Chapter 55   Call to come!

Reading – Matthew 22:1-14 Parable of the wedding banquet

This remarkable chapter flows from the truths of chapter 53 which gives us  a carefully argued understanding of the central truths of Redemption.

In particular it paints in graphic detail the awfulness of Calvary and the character of God that required his only Son to accept the punishment due us. Although innocent he was treated as guilty of the sins of us all. God’s justice demanded that sin must be paid for – it could not be forgotten. Jesus died then as our substitute. His death was not a pointless failure but rather the means of a glorious purchasing of people throughout the ages; men, women and children who compose the church of the ages!

Isa 53:10  Yet it was the LORD's will to crush him and cause him to suffer, and though the LORD makes his life

a guilt offering, he will see his offspring and prolong his days, and the will of the LORD will prosper in his

hand.

 Invitation to the wedding feast.

(NIV)  "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.

 (NIrV)  "Come, all of you who are thirsty. Come and drink the water I offer to you. You who do not have any money, come. Buy and eat the grain I give you. Come and buy wine and milk. You will not have to pay anything for it.

(NLT)  "Is anyone thirsty? Come and drink—even if you have no money! Come, take your choice of wine or milk—it's all free!

Three times in this first verse the word “Come” is used.  It is a word associated with movement from one place to another. We use it in a “come here” way but it carries more weight than that – it signifies a change from one way to another way.

It is used to denote a Godly pattern of life.

Psa 119:1  . Blessed are they .. who walk according to the law of the LORD.

Blessed are they who keep his statutes and seek him with all their heart. They do nothing wrong;

they walk in his ways.

It is used in that sense here.

“Get up. Come on. Let’s get going” is the meaning here. It is a call to make a change, to move from one position to another. In this case away from unbelief and retaining the personal consequences for your own sin to a state of knowing your sins forgiven because the punishment has been taken by Christ.

It is not addressed to those who feel no spiritual thirst. If you feel no need of God’s forgiveness, no desperate thirst for God then this call is not for you.

If you feel thirsty for God then listen on.

It is not addressed to those who feel that the grace of God can be purchased with their own resources.  It is a call to those who are desperately hungry and thirsty but have no resources at all.

The thirst spoken of here is spiritual. It is drinking at the fountain of God’s Salvation knowing that you will never be thirsty again.

We drink once here for all time. Our sins are forgiven here for all time – we will never be thirsty again.

We eat of the choicest foods – wine and milk is wedding food and we are able to eat without holding back.

John 6:35  Then Jesus declared, "I am the bread of life. He who comes to me will never go hungry, and he who

believes in me will never be thirsty.

How can we buy what is not for sale?

How can we buy without using money?

It is not that this water and food is free to all who want it. It has actually been purchased with the currency of Christ. God’s own Son. It may be free to us but it cost God everything!

Salvation is available to all who will come and drink – to all who are thirsty!

Spiritual food is available to all without price.

God has paid for it all and the currency he used was the blood of Christ.

1Pe 1:18  For you know that it was not with perishable things such as silver or gold that you were redeemed

from the empty way of life handed down to you from your forefathers, but with the precious blood of Christ,

a lamb without blemish or defect.

All real Christian experience comes from what he provides, not what we provide!

This world is a vast marketplace of costly but unsatisfying remedies for our God shaped longings!

Calvin and Hobbes cartoon strip -  Getting is better than having. When you get something it’s new and exciting. When you have something, you take it for granted and it is boring. Everything you get turns into something you have!

V2-3       God calls “Listen, listen to me, and eat what is good, and your soul will delight in the richest of fare. Give ear and come to me. Hear me that your soul may live”

Isa 55:6  Turn to the LORD before it's too late. Call out to him while he's still ready to help you.

 Let the one who is evil stop doing evil things. And let him quit thinking evil thoughts. Let him turn to the

LORD. The LORD will show him his tender love. Let him turn to our God. He is always ready to forgive.

 "My thoughts are not like your thoughts. And your ways are not like my ways," announces the LORD.

 "The heavens are higher than the earth. And my ways are higher than your ways. My thoughts are higher than your thoughts.

Turn to the Lord before it’s too late!

It is an illusion to think that God exists for your benefit; that he is someone who must respond to your pleas. That is not the case. Salvation is an act of God and if you feel God at work within your life you are commanded to turn to him before it is too late. Come with all your need and an awareness of your sin and turn to the Lord.

What does this mean?

• We are to stop dilly dallying and become determined about finding God.
• Set finding him as our highest goal.
• We are to hear his word without back chat or argument. We are to submit to his will without preconditions.
• Seeking the Lord is a whole life realignment when you want your life to be found at the centre of God’s purposes!
• The time to do that is now without delay!

