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810/1/00 1) The invitation is to all who thirst, spiritually. Vs. 1 55-57 a) This is the invitation to the future promise of chapter fifty-four, The prophet Isaiah has just finished telling the available in the present day. people of God that Jehovah was going to restore 1)) This is the third Ho or Oh of pit y her and from as well as restoring her and compassion. 54:1, 11 completely in the millennial Kingdom. 2)) The last verse promise that no weapon form against them would All of this was based on the provision had was prosper! Vs. 17 making His Son, the “suffering Servant”. Is. 53 b) The invitation universal, to all, no one is excluded based on the Suffering Now out of the proclamation of chapter fifty-four Servant’s all-sufficient sacrifice. Is. comes the invitation to each person to choose the 53 salvation of the Lord by repenting from their sins c) The invitation is free, without money. and trust God to accomplish what He has Eph. 2;8-9 promised. d) The invitation will be satisfying, come to the waters, eat Ps. 42:1-3; Matt. The problem often is that we read our in 5:6; Jn. 4:24; 1Pet. 1:18-19 chapters and when we start up again in our reading * Water is symbolic of the word and we do not relate the previous connection and the Holy Spirit, Jer. 2:13; Jn. 4;24; reading it void of it’s context. 7:37 e) The experience will result in joy and A person must have the whole book in view to see strength, represented by wine and and understand how the parts fit otherwise one milk. Song. Sol. 5:1; 1Pet. 2:2-3 does violence to the text. 2) The question is why did they live for things that did not satisfy? Vs. 2 55:1-13 The invitation to live abundantly. a) Spending money for what is not bread, that which does not nourish. 55:1-5 A call to enter true satisfaction. b) Wages for what does not satisfy or bring fulfillment. Is. 5:8 3 4

c) The plead is to listen carefully, b) The ultimately the nations will run to critically to what is good. in the Kingdom age. Vs. 5b d) The goal is to have one’s soul delight * Is. 2:2-4; 45:14 in abundance. Hag. 1, Ps. 1 c) The reason being, that the Lord their 3) The counsel is three-fold. Vs. 3 God, the Holy One of Israel has a) Incline your ear and come to Me, in glorified them. Vs. 5c other words listen and obey. b) Hear and your soul shall live, 55:6-9 A call to repentance. obedience has it’s own reward. 1) The exhortation is to seek the Lord while c) And I will make an everlasting He may be found and call upon Him covenant with you---the sure mercies while He is near. Vs. 6 of , the same covenant of the a) The condition is depentent on man’s past. 2Sam. 7:14-16 free-will. * Messiah would be the ultimate b) The implication is that opportunity is covenant coming from David’s not always promised to be available! line. Is. 9:6-7, 52:12-53:12, Heb. Is. 49:8; 2Cor. 6:1f 9:15 1)) The danger is for man to think that 4) The promise was given to David, being a he can be saved any time and witness to the people as leader putting the descion off, as if there commanding the people. Vs. 4 will be another time. * He was only a foreshadow the of 2)) The Thieves on the cross had a Messiah to come! window time, one took advantage 5) The nation God would use did not know of it the other did not, one entered Him. . Vs. 5 eternity with Christ the other was a) This refers to the Medo-Persian separated from Christ! empire God would use to deliver * Now is the expectable time, the Israel from Babylon, Darius and day of salvation. Ps. 32:6; Acts Cyrus, ultimately to the nation Jesus 17:27 the Messiah will call into His 3)) Paul tells the Romans, “And do Kingdom. Vs. 5a this, knowing the time, that now it is high time to awake out of sleep; 5 6

for now our salvation is nearer a) God’s thoughts are higher than man’s than when we first believed. The thoughts regarding how He plans to night is far spent the day is at accomplish and resolve issues. Vs. 8a hand. Therefore let us cast off the b) Man’s ways are not the ways of God works of darkness, and let us put He is not limited to the present on the armor of light. Let us walk information or resources of the arm of properly, as in the day, not in flesh. Vs. 8b revelry and drunkenness, not in c) The illustrated comparison is the lewdness and lust, not in strife and hieghth of heaven and earth. Vs. 9 envy. But put on the Lord Jesus Christ, and make no provision for 55:10-13 A call to transformation. the flesh, to fulfill its lusts. Rom. 1) The natural process of rain and snow 13:11-14 provide the necessary nourishment for 2) The exhortation is an imperative the seed to grow and provide bread for command is to repent. Vs. 7 man, so is God’s word, it reveals God’s a) The wicked is to forsake his way. plans and His methods, it does not come 1)) The guilty and trouble-maker, who back void or useless, it accomplishes have resisted God, as well as the what it is designed to do. Vs. 10-11 goof moral pagan. 2Chron. 7:14 a) It condemns those that ignore it. 2)) Confession without contrition is b) It convicts man and brings for hypocrisy and self-deception. Is. repentance and transformation. 57:15; 2Cor. 7:10 2) The promised exodus to His people Israel. b) The unrighteous man his thoughts. Vs. 12-13 c) He is to return to the Lord and God a) They would go out with joy from their will have mercy on him and pardon captivity and be led out with peace. his sins, abundantly. Vs. 12a-b 3) The process of deliverance and * Is. 35:10; 40:9-11; 53:3-6; 19-2 repentance and forgiveness is not to be 1)) Jesus gave many parables of he tried and figured out in the mind of man. wedding feast and the invitations. Vs. 8-9 Matt. 22:1-14; Lk. 14:15-24 7 8

2)) Jesus lamented the unbelief and b) Hs right dealing with Babylon and His rebellion of Israel. Matt. 23:37-30 people. 3)) This call continues for all to the 3) The man who does these things will be present day. Acts 2:38-39 blessed or literally “happy”, in it’s truest b) The very nature around them would be sense knowing He is obeying and rejoicing, the mountains singing and pleasing God. Vs. 2a-b the hills clapping. Vs. 12c-d a) The doer is blessed. * Is. 5:25; 8:2, 4; 14:23; 17:5; 30:17, b) The man who lays hold of it 25; 34:3; 40:4, 9, 12; 52:11, 15 understands the relationship and c) The entire landscape would be fruitful, benefit. the ultimate fulfillment in the 4) The Sabbath was the covenant God made Kingdom. Vs. 13a-b with Israel. d) The entire work would be to glorify a) They had defied it for the number of the name of Jehovah. Vs. 13c years they were in the land, so they e) The ultimate Kingdom will be the went into captivity the number of everlasting sign to never end. Vs. 13d years they violated it. Vs. 2c; 2Chron. 15:12 56:1-8 God’s word to the righteous. b) They would keep their hand from doing evil. Vs. 2d 56:1-2 Salvation equates right living. 1) There is an absolute standard, an ethic to 56:3-5 The Gentile proselyte live by. Vs. 1a-c 1) The son of the foreigner, the proselyte a) Keep justice, that with is lawful and was not to say God had made him a ethical. second class to Israel by separation. Vs. b) Do righteousness conduct yourselves 3a-d in a moral and godly manner. 2) The eunuch was not to despise the fact 2) The incentive, for My salvation is about that he was childless. Vs. 3e-f to come and My righteousness about to * The Law excluded the eunuchs. Deut. be revealed. Vs. 1c-d 23:1-8 a) His deliverance from Babylon. 3) God would bless the obedience of the covenant of the Law. Vs. 4 9 10

4) God would give them a place and name 56:9-12 God addresses the wicked leaders. sons or daughter could of, an everlasting * This would be a better place for the one. Vs. 5 chapter division, making verse nine, the * The would not be cut off! Is. 2:1-4 first verse of chapter fifty-seven. 1) God calls for their judgement by the wild 56:6-8 Those proselytes who serve the Lord. animals. Vs. 9 1) The sons of foreigners who served out of 2) God declares their spiritual character. Vs. love would be rewarded. Vs. 6-7 10 a) Love for His name. Vs. 6b a) They are blind, to se the judgment to b) God would bring them to His Holy come. Vs. 10a mountain. Vs. 7a b) They are all ignorant, regarding the b) God would make them joyful in His things of God. Vs. 10b house of prayer. Vs. 7b c) They are all dumb dogs, who do not 1)) Jesus quotes this verse as He watch or protect. Vs. 10c cleansed the temple. Matt. 21;13 d) They cannot bark, due to the fact that 2)) He combined it with Jeremiah. Jer. they are sleeping, lying down and 7:11 loving to slumber. Vs. 10d-f c) God would accept their offerings and * They are living in comfort and sacrifices on His alter. Vs. 7c abundance in the midst of apathy d) God says His house would be called a and indifference! house of prayer for all nations. Vs. 7d 3) God declares their moral character. Vs. * Not just the Jew but all who serve, 11 revere and are faithful! a) They are greedy dogs which never 2) The Lord would gather Jew and Gentile have enough. Vs. 11a-b in one flock, the church, even as Jesus * Literally strong of soul, in other said, Vs. 8 words self-willed for their own * Under one flock and One Shepherd. Jn. benefit, ver having satisfaction. 10:16, Eph. 2:14 b) They are shepherds who cannot understand the evil they do in view of 56:9-57-21 God word to the wicked. the responsibility of being watchmen. Vs. 11c 11 12

* Ezk. 18, 33 3) They are exposed in their sexual passions c) They all are concerned with their own by their pornographic idols of their alters selves. Vs. 11d-f under the alter the trees. Vs. 5a-b * To their own way, gain and * The worship of Asherah with pictures territory, not valuing the corporate or statutes with exaggerated sexual vision for the entire nation, as the organ and Molek in the sacrificing of people of God! their children. 2Kings 16:3-4;21:29 4) They place where they sacrificed their 57:1-2 The reality of evil. children on the cleft of the rock. Vs. 5c 1) Righteous people perish when evil rules. Vs. 1a 57:6-10 God exposes their sexual cults. * At times this is God’s by God’s 1) The gods of the valleys after their allowance as judgement on the nation, prescribed worship ritual and lots. Vs. 6 leaving it without qualified or godly 2) The gods of the mountains with their leaders! sexual rites. Vs. 7 2) Righteous people are removed by God at 3) The gods of fertility cults and the orgies time to keep them from seeing further involved, be it in temples or their homes, evil, yet no one considers God goodness with all of their sexual paraphernalia .Vs. in this. Vs. 1c 8 3) The righteous enter into peace before * Today wife swapping origies, the adult God. Vs. 2 book store and these gentleman’s clubs are nothing new to God. 57:3-13 The degenerated condition of Israel. 4) The are slaves to their passions going to great lengths to obtain their satisfaction 57:3-5 God summons the evil men. and learn their perversion without any 1) The sons of sorceress, the offspring of conviction. Vs. 9-10 adulterer and harlot, those who practice 5) They feared the gods of the pagan instead such things. Vs. 3 of God misunderstanding His patience 2) They are called on their ridicule and for apathy. Vs. 11 gestures of God and the righteous. Vs. 4 6) God would not allow their evil to profit them. Vs. 12 13 14

7) God would allow their gods to be * Jude quotes this verse, Jude 1:13 revealed as useless, unable to deliver them in time of trouble but those trusting Him would possess the land and inherit His Holy mountain. Vs. 13

57:14-21 God gracious mercy towards the repentant sinner. 1) The preparation to remove every obstacle from the roads and all places is the act of the sinner of true repentance. Vs. 14 2) The high and Lofty One is high and holy separated from sinful man, yet dwells with those who are contrite in heart regarding their sins. Vs. 15 3) The opportunity to repent is not always going to be there and God will bring everything to a close one day in judgment. Vs. 16 4) Israel’s sin caused God’s anger and to hide His face. Vs. 17 5) God will in the last days restore her and comfort her. Vs. 18 6) God is the One responsible for the good that come from man’s mouth and the peace he experiences, both near and far as they come to Him. Vs. 19 7) The wicked have no rest nor know it, like the waves of the sea casting up mud and dirt. And there is no peace for the wicked with God. Vs. 20-21