22/02/2023

The Blessings of Isaiah Chapter 55

This is one of my favourite chapters in the Bible. Combined with the previous chapter, the Prophet Isaiah illustrates the Servant’s work of redemption for not only Israel, but all of humankind.

In the opening three verses, we find a friendly invitation to receive salvation, pictured as refreshing water and sustaining bread. There is no price tag. It is a free gift, paid by Christ who died for our sins that we could be forgiven. Why waste money and effort on temporal things of no lasting value? How amazed I was to discover that God’s mercy had been poured out freely for me, and anyone willing to come by simple faith.

My home isn’t far from Ross Bay Cemetery (pictured above). Opened 150 years ago, this twenty-seven acre graveyard is the resting place of many prominent and ordinary citizens of Victoria, BC. I’ve often stopped to contemplate and appreciate their lives. But even more so, I regard the cemetery as a lovely park with stately trees and clipped grass providing habitat for squirrels, tiny lizards, nesting crows, and white-tailed deer.

As I walk along the pathways of this arboreal landscape, I know it is reasonable for God to say in verse three and six, “incline your ear and come unto me” and “seek ye the Lord while he may be found.” Through the beauty and harmony of his creation, his existence is an unmistakable reality. The Lord’s holy attributes, intelligence, and power are clearly visible from the dew drops on a single blade of grass to the towering Coulter Pines with giant, egg-shaped cones.

Isaiah reassures us in verse seven that God pardons those who confess their sins committed in thought and deed. But for those who stumble at the offence of the cross, God lovingly imparts truth that his ways and thoughts are far above ours, just as the heavens are far above the earth.

Throughout the autumn months, I often encounter cemetery workers in their bright orange overalls. Without warning, a quiet afternoon can be cut short with the steady drone of their powered leaf blowers—a necessary tool for ongoing maintenance. After a summer, with virtually no rain, brittle pine needles and cones carpet the parched ground. Grey squirrels scamper over gravestones and up trees. And leaves of yellow, orange, and gold lie ankle-deep upon the ground—perfect for shuffling and kicking with every step.

In verse ten and eleven of this chapter, Isaiah uses the natural world to illustrate the dependability of his word. Soon, this cemetery will be drenched with an atmospheric river, typical of our west coast weather as winter approaches. Rain from heaven is a great blessing as it nourishes the earth in seed time and harvest. In the same way, God’s word accomplishes much in the lives of those who yield with open hearts.

As the verses of this chapter come to a close, I see a beautiful picture of Christ’s future kingdom on earth. The thorns and briars of life will no longer exist. Instead, joy and peace will reign supreme—mountains breaking forth into singing, and the trees of the field clapping their hands. Come soon, Lord Jesus!

The Blessings of Isaiah Chapter 55

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