A few weeks ago, I wrote a blog discussing the gospel in the book of Isaiah. You can check out that blog here. Isaiah is not an evangelistic book. Rather, Isaiah addresses the nation of Israel and its rebellion. Due to its sin, the Lord disciplined the nation in the seventy-year captivity of Babylon. However, despite their failings, the Lord also delivered them out of Babylon. This deliverance would not happen because of their righteousness but by the grace of the Lord. This is the “good news” or gospel that Isaiah is proclaiming.
In response to that blog, I received an email from a good friend, asking about Isaiah 55:1-3. It reads:
“Ho! Everyone who thirsts,
Come to the waters;
And you who have no money,
Come, buy and eat.
Yes, come, buy wine and milk
Without money and without price.
2 Why do you spend money for what is not bread,
And your wages for what does not satisfy?
Listen carefully to Me, and eat what is good,
And let your soul delight itself in abundance.
3 Incline your ear, and come to Me.
Hear, and your soul shall live;
And I will make an everlasting covenant with you—
The sure mercies of David. (Emphasis added)
My friend observed that the language here is similar to what we see in the gospel of John. For example, John 4 is an evangelistic passage, and the imagery of water, thirst, and the freeness of the gift is present in both passages. At first glance, it appears as though the prophet is sharing the good news of eternal life. How might I reconcile this with my original blog?
The original blog primarily dealt with the purpose of the book of Isaiah. The point was to show that the book is not evangelistic in nature. This does not negate the possibility that specific verses could refer to the saving message. But there are good reasons for rejecting the idea that Isaiah 55:1-3 is evangelistic.
First, water is not defined as “eternal life” in Isaiah 55. Second, faith is never mentioned. In the Gospel of John, come can be a synonym of faith. While Isaiah 55:1 does say to come, this is not defined as believing. Finally, and possibly most notably, the Messiah is not mentioned. Unlike John 4, where the Lord explains the gift of eternal life and that He is the Messiah who gives that gift, Isaiah does not mention Him as the source of this gift.
If Isaiah 55:1-3 is evangelistic, it is an incomplete message. If Isaiah had been writing to share the message of life with unbelievers, he would have mentioned the One from whom that life comes and that those who drink the living water will never thirst again. However, as argued in the previous blog, that is not Isaiah’s purpose.
While Isaiah 55 has imagery similar to that in John 4, it does not necessarily follow that the prophet and the apostle are discussing the same thing. These are different authors addressing different readers. Each author has a different purpose. Therefore, the terminology in Isaiah 55 should be defined by the context of Isaiah. Isaiah uses the imagery of water and thirst several times in this unit. Beginning in 41:17-18, he speaks of the exiles’ return home and how the Lord will provide for them in the wilderness (see also 43:20). In 44:3, the Lord addresses the nation of Israel and speaks of a time when He will bless the nation and their descendants, likely a reference to the millennial kingdom (see 65:13). These blessings are described as being like water for the thirsty. In 48:20-21, the Israelites are leaving Babylon, singing songs of praise about how the Lord has redeemed them out of slavery. Once again, the Lord’s provision is illustrated in the imagery of water for the thirsty. The ideas of guidance and provision are common in these passages (see also 49:10).
As argued in the original blog, the good news of Isaiah is the national deliverance of the people, first from Babylon, but also at the Second Coming of Christ, when the remnant of Israel will be delivered at the end of the Tribulation. In both, the deliverance of Israel is not due to the people’s righteousness, but because of the Lord’s faithfulness to His promises and His covenant with Israel. As the prophet states, this was not something they could buy. It must be done through the power of the God of Israel (v 5).
