Isaiah 55:1
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. (NIV)
Today’s Reading: Isaiah 55:1-5
In Isaiah 55:1-5 God speaks about His Messiah. We could consider this section of the chapter part one of three. This first section is a call for the people to come to the Messiah. The second section is marked by verses 6-11 where God speaks of the power of His Word. The third section is marked by verses 12-13 where God speaks of the blessings that will flow once His Word has achieved its purpose.
This chapter begins with the word “come” which is the Hebrew word hôy which is usually translated as woe. This word is usually used to convey impending judgment or to sound an alarm. It’s often used as a call to repentance or to announce an impending curse. We see this many times in the Old Testament such as in Isaiah chapter 5 where it’s used like this six times:
“Woe to those who call evil good
and good evil,
who put darkness for light
and light for darkness,
who put bitter for sweet
and sweet for bitter” (Isa 5:20).
The next three times we see the word “come” in this first verse, Isaiah uses the Hebrew word hālak which conveys the idea of going on a journey or walking with someone. Scripturally, God calls us to not merely believe what he says but to actually travel with Him.
This was the primary message of Jesus. Being God in the flesh, Jesus issued time and time again the same invitation to walk with him. The word “come” shows up in the gospels alone over 300 times often used by Jesus to invite anyone to do life with him:
“‘Come, follow me,’ Jesus said, ‘and I will send you out to fish for people’” (Matt 4:19).
“‘Come,’ he replied, ‘and you will see’” (John 1:39).
“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. But as I told you, you have seen me and still you do not believe. All those the Father gives me will come to me, and whoever comes to me I will never drive away’” (John 6:35-37).
This first verse of Isaiah records God Almighty speaking to His people to come to Him to buy wine and milk that doesn’t cost anything. All those who have no money are invited to come, buy and eat what He is offering. It’s a free gift – the gift of salvation. We are to “buy” it in the sense of trading our desires for his. Like a barter system, we are buying salvation by giving up the desires of the flesh and submitting to His desires.
But we certainly aren’t buying anything in that we can earn salvation. It’s a gift that costs no money. We can’t earn it. We can only accept the gift and then pursue a life dedicated to living according to the Father’s will. This is the exact message Jesus came to deliver:
“Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness,
for they will be filled” (Matt 5:6).
“Jesus answered, ‘Everyone who drinks this water will be thirsty again, 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 4:13-14).
“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).
“On the last and greatest day of the festival, Jesus stood and said in a loud voice, ‘Let anyone who is thirsty come to me and drink. Whoever believes in me, as Scripture has said, rivers of living water will flow from within them’” (John 7:37-38).
If you want to truly be fulfilled, you won’t be able to buy it with money. Satisfaction doesn’t come from things of this world. Every purchase simply leaves us wanting more. We were made for a relationship with our Creator. Only He can satisfy us. That longing we have for deep satisfaction is a spiritual hunger. Material things can’t quench it. We need Jesus to satisfy our spiritual thirst. And when we seek him first, we find true satisfaction.
The final invitation to come is found in the very last chapter of Scripture:
“The Spirit and the bride say, ‘Come!’ And let the one who hears say, ‘Come!’ Let the one who is thirsty come; and let the one who wishes take the free gift of the water of life” (Rev 22:17).
Christ in the Old Testament 
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