“Then Jesus declared “I AM the bread of life. Whoever comes to Me will never go hungry, and whoever believes in me will never go thirsty. [John 6:35]”
If you are the one who is waiting for an invitation from the God to attend/partake in the new covenant, here I am giving it you on behalf of God. God wants every one of you to know about this good news!
Behold! This invitation is for all the Mankind in planet earth!
This invitation is for all who are thirsty!
This invitation is for those who are not satisfied with your laboring!
This invitation is for all who lacks the splendor of life!
Isaiah 55 , A famous chapter in Bible which is exclusively dedicated with a grant invitation from the Lord God Almighty for a royal banquet for all the mankind!
…a feast of rich food for all peoples, a banquet of aged wine …the best of meats and the finest of wines. [Isaiah 25:6].
This loving invitation from our Abba Father is all based on the redemptive work accomplished through the crucifixion of our Lord Jesus Christ on the cross and the victorious resurrection which is narrated in Isaiah chapter 53. Prophet Isaiah foresaw the entire finished work of Christ in chapter 53, where Jesus paying the full penalty for mankind’s sin and the transgression of Gods law by shedding His blood on the cross. God’s righteous anger against sin got appeased in Christ’s finished work on cross. The grant new opening of a new covenant is up and ready for all the mankind, which calls for a grant invitation from the author to whom it’s made available!
In chapter 54 Isaiah narrated a great details about the blessings that will come upon the church of Jesus Christ, who become the partaker of this eternal covenant feast by putting their faith in Jesus Christ and His finished work. The blessings [54] and the invitation [55] all are based on the Finished work of Christ in chapter 53. The most awaited salvation is now available for all the mankind. Not only for Jews, but also for all the nations under the sun! God wants us to enlarge the place of our tent and stretch out the curtains of our inhabitants. Just because this “Good News- Gospel “has to spread abroad to the right and to the left. To the entire nation – To the Jews and to the Gentiles alike and to become one Body in Christ!
“And this gospel of the kingdom shall be preached in the entire world for a witness unto all nations;”[ Math 24:14]
Let us go through this invitation letter from God [Isaiah 55] with each and every details of it to understand the significance of the same.
1. The Invitation is offered to whom?
1.”Come, all you who are thirsty, come to the waters; and you who have no money, come, buy and eat!
Come; buy wine and milk without money and without cost.
- Why spend money on what is not bread, and your labor on what does not satisfy?
Listen, listen to me, and eat what is good, and you will delight in the richest of fare.[Isaiah55-1-2]
Aptly the invitation letter opens with a warm welcome from the invitee. A gracious invitation from the loving God to all who does not have money, but thirsty and hungry in their soul and spirit. This invitation is also for those who have money but spending where there is no satisfaction for His soul and Spirit! Of course this invitation is for the Gentiles and the Jews alike. Both are in need of Salvation. God is inviting you! Please come and quench your thirst and hunger! The living water and the manna are freely available to all of you. Just come and have it!
As we know there are many in the world those are weary and frustrated in their life with many kinds of bondages and lacks with no power, no resources and strength! Completely exhausted! Disconnected from the source of Life itself! No money to buy water and milk! The invitee says …”Come, all you who are thirsty, who have no money, Come buy wine and milk without money and cost”! Because it’s all paid by ONE! The savior who loves you! Jesus Christ Your redeemer! Jesus invites you to partake from Him to quench your thirst. The true living water which gives you Eternal life!
” but whoever drinks the water I give them will never thirst. Indeed, the water I give them will become in them a spring of water welling up to eternal life.”[John 4:14]
Also there are people in the world who boast in their own self-righteousness or good work or boast in the law of God thinking….They hold a right standing with God! They think they have money to buy the milk and wine and will be satisfied in it! But in the estimate of God …All our” self-righteousness “is a filthy rag!! God has a good advice and a gracious invitation for you too. Saying… “Why spend money on what are not bread and your effort on what’s not satisfying you?? Eat what is actually good and delight in the true food which will nourish your soul and spirit alike!
“Then Jesus declared, “I am the bread of life. Whoever comes to me will never go hungry, and whoever believes in me will never be thirsty.”[John 6:35]
2. Why & what’s the benefit of accepting this invitation?
It’s offered to all the people to have free eternal life, because God knows our destiny without Christ in our life! The eternal damnation of our soul!
