The Right Ways of the Lord Isaiah 55: 1-13

Introduction Read: Blessings Freely Given (Isaiah 55:1-5)

Q: In Isa 55:3, God’s covenant with David promised a permanent homeland for the Israelites, no threat from pagan nations, and no wars (2 Sam. 7:10-11). Read Text :

2 Samuel 7:10-11 King James Version (KJV) 10 Moreover I will appoint a place for my people Israel, and will plant them, that they may dwell in a place of their own, and move no more; neither shall the children of wickedness afflict them any more, as beforetime, 11 And as since the time that I commanded judges to be over my people Israel, and have caused thee to rest from all thine enemies. Also the L ORD telleth thee that he will make thee an house.

So, why was Israel taken into captivity?

A: Israel did not fulfill its part of the covenant by obeying and staying away from idols. Even so, God was ready to renew his covenant again. He is a forgiving God!

Q: In Isa 55:1-6, Food costs money, lasts only a short time, meets only physical needs. But God offers us Free nourishment that feeds our soul. How do we get it?

A: We come (55:1), listen (55:2), seek, and call on God (55:6). God’s salvation is freely offered, but to nourish our souls we must eagerly receive it. We will starve spiritually without this food as surely as we will starve physically without our daily bread.

Read: God’s Ways are for Him Alone to Know (Isaiah 55:6-9) Q: In Isa 55:7, what is wrong with unrighteous thoughts, if we do not act on them?

A: Plenty is wrong, because James 1:14-15 says that desire when it is conceived gives birth to sin. In Job 31:1, Job made a covenant with his eyes not to look lustfully at a girl. Jesus said in Matthew 5:22 that if a man looks at a woman lustfully, the man has already committed adultery in his heart.

Q: In Isa 55:8-9, since God’s ways are so much greater than ours, and we are like grasshoppers compared to God (Isa 40:22), how can we be able to know anything whatsoever about God?

A: God is far wiser and more powerful than us. We can communicate among ourselves, so do not assume that God is just not smart enough or powerful enough to be capable of communicating with us. If a person has not read the entire Bible, yet claims we cannot know anything about God, perhaps the problem is not in the transmission of the message, but the reception.

Read: God’s Word will Accomplish His Purpose (Isaiah 55:10-13) Q: In Isa 55:11, how can we know God’s word is reliable?

A: By saying that His word would not come back void, God was declaring His truthfulness. He would do as He proclaimed. He cannot lie (cf. Titus 1:2; Heb. 6:18).

Leaders Communicate Until They See Results Isaiah 55:1-11 Isaiah 55 offers the words of a great communicator. In this passage God invites everyone to participate in His offer to quench their thirst. He tries to convince His hearers that He alone can fulfill their desires and permanently meet their needs. Then He beckons them to seek Him while He may be found.

Verses contain a marvelous promise. God says that just as the rain and snow fall from the sky and do not return without watering the earth, so His Word will also accomplish the goals He sets for it. God’s Word will bear fruit. From these three simple verses, note how God evaluates good communication:

1.His Word will get results (v.10). 2.His Word will furnish tools and resources (v.10). 3.His Word will meet needs (v.10). 4.His Word will perform His will (v.11). 5.His Word will satisfy the soul of the hearers (v.12).

Examine Ourselves: How about you? Can you, as a leader, make those claims? How do you evaluate your communication? What fruit does your communication produce?

Applications Our lesson text reminds us that the promises of God are reliable. Describing His word as if it was a workman, God declared: “But it shall accomplish what I please, and it shall prosper in the thing for which I sent it” (Isaiah 55:11). Consequently, what God says is true, and “the reason for turning to God is the absolute dependability of his word….. All that God has said is reliable, whether it is about himself and his love, or about the nature of reality and the foolishness of idolatry, or about the human predicament and the necessity of repentance” (Oswalt, Isaiah 40-66, 445). Regardless, we can place our trust completely in the promises of God (cf. 2 Timothy 1:12). How thankful we should be for God’s “exceedingly great and precious promises” (2 Peter 1:4).