now I am exalting my knowledge above God's. For me to demand that God does it my way, "God, I want You to do this now. I'm speaking this into existence. I want You to do it!" Oh man, how foolish! Because you see, that's exalting my knowledge, my ways, my thoughts. It's seeking to make them supreme instead of God supreme. Who knows all things and knows so much better than I know.

Now the wrath of God is going to be revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of man who hold the truth of God in unrighteousness. And for you to hold the truth of God, and yet exalt yourself and your thoughts and your ways above Him is holding the truth of God in unrighteousness. That's the wrong way to hold the truth of God because you say, "Well, God is supreme, God knows everything." And then I say, "Now God, I demand that You do this or I command You, Lord, to do this." That is not making God supreme. That's now making me supreme and my ways supreme. So I'm holding the truth of God in righteousness. I'm saying, "God, I know better than You know. My way is better than Your way." How much better it is, how much more glorifying to God it is, what a great witness it is when I can just say, "Oh God, Your will be done. I just commit myself and my ways to You, Lord. That Your will will be done in my life. You do what is best. You do what You know is best." And not to question and not to challenge and not to gripe and not to complain when things aren't going my way. Not to give God such a miserable time.

Oh again, if I were God, man, would I put a plug in some people's mouths as they come whining and complaining. And the minute I'd hear that, "Aw, God," I'd just... Whining to God. Of course, I'm very intolerable towards whining. Talk to my kids. Man, that's one thing I could never stand, a whining kid. And they learned that. My kids may do a lot of bad things, but they don't whine. And I can imagine God's attitude towards the constant griping and whining and all that He hears from people because He isn't doing something to suit me, to suit my way. To harmonize with my thoughts.

But yet, "as high as the heaven is above the earth." Now how high that is, I don't know and I don't think anybody knows, but it's out there. It's high. Just how high I don't know, but it's awfully high. So are God's thoughts higher than mine, and His ways are higher than mine. So surely the wisest thing I could ever do is just to commit my way unto the Lord and that's what the scripture tells me to do. "Commit your way unto the Lord, and He shall bring it to pass" ( Psalms 37:5 ). Whatever He plans. Whatever He purposes. He'll bring it to pass if I just commit my way to Him.

For as the rain cometh down, and the snow from heaven, and returns not thither, but it waters the earth, and makes it to bring forth and bud, that it may give seed to the sower, and bread to the eater: So shall my word be that goes forth out of my mouth: it shall not return unto me void, but it shall accomplish that which I please, and it shall prosper in the thing whereto I sent it ( Isaiah 55:10-11 ).

Now God here uses a very common figure-an occurrence of nature, the rain and the snow, to illustrate His Word. How that they come down from heaven, even as God's Word has come to us not as an invention of man as some would have you to think, but "all scripture is given by inspiration of God" ( 2 Timothy 3:16 ). "Holy men of old wrote as they were inspired by the Holy Spirit" ( 2 Peter 1:21 ). God's Word is come to us from heaven and the purpose of God's Word is to work here on earth, not to work in heaven, but it's to work here on earth. Its effect and its fruit and its result is here on earth.

Now even as rain comes down to water the earth in order that it might spark into life, all of the potential that is there in that dirt, you look at a dry, parched, dusty field, barren. But yet in that dirt, in that dry field there's all kinds of latent life forms. Out on the desert, dry, parched sand. But just get a few inches of rain, the beauty, the glory that is there as the rain sparks into life. All of the seeds and everything else that are there and the desert turns purple. It turns yellow. It turns golden. It turns blue with all of the beautiful flowers, as the seeds have been touched by the rain and brought forth into life. So our lives as God's Word comes to us is able to transform our lives and bring into life that spirit.

The Word of God is that which comes to our spirit and brings life to our spirit and thus brings forth all of the glory and the potential of our being. Man without the Word of God remains dead, lifeless, barren, deserty. But oh, when God's Word like rain begins to just soak my life, the fruit, the results as it waters in order that it might bud blossoms forth. "To give seed to the sower and bread to the eater." The first effect of God's work in my life is towards me, what it has done for me. And the second is bread to the eater, what God can do through me in helping others. "So is My Word, it shall not return unto Me void." God's Word will not come back void. "He that goeth forth with weeping, bearing precious seed, shall doubtless come again, bringing the sheaves with him" ( Psalms 126:6 ).