This invitation is offered to you to have free eternal life which is found only in Christ. To become the righteousness of God in Christ Jesus by putting your trust in Him by faith. He does not want you to struggle and remain in the wrath of God or spend money which is not yielding you the surety for eternal life. Instead God wants to give you the best things which will make you delight in the richest of fare! The TRUE LIVING MANNA which imparts life to your body, soul & soul. God is inviting you to have it freely! Because He loves to lavish His love upon you! To bless you and to protect you under His covenant promises!
“For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life.”
3. What would be our response to this invitation?
3. Give ear and come to me; listen, that you may live. I will make an everlasting covenant with you, my faithful love promised to David.
4. See, I have made him a witness to the peoples, a ruler and commander of the peoples.
5. Surely you will summon nations you know not, and nations you do not know will come running to you,
Because of the LORD your God, the Holy One of Israel, for he has endowed you with splendor.”
6. Seek the LORD while he may be found; call on him while he is near.
7. Let the wicked forsake their ways and the unrighteous their thoughts.
Let them turn to the LORD, and he will have mercy on them, and to our God, for he will freely pardon.
Our response to this invitation is nothing but an “active listening” which involves your Soul, Spirit and Body
God says. Listen diligently to Me, Eat what is good, and let your soul delight itself in abundance!
Note, the invitation is very clear in its offering. Our part is to pay careful attention to understand what he says! Listen diligently to His words and be conscious about its value by putting your trust in Him. We must let our soul delight itself in abundance by meditating on His words which will impart you the desire of your heart. God wants to establish His gracious covenant He has promised to David on your life, to endow you with His splendor. He wants you to know that His mercy has pardon all your sins and made you righteous in this new covenant and He wants to bestow you with His grace and make you a witness for Him for the wicked and unrighteous world!
“You are my witnesses,” declares the LORD, “and my servant whom I have chosen, so that you may know and believe me and understand that I am he”[Isaiah 43:10]
4. Gods way of doing things are different than your ways.
8″For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways,” declares the LORD.
9″As the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways and my thoughts than your thoughts
10 As the rain and the snow come down from heaven, and do not return to it without watering the earth and making it bud and flourish,
so that it yields seed for the sower and bread for the eater,
11 so is my word that goes out from my mouth: It will not return to me empty, but will accomplish what I desire and achieve the purpose for which I sent it.
As the psalmist says, great is our LORD and His greatness no one can fathom! His thoughts and plans are incomparable with no matching! As Apostle Paul rightly says in book of Romans that, Oh! How unsearchable is the depth of the riches and wisdom and knowledge of our God! The above mentioned verse which is again a part of this great invitation letter, speaks about the greatness of the invitee! He wants you to know and understand who is this welcoming you to such a great banquet of aged wine and richest of fare to satisfy you fully! The Almighty God! While meditating on the above verse I have understood that, God alone can think about such a great and extraordinary salvation plan! A prison exchange for you and me, which reveals the Love of our Abba father in all its extremity. A way for eternal life by just believing in the Good news .which He makes us to hear by the preaching of unskilled, ordinary Spirit filled mere humans! A delivery system which no can fathom! The preaching of Gospel! A robe of righteousness which He alone can give you by His grace! The measure of faith which He only can impart in your heart!!! I am convinced that, only God can strategize it . Yes! His ways are always higher than our ways and thoughts. No word from God is Void of Power! All yields its desired fruits! The Wonderful Counsellor! Supreme in power and Absolute it Position! The Great I AM!
5. God’s ways will always leads to Joy and Celebration J
12 You will go out in joy and be led forth in peace; the mountains and hills will burst into song before you, and all the trees of the field will clap their hands.
13. Instead of the thorn bush will grow the juniper, and instead of briers the myrtle will grow.
This will be for the LORD’s renown, for an everlasting sign, that will endure forever.”
The result of choosing Gods ways will always bring abundance of true Joy and peace in our life. The imageries in the above verse speak about the fullness and the luxury of Gods provision and restoration to the Eden blessings before the fall of Adam. Instead of thorn bush the juniper and instead of briers the myrtle! Amazing restoration by the great work of last Adam. Our lord Jesus Christ!
To summarize, Give careful attention to What God says! Accept the Invitation and partake in the royal feast of Salvation! The New Covenant!
Surely you will go out in joy and be led forth in peace. The joy will overflow in such a way that the mountains, the hills and the trees of the field will Join in. Instead of barrenness or the reminders of curse [The thorn] , there will be beauty and fruitfulness in every area of your life. His restoration will be greater in quality and greater in quantity. He does it all for the Glory of His name! The work of Cross! This everlasting sign will endure forever and ever!
“You will have plenty to eat, until you are full, and you will praise the name of the LORD your God, who has worked wonders for you;” [Joel 2:26] Amen!
