Listen up, little ones
Listen for the word _come_.
Reading
Isaiah 55:1–13—Hey! Come!
Optional Reading
Hebrews 4:14-16
Keys for kids
- God provides grace for our daily needs.
- We are welcomed to come and ask for it and receive it.
- The cost was paid by Jesus.
Questions
- What has God provided for us? And at what cost?
- What do the waters, milk, wine, bread represent?
- Where do we go to find mercy and grace?
Notes
(See Saturday for authors.)
Ho! What? Chapter 55 begins with an odd word in many translations: Ho. While some instead translate it “come,” that doesn’t carry the sense as well as it could. Of course, “Ho” doesn’t really either since we don’t use that word. “Hey!” might be a better translation. The word carries surprise, importance, and sometimes, alarm. Here it is amazement and surprise. Hey! If you’re thirsty or hungry but you can’t afford it, come on! God has provided—at no cost (to you).
Hey! You who have deep, real spiritual needs but can’t provide for them—God has! Isaiah points to this great salvation of God which would be made known fully in Jesus Christ. And this great salvation provides abundantly what we need. Calvin notes that no doubt that under these words, “waters, milk, wine, bread,” Isaiah includes all that is necessary for spiritual life; for the metaphors are borrowed from those kinds of food which are in daily use amongst us. Hebrews 4 calls us to come boldly to God’s throne of grace to receive what we need whenever we need it.
What is the alternative to receiving the free (to us) grace that the Lord provides? Emptiness. Oh, to be sure, sometimes the bread of the world brings a short delight, but Isaiah reminds us that anything other than God’s salvation will not ultimately satisfy. So, Hey!, Come!
Swedish Method questions
Praise
Psalm 67c, 111a
Prayer
- Rejoice that God can meet your needs—and ask Him to.
- Pray for change in you from last Lord’s Day’s sermons.
- Pray for a member of our church, for your family, and for a non-Christian friend/family member.