Let the one who is evil stop doing evil things. And let him quit thinking evil thoughts.

The actions that mark us out must cease. These are actions that argue with God’s perfect life. They may be open or hidden but we are commanded to stop!

Note this

• God does not require you to clean up your life before you come to him. You are to come as you are, wicked, dirty, failure.
• God does require you to know that this must follow. When you come you must be prepared to set your life straight with God’s help. Evil actions must stop. Whatever is not in harmony with God’s will must change!

Thought comparisons must cease

We are wired to be in opposition to God and his ways. We presume that our thinking processes are superior to God’s! We have the arrogance to evaluate God’s thoughts through our own thoughts to see if we can agree with them!

God challenges this arrogance in ch40

Isa 40:13  Who has understood the mind of the LORD, or instructed him as his counsellor?

 Whom did the LORD consult to enlighten him, and who taught him the right way? Who was it that taught

him knowledge or showed him the path of understanding?

      Does the God of the Universe need to ask our advice?

      Does he need our wisdom to enlighten him?

      Does he need us to point him to understanding?

also here in 55:8

 "For my thoughts are not your thoughts," declares the LORD.

 "As the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways and my thoughts than

your thoughts.

We may not see much wrong with our lives. Our thoughts might lead us to a flattering assessment of ourselves but it doesn’t matter what we think – it’s what God thinks that matters! He is the judge of us!  We are measured by his ruler and his conclusion is that we are failures and need to start thinking right before we can enjoy fellowship with God on his terms.

Our relationship is not an equal one; our dialogue is not an opinion based debate.  God’s relationship with us is as a King and his subjects.

We must approach God with a submissive mind recognising the sinful inferiority of our own thinking.

Is. 55:7  Let him turn to the LORD, and he will have mercy on him, and to our God, for he will freely pardon.

 "For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways.”

This is amazing for two reasons

      God knows our evil intentions and actions. He is aware of the pride of the mind and yet here is his promise. He will have mercy on us! He will not treat us as we deserve – his promise is a free pardon!

      In this way we see the greater thoughts of God. We cry for punishment and justice but God offers mercy and free pardon. How far above us God is!

The illustration is used here of rain watering the earth and making things grow so that we can have food.

It is the word of God that is God’s rain. Without it we are desert dwellers living in the famine of our own thoughts and actions. With the watering effects of the Word of God we can burst into blossom.

• I remember Lorraine and I going to a cinema in Cork many years ago. It was in the time when there were 2 films shown. I have no memory of the main film but I will never forget the second one. It was a film about a desert. It showed all the seeming barrenness of the place. Hot, dusty and hostile. But then one night it rained and the next day something wonderful happened. Seeds that had lain under the surface of the burning sand for 20-30 years burst into life and in a very short time the desert was filled with blooms. Colour filled the place. After the effects of the rain went away the desert returned to a place of dryness.

We know God through his word. God is a God of words.

• In Genesis, he spoke and it came to be.
• Jesus is described as the word who came to reveal the Father.
• The Spirit’s job description is to lead us into truth; to safeguard the disciples as they wrote Scripture.
• The Word of God is given to bring us into a deeper knowledge of God and his dealings with us.
• Apart from the word spoken we will never know God.

Rom 10:13  for, "Everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved."

How, then, can they call on the one they have not believed in? And how can they believe in the one of whom

they have not heard? And how can they hear without someone preaching to them?

As  we allow God’s word into our lives changes will come. It acts as a cleansing force.

Rom 12:2  Do not conform any longer to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of

your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God's will is—his good, pleasing and perfect will.

God’s word acts as rain. It waters our lives and allows us to blossom.

How do we taste God’s delights? How do we enter into the joy of his Salvation?

John 6:63             The words I have spoken to you are spirit and life!

We will never find God as a result of searching ourselves – we must allow God to do that through his Word!

If we reject God’s word we reject God. As we accept God’s word as his preserved word to us we will enter into both the blessing of forgiveness and closer agreement with the living God.

Something to think about!

The picture here at the end of this chapter is one of joy linked to peace.        

It is a picture of the conclusion of all things when the corrupted earth will be renewed.

No more thornbush, no more briers. Instead pine and myrtle. Anything linked to the curse of sin when the earth itself was cursed will be removed.

This new creation which is part of redemption.  It will be an everlasting sign and will never be destroyed.

Something to think about.

Is heaven the end of things or is it transitional?

Where will we spend eternity? Heaven or a new earth created after this one is destroyed?