Yes, that’s the way this great chapter begins. (Nothing in the great Book of Isaiah has been the same since Chapter 53 … Jesus dying on the Cross!)

Today’s Text …

“Ho, every one that thirsteth, come ye to the waters, and he that hath no money; come ye, buy, and eat; yea, come, buy wine and milk without money and without price.” Isaiah 55:1

See it? “Buy .. without money or price!”

Then it (speaking of Salvation) must be a “gift!”

Valuable, ineffably so … but freely provided to all those thirsty and hungry souls who come to Jesus for Relief!

The opening word, “Ho” (in Hebrew “hoy”), is translated “Woe” 36 times in our King James Bible. But HERE there is not even a “hint” of impending judgment! Only an announcement of available Blessing! It’s an Interjection, “Ho,” great excitement being indicated!

Again, because of Isaiah 53 … Jesus’ vicarious (in our stead) Death for us old sinners!

But the key is … are you “thirsty,” do you so “thirst?” A verb which is derived from a root meaning “to suffer thirst,” intensely so! (If not, the Holy Spirit can make you that thirsty!)

I personally get thirsty for Jesus every time I think about Him! Or hear about Him … either in the Word of God or in some sermon, or even in testimony or song!

Sounds like Jesus is the “waters!” (Bad grammar, but quite good Theology!)

To the sinful “woman at the well” … “Jesus answered and said unto her, If thou knewest the gift of God, and who it is that saith to thee, Give me to drink; thou wouldest have asked of him, and he would have given thee living water.” John 4:18

“And the Spirit and the bride say, Come. And let him that heareth say, Come. And let him that is athirst come. And whosoever will, let him take the water of life freely.” Revelation 22:17

“In the last day, that great day of the feast, Jesus stood and cried, saying, If any man thirst, let him come unto me, and drink.” John 7:37, another great “Come unto Me!”

But not just “water” is here proffered, both “wine and milk” are also equally available.

“Water” is certainly a metaphor for salvation, deliverance from Hell and absolutely eternal Satisfaction in Jesus!

“Wine” though speaks of “joy” many times in the Bible … being gloriously “happy” in Jesus!

And “milk,” no doubt, spiritual growth and sustenance and advancement! “Newborn babes in Christ,” Peter says … but soon to need Bread and Meat and Honey from the Word of God as well.

Note … at least in one sense … here spiritual growth (maturity) is a GIFT of the GRACE of God too! No man “within himself” earns a closer proximity to Jesus … it is a condition bestowed!

Yet … in another sense, Peter (again) says we are to be “diligent” (requiring strenuous effort) to grow in Christ! Adding “grace to grace” … as we develop in Jesus! See 2 Peter 1:5-11 as the Basis for my comment here.

Wow!

What Jesus accomplished for us … on the Cross!

We will probably never know it all!

— Dr. Mike Bagwell

Meanwhile I will gladly enjoy the water and the wine and the milk! So freely provided!

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It’s long been my favorite verse in this chapter, Isaiah 54. So much so that I have had our printer prepare us a little “Booklet” (called a “Bible Portion”) with this seventeen-verse chapter (and only that chapter) inside!

I plan (soon) to preach an entire Meeting from this Portion of Scripture, this (called nowadays) “Pericope.” Yes, I am still talking about Isaiah 54. It’s a Jewish Conference, where I plan to preach it!

And Isaiah 54 ends with the “cherry on the top!” With its (I think) sweetest promise of all! One I have appropriated a few times in my life and ministry, in fact! Appropriated rightly or not, that’s arguable … but appropriated nonetheless! (I am not a physical Jew, just an old gentile!)

Goodness … let me show you my Text this morning. “No weapon that is formed against thee shall prosper; and every tongue that shall rise against thee in judgment thou shalt condemn. This is the heritage of the servants of the LORD, and their righteousness is of me, saith the LORD.” Isaiah 54:17

Wow!

This does not say that no weapon will ever be forged against Israel. But it does say that none of them will “prosper!”

The noun “weapon” is “keliy,” meaning “tool, article, vessel, implement, utensil, stuff” once 11 times, “thing!” What an array!

The verb “prosper” is “tzsalach,” meaning “to advance, make progress, succeed, break out, go over,” amazing!

God guaranteed deliverance!

In the long run!

And those who “rise against” (meaning “hate/despise/condemn”) Israel … literally from a root verb meaning “to execute” … she is here commissioned “to condemn” that big mouth! “Rasha” in Hebrew, “to cause it trouble!” Literally, to heap “wickedness” upon it! (Sounds like Mossad’s job to me!!!)

