Metaphysical Bible Interpretation of Isaiah Chapter 55
Metaphysically Interpreting Isaiah 55:1-13
55:1Ho, 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. 55:2Wherefore do ye spend money for that which is not bread? and your labor for that which satisfieth not? hearken diligently unto me, and eat ye that which is good, and let your soul delight itself in fatness. 55:3Incline 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. 55:4Behold, I have given him for a witness to the peoples, a leader and commander to the peoples. 55:5Behold, thou shalt call a nation that thou knowest not; and a nation that knew not thee shall run unto thee, because of Jehovah thy God, and for the Holy One of Israel; for he hath glorified thee.
55:6Seek ye Jehovah while he may be found; call ye upon him while he is near: 55:7let the wicked forsake his way, and the unrighteous man his thoughts; and let him return unto Jehovah, and he will have mercy upon him; and to our God, for he will abundantly pardon. 55:8For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways, saith Jehovah. 55:9For as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways, and my thoughts than your thoughts.
55:10For as the rain cometh down and the snow from heaven, and returneth not thither, but watereth the earth, and maketh it bring forth and bud, and giveth seed to the sower and bread to the eater; 55:11so shall my word be that goeth forth out of my mouth: it shall not return unto me void, but it shall accomplish that which I please, and it shall prosper in the thing whereto I sent it.
55:12For ye shall go out with joy, and be led forth with peace: the mountains and the hills shall break forth before you into singing; and all the trees of the fields shall clap their hands. 55:13Instead of the thorn shall come up the fir-tree; and instead of the brier shall come up the myrtle-tree: and it shall be to Jehovah for a name, for an everlasting sign that shall not be cut off.
September 28, 1924: Isaiah 55:1-13
“Ho, every one that thirsteth, come ye to the waters.” Should this invitation which is extended so freely to everyone be taken literally, or should it be interpreted spiritually? This invitation, like all Scripture, should be interpreted spiritually. “... the letter killeth, but the spirit giveth life.”
What are spiritual thirst and spiritual hunger? Thirst, in its spiritual character, represents the soul’s desire for the cooling, satisfying essence of Spirit, called the water of life. Hunger, in Spirit, is the desire for the vitalizing substance. We hunger and thirst after righteousness, or the right application of spiritual law, that the soul may be satisfied.
Who extends this cordial invitation to man? Isaiah, the prophet, was the writer. He was inspired by Jehovah, the creative spiritual Mind, called Christ in the New Testament.
Interpret verse 3: “Incline your ear, and come unto me; hear, and your soul shall live; and l will make an everlasting covenant with you, even the sure mercies of David.” Spiritually interpreted, to incline one's ear means to give obedient attention to Spirit within. The everlasting covenant is the agreement on the part of the individual to observe divine law to the very best of his ability.
What is the meaning of: “Behold, thou shalt call a nation that thou knowest not; and a nation that knew not thee shall run unto thee”? Nations represent segregated states of consciousness to both soul and body, states with which we are not in conscious communication. Under the quickening of Spirit we make contact with them; they run to us and we run to them.
Explain: “Let the wicked forsake his way, and the unrighteous man his thoughts.” Forsaking one's wicked ways follows identification with the Christ Mind. Metaphysicians adopt a regular system of thought discipline; they deny error thoughts and affirm true thoughts, until an entirely new consciousness is established. When conscious unity with Jehovah has been built up sufficiently, the effect of sin disappears and the body becomes strong and healthy.
To whom is Jehovah speaking, when he says: “So shall my word be that goeth forth out of my mouth: It shall not return unto me void, but it shall accomplish, that which I please, and it shall prosper in the thing whereto I sent it”? Jehovah is speaking to spiritual man, his image and likeness, through and by whom all things in the earth are accomplished. When we enter into the understanding of the Absolute, we discern between the relative thoughts of the natural man and the absolute ideas of the spiritual man. Absolute ideas are called the Word of God, and the Word once realized accomplishes all that is put into it.
When man makes contact with Jehovah Mind and his word and the word of Jehovah are made one, what state of consciousness follows? “For ye shall go out with joy, and be led forth with peace: the mountains and the hills shall break forth before you into singing; and all the trees of the field shall clap their hands.”
May 5, 1940: Isaiah 55:1-11
What does water signify as used in the invitation “Come ye to the waters”? It signifies the inspiration of Spirit, also life.
What is meant by the urgent call of Isaiah to “buy wine and milk without money and without price”? The rich substance of Truth is worn only by those who seek it with all their heart. It cannot be bought with money or any other medium of material value. It is bought with devotion and effort. In other words it must be earned.
What is the supreme gift of God to man? The Christ consciousness is man's greatest gift, since it includes all others.
What labor fails to satisfy man? Labor for material ends gives man no enduring satisfaction, for it leaves his inner nature without sustenance.
Interpret the command “Hearken diligently unto me,” in the second verse of today's lesson. The “me” in this case was the prophet Isaiah, whose name signifies “help of Jah,” and represents spiritual understanding. One hearkens diligently by putting oneself heart and soul into the quest of understanding.
What are the “sure mercies of David”? David represents love, and the sure mercies of love are the blessings that come to those who develop the love consciousness.
Who is the God-given leader and commander to the peoples? The Christ, of whom David was a type and forerunner, is the leader and commander referred to.
Is God nearer to man at one time than at another? God is omnipresent, but man is near to Him or far off according as he is conscious or un conscious of His indwelling presence.
How sure is the creative word of effecting the desired manifestation? The effect of the creative word is as sure in the mental and spiritual realm as that of moisture on vegetation and as other so-called “natural laws” in their action on substance. The creative word is the higher law.
November 20, 1949: Isaiah 55:1-11
Who can expect to find Truth? Everyone who thirsts for it, since desire is the surest avenue of approach. “Ho, every one that thirsteth, come ye to the waters, and he that hath no money; come ye, buy, and eat.” Thirst, not money, is the requirement for supply.
How do we buy without money? With our labor or effort. We can “buy” Truth (the waters), the stimulus or enthusiasm of Spirit (wine), or Spirit substance (milk), by directing our thoughts and actions toward it. We thus labor for true satisfaction in life.
What is the first step in the quest of spiritual consciousness? Heeding the divine law. “Incline your ear, and come unto me; hear, and your soul shall live.” We are to give close attention to the manifestation of the divine in life.
What are some other steps? Seeking God in all our ways and practicing prayer. “Seek ye Jehovah while he may be found; call ye upon him while he is near.”
How does the Christ Spirit remove wickedness and unrighteousness? It removes them by substituting the way of the Christ in their stead. “Let the wicked forsake his way, and the unrighteous man his thoughts; and let him return unto Jehovah.”
How are the personal consciousness and the Christ consciousness compared in the text? In the words “As the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways, and my thoughts than your thoughts.” The two consciousnesses are of entirely different orders.
In the realm of spiritual consciousness does the creative word operate according to law just as it does in the material realm? Yes, the creative word is life-giving, as rain and snow are life-giving in the natural world. Rain and snow make the earth productive and result in harvests that supply food for the harvester and seed for his future use. So the creative word stimulates ideas that call forth good thoughts, and these lead to deeds that express the Christ Spirit.
“It shall prosper in the thing whereto I sent it.” What do these words signify? They signify that there is a law of increase in the realm of spiritual consciousness. The progress that is being made in the building up of a civilization in which children are well cared for and educated, youth insured advantages, men and women encouraged by opportunities to do their best work, and those no longer young safeguarded against want is the result of the thoughts and actions that the creative word has inspired.
Transcribed by Lloyd Kinder on 01-22-2014
