Isaiah 55:6-7

God’s desire for His children to reign on the earth and for eternity in a new heavens and a new earth has been revealed all throughout the Old and New Testaments. In Genesis, God starts in a garden and commissions Adam and Eve to be fruitful, multiply, and fill the entire earth. Why? Because everywhere humans go, the presence, glory, and image of God go with them. Now, we know this command was tainted by Adam and Eve’s disobedience, and sin has marred this promise. However, God’s redemptive nature prevails through a promise made to Eve about the One to rise from her seed(Gen 3:15), and to the patriarch Abraham (Gen. 12). God tells both Eve and Abraham that there is One to come who will both crush the serpent and bless all the nations of the earth. This is ultimately fulfilled in Jesus Christ (Gal. 3 & 4). See, God’s desire and presence are not limited to a specific geographical location, but rather encompass the globe through the kingship of His Son, the power of the Holy Spirit, and Christian believers who are indwelt by God’s Spirit and span across the world.

Today we look at another passage in the Old Testament that illuminates God’s desire for all the nations of the earth to humble themselves, repent, and turn to Him. Isaiah 55 is where we will spend our time today.

Understanding the context in which this verse was given is important. Isaiah 55 concludes what many scholars call the “Servant section” (Isaiah 40–55), which uses universal language to describe God’s desire to expand His presence and the message of salvation universally. In Isaiah 42:1, 6, the Servant, who is Jesus, is described as a light to the nations. Again, in Isaiah 49:6, “I will also give You as a light to the Gentiles,” and in Isaiah 52:10, “All the ends of the earth shall see the salvation of our God.” By the time we reach Isaiah 55, the scope has already moved beyond ethnic Israel alone and into God’s desire for the globe through the Servant (Jesus).
 
The chapter begins with a call to all who are thirsty, similar to Jesus’ call in John 4 and John 7, where He tells the woman and the crowds that if they are thirsty, they should come to Him and they will never thirst again. Moreover, in verse 3, Isaiah speaks about an everlasting covenant that is grounded in Davidic promises. Now hang with me, how exactly was this covenant going to be administered, and who was it going to be administered through? We do not have a ton of time, but I encourage you to look at Isaiah 11, where the Root of Jesse (Jesus) becomes a rallying point for the nations, and Isaiah 49, 52, and 53, where the Servant extends Davidic salvation globally. Isaiah is universalizing a covenant that includes Davidic mercy, something Paul explicitly confirms in Acts 13:34, applying Isaiah 55:3 to both Jews and Gentiles in Christ.

In Acts 13:33–34, Paul deliberately unites Psalm 2 and Isaiah 55 into a single, coherent fulfillment, centered on the resurrection of Jesus Christ. By citing Psalm 2:7 (“You are My Son, today I have begotten You”) and immediately interpreting it through Isaiah 55:3 (“I will give you the sure mercies of David”), Paul identifies the resurrection as the moment of Christ’s Davidic enthronement. Verse 34 of Acts 13, states that God raised Him from the dead so that He will never be subject to decay. As God has said, “I will give you the holy and sure blessings promised to David.”

Now, a little background on Psalm 2. God promises a Davidic Son whose inheritance would include the nations, not merely ethnic Israel, while Isaiah 55:3 reaffirms that this Davidic covenant is everlasting and extends to those beyond Israel, explicitly calling nations “you do not know” to participate in its blessings. Paul’s argument hinges on the fact that only a resurrected King can fulfill the promise of an eternal covenant; therefore, the resurrection is the climactic fulfillment of Israel’s own hope in a Messiah.
 
Paul applies Israel’s promises to a mixed audience of Jews and Gentiles within the same sermon and declares their fulfillment already realized in Christ. Acts 13 presents one Messiah, one resurrected Davidic King, one fulfilled covenant, and one people of God gathered from both Jews and Gentiles who can receive forgiveness and justification. Isaiah 55:4–5 includes a people brought because of the LORD and His gracious desire to possess a people from every tribe, tongue, and nation. Finally, in verses 6–7, God says, “Seek the LORD while He may be found… Let the wicked forsake his way.” This is a universal call to repentance, with an emphasis on mercy, and forgiveness.

Whew, that’s a lot, and we could spend hours talking about this. But this week, our prayer challenge centers on lost souls. Today, I pray this quick read has given you a glimpse into God’s heart for people from every nation all around the world. God has given a command to fill the earth, to preach the gospel to every nation, and His presence is actively extending to the ends of the earth through His Church. While the final fulfillment of a new heavens and a new earth is still to come, here and now the Holy Spirit has empowered the people of God to bring forth the message of repentance, faith, mercy, and forgiveness through the precious blood of Jesus and His resurrection from the grave (Rom. 1:16-17).

So as you pray this week, recognize God’s heart for lost souls to come to Him and drink from fountains that never run dry. Pray that people from all nations will come to know Jesus as both Lord and Savior of their lives. You have been empowered by God Himself to both pray and be witnesses in the earth of who God is and how He has come for His people. The harvest is plentiful, but the laborers are few.