Reading for May 18th

 Read Isaiah 55.1-5. In 55.1-13: Seek the Lord while he may be found. Although this chapter concludes of the prophet of the return, chs. 54 and 55 form a bridge to 56-66. Two separate units are in the present chapter. In verses 1-5 The first unit concerns God's promise to the royal dynasty of David (2 Sam 7.1-7), an everlasting covenant (v. 3). This covenant is an act of God's love, an unmerited gift. Along with the promises set out in 11.1-5 and 32.1-8, it affirms that God will hold fast to the unqualified promise that, through the authority entrusted to this royal dynasty of kings, Israel will exercise leadership over the nations (v. 5). This can mean either that, although the royal family itself would not return to the throne, leadership among the nations would be shared throughout the servant-nation, or that the restoration of the Davidic monarchy is promised here. The course of the events in the following half-century reveals that such an expectation remained alive and exercised a strong political influence, even though it failed to reach fruition. In later years, a larger "messianic" interpretation concerning the coming of a divinely sent savior was built on this, and the other royal prophecies, of the book of Isaiah and Psalms. Comments or Questions..