You have heard people say that there is no such thing as a free lunch, but the Bible shows us that this is not entirely true. Isaiah 55 tells us that God is making all men the offer of free food. This offer of free food is of course talking about the offer of free redeeming grace. In the context of Isaiah 55, it is the offer of redeeming grace to restore the apostate nation of Israel. If the nation will turn back to God (i.e., when they will), God will restore them.
This offer of forgiveness and restoration is given to the nation of Israel, but it is universal in scope and extends to all sinners. God’s message to sinful man is that all they have to do to receive it is to turn from their sins and believe in Him. If they do, they will find a spiritual abundance that cannot be found anywhere else (Isa. 55:1-2).
The promise of national restoration is as real and certain as the oath that He swore to King David that one of his sons would be the Son of God who would bring redemption to the whole world (vv. 3-5). Because of the certainty of this promise and the fact that all men need it, God calls on all men to turn from their sins and seek Him. If they will turn to Him in faith, He will forgive their sins (vv. 6-7).
Some within the nation had begun to think that Israel was beyond hope and could never hope to see restoration. God has already told them that He is going to restore them, so Isaiah reminds them that God’s thoughts are not their thoughts and God’s ways are not their ways (vv. 8-9). In other words, if God says He will restore and give forgiveness, He will do it. It does not matter how bad the sinful failure has been, God will restore if we turn to Him. To illustrate the certainty of this principle, God uses an analogy from earthly life to illustrate the principle. In the same way that rain and snow that come from heaven certainly produce fruit on earth, soo, too, God’s Word from heaven will certainly get fulfilled exactly as He promised (vv. 10-13). God will restore Israel just as He has promised.
From this text we see great principles to apply to ourselves. First of all, it is the reminder that if God has said something in His Word, we can know with absolute certainty that He will fulfill it. Secondly, with reference to the nation of Israel, we can know that God is going to restore them when Jesus Christ brings the kingdom of God to this earth. He has promised it, and He will do it. Thirdly, we can know that God will certainly receive us and forgive us our own sins if we are willing to turn to Him in repentant faith. The Gospel of John reminds us of this over and over again. For example, in John 6:35 we read, “Jesus said to them, ‘I am the bread of life; he who comes to Me will not hunger, and he who believes in Me will never thirst.'” (cf. John 7:37-38; 8:12; 10:7, 11; 11:25-26; 14:6; 15:1-5).
The promise has been extended by God, and our calling as Christians is to proclaim that offer of forgiveness and to call men to believe in the Son of God.
Love, Pastor Tim