Isaiah 55:6

6 Seek ye the Lord, while he may be found; call ye him to help, while he is nigh. (Seek ye the Lord, while he still can be found; call ye to him for help, while he still is near, or close by.)

Isaiah 55:6 Meaning and Commentary

Isaiah 55:6

Seek ye the Lord while he may be found
The Lord is to be sought unto at all times, whenever the people of God meet together, especially on sabbath days, and while the external ministry of the word lasts, and life itself; so the Targum,

``seek the fear of the Lord, while ye are alive.''

Kimchi compares it with ( Ecclesiastes 9:10 ) . The Jewish writers, as Aben Ezra and others, generally interpret it before the sealing of the decree, or before the decree is gone forth. It may be understood of place, as well as time, and be rendered, "seek the Lord in the place where he may be found" ^F12; God is to be found, as Aben Ezra observes, in all places, and at all times; under the Old Testament there was a particular place appointed for the worship of God, the tabernacle and temple, where he was to be sought unto, and might be found; under the New Testament, all places are alike, and wherever the church and people of God meet together, there he is to be sought, and there he may be found, even in his house and ordinances: call ye upon him while he is near;
the same thing designed by different words: seeking and calling design not only prayer, but the whole of public worship, and the time and place when and where the Lord is to be found, and is near. Aben Ezra thinks it refers to the Shechinah in the sanctuary. Perhaps it may have some respect to the time of Christ's incarnation, and his being in the land of Judea; and to the destruction of the temple by the Romans, when the Lord could be no more sought unto, and found in that place; or when the Christians were obliged to move from Jerusalem, because of the siege of it; and when the Jews had no more an opportunity of hearing the Gospel there.

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FOOTNOTES:

F12 So in the Jerusalem Talmud, as quoted by Abendana on the place, ``seek the Lord, where he is found, in the synagogues, and in the schools; call upon him, where he is near, in the synagogues, and in the schools.'' And so another Jewish writer, mentioned by him, interprets the words, ``whilst the Shechinah is found in the sanctuary; before he hides his face, and causes his Shechinah to remove from you.''

Isaiah 55:6 In-Context

4 Lo! I gave him a witness to peoples, a duke and a commander to folks. (Lo! I gave him as a witness to the peoples, a leader and a commander to the nations.)

5 Lo! thou shalt call folks, which thou knewest not; and folks, that knew not thee, shall run to thee; for thy Lord God, and the Holy of Israel, for he glorified thee. (Lo! thou shalt call the nations, whom thou knewest not; and the nations, who did not know thee, shall run to thee; because the Lord thy God, and the Holy One of Israel, he hath glorified thee.)

6 Seek ye the Lord, while he may be found; call ye him to help, while he is nigh. (Seek ye the Lord, while he still can be found; call ye to him for help, while he still is near, or close by.)

7 An unfaithful man forsake his way, and a wicked man forsake his thoughts; and turn he again to the Lord, and he shall have mercy on him, and to our God, for he is much to forgive (for he is quick to forgive).

8 For why my thoughts be not your thoughts, and my ways be not your ways, saith the Lord.