The Gospel of Isaiah: Ch. 55:10-11, The Water Cycle and the Word
The Gospel of Isaiah: Ch. 55:10-11, The Water Cycle and the Word.
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).
“For just as rain and snow fall from the sky
and do not return there without soaking the earth,
making things grow, sprout, blossom and flourish,
producing seed for the farmers and food for the hungry,
so shall My Word be that goes out from My mouth;
it will always produce fruit and will not return to Me empty.
My Word will accomplish My purposes,
fulfill its mission, and prosper everywhere I send it.” (55:10-11).
God’s Word Cycle. Continuing with God’s theme in verse 7 of compassion and pardon, Isaiah discusses God’s love cycle in relation to the natural water cycle. God’s word of love going forth from His mouth is His promise of mercy and forgiveness. God promises that, just as rain and snow bring life and fruitfulness to the earth, His love comes down from heaven and aims to soak into the fertile ground of man’s repentant heart. God’s love for man is not a futile exercise. His love will not return to Him empty. But it will bring the proper praise back to Him on the throne. God’s love has a purpose… to prosper mankind. The love cycle: God drenches mankind with His word of love; life and growth naturally follow; the new life that springs from God’s love will result in fruitfulness; mankind will respond and bring back to God praise and adoration and faithfulness. God’s love will accomplish its purpose in the heart of man, and that’s a promise to all who turn to God in repentance. God’s word of forgiveness will bring new life and vitality to those who turn to Him.
The Gift of Snow. It’s very clear how rain nourishes the earth, but snow? Snow seems to be an unsung hero in the watering of the earth. While the upper levels of snow remain protective, the bottom layers melt and nourish the ground. Snow provides a blanket of nourishment for the plants. As snow melts, the plants get watered. Sometimes when our efforts to nurture growth, in others or ourselves, seem fruitless, it could be a layer of snow covering the seedlings, and growth is actually happening in a big way beneath the surface of the snow, where we don’t see it. Trust that God is bringing forth new life even when it seems to be dormant. It could be God’s snow covering the ground, bringing nourishment below the protective surface. It could be like the snows atop Mt. Hermon… When it’s time to melt, it will flow down the mountain to bring the needed moisture to the plains beneath. In God’s mercy, the snow could be a fruitful blessing.
Praying the Word. This is indisputable. There is no denying it. God’s Word will be fulfilled, it will be achieved, it will complete its purpose. His Word will bring a blessing, it will bring new life, it will provide fresh seeds for new growth. His Word will succeed, it will not return to him empty without accomplishing what He wants. God’s Word is His will, and will not be fruitless. This has been called the “cycle of blessing” sent from God, come to earth, return to God. God will be blessed when His Word returns to Him, fulfilled and fruitful. This brings God joy and satisfaction. And this is why it is profoundly wise to pray God’s Word. God’s holy Scripture brings spiritual blessing, and in its time is a sure thing. It can’t be denied or thwarted. His Word does not return empty. Wondering what to pray for your friends, your family? Pray God’s Word. Sing His Word even. Make up your own melody or tune. In this case, pray/sing the Aaronic blessing from Numbers 6:24-26: “The Lord bless you and keep you; the Lord make His face to shine upon you and be gracious to you; the Lord turn His face toward you and give you peace.” Pray thoughtfully through that blessing from the Word a few times, and your prayer life for others will be deepened. God’s Word will accomplish His will. That prayer/song will not return to God empty. There are many blessings, too, in St. Paul’s epistles. Pray the Word over your loved ones, turn the Scripture into a song, and His Word will fulfill His purposes.
Praying with the Spirit. Sometimes we are fearful about how best to pray for our loved ones. Praying God’s Word would seem to calm those fears, because His own words are obviously in line with His will. We can safely assume that praying His words of divine blessing that were inspired by God would seem to be received favorably by the Lord. We are inspired to pray these very words of Scripture, because they are righteous and express perfectly what is on our hearts. The Epistles in the New Testament, following the rabbinic Jewish tradition which offered holy blessings, reveal the secret of how to offer up a can’t-miss blessing over others. Pray this blessing over a loved one, or even an unloved one, and rest assured of God’s blessing over that person through your faith in Him.
“May the Father, out of his glorious riches, strengthen you with power
through his Spirit in your inner being,
so that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith;
that you, being rooted and grounded in love,
may have power, together with all the saints,
to grasp how wide and long and high and deep is the love of Christ,
and to know this love that surpasses knowledge –
that you may be filled to the measure of all the fullness of God.” (Ephesians 3:16-19).
The Living Word from God’s Mouth. In His mercy, the Word God eventually sent out is His Son, Jesus Christ, the Word made flesh. The Father sent His Son, and the Son fulfilled His destiny, His purpose. The Word prospered everywhere He went, “bringing forth life and giving growth.” (55:10). Jesus the Word, full of grace and truth, does not return empty, and He blesses the Father with what He has accomplished. In His ascension, the Word returned to the Father, completing His mission to the applause of the Father and all the angels. As George MacDonald once wrote, “Why the Lord must go and ascend to His Father, though with Him all the time and with Him at the moment, I cannot tell you; but it means something, as if there were some center somewhere where this very body of His must be embraced in the arms of the Father before He was satisfied – as if He had to go back and tell His Father, ‘I have done it, Father, I have done it! It is over now and we shall have them all back by and by.” The Word that was sent out indeed prospered, flourished, overflowed in fruitfulness, to the delight of the Father.