Isaiah 55:5
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. (NIV)
Today’s Reading: Isaiah 55:1-5
From verse 4, we see that Jesus will be a ruler and commander of the peoples. Who are “the peoples”? God tells us in verse 5 that Jesus will rule nations that Israel hasn’t even heard of yet. They will come running to the Messiah.
We know this is true because we see it today. People from all nations around the globe worship Jesus as their Lord and Savior. We also see this Scripture fulfilled in John’s revelation:
“After this I looked, and there before me was a great multitude that no one could count, from every nation, tribe, people and language, standing before the throne and before the Lamb. They were wearing white robes and were holding palm branches in their hands. And they cried out in a loud voice:
‘Salvation belongs to our God,
who sits on the throne,
and to the Lamb.’
All the angels were standing around the throne and around the elders and the four living creatures. They fell down on their faces before the throne and worshiped God, saying:
‘Amen!
Praise and glory
and wisdom and thanks and honor
and power and strength
be to our God for ever and ever.
Amen!’” (Rev 7:9-12).
And why do the nations come running to Jesus? Because God has endowed his Son with splendor.
The Hebrew word for “splendor” is pā’ar which also means glorify.
“Behold, you will call a nation you do not know,
And a nation which knows you not will run to you,
Because of the Lord your God, even the Holy One of Israel;
For He has glorified you” (Isa 55:5, NASB1995).
The interesting thing about pā’ar is that it reflects the source – God Almighty. God’s glory is seen when it is reflected in His creation. For example:
“Sing for joy, you heavens, for the Lord has done this;
shout aloud, you earth beneath.
Burst into song, you mountains,
you forests and all your trees,
for the Lord has redeemed Jacob,
he displays his glory (pā’ar) in Israel” (Isa 44:23).
However, Jesus is glorified in that we can see the glory of God in his very being:
“For God, who said, ‘Let light shine out of darkness,’ made his light shine in our hearts to give us the light of the knowledge of God’s glory displayed in the face of Christ” (2 Cor 4:6).
“The Son is the radiance of God’s glory and the exact representation of his being, sustaining all things by his powerful word” (Heb 1:3).
Jesus is the embodiment of God’s glory. We see the glory of God in the person of Jesus. The glory of God is the sum total of His magnificent attributes on display in the actions of His people and the beauty of His creation. It’s all of His perfections and holiness revealed to humanity. This is Jesus in the flesh.
This is also our calling as Christ-followers. We are to be a reflection of God’s glory. We are to reveal to the world around us the magnificent attributes of God. We are to show them God’s perfections and holiness. We can do this by replacing our desires for His and seeking His glory to shine in our lives above all else.
“So whether you eat or drink or whatever you do, do it all for the glory of God. Do not cause anyone to stumble, whether Jews, Greeks or the church of God—even as I try to please everyone in every way. For I am not seeking my own good but the good of many, so that they may be saved” (1 Cor 10:31-33).
Christ in the Old Testament 
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