Epilogue: Invitation to Partake of the Banquet of the Lord's Covenant
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[1] “Ho, every one who thirsts, come to the waters; and he who has no money, come, buy and eat! Come, buy wine and milk without money and without price. [2] Why do you spend your money for that which is not bread, and your labour for that which does not satisfy? Hearken diligently to me, and eat what is good, and delight yourselves in fatness. [3] lncline your ear, and come to me; hear, that your soul may live; and I will make with you an everlasting covenant, my steadfast, sure love for David. [4] Behold, I made him a witness to the peoples, a leader and commander for the peoples. [5] Behold, you shall call nations that you know not, and nations that knew you not shall run to you, because of the LORD your God, and of the Holy One of Israel, for he has glorified you.
[6] “Seek the Lord while he may be found, call upon him while he is near; [7] let the wicked forsake his way, and the unrighteous man his thoughts; let him return to the Lord, that he may have mercy on him, and to our God, for he will abundantly pardon. [8] for my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways, says the Lord. [9] For as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways and my thoughts than your thoughts.
Epilogue: Invitation to Partake of the Banquet of the Lord's Covenant
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[10] For as the rain and the snow come down from heaven, and return not thither but water the earth, making it bring forth and sprout, giving seed to the sower and bread to the eater, 11so shall my word be that goes forth from my mouth; it shall not return to me empty, but it shall accomplish that which I purpose, and prosper in the thing for which I sent it.
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Commentary:
55:1-13. The invitation to the Covenant banquet acts as the epilogue to the second part of the book of Isaiah, and picks up on themes in chapter 40, which is its prologue. The two chapters help to give literary and thematic unity to this part of the book. The oracle in chapter 55 sums up in a way the teachings contained in the preceding chapters -- the invitation to the Covenant banquet (vv. 1-3), reminiscent of that celebrated by Moses at Mount Sinai (Ex 24:5, 11); the renewal of the Covenant with David on Zion (vv. 4-5); the transcendence of God, who is unaffected by the sins of men (vv. 8-9); the power of the word of God (vv. 10-11); and, as a final synthesis, the promise of a new exodus, a sign of God’s everlasting salvation.
These oracles are a call for conversion, a call to take advantage of the salvific gifts so generously offered: “Come to the waters” (v. 1), “Come to me” (v. 3), “Seek the Lord” (v. 6), “Let the wicked forsake his way” (v. 7). Originally, it was a call to those exiled in Babylon to return to Jerusalem; but it is a call that is made at all times, to everyone. The reference to an everlasting Covenant, in keeping with promises made to David (cf. v. 3), can be read by Christians as an invitation to share in the new and eternal Covenant sealed with the Blood of our Lord Jesus Christ, a pledge of salvation for all mankind. In the Eucharist, the banquet of the New Testament, the words of the prophet come true in the complete sense in the words spoken by our Lord when he instituted that sacrament: “Take and eat” (cf. v. 1) the true bread of life, the very finest food, which money cannot buy (vv. 1-3). Therefore, the invitation extended by the prophet is a call to Christians to partake of the Blessed Eucharist. Paul VI, urging the faithful to take part in the Sunday celebration of the Eucharist, wrote: “How could we fail to take part in this encounter, to partake of the banquet that Christ has lovingly prepared for us? Our participation should be dignified and filled with joy. Christ, crucified and glorified, comes among his disciples to draw them all into the power of his resurrection. It is the pinnacle, here on earth, of the Covenant of love between God and his people: the sign and source of Christian joy, the preparation for the eternal banquet in heaven” (Gaudete in Domino, 322). Verses1-11, like 54:5-14, are read in the liturgy of the Easter Vigil, which celebrates Christ’s victory over sin and which invites the faithful to partake of the banquet of the Covenant sealed by his death and resurrection: “On the feasts of the Lord, when the faithful receive the Body of the Son, they proclaim to one another the Good News that the first fruits of life have been given, as when the angel said to Mary Magdalene, ‘Christ is risen!’ Now too are life and resurrection conferred on whoever receives Christ” (Fanqith, Brevarium iuxta ritum Ecclesiae Antiochenae Syrorum, in Catechism of the Catholic Church, 1391).