“No weapon that is formed against thee shall prosper; and every tongue that shall rise against thee in judgment thou shalt condemn.” God is the Protector of His little Nation, the people of Israel!

By WHY this goodness?

“This is the heritage of the servants of the LORD, and their righteousness is of me, saith the LORD.”

That’s why!

It’s a “gift” given this unique nation of earth … because of their being God’s “servants” in some way.

God’s “servants” … as in giving us Jesus! (Mary was a Jewess Virgin, if you recall!)

God “servants” … as in bringing us the Word of God! (Romans 3:2 … “Unto them were committed the oracles of God.”)

God “servants” … as in being the enemy (arch-enemy) of the devil … from now through the end of the Tribulation!

I sure am glad I did not forget to write this Lesson!

One more time … “No weapon that is formed against thee shall prosper; and every tongue that shall rise against thee in judgment thou shalt condemn. This is the heritage of the servants of the LORD, and their righteousness is of me, saith the LORD.”

Preacher friend, if someone is hatefully (and falsely) condemning you, attacking you … claim and pray this verse. You will may not be Semitic … but there’s a divine principle at work here. God will take care of His “servants” … yet today!

Amen!

— Dr. Mike Bagwell

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This chapter is so “Jewish,” which is a good thing.

And I am not about to “rob” Israel of these promises and say they are the sole property of the “Church.”

In a unique view of God’s Chastening Hand on His people, on Judah specifically, God once again pledges “Protection” for Israel!

Our verse today …

“Behold, they shall surely gather together, but not by me: whosoever shall gather together against thee shall fall for thy sake.” Isaiah 54:15

“They” (plural) are gathering together “against” Israel.

As in Psalm 83:4 … “They have said, Come, and let us cut them off from being a nation; that the name of Israel may be no more in remembrance.” Anti-Semitism for sure!

But God here says … “I did not send them!”

Then Isaiah uses one of God’s great Words, “whosoever.”

Any one of them (the Jew haters) who comes “against” Israel … “shall fall!” This verb is “naphal,” obviously predicting a “defeat.” Here in the active voice. But when in the passive voice, even stronger … “shall be overthrown, shall rot, shall be lost, shall become inferior!”

Wow!

What’s the verse saying?

No ultimate victory for those who wish Israel’s demise!

And eventually, eternal victory for God’s chosen people!

And God’s “motivation?”

For His Glory, I am sure.

But also, “for Israel’s sake!”

He sure loves that little Remnant of people!

I do too.

— Dr. Mike Bagwell

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Our Text today, please read it carefully. God is speaking …

“For this is as the waters of Noah unto Me: for as I have sworn that the waters of Noah should no more go over the earth; so have I sworn that I would not be wroth with thee, nor rebuke thee. For the mountains shall depart, and the hills be removed; but My kindness shall not depart from thee, neither shall the covenant of My peace be removed, saith the LORD that hath mercy on thee.” Isaiah 54:9-10

Yes, God has disciplined Israel, at times severely. But she has been such an erring nation! God even laments in Hosea 11:7, “My people are bent to backsliding from me.” This verb “bent” means “to cling to” something!

Nonetheless, overall … God intends to BLESS Israel! And today’s Passage proves such in no uncertain terms!

In fact, looks to me like the Abrahamic Covenant is unconditional! Show me any “ifs” in it, please. Here it is …

God to Abraham, once Abram left Ur of the Chaldees, which he certainly did … “I will make of thee a great nation, and I will bless thee, and make thy name great; and thou shalt be a blessing: and I will bless them that bless thee, and curse him that curseth thee: and in thee shall all families of the earth be blessed.” Genesis 12:2-3

And so today (back to Isaiah 54:9-10) look what God has promised (again) to the Jewish people, to the Nation! There is coming a day when God “will no longer be wroth” with them! No longer “angry, displeased!”

A day when God will no longer “rebuke” His people!

“So have I (the Lord) sworn that I would not be wroth with thee, nor rebuke thee.” Verse 10b, King James Version! (The Hebrew verb “to swear” literally means “to say something seven times!”)

And how sure is that Word, that Commitment from God? A Divine Illustration now: God says: “As the waters of Noah unto me: for as I have sworn that the waters of Noah should no more go over the earth.” That’s absolute, isn’t it?

Then in verse 10 God adds that His Word to Israel is a stable as the “mountains” and the “hills!” In fact, more so! (“For the mountains shall depart, and the hills be removed; but MY KINDNESS shall NOT depart from thee.”)

God will also honor His “Covenant of Peace” with the Jews! Sounds like Salvation to me! And it will be guaranteed “secure!” I’d say “eternally secure!” (Verse 10b … “Neither shall the covenant of My peace be removed.”)