You go forth with the Word of God, the seed. Now the seed is the Word, Jesus said. You go forth bearing the precious seed, the Word of God, carrying it to others. Doubtless you're going to come again with a harvest. For God's Word will not return unto Him void. Now learn to start using the Word and quit defending it. It doesn't need your defense. It needs that you just use the Word of God. How many people have started to read the Bible in order that they might learn it better so that they can better argue against it and have ended up believing. I think of Lou Madison in our congregation here, and his wife loved the Lord, was a Christian. And Lou was so angry. With his engineering mind, he was going to read the Bible so that he could just tear to shreds her whole faith. Destroy it. And as he got to reading the Bible in order that he might destroy his wife's faith, God's Word didn't return void, and faith was planted in Lou's heart. They ended up together in the faith instead of out of the faith, because God's Word won't return void. If a person would only read with an open heart, "God's Word will not return void, it shall accomplish that which God pleases, it shall prosper in the thing for which God sent it."

Now God has sent His Word to bring you hope, to bring you encouragement, to bring you joy, to bring you life. And all of these things will come to you as you read the Word of God. It's not going to return void. It's going to accomplish the purposes for which He has sent it. So how important for us to just let the Word of God soak into our lives. Just each day get a new drenching of God's Word and just let it soak in. Oh, how it will cause your life to just bud forth with glory and the beauty.

For ye shall go out with joy, and be led forth with peace: the mountains and the hills shall break forth before you into singing, and the trees of the field shall clap their hands ( Isaiah 55:12 ).

Oh, that person who is saturated in the Word of God. All nature seems to just come into harmony and into tune. It's just glorious as you come into harmony with God, you come into harmony with the nature around you. And you begin to see things you never saw before. I've always said, hey, if you're not a Christian be sure that you give your life to the Lord before you take your vacation. You cannot enjoy your vacation completely unless you have Christ in your heart. And I'll tell you, you'll see things through Christ-filled eyes that you have never seen before. Those flowers that you used to just trample down in the meadows, you'll be enthralled with them, with their design, with their color, with their beauty. You'll see new things. The hills will break forth into singing. The trees will clap their hands. And oh, you'll just come in tune and in harmony with God's creation.

Instead of the thorn shall come up the fir tree, and instead of the brier the myrtle tree: and it shall be to the LORD for a name, for an everlasting sign that shall not be cut off ( Isaiah 55:13 ).

God's glorious day of restoration. The glorious thing about teaching the Word of God I never need to worry about the result because God's Word won't return void. He's going to accomplish the purposes for which He sent it. And I can always know that you're going to go away and be blessed because you've been here. And that's sort of comforting to know. If I stood up here and gave you my word all evening, then I'd worry all week about what had happened to it. But because we give to you God's word, we commend you now unto the Word of God. That God might work in your life His glorious work as now by the Spirit He makes application of the truths to your life and as He begins His work of enriching you in His love through His grace.

May God be with you this week and keep your life steadfast in Him. And may you grow up into Christ in all things as your life comes into that place of maturity that God wants you to know and to experience in Jesus Christ. And thus may your life be rich and full as God's Word works in you through the Spirit. "

Dr. Constable's Expository Notes

The Lord had reached out to humanity by promising free salvation through His prophet. The listeners needed to respond to Him because those promises would not always be available to them.

"We could translate while he may be found as ’while he permits himself to be found’ (tolerative niphal), indicating a divinely determined day of grace and salvation." [Note: Motyer, p. 456.]

"God cannot be found at any time but only when He desires to be found. What is implied is that the present, when these commands are given, is the time of salvation. The thought is similar to that expressed in 2 Corinthians 6:2 and John 12:35." [Note: Young, 3:380.]

Seeking and calling on the Lord represent reaching out to Him in faith (cf. Acts 2:21; Acts 15:17; Acts 17:27; Acts 22:16; Romans 3:11; Romans 10:14; 2 Timothy 2:22). This is necessary because there is no peace for the wicked (Isaiah 48:22; Isaiah 57:21).

Dr. Constable's Expository Notes

Transforming salvation 55:6-13

This pericope repeats and refocuses the invitation just extended (Isaiah 55:1-3). The offer continues to be to come to God, but the focus shifts from receiving satisfaction to resting in faith, and from salvation’s freeness to its transforming power.

Gill's Exposition of the Whole Bible

Seek ye the Lord while he may be found,.... The Lord is to be sought unto at all times, whenever the people of God meet together, especially on sabbath days, and while the external ministry of the word lasts, and life itself; so the Targum,

"seek the fear of the Lord, while ye are alive.''

