Isaiah 55:5Meaning & Commentary from the Church Fathers

God acted as the Redeemer and provider of blessings to all nations through His people, not in overt conflicts, but through spiritual warfare, as He revealed Himself to many as the one true God. To ensure they do not take pride in their own merits or attribute righteousness to themselves, the prophet declares: "For the Lord thy God’s sake, and for the sake of the Holy One of Israel; for He hath glorified thee."

Moreover, I grant you an eternal covenant, O true descendant of David. Look, I give him as a witness to the Gentiles, the ruler and master of the tongue. The Gentiles, knowing You not, will call on You; peoples, who have not recognized You, will seek You, for the Lord your God is the Holy One of Israel, and You shall be glorified. Having made the promise, “Incline your ear, and come to me; hear, that your soul may live” (Isaiah 55:2), He promptly reveals the way this promise will be manifested: He vows to establish an everlasting covenant. The law lacked permanence and was established until the time of reformation, as the wise Paul notes: when the former commandment became obsolete due to its flaws, a new and superior commandment arose in Christ (Hebrews 8:13, 7). The first was characterized by superficial rites, while the latter radiates the grandeur of truth.

The Almighty spoke through one of the holy prophets: “The days are coming, says the Lord, when I will establish a new covenant with the house of Israel and with the house of Judah, not like the covenant that I made with their forefathers on the day I took them by the hand to bring them out of Egypt; for they did not continue in my covenant, and I deserted them, says the Lord” (Jeremiah 31:31-38). The wise John also articulated the distinction between the Old and New Covenants, stating, “For the law was given through Moses; grace and truth came through Jesus Christ” (John 1:17). The grace and truth He refers to are the moral guidance offered by the Gospel, capable of true and spiritual service. Moses, a faithful servant, was tasked with overseeing the transient shadow, while Christ, the eternal, heralded the everlasting ministry.

He describes this eternal covenