isaiah 55 and 56

Read Isaiah 55 and 56 at Bible Gateway.

The Hebrew paragraph divisions:

Isa 55:1-5 {s} The abundant + free Word of God which feeds + satisfies: He is witness + commander
Isa 55:6-13 {p} Seek YHVH, for He will have mercy/ His word accomplishes His will
Isa 56:1-2 {s} My salvation + righteousness to be revealed: Blessed is he who keeps Sabbath + refrains from evil
Isa 56:3 {p} Do not let the foreigner + eunuch say they are separated from His people with no posterity
Isa 56:4-5 {s} The eunuchs who keep My Sabbaths + covenant, I will give them an everlasting memorial
Isa 56:6-9 {p} The foreigners who love YHVH + Keep My Sabbaths + covenant, I will bring to My house of prayer
Isa 56:10-57:2 {s} …

The strong themes:

Isa 54:1-55:13 {sx4+p} In mercy YHVH has gathered Israel to Him/ He has established her in righteousness + given His Word to satisfy her, for His Word shall be accomplished
Isa 56:1-3 {s+p} My salvation + righteousness to be revealed: Blessed is he who keeps Sabbath (even foreigners + eunuchs)
Isa 56:4-9 {s+p} The eunuchs + foreigners who keep My Sabbaths + covenant, I will give them an everlasting memorial + bring into My house of prayer

The chiastic structure:

1a) Isa 55:1-3a The call to come, to drink and eat that which truly satisfies;

1b) Isa 55:3b-13 {s+p} YHVH’s everlasting covenant: sure mercies of David (Messiah) causing Israel’s restoration + the nations inclusion;

1a) 1sa 55:3b, And I will make an everlasting covenant with you— the sure mercies of David.
1b) Isa 55:4-5 {s} YHVH has given Him as a witness + prince to the people/ nations shall be gathered to Israel;
1c) Isa 55:6-7a, Seek YHVH while He may be found/ Let the wicked + unrighteous forsake his way + thoughts;
central axis) Isa 55:7b, Let him return to YHVH, and He will have mercy on him; and to our God, for He will abundantly pardon;
2c) Isa 55:8-9, YHVH’s thoughts + ways not man’s, but higher than them as the heavens are higher than the earth;
2b) Isa 55:10-11 YHVH has given His Word to accomplish His will, like rain it waters the earth + brings forth its fruit;
2a) Isa 55:12-13 {p} Israel’s joy + fruitfulness shall be to YHVH for an everlasting sign that shall not be cut off;

central axis) Isa 56:1 Thus says the Lord: “Keep justice, and do righteousness, for My salvation is about to come, and My righteousness to be revealed;

2b) Isa 56:2-8 {s+p+s} YHVH’s everlasting memorial/ house of prayer for all nations, for those who lay hold of His Sabbaths + covenant;

2a) Isa 56:9-12 The call to the beasts to come to devour/ the call of the blind watchmen to drink the false drink.

The sense that I am getting from the 1b pair chiastic structure, is that through the everlasting covenant which is yet to be made in the sure mercies of David – the mercy which, as we now know with the benefit of hindsight, was ratified in the blood of Messiah Yeshua – fruitfulness will abound to Israel, that which is true fruit: the ingathering of the nations to YHVH God. For as YHVH will give Him – Messiah Yeshua – as a witness to the nations, which shall be gathered to Israel as a result, so YHVH gives His Word – His spoken Word (His covenant and commandments) and also His living Word – Messiah Yeshua again, one and the same! – like rain to cause the whole earth to bring forth the fruit of salvation and righteousness. This fruitfulness is due to the fact that there is no more wrath to be poured out on His people, as we saw yesterday, but for those who forsake wickedness and return to Him, instead, mercy and abundant pardon.

In the 2b pair, I see the repeating theme of the word of YHVH which He speaks and His word comes to pass, and the word of the foreigner and the eunuch, who are admonished not to speak of their separation or unproductiveness, for it is not a true word which will not come to pass.

Also please note that on the front side, is the general call to forsake wickedness, and on the back side, is the specific call to keep YHVH’s Sabbaths and be mindful of His covenant, contained in His commandments (Deu 4:13). This is all in context of the everlasting covenant ratified in the blood of Messiah Yeshua!