55:6-9. The Israelites are called to conversion. In order to return to their homeland, they must return to God, must “seek” him (vv. 6-7). And the Lord, who allows himself to be found and who does not judge in the way that men do, is willing and able to grant forgiveness (vv. 8-9). In other words, the call to repentance is grounded on the goodness of God who “will abundantly pardon” (v. 7). Man, for his part, should grasp this opportunity that God offers him. So, the words in this passage are a constant encouragement to begin and begin again in the pursuit of virtue: “To be converted means to ask for forgiveness and to seek out the strength of God in the Sacrament of reconciliation, and thus begin again, advancing step by step every day, learning to overcome ourselves, to win the spiritual battles that we face, and to give of ourselves joyfully, ‘for God loves a cheerful giver’ (2 Cor 9:7)” (John Paul II, Novo incipiente, 8 April 1979). And St Augustine, apropos of conversion, wrote: “Do not say: ‘Tomorrow, I will he converted; tomorrow, I will give thanks to God; and all my sins, today’s and yesterday’s, will be forgiven’. It is true that God promises forgiveness for your conversion; but He does not promise tomorrow for your delays” (Enarrationes in Psalmos, 144, 11).
The words of v. 8 are echoed by St Paul in Romans 11:33, and are a reminder to us of just how narrow-minded we can be and how we can fail even to imagine the great things that God has in store for us.
55:10-11. The prophet uses comparisons that are particularly meaningful to those who live in the arid countries of the East, to describe how very powerful the word of God is: it actually delivers the salvation that it promises. The personified word of God (cf. 'Ms 8:4; 9:9-10; 18:14-15) is a figure of the incarnation of Jesus Christ, the eternal Word of the Father, who comes down to save mankind. "The Word of God, he says, will not return to him empty and barren; rather, it will flourish in all things, nourished by the good deeds of those who obey and fulfill his teachings. The word is fulfilled when it is put into practice; if it is not put into practice, it remains barren and withered and starved. Listen carefully, then, when he tells of the food that nourishes him: 'My food is to do the will of him who sent me' (Jn 4:34)" (St Bernard, "In Cantica Canticorum", 71, 12-13).
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(Navarre commentary for the reading from Baruch 3:9-15, 32—4:4 is not available)
Restoration; return from exile
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[16] The word of the Lord came to me: [17a] “Son of man, when the house of Israel dwelt in their own land, they defiled it by their ways and their doings [18] So I poured out my wrath upon them for the blood which they had shed in the land, for the idols with which they had defiled it. [19] I scattered them among the nations, and they were dispersed through the countries; in accordance with their conduct and their deeds I judged them. [20] But when they came to the nations, wherever they came, they profaned my holy name, in that men said of them, ‘These are the people of the Lord, and yet they had to go out of his land.’ [21] But I had concern for my holy name, which the house of Israel caused to be profaned among the nations to which they came.
[22] “Therefore say to the house of Israel, Thus says the Lord God: It is not for your sake, O house of Israel, that I am about to act, but for the sake of my holy name, which you have profaned among the nations to which you came. [23] And I will vindicate the holiness of my great name, which has been profaned among the nations, and which you have profaned among them; and the nations will know that I am the Lord, says the Lord God, when through you I vindicate my holiness before their eyes. [24] For I will take you from the nations, and gather you from all the countries, and bring you into your own land.
Inner renewal
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[25] I will sprinkle clean water upon you, and you shall be clean from all your uncleannesses, and from all your idols I will cleanse you. [26] A new heart I will give you, and a new spirit I will put within you; and I will take out of your flesh the heart of stone and give you a heart of flesh. [27] And I will put my spirit within you, and cause you to walk in my statutes and be careful to observe my ordinances. [28] You shall dwell in the land which I gave to your fathers; and you shall be my people, and I will be your God.
