Seek the LORD While He May be Found

By Dan & Brenda Cathcart

The video version of this teaching is at: https://youtu.be/5tZlMWA75_w 

The scripture reading is Isaiah 55:6-56:8

With this week’s Haftarah, we complete the Sabbaths of Comfort as well as the final reading from Isaiah for the year. Over the last several weeks, we have seen some amazing prophecies from Isaiah regarding the return of God’s people from exile in Babylon and the greater return at the end of the age when Messiah will to rule from Jerusalem on the throne of David.

This passage of Isaiah is separated into two parts. The first is like a plea from God for His people to seek Him out before it is too late. It contains many promises from God and an assurance that His word will stand forever.

The second part identifies three specific groups of people who make up the remnant of God’s people who will return to the land and serve Him during Messiah’s millennial reign. These three groups are, of course, a remnant of God’s chosen people, the Jews, a remnant of the nations, and interestingly, eunuchs are mentions as a separate group.

Who is Isaiah calling to seek the LORD? How does one go about this seeking? And what role do these three identified groups play in the foundation of the millennial kingdom?

The Haftarah opens with an invitation.

Isaiah 55:6-7 NKJV 6 Seek the LORD while He may be found, Call upon Him while He is near. 7 Let the wicked forsake his way, And the unrighteous man his thoughts; Let him return to the LORD, And He will have mercy on him; And to our God, For He will abundantly pardon.

In these opening verses we find what is known as a parallelism. A parallelism is a typical Hebraic poetic form in which a thought in the second line builds on the thought in the first line. In the first verse, we are told not only to seek the LORD but to call upon Him. When we look a little deeper in the Hebrew, we see that it is written in the second person plural form indicating that these words are not directed to any one individual or speaking to people as individuals, but it is a plea to a nation!

Also, there is the presupposition that the LORD may not always be found. The invitation is for all, but there may come a time when it will not be possible to seek Him, or one can choose not to come to Him at all. There is a point where there will be no second chances. The writer of Hebrews makes this point clear.

Hebrews 9:27 NKJV 27 And as it is appointed for men to die once, but after this the judgment,

Let’s take a moment and back up a little and look at another promise or invitation found in Isaiah chapter fifty-five.

Isaiah 55:1-2 NKJV 1 "Ho! Everyone who thirsts, Come to the waters; And you who have no money, Come, buy and eat. Yes, come, buy wine and milk Without money and without price. 2 Why do you spend money for what is not bread, And your wages for what does not satisfy? Listen carefully to Me, and eat what is good, And let your soul delight itself in abundance.

God offered and called everyone to come to Him and drink freely from the water which He provides. He offers His grace and mercy free of charge.  This is exactly what Yeshua offered when he spoke out in the Temple courts at the feast of Tabernacles.

John 7:37-38 NKJV 37 On the last day, that great day of the feast, Jesus stood and cried out, saying, "If anyone thirsts, let him come to Me and drink. 38 "He who believes in Me, as the Scripture has said, out of his heart will flow rivers of living water."

A third thing to be gleaned from these opening verses of our Haftarah is that God will not only forgive sin, but He will abundantly forgive sin! His grace and mercy are boundless! When we look at these opening verses, viewing them in conjunction with the first two verses of chapter fifty-five, we see a broader parallelism and the greater scope of this invitation. These two passages are tied together to illustrate that having God in our lives will give us strength to live up to the promise of His abundant grace and mercy.

Considering Yeshua and His ministry and sacrifice we see what He has done for us in our lives. But Isaiah’s readers may have had a slightly different take on Isaiah’s words. In his day, the Temple was the residence of God’s presence on earth. To seek God and to draw near to God meant to go to the Temple in Jerusalem and to bring one’s offerings and sacrifices before God directly. The people of Isaiah’s generation had strayed far from the LORD and were in grave danger from being overrun by their enemies. The northern tribes had already faced this terrible judgment and had been taken into exile by the Assyrians. Isaiah was giving a warning of imminent national disaster if the people didn’t repent and return to God. Less than one hundred fifty years later, Jerusalem and the temple were destroyed. The time for their repentance had run out. It is as if they had died and now it was too late, and they faced judgment.

Next Isaiah speaks of the thoughts of God as compared to the thoughts of man.

Isaiah 55:8-9 NKJV 8 "For My thoughts are not your thoughts, Nor are your ways My ways," says the LORD. 9 "For as the heavens are higher than the earth, So are My ways higher than your ways, And My thoughts than your thoughts.

God’s ways and thoughts are always righteous and contrary to the thoughts of man. The Hebrew word translated as thoughts has a broader meaning than the English word would imply. It is number 4284 in the Strong’s concordance “mach-ash-aw-baw’”. It does mean a contrivance, intention or thought, but also a plan, plot, a means, or purpose.  The word implies not only a thought but also an action based on that thought. Perhaps in better understanding this Hebrew meaning, we can better understand other scriptures that speak of thoughts.

Proverbs 23:7 NKJV 7 For as he thinks in his heart, so is he. "Eat and drink!" he says to you, But his heart is not with you.

