The Gospel of Isaiah: Ch. 55:6-7, Return to the Merciful Lord
The Gospel of Isaiah: Ch. 55:6-7, Return to the Merciful Lord.
WANTED: An imaginative scribe who can write exquisite poetry. A faithful, articulate believer in Yahweh who can switch from one extreme to another at the Lord’s command… from a sublime vision of God’s glory, to a ridiculous demonstration of shameful nakedness; from confronting the people over their sinfulness, to comforting people with hopefulness; from being an outspoken messenger one minute, to a living object lesson the next; from having one foot in the immediate surroundings one minute, to one foot in the future messianic realm the next. Must be adaptable, thick-skinned, and extraordinarily brave. Person who answers, “Here I am. Send me!” will be especially considered. (from The Jerusalem Post, 740 BC).
Isaiah 55 has been called the gospel in miniature. It contains the compelling invitation to come to the Lord. It issues the call for revival. It highlights God’s benefits if we seek Him… free nourishment for our souls. This chapter refers many times to God’s central character quality: compassion, mercy, pardon (Exodus 34). And we are here reminded of God’s transcendence and greatness. This little chapter is a poetic masterpiece. It sings with beauty, but it has a solemn edge to it. It brings accountability as well as hope. This chapter is a straightforward call to redemption, to the sure mercies of God, to the salvation of the Lord.
“Seek the Lord while He lets Himself be found. Call upon Him while He is nearby.
Let the evildoers abandon their ways, and the sinful ones banish every evil thought.
Let them turn to the Lord, and He will have merciful compassion on them.
Yes, let them return to God, for He will lavish forgiveness upon them.” (55:6-7).
Unfortunate Distance. In the beginning, God wanted fellowship with the people He made. God wanted to include mankind in the intimate friendship He enjoyed within the Trinity. It would go against the grain of God’s character and purpose to exclude Himself from man’s companionship. But when sin entered the world, that fellowship was fractured. But even then, God followed the fallen friends into exile. God was determined to stay with His sinful, exiled creatures, and any distance between them was the effects of sin between man and God. Throughout the old covenant, it seemed that thoughtful people lived in fear of God’s abandonment. And yet they continued to sin to create that distance. But God never gave up on mankind. He continued to make Himself available to those who sought Him in repentance and righteousness and faith. People would fearfully say things like, “Cast me not away from your presence; take not your holy Spirit from me” (Ps. 51:11); or “Wake up, Lord God! Are you forsaking us forever? You can’t hide your face any longer from us!” (Ps. 44:23-24).
Available and Approachable. When God cut through the distance and made Himself approachable in His rich mercy, wise people would seek Him out. Notice the sense of urgency in this passage of Isaiah… Seek Him! Call upon Him! In other words, make the most of God’s presence! He doesn’t have to be near you. Take advantage of His nearness. Yes, He is a God nearby, but don’t forget that He can be a God far away as well. “Am I just a God nearby, demands Yahweh, and not a God who is both near and far away? Can anyone hide somewhere in secret where I do not see him? declares Yahweh. Is there anywhere in heaven or on earth where I am not present? declares Yahweh? (Jer. 23:23-24). God has every right to hide His face. But He isn’t doing that! In His love, God has exiled Himself out of the Garden and is always hanging around His creatures.
Come Back! So return to God, Isaiah says. Repent! Reject your unrighteous impulses. Stop your wicked deeds. Quit your evil scheming and impure inclinations. Turn your back on your godless motivations, your shameless imaginations. Make changes, turn from your wicked thoughts and tainted deeds. Return to the Lord. He is waiting for you, He wants to renew your intimacy. You will find Him to be rich in compassion, abundant in mercy. When you turn to God, He is waiting with open arms to receive you unto Himself. He will forgive you. He will pardon you in His grace. His lovingkindness will envelop you and your fellowship with Him will be renewed.
Distantly Present. God seems to be saying, Don’t expect me to be up close and personal all the time. Don’t presume that I am at your beck and call. Sometimes I choose to seem silent or distant, and yes, sometimes you might have a dry period in your spiritual life. So seek me when I seem close and intimate, but also seek me when I am distant. Call to me when I seem more available, and call to me when I appear to ignore you. God’s silence is a mystery, and as Isaiah says elsewhere in this passage, God’s thoughts are not our thoughts, God’s ways are not our ways. God’s wisdom is far deeper and higher than our understanding could ever be. After all, how really do we know what is best for us? How do we know what will lead us to deeper growth and stronger dependence on Him? God knows these things, they are His secrets. When God seems distant or silent or unresponsive, we need to continue trusting that He is acting in divine wisdom. God may seem distant at times, but in His mercy He is still present.
Welcome Home. In God’s new covenant with us, He went the extra mile in His desire to reconcile with us. He sent His Son to take on our flesh and offer Himself as the means to redemption, to closing the distance. Not only that, but God sent His Holy Spirit to come alongside us and reside within us. God is now present in a most intimate way. We need never fear as in ancient times that God will play hide and seek with us. “I shall never hide my face from them again, since I shall pour out my Spirit...” (Ezek. 39:29). God now dwells within us. What a gift! He is now as close to us as our heart. He will not cast us away from His presence. He will not take His Holy Spirit from us. He has promised us eternal life with Him, starting now. And we can trust Him to stay with us. We can trust Him to continue his mercies. For the Father of the prodigal has welcomed each of us home.
In 55:7, Isaiah is pleading with the people to turn from their wicked ways, and God will freely forgive them, God will have compassion on them. The Hebrew word here for compassion/mercy has a root in the word “womb,” the hidden, loving place that nurtures life and growth. It seems clear from Scripture that the Father has a mother’s love. The Father has a maternal side to His care. God’s compassion is the same as that of a mother who cherishes the child she has carried and borne. Isaiah says this in 66:13: “As a mother comforts her child, so will I comfort you.” And also in 49:15: “Can a mother forget the baby at her breast and have no compassion on the child she has borne? Though she may forget, I will not forget you!” And Jesus compares Himself to a mother hen in Matt.23:37, when He “longed to gather your children together as a hen gathers her chicks under her wings.” God is properly referred to as Father, but He often displays the heart of a mother.
Trust in the Mercy. Showing compassion, putting love into action, having mercy is not the normal way of the world. Forgiveness is not the customary way of the world. It is not the way of the world to “abundantly pardon.” God’s ways are not the world’s ways. God loves justice, yet is pure mercy, motivated by compassion. God is all about accountability, but also forgiveness and pardon. His ways are so much higher than our ways, there is no possibility that we will understand His thoughts, His plans, His actions. His justice, motivated by mercy, goes higher than we could ever understand. His forgiveness is higher than our forgiveness, as far as the heavens is from the earth. When God perplexes us, we need ultimately to trust in His character of mercy, justice, and righteousness.