Wow!

What MERCY!

Now, take a few seconds and read this again, our Meditation this morning: “For this is as the waters of Noah unto me: for as I have sworn that the waters of Noah should no more go over the earth; so have I sworn that I would not be wroth with thee, nor rebuke thee. For the mountains shall depart, and the hills be removed; but my kindness shall not depart from thee, neither shall the covenant of my peace be removed, saith the LORD that hath mercy on thee.” And do note it is authoritatively signed “saith the Lord!”

Now let’s go and pray for Israel!

Psalm 122:6 … “Pray for the peace of Jerusalem: they shall prosper that love thee.”

Psalm 51:18 … David praying … “Do good in thy good pleasure unto Zion: build thou the walls of Jerusalem.”

Psalm 137:6 … If I do not remember thee (that City, Jerusalem), let my tongue cleave to the roof of my mouth; if I prefer not Jerusalem above my chief joy.”Surely this includes “remembering” that city in prayer!

The previous verse too … “If I forget thee, O Jerusalem, let my right hand forget her cunning.” Forget to pray for her? (Psalm 137:5)

And even Jeremiah 51:50 has some advice in this area: “Stand not still: remember the LORD afar off, and let Jerusalem come into your mind.” Wow!

— Dr. Mike Bagwell

Praying a Petition God is sure to answer!

Folks, God is going to DO, PERFORM what He has said, promised! But sill, He asks us “to pray” for those Results!

Proof?

Ezekiel 36:36-36 … “Then the heathen that are left round about you shall know that I THE LORD build the ruined places, and plant that that was desolate: I THE LORD have spoken it, and I will do it. Thus saith the Lord GOD; I WILL YET FOR THIS BE ENQUIRED OF (pray for it) BY THE HOUSE OF ISRAEL, to do it for them; I will increase them with men like a flock.”

Amen!

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“For a small moment have I forsaken thee; but with great mercies will I gather thee. In a little wrath I hid my face from thee for a moment; but with everlasting kindness will I have mercy on thee, saith the LORD thy Redeemer.” Isaiah 54:7-8

This is God, talking to Israel!

More specifically, to Judah!

A people who had sinned against her Lord, incurring His Wrath!

And in her dark days of punishment, discipline, correction … God encourages her with the words of this great two-verse Text.

Look at it with me:

Yes, God DID forsake (“azab” in Hebrew = to leave or depart from) His people! He admits it! (In fact, He forsook … still using the same verb,”azab” … His only Begotten Son as Jesus died on Calvary!)

BUT … that period of destitution was relatively short, quite measured! Because God here promises that he is going to “gather” His people, “re-gather” them. Our Text again, that first Clause: “For a small moment have I forsaken thee; but with great mercies will I gather thee.”

Look … a “small” moment of discipline! But with “great” Mercies will come the Revival! (Recall Habakkuk’s Prayer … “God, in wrath remember mercy.” Habakkuk 3:2)

The our Text adds even more consolation: “In a little wrath I hid my face from thee for a moment; but with everlasting kindness will I have mercy on thee.” Wow!

Compare (contrast) “little wrath” with then (soon) coming “everlasting kindness!”

And again watch the stark difference: a “hidden Face” at first … but then “open, extended Mercy!” (A smiling Face!)

Reminds me of Psalm 30:5 … “For his (the Lord’s) anger endureth but a moment; in his favour is life: weeping may endure for a night, but joy cometh in the morning.” (You would think the Psalmist had been reading Isaiah!)

And I ask, just to be sure, Who is Promising this to His people? Jehovah God! “Thus saith the LORD thy Redeemer.”

And that beautiful noun “Redeemer” is “gaal,” the Kinsman Redeemer of Israel’s history, culture! (God will be the gracious “Boaz” to Judah’s tainted “Ruth” in coming days!)

We probably cannot imagine the HELP these two verses will become to suffering (and yet believing) Jews say … during the Tribulation!

Or during any future wave (it’s already building) of anti-Semitism that may sweep the world.

In fact, and I am not even a Jew … this Text is encouraging me! Because there is a Principle embedded in them that reveals God’s great, loving Heart!

God has, in fact, disciplined each of us who is truly born-again … but only in a “limited” sense! Hebrews 12:11 … “Now no chastening for the PRESENT seemeth to be joyous, but grievous: nevertheless AFTERWARD it yieldeth the peaceable fruit of righteousness unto them which are exercised thereby.”

He knows what He is doing!

— Dr. Mike Bagwell

Oh, we are in Good Hands!

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