Kimchi compares it with Ecclesiastes 9:10. The Jewish writers, as Aben Ezra and others, generally interpret it before the sealing of the decree, or before the decree is gone forth. It may be understood of place, as well as time, and be rendered, "seek the Lord in the place where he may be found" l; God is to be found, as Aben Ezra observes, in all places, and at all times; under the Old Testament there was a particular place appointed for the worship of God, the tabernacle and temple, where he was to be sought unto, and might be found; under the New Testament, all places are alike, and wherever the church and people of God meet together, there he is to be sought, and there he may be found, even in his house and ordinances:

call ye upon him while he is near; the same thing designed by different words: seeking and calling design not only prayer, but the whole of public worship, and the time and place when and where the Lord is to be found, and is near. Aben Ezra thinks it refers to the Shechinah in the sanctuary. Perhaps it may have some respect to the time of Christ's incarnation, and his being in the land of Judea; and to the destruction of the temple by the Romans, when the Lord could be no more sought unto, and found in that place; or when the Christians were obliged to move from Jerusalem, because of the siege of it; and when the Jews had no more an opportunity of hearing the Gospel there.

l So in the Jerusalem Talmud, as quoted by Abendana on the place,

"seek the Lord, where he is found, in the synagogues, and in the schools; call upon him, where he is near, in the synagogues, and in the schools.''

And so another Jewish writer, mentioned by him, interprets the words,

"whilst the Shechinah is found in the sanctuary; before he hides his face, and causes his Shechinah to remove from you.''

Henry's Complete Commentary on the Bible

      6 Seek ye the LORD while he may be found, call ye upon him while he is near:   7 Let the wicked forsake his way, and the unrighteous man his thoughts: and let him return unto the LORD, and he will have mercy upon him; and to our God, for he will abundantly pardon.   8 For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways, saith the LORD.   9 For as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways, and my thoughts than your thoughts.   10 For as the rain cometh down, and the snow from heaven, and returneth not thither, but watereth the earth, and maketh it bring forth and bud, that it may give seed to the sower, and bread to the eater:   11 So shall my word be that goeth forth out of my mouth: it shall not return unto me void, but it shall accomplish that which I please, and it shall prosper in the thing whereto I sent it.   12 For ye shall go out with joy, and be led forth with peace: the mountains and the hills shall break forth before you into singing, and all the trees of the field shall clap their hands.   13 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 a name, for an everlasting sign that shall not be cut off.

      We have here a further account of that covenant of grace which is made with us in Jesus Christ, both what is required and what is promised in the covenant, and of those considerations that are sufficient abundantly to confirm our believing compliance with and reliance on that covenant. This gracious discovery of God's good-will to the children of men is not to be confined either to the Jew or to the Gentile, to the Old Testament or to the New, much less to the captives in Babylon. No, both the precepts and the promises are here given to all, to every one that thirsts after happiness,Isaiah 55:1; Isaiah 55:1. And who does not? Hear this, and live.

      I. Here is a gracious offer made of pardon, and peace, and all happiness, to poor sinners, upon gospel terms, Isaiah 55:6; Isaiah 55:7.

      1. Let them pray, and their prayers shall be heard and answered (Isaiah 55:6; Isaiah 55:6): "Seek the Lord while he may be found. Seek him whom you have left by revolting from your allegiance to him and whom you have lost by provoking him to withdraw his favour from you. Call upon him now while he is near, and within call." Observe here,

      (1.) The duties required. [1.] "Seek the Lord. Seek to him, and enquire of him, as your oracle. Ask the law at his mouth. What wilt thou have me to do? Seek for him, and enquire after him, as your portion and happiness; seek to be reconciled to him and acquainted with him, and to be happy in his favour. Be sorry that you have lost him; be solicitous to find him; take the appointed method of finding him, making use of Christ as your way, the Spirit as your guide, and the word as your rule." [2.] "Call upon him. Pray to him, to be reconciled, and, being reconciled, pray to him for every thing else you have need of."

      (2.) The motives made use of to press these duties upon us: While he may be found--while he is near. [1.] It is implied that now God is near and will be found, so that it shall not be in vain to seek him and to call upon him. Now his patience is waiting on us, his word is calling to us, and his Spirit striving with us. Let us now improve our advantages and opportunities; for now is the accepted time. But, [2.] There is a day coming when he will be afar off, and will not be found, when the day of his patience is over, and his Spirit will strive no more. There may come such a time in this life, when the heart is incurably hardened; it is certain that at death and judgment the door will be shut,Luke 16:26; Luke 13:25; Luke 13:26. Mercy is now offered, but then judgment without mercy will take place.