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Commentary:
36:16-39:29. In this second last section of the book, the prophet uses a series of metaphors to paint the scene of a restored Israel. The oracles have an eschatological dimension to them, particularly the latter ones (38:1-39:29).
Overall, what we are given here is a song celebrating hope; nothing is impossible to the Lord: he is able to renew Israel (36:16-38), by giving her a new heart and a new spirit (v. 25); he can make the people come back to life (37:1-14); and the unity between this new people and their Lord will he almost like the way things were in Eden (37:15-28) -- so wonderful that it will astonish the nations (37:28). The final oracles (38:1-39:29) are a dramatic climax that convey an idea of the vicissitudes of the chosen people up to when their fortunes will be permanently restored. The empires seem to be those determining the course of events, but that is not the case: the Lord is always in control and, when the end comes, his victory will be so amazing that not only Israel but all other nations, too, will know that he truly is the Lord.
36:16-38. In these oracles, which continue the proclamation of Israel’s restoration-purification, we can see the core of Ezekiel’s teaching, namely, that the Lord, who is above all things, is the one who determines the election, punishment and restoration of his people. People have an obligation to accept the gifts that God offers; they must acknowledge that the Lord is sovereign and free, and render him due worship. This teaching can be seen in the announcement about restoration and a return to the promised land (vv. 16—24) and in the Lord’s promise of inner renewal (vv. 25-38).
“They defiled it by their ways” (v. 17): the people’s straying, their sins, defiled the promised land, the most precious of all the gifts God had given them. As Ezekiel explains it, their exile was a necessary punishment (v. 19), but it is also a condition for restoring to the land its lost honour.
“The holiness of my great name, which has been profaned among the nations” (v. 22): when the pagan nations saw the Israelites being deported, they thought that the God of Israel had been defeated or, at least, that he had failed to protect his people. In this sense the exile caused the name of the Lord to he profaned among the nations. The return of the people to the promised land was a necessary part of their deliverance (v. 24). but it was also needed to vindicate the name of the Lord (v. 22). This “theology” of the Name of God carries over into the New Testament, where we find it as a petition in the Our Father (cf. Mt 6:9; Lk 11:2, and from there it becomes part of the whole Christian tradition. The Catechism of the Council of Trent has this to say about these verses of Ezekiel: “Many people judge the truth of religion and of its Author by the deeds and lives of Christians. Those who truly profess their faith and put it into practice in their lives carry out the most valuable apostolate, provoking in others the desire to glorify the name of the heavenly Father” (Roman Catechism, 4, 10, 9).
“You shall be clean[sed]” (v. 25): Ezekiel views the renewal of Israel from the perspective of divine worship -- sprinkling with water and other purification rites being a sign of inner change. This passage can be read as an announcement of the effects of Baptism: “Baptism, by the power of God, remits and pardons all sin -- the original sin that we inherited from our first parents, and all our personal sins, no matter how grave and terrible they may seem to us, no matter how grave and terrible they were. This truth was foretold long ago by the prophet Ezekiel, through whom the Lord God spoke: I will sprinkle clean water upon you, and you shall be clean from all your uncleannesses (Ezek 36:25)” (ibid., 2, 2, 42).
“A new heart” and “a new spirit” (v. 26): renewal affects a person’s disposition (heart) and motivation (spirit). The Israelites will have a completely new life-force: as a result, their conduct will be perfect (v. 27), the Covenant will never again be broken (v. 28), and the land, also cleansed of defilement, will he abundant in the fruit it yields (v. 30).
God’s patent initiative in repatriating and renewing Israel is a proof of his disinterested love for his people. Jesus makes this very clear, for example, in his discourse on the bread of life: “No one can come to me unless the Father who sent me draws him” (Jn 6:44). “Our salvation flows from God’s initiative of love for us, because ‘he loved us and sent his Son to be the expiation for our sins’ (Jn 4:10)’’ (Catechism of the Catholic Church, 620).