Isaiah 55:1-9; March 11, 2007

"Ho, everyone who thirsts,
come to the waters;
and you that have no money,
come, buy and eat!
Come, buy wine and milk
without money and without price.
2 Why do you spend your money for that which is not bread,
and your labour for that which does not satisfy?
Listen carefully to me, and eat what is good,
and delight yourselves in rich food.
3 Incline your ear, and come to me;
listen, so that you may live.
I will make with you an everlasting covenant,
my steadfast, sure love for David.
4 See, I made him a witness to the peoples,
a leader and commander for the peoples.
5 See, you shall call nations that you do not know,
and nations that do not know you shall run to you,
because of the Lord your God, the Holy One of Israel,
for he has glorified you.

6 Seek the Lord while he may be found,
call upon him while he is near;
7 let the wicked forsake their way,
and the unrighteous their thoughts;
let them return to the Lord, that he may have mercy on them,
and to our God, for he will abundantly pardon.
8 For my thoughts are not your thoughts,
nor are your ways my ways, says 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."

Introduction

This memorable passage probes a number of interesting themes that will occur in the other lectionary passages for the week. First, it stresses the free character of the covenantal gifts that God offers. Second, it mentions the quality of those gifts--what the Scripture calls "rich food" (Is. 55:2); a "rich feast" (Ps. 63: 5); or the "fatted calf" (Lk. 15:30). Finally, it stresses the delight that should accompany our feast with God. In the passage for today (Is. 55:1-9) we have two major points: (1) Israel is implored not to miss the good things God has prepared for her (vv. 1-5); (2) We as readers are exhorted not to think that our understanding is the measure of God's goodness to us (vv. 6-9). Both these points are presented in language that is so earnest, upbeat and fluent that we are caught up in its cascading rhythmic power. Reading these verses aloud each day during the week will be a wonderful antitdote to whatever small thoughts you are entertaining about yourself or of God.

I. Don't Miss What God Has for Israel/Us (vv. 1-5)

One of the points of overriding importance in our study of Luke since January has been that Jesus offers an alternative to the dominant economic order of his day. Instead of our giving to others with an expectation of receiving something in return, the disciples are supposed to give, expecting nothing in return (Lk. 6:35). Indeed, I think that one of the reasons Jesus was so controversial in his day is that his message undermined the pillars on which the economic system and system of social relations was based. Interestingly enough, Isaiah, in this passage, does the same thing. He not only urges his thirsty hearers to "come to the waters" (v. 1), but he tells them in two places (v. 1) that they will be able to purchase things without money. That is, in the new dispensation of God, where the people have joyfully returned from exile, the basic principle of economic exchange is put aside.

V. 1 in the Hebrew is especially noteworthy. There are six, count them six, imperatives (command form of the verb). Those who thirst are commanded to "go" to the waters. Then the commands pile up. If you don't have money, "go, buy, and eat, and go, buy" without money. Some scholars even think there must have been textual corruption here (the technical word is dittography--double writing) because there just can't be that many imperatives all at once. But I think if we look at v. 1 as a sort of "headline" to the chapter, it makes perfect sense. The author is so overwhelmed with the power of his thoughts that he has to tell the people to take advantage of the free gifts of God. Buy things without money. Drink until your thirst is slaked. Delight your self in the rich food (v.2), food really which only is available for feasts.

Here all the exhortations (and the imperative form of the verb appears twelve times in vv. 1-7) are upbeat and positive. This is significant because only a few chapters previously (Is. 48), the author also gives a lot of exhortations, but there they are "negative." For example, the author gives his commands after a passage like the following, "Because I know that you are obstinate, and your neck is an iron sinew, and your forehead brass..." (48:4). Why the change of tone? What has "happened" in seven chapters?

Well, the major thing that has changed is that the Servant of God has appeared in full color. Though he was spoken of briefly in ch. 42, the supremely important "Servant Song," is in Is. 52:13-53:12. My point is that the intervention of the "Servant," the one who was "wounded for our transgressions, crushed for our iniquities" (Is. 53:5) has changed everything. The servant has "made many righteous" by pouring himself out to death (53:11-12). Why not, then, rejoice? Why not, then come to the waters, buy our food without price, and celebrate the eternal covenant with God? (55:4) Therefore, the prophet is not exhorting us to try ignore reality "out there" or just to try to psych ourselves up with more energy; he knows that the Servant of God has enabled us to delight ourselvse in the rich food of God, to call to nations that we do not know and to have those nations "run" to us (55:5).

II. Our Understanding Not the Measure of God's Goodness (vv. 6-9)

With these unexpectedly rich gifts promised to us, what shall we do? Well, v. 6 answers that: "Seek the Lord while he may be found, call upon him while he is near..." And what is the prophetic promise relating to seeking God? Hear the words of Jeremiah:

"Then when you call upon me and come and pray to me, I will hear you. When you search for me, you will find me; if you seek me wiht all your heart, I will let you find me, says the Lord, and I will retore your fortunes.." (Jer. 29:12-14).

But sometimes our seeking seems in vain; our voice seems to rattle only in our throat. The heavens appear like brass and the response of God is tardy at best. Isaiah also has a word for us. He instructs us (vv. 8-9) not to limit our view of God to what we can understand. That is the temptation of the religious life--to see in our situation and in our God only things that readily pass the test of our own mind. Even though we might sometimes confess the unlimited nature of God and the mysterious divine ways, we sort of "expect" God to act according to our plans. But Is. will have none of this. "for as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways and my thoughts than your thoughts" (v. 9).

And that is a message we need to hear in this Lenten season. Our thoughts tend to get bogged down in the realm of "reality." We live so easily in the grooves of the past that they become the ruts of the present. We might even confess all the right things about God but we have lost the sense of the living God in our midst. We are thirsty within; our souls are as famished as Jesus' body was when he had not eaten for forty days (Lk 4:2). Let not this Lenten season just be another time of repeating the same old truisms, even if they are true. Let our thoughts not be limited by our own understandinging. God abundantly pardons (v. 7). God gives us food, even the rich food, without money and without price. God give us the eternal covenant that cannot be broken. Have that be your focus this season, and luxuriate in the fresh and bracing waters of God.

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