      2. Let them repent and reform, and their sins shall be pardoned, Isaiah 55:7; Isaiah 55:7. Here is a call to the unconverted, to the wicked and the unrighteous--to the wicked, who live in known gross sins, to the unrighteous, who live in the neglect of plain duties: to them is the word of this salvation sent, and all possible assurance given that penitent sinners shall find God a pardoning God. Observe here,

      (1.) What it is to repent. There are two things involved in repentance:-- [1.] It is to turn from sin; it is to forsake it. It is to leave it, and to leave it with loathing and abhorrence, never to return to it again. The wicked must forsake his way, his evil way, as we would forsake a false way that will never bring us to the happiness we aim at, and a dangerous way, that leads to destruction. Let him not take one step more in that way. Nay, there must be not only a change of the way, but a change of the mind; the unrighteous must forsake his thoughts. Repentance, if it be true, strikes at the root, and washes the heart from wickedness. We must alter our judgments concerning persons and things, dislodge the corrupt imaginations and quit the vain pretences under which an unsanctified heart shelters itself. Note, It is not enough to break off from evil practices, but we must enter a caveat against evil thoughts. Yet this is not all: [2.] To repent is to return to the Lord; to return to him as our God, our sovereign Lord, against whom we have rebelled, and to whom we are concerned to reconcile ourselves; it is to return to the Lord as the fountain of life and living waters, which we had forsaken for broken cisterns.

      (2.) What encouragement we have thus to repent. If we do so, [1.] God will have mercy. He will not deal with us as our sins have deserved, but will have compassion on us. Misery is the object of mercy. Now both the consequences of sin, by which we have become truly miserable (Ezekiel 16:5; Ezekiel 16:6), and the nature of repentance, by which we are made sensible of our misery and are brought to bemoan ourselves (Jeremiah 31:18), both these make us objects of pity, and with God there are tender mercies. [2.] He will abundantly pardon. He will multiply to pardon (so the word is), as we have multiplied to offend. Though our sins have been very great and very many, and though we have often backslidden and are still prone to offend, yet God will repeat his pardon, and welcome even backsliding children that return to him in sincerity.

      II. Here are encouragements given us to accept this offer and to venture our souls upon it. For, look which way we will, we find enough to confirm us in our belief of its validity and value.

      1. If we look up to heaven, we find God's counsels there high and transcendent, his thoughts and ways infinitely above ours, Isaiah 55:8; Isaiah 55:9. The wicked are urged to forsake their evil ways and thoughts (Isaiah 55:7; Isaiah 55:7) and to return to God, that is, to bring their ways and thoughts to concur and comply with his; "for" (says he) "my thoughts and ways are not as yours. Yours are conversant only about things beneath; they are of the earth earthy: but mine are above, as the heaven is high above the earth; and, if you would approve yourselves true penitents, yours must be so too, and your affections must be set on things above." Or, rather, it is to be understood as an encouragement to us to depend upon God's promise to pardon sin, upon repentance. Sinners may be ready to fear that God will not be reconciled to them, because they could not find in their hearts to be reconciled to one who should have so basely and so frequently offended them. "But" (says God) "my thoughts in this matter are not as yours, but as far above them as the heaven is above the earth." They are so in other things. Men's sentiments concerning sin, and Christ, and holiness, concerning this world and the other, are vastly different from God's; but in nothing more than in the matter of reconciliation. We think God apt to take offence and backward to forgive--that, if he forgives once, he will not forgive a second time. Peter thought it a great deal to forgive seven times (Matthew 18:21), and a hundred pence go far with us; but God meets returning sinners with pardoning mercy; he forgives freely, and as he gives: it is without upbraiding. We forgive and cannot forget; but, when God forgives sin, he remembers it no more. Thus God invites sinners to return to him, by possessing them with good thoughts of him, as Jeremiah 31:20.

      2. If we look down to this earth, we find God's word there powerful and effectual, and answering all its great intentions, Isaiah 55:10; Isaiah 55:11. Observe here, (1.) The efficacy of God's word in the kingdom of nature. He saith to the snow, Be thou on the earth; he appoints when it shall come, to what degree, and how long it shall lie there; he saith so to the small rain and the great rain of his strength,Job 37:6. And according to his order they come down from heaven, and do whatsoever he commands them upon the face of the world, whether it be for correction, or for his land, or for mercy,Isaiah 55:12; Isaiah 55:13. It returns not re infectâ--without having accomplished its end, but waters the earth, which he is therefore said to do from his chambers,Psalms 104:13. And the watering of the earth is in order to its fruitfulness. Thus he makes it to bring forth and bud, for the products of the earth depend upon the dews of heaven; and thus it gives not only bread to the eater, present maintenance to the owner and his family, but seed likewise to the sower, that he may have food for another year. The husbandman must be a sower as well as an eater, else he will soon see the end of what he has. (2.) The efficacy of his word in the kingdom of providence and grace, which is as certain as the former: "So shall my word be, as powerful in the mouth of prophets as it is in the hand of providence; it shall not return unto me void, as unable to effect what it was sent for, or meeting with an insuperable opposition; no, it shall accomplish that which I please" (for it is the declaration of his will, according to the counsel of which he works all things) "and it shall prosper in the thing for which I sent it." This assures us, [1.] That the promises of God shall all have their full accomplishment in due time, and not one iota or tittle of them shall fail, 1 Kings 8:56. These promises of mercy and grace shall have as real an effect upon the souls of believers, for their sanctification and comfort, as ever the rain had upon the earth, to make it fruitful. [2.] That according to the different errands on which the word is sent it will have its different effects. If it be not a savour of life unto life, it will be a savour of death unto death; if it do not convince the conscience and soften the heart, it will sear the conscience and harden the heart; if it do not ripen for heaven, it will ripen for hell. See Isaiah 6:9; Isaiah 6:9. One way or other, it will take effect. [3.] That Christ's coming into the world, as the dew from heaven (Hosea 14:5), will not be in vain. For, if Israel be not gathered, he will be glorious in the conversion of the Gentiles; to them therefore the tenders of grace must be made when the Jews refuse them, that the wedding may be furnished with guests and the gospel not return void.

      3. If we take a special view of the church, we shall find what great things God has done, and will do, for it (Isaiah 55:12; Isaiah 55:13): You shall go out with joy, and be led forth with peace. This refers, (1.) To the deliverance and return of the Jews out of Babylon. They shall go out of their captivity, and be led forth towards their own land again. God will go before them as surely, though not as sensibly, as before their fathers in the pillar of cloud and fire. They shall go out, not with trembling, but with triumph, not with any regret to part with Babylon, or any fear of being fetched back, but with joy and peace. Their journey home over the mountains shall be pleasant, and they shall have the good-will and good wishes of all the countries they pass through. The hills and their inhabitants shall, as in a transport of joy, break forth into singing; and, if the people should altogether hold their peace, even the trees of the field would attend them with their applauses and acclamations. And, when they come to their own land, it shall be ready to bid them welcome; for, whereas they expected to find it all overgrown with briers and thorns, it shall be set with fir-trees and myrtle-trees: for, though it lay desolate, yet it enjoyed its sabbaths (Leviticus 26:34), which, when they were over, like the land after the sabbatical year, it was the better for. And this shall redound much to the honour of God and be to him for a name. But, (2.) Without doubt it looks further. This shall be for an everlasting sign, that it, [1.] The redemption of the Jews out of Babylon shall be a ratification of those promises that relate to gospel times. The accomplishment of the predictions relating to that great deliverance would be a pledge and earnest of the performance of all the other promises; for thereby it shall appear that he is faithful who has promised. [2.] It shall be a representation of the blessings promised and a type and figure of them. First, Gospel grace will set those at liberty that were in bondage to sin and Satan. They shall go out and be led forth. Christ shall make them free, and then they shall be free indeed. Secondly, It will fill those with joy that were melancholy. Psalms 14:7, Jacob shall rejoice, and Israel shall be glad. The earth and the inferior part of the creation shall share in the joy of this salvation, Psalms 94:11; Psalms 94:12. Thirdly, It will make a great change in men's characters. Those that were as thorns and briers, good for nothing but the fire, nay, hurtful and vexatious, shall become graceful and useful as the fir-tree and the myrtle-tree. Thorns and briers came in with sin and were the fruits of the curse, Genesis 3:18. The raising of pleasant trees in the room of them signifies the removal of the curse of the law and the introduction of gospel blessings. The church's enemies were as thorns and briers; but, instead of them, God will raise up friends to be her protection and ornament. Or it may denote the world's growing better; instead of a generation of thorns and briers, there shall come up a generation of fir-trees and myrtles; the children shall be wiser and better than the parents. And, fourthly, in all this God shall be glorified. It shall be to him for a name, by which he will be made known and praised, and by it the people of God shall be encouraged. It shall be for an everlasting sign of God's favour to them, assuring them that, though it may for a time be clouded, it shall never be cut off. The covenant of grace is an everlasting covenant; for the present blessings of it are signs of everlasting ones.