And Yeshua Himself spoke to this issue.

Matthew 5:28 NKJV 28 "But I say to you that whoever looks at a woman to lust for her has already committed adultery with her in his heart.

Through the prophet Isaiah, God set about to transform their thinking and therefore, their actions regarding righteousness toward each other and toward God.

The people of Isaiah’s day seemed to have doubts about the veracity of God’s word.  This would be a natural extension and result of their wayward thinking. But God has an answer for these doubts.

Isaiah 55:10-11 NKJV 10 "For as the rain comes down, and the snow from heaven, And do not return there, But water the earth, And make it bring forth and bud, That it may give seed to the sower And bread to the eater, 11 So shall My word be that goes forth from My mouth; It shall not return to Me void, But it shall accomplish what I please, And it shall prosper in the thing for which I sent it.

There are some beautiful and interesting analogies here to take note of. First is God’s word is like water, taking us back to Isaiah 55:1 as well as Yeshua’s words about the living water. First Fruits of Zion in their work, “Torah Club Volume Three: The Haftarah” comments on this analogy.

“… water helps the earth to sprout. The sprouts furnish seed to the sower and, eventually, bread to the eater. In addition, we can not forget that water quenches thirst.”[i]

God’s word is very much like the water that replenishes the earth and quenches one’s thirst. Isaiah’s words in verse seven indicate that God will forgive in abundance, and like the waters from heaven, we can be assured that His word is truth.

So, what is the outcome of God’s promises for those who put their trust in Him, to come to Him for forgiveness and a relationship? Isaiah answers that question in the last two verses of chapter fifty-five.

Isaiah 55:12-13 NKJV 12 "For you shall go out with joy, And be led out with peace; The mountains and the hills Shall break forth into singing before you, And all the trees of the field shall clap their hands. 13 Instead of the thorn shall come up the cypress tree, And instead of the brier shall come up the myrtle tree; And it shall be to the LORD for a name, For an everlasting sign that shall not be cut off."

Here, again, is an assurance like we have seen in our recent studies of Isaiah, that God will never abandon His people. Yes, they will be punished for their iniquities and transgressions, face exile and some will surely die, but God will restore the remnant.

Beginning at chapter fifty-six, it appears that Isaiah takes another sharp turn or transition. He is good at that. In this chapter Isaiah is reminding the people of Israel to practice holiness. To live according to God’s ways and not their own.

Isaiah 56:1-2 NKJV 1 Thus says the LORD: "Keep justice, and do righteousness, For My salvation is about to come, And My righteousness to be revealed. 2 Blessed is the man who does this, And the son of man who lays hold on it; Who keeps from defiling the Sabbath, And keeps his hand from doing any evil."

God singles out the Sabbath for special mention in verse two. Israel was, and is, God’s representative on the earth and was to set an example for the nations. The Sabbath was a sign of the covenant given at Mount Sinai.

Exodus 31:13 NKJV 13 "Speak also to the children of Israel, saying: 'Surely My Sabbaths you shall keep, for it is a sign between Me and you throughout your generations, that you may know that I am the LORD who sanctifies you.

Keeping the Sabbath is a reminder to the people of Israel that they are set apart, a reminder of their covenant with God, and their obligation to be faithful to the Torah.

There are two other groups of people mentioned by Isaiah in this section of the Haftarah. First off, Isaiah speaks about the eunuchs. In our modern world, we have a difficult time relating to eunuchs as a viable group of individuals. In ancient times a eunuch was a castrated male servant whose job was primarily to guard a harem belonging to a prince or king. A eunuch could be a native Israelite or someone from outside the tribes of Israel. But Isaiah says that they too have the right to participate in the covenant with God.

Isaiah 56:3-5 NKJV 3 Do not let the son of the foreigner Who has joined himself to the LORD Speak, saying, "The LORD has utterly separated me from His people"; Nor let the eunuch say, "Here I am, a dry tree." 4 For thus says the LORD: "To the eunuchs who keep My Sabbaths, And choose what pleases Me, And hold fast My covenant, 5 Even to them I will give in My house And within My walls a place and a name Better than that of sons and daughters; I will give them an everlasting name That shall not be cut off.

A eunuch cannot have children, yet God will give them a special place. We also assume that Isaiah is referring to involuntary eunuchs who have been forced to give up their right to have children and a continuance or “place” for their name.  Taking a closer look at the Hebrew of verse five we find the word hand is the Hebrew “Yad”, number 3027 literally meaning hand. In modern Hebrew the word also means “memorial”. In verse five the word translated as name is “shem” number 8034 meaning name also related to memorial.

In Jerusalem today, one can visit the Holocaust Museum known as Yad V’shem, meaning “place of the name” or “memorial of the name” where all those who were martyred in the firestorm that was Nazi Germany of World War Two, and cut off from their right to a progeny and continuance of their family name, not unlike a eunuch of ancient times who’s progeny and name were also taken from them, are given a place, within the walls, that is within the city of God’s name, in Jerusalem, where they are remembered today.

The last group who are mentioned in our Haftarah are the non-Israelites, the Gentiles.

Isaiah 56:6-8 NKJV 6 "Also the sons of the foreigner Who join themselves to the LORD, to serve Him, And to love the name of the LORD, to be His servants-Everyone who keeps from defiling the Sabbath, And holds fast My covenant- 7 Even them I will bring to My holy mountain, And make them joyful in My house of prayer. Their burnt offerings and their sacrifices Will be accepted on My altar; For My house shall be called a house of prayer for all nations." 8 The Lord GOD, who gathers the outcasts of Israel, says, "Yet I will gather to him Others besides those who are gathered to him."

The word “foreigner” in verse six is not the usual Hebrew word for Gentiles which is “ger” but it is “nay-kawr’” number 5236 meaning foreigner, alien or stranger.  The word is almost always used in the Tanakah in reference to strange gods or those who worship strange gods. The Brown, Driver, Briggs defines the word as “of another family, tribe, or nation.”

Verses six and seven are part of the liturgy and blessings we ready every Erev Shabbat with our home Bible study group. These foreigners who “join themselves to the LORD” are the remnant among the nations who identify with the Israelites and worship the God of Israel instead of strange gods.

Back in verse three God command that these foreigners are to be fully accepted into the community.  They don’t replace the Israelite but are added to them and included among the faithful of Israel.  The apostle Paul speaks of those “grafted in”.

Romans 11:16-18 NKJV 16 For if the firstfruit is holy, the lump is also holy; and if the root is holy, so are the branches. 17 And if some of the branches were broken off, and you, being a wild olive tree, were grafted in among them, and with them became a partaker of the root and fatness of the olive tree, 18 do not boast against the branches. But if you do boast, remember that you do not support the root, but the root supports you.

Isaiah lists a set of conditions in verse six for the foreigner to be included, not the least among them is keeping the Sabbath. As we have said before, the Sabbath being a sign of the Covenant implies keeping the entirety of the covenant, the Torah.

These are Gentile believers who fully participate in the covenant made at Mount Sinai! Since they are grafted into this covenant, they are granted full permission to participate. And, as it says in verse seven, fully participate in Temple worship, bringing offerings and sacrifices right alongside the native Israelite. In Isaiah’s day, it is at the Temple where one can draw near to God through the offerings and sacrifices. The apostle Paul speaks of how we are brought near through Messiah Yeshua.

Ephesians 2:12-13 NKJV 12 that at that time you were without Christ, being aliens from the commonwealth of Israel and strangers from the covenants of promise, having no hope and without God in the world. 13 But now in Christ Jesus you who once were far off have been brought near by the blood of Christ.

Finally in chapter fifty-six verse eight, Isaiah is once again looking far ahead to a time when Messiah is present in Jerusalem and on the throne of David. A time when He will gather others in addition to those who are already gathered. There will be many among the nations who will believe in Him and thereby become a part of the greater nation of Israel and live a life according to the covenant.

This ingathering of the Gentiles began long ago, and much is recorded in the book of Acts about the Gentiles coming to know the God of Israel. This ingathering is still taking place today and in increasing numbers. Today many reports are coming from Muslim nations of a rapidly growing number of believers meeting together in secret, underground churches.

We finish up the Sabbaths of Comfort with this week’s Haftarah. Over the last several weeks we have identified many amazing prophecies concerning Messiah Yeshua.  The Gospel message of salvation and restoration is loud and clear in the words of Isaiah. In these chapters, we have seen the song of the suffering servant Messiah in chapters forty-two through fifty-three. And the song of the conquering king Messiah in the remainder of the book.

Isaiah is calling all to repentance and restoration to the LORD. Not just the Jew but all who call upon His name. When we seek Him out, His grace and mercy are freely given in great abundance. He is faithful to keep His covenant with us as we count ourselves as grafted in. All the remnant will be gathered in the land when Messiah returns to take His rightful place on the throne of David.

Study Questions:

1.      Discuss the connection of this teaching to the Torah Portion Vayelekh Deuteronomy 31:1-30

2.      This Haftarah opens with Isaiah speaking to or admonishing the people to seek the LORD. What does it mean to truly seek Him and how is it accomplished?

3.      Why does Isaiah speak about the difference between God’s ways and man’s ways right after he speaks about seeking the LORD?

4.      The chapter 56 part of the Haftarah mentions three specific groups of people. Why these three? How are they to be treated and what is their respective roles in the millennial kingdom?

5.      In chapter 55 verses 12 and 13 Isaiah speaks using the land and trees in a poetic metaphor. What is this metaphor referring to and what is the sign that “shall not be cut off?”

6.      What new insight did you gain from this teaching? How do you respond to this new insight? How will you realign your life based on this new understanding?

Bonus: Now having studied the book of Isaiah over these Sabbaths of Comfort, how does the book of Isaiah present the gospel message of salvation through the Messiah?

© 2019 Moed Ministries International. All rights reserved.

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[i] FFOZ Torah Club Vol. 3: The Haftarah, p 908