Bible Reading:
Isaiah chapter 55 verses 1 to 13

Buy Without Money

Whether it be for essential items, gifts for family and friends or the occasional luxury we all have to do shopping from time to time.

The verse we read at the start of Isaiah 55 speaks of buying things but it might sound a strange way of buying. Isaiah 55:1 Ho, every one that thirsteth, come ye to the waters, and he that hath no money; come ye, buy, and eat; yea, come, buy wine and milk without money and without price.

How can you buy things without money, or a cheque or a credit or debit card? The verse is referring to people who are broke, penniless, have a zero credit rating and are not able to pay for anything.

The verse starts off "Ho". This is the Old Testament equivalent to a Town Crier's call of "Oyez, Oyez, Oyez." Town Criers were from days before TV and Radio, even before newspapers. They would announce news around the town. They'd call out loud to get everyone's attention. Some would ring a bell as well. This would be to make sure everyone heard and paid attention to the important message, particularly if it was a royal decree or a warning of danger. So we see that this verse in Gods word conveys an important message.

Who is this that calls "Ho"? It is Isaiah speaking words given to him by God Himself. So this is an important message for everyone and it should be something to which we all pay careful attention.

What is this important message about? It is about people with no money buying things to eat and drink.

When we go to the shops how often do you find the shopkeeper stood outside the shop calling to people to come and have things from their shop without paying any money? Once each week, perhaps? I do not think I have ever seen a shopkeeper do this.

What we read about here is a very special transaction. Our attention is being called to something quite different to what normally happens. When you really understand what this is about you will understand that it is certainly something worth announcing very loudly to everyone.

This message, on the surface, if you just read verse 1 seems strange. If you read the verses that follow it then the meaning becomes clearer the more you look. This is not to say that just reading lots of scripture over and over is enough to make us understand. Although Gods word does explain itself very well we must ask God to help us understand what He has caused to be written.

If we read on to Isaiah 55 vs 2-3 Wherefore do ye spend money for that which is not bread? and your labour for that which satisfieth not? hearken diligently unto me, and eat ye that which is good, and let your soul delight itself in fatness. Incline your ear, and come unto me: hear, and your soul shall live; and I will make an everlasting covenant with you, even the sure mercies of David. We find the later verses begin to talk about our souls. God is here talking about the things we need for the good of our souls. He is talking not just about the bare necessities for the good of our souls like water is the basic necessity for physical life. God speaks of wine and milk, things that cheer and nourish our bodies as a picture of the good things we can receive from God for our souls.

Who is God speaking to? Everyone that thirsteth is invited to come to receive these good things. What do you think this might mean concerning a persons' soul? Souls do not get thirsty. What might a person feel that they need for their soul that God here calls them to obtain? Life for our souls is what God speaks of here in verse 3. God also speaks about an everlasting covenant, a binding agreement that will never end. These are great blessings for anyone's soul.

How can we buy something when we have no money? The blessings God gives to peoples' souls are already paid for in full. The Lord Jesus has paid the price for the life of every one of His people. We talked about ransoms before, the price of a life. The Lord Jesus, when He died on the cross at Calvary purchased great blessings for the souls of His people. He knew they have great need of them and that they have nothing with which they could buy what they needed. There is nothing anyone can add to what has been paid by The Lord Jesus - we have nothing we could add even if it were required. All that we have is the need, the thirst spoken of in the text, which we cannot meet ourselves.

We all need life for our souls. The Bible is quite plain that we all have sinned, broken Gods law and that we are dead in sin - our bodies live but our souls are dead in sin if we do not have life from God. Ephesians 2:1 And you hath he quickened, who were dead in trespasses and sins;

By nature we seek after things that do us no good. We pursue a sinful lifestyle that is harmful to us because it drives us further and further into sinful ways and away from God. "Wherefore do ye spend money for that which is not bread?" is the question in verse 2. The Bible speaks of "the pleasures of sin". We find sin pleasurable because we are blinded by satan to the harm it does.

But God calls to lost sinners. The fact that God calls at all in this verse must indicate that we have a need. If we had no need of these good things then surely The Lord Jesus would not have suffered such a terrible death to provide them.

The fact is that we all need life for our souls from God. We need to turn away from the things we live for that harm us and we need to ask God to forgive us and to deliver us from the power that satan and sin has on us. This is what we all need but none of us has anything with which we can get it for ourselves.

This is why the message is to be loudly announced. It is such good news that everyone should hear.

There will be some who cannot see their need. They are content to live their own way and are not interested in this good news from God. Such people are in a very dangerous situation - they are on their way to a lost eternity and cannot see how awful a future they face. If a person rejects the only way of salvation there is no other way to find peace with God and a place in heaven. The Lord Jesus spent a lot of time speaking to people who lived bad lives and were looked down on by those who imagined they were good righteous people and felt no need of trusting The Lord Jesus to forgive them their sin. Mark 2:17 When Jesus heard it, he saith unto them, They that are whole have no need of the physician, but they that are sick: I came not to call the righteous, but sinners to repentance. The Lord Jesus here repeats the thought of Isaiah 55 v1. The sinners He calls are aware of their sin and feel their need of forgiveness.

This is something of immense importance to each one of us personally. Do you feel your need of these blessings from God or do you think The Lord Jesus wasted His time in doing all that He did? The solemn fact is that there are many people who feel no need of these things until it is too late to do anything about receiving them.

God has promised that all who ask will receive these wondrous things. The Lord Jesus has already paid the price and God gives Salvation full and free to all who, feeling their need, come to Him and ask.