The Divine Invitation

The Divine Invitation

Isaiah 51-55

“Isaiah 55:8-9

                  The pride of humanity is the belief that God conforms to our image and our thinking. We pick and choose which parts of the Bible and attributes of God we find acceptable, but we deny and reject those we find uncomfortable and threatening. We readily confess the love of God but deny the justice and righteousness of God. We set ourselves above God by conforming Him to us, as if He were accountable to us. 

In this section of Isaiah, we find God's message of salvation and the coming of the suffering servant who will bring salvation through His redemptive sacrifice. Isaiah 53, one of the more familiar passages, foretells the suffering servant who will come. In these words, we see the wonder of Christ's redemptive work as He takes upon Himself the depth of our sin so that we might obtain forgiveness. In vivid detail, Isaiah foretells the death and resurrection of Christ, in which Christ suffers vicariously for our sins so that we might have forgiveness of sin. What we do not want to hear is the promise of judgment for those who reject Christ.          When we reach chapter 55, we are faced with an invitation and a choice. The chapter begins with an appeal to accept the salvation God offers. Our merit does not earn this salvation but is freely offered to us at no cost. Our culture seeks satisfaction, joy, and security. For security, we turn to political leaders to provide answers to our society's problems. We look to wealth for prosperity and happiness, believing that if we just have more money to buy the things our hearts desire, then we will be happy. However, in the end, we discover that we have been chasing a myth—prosperity, success, and human wisdom cannot answer life's basic needs. Despite all our pursuits, we still find ourselves unsatisfied and without absolute joy.

                  However, God promises something different. When we walk in obedience to Him and surrender our lives to Him, He provides us with life to the fullest. In 55:3, we find the invitation to come and listen to Him; that is, we are to seek God to obey His word. When we do so, we discover the meaning and joy of life itself. In 55:3, God invites us to come “that you may live.” Literally, it reads, “That your soul may live.” In other words, His promise is life in the fullest sense: eternal life and the enjoyment of God forever. However, this invitation requires a response from us. We do not enjoy the benefits of salvation by passively listening to the message and merely affirming its truthfulness. We need to respond in surrender by forsaking sin and walking in obedience to Him (55:6-7). This requires us to stop looking to ourselves and our wisdom and instead humbly accept God’s law and recognize that He is exalted above us. Instead of conforming God’s moral law to our perspective, we must humbly accept that God’s knowledge is infinitely higher than ours, and all we can do is surrender to His truth. Instead of conforming God to our image, we must allow God to conform us to His. This begins by humbly acknowledging His supremacy and the truthfulness of His word. All His words are truth, and they will accomplish His purpose.   When we surrender to his word and strive to obey it without compromise, then we discover peace and joy in life. (55:12). Are you living in the pursuit of your own desires or humbly seeking to obey God in all things? The first leads to death, the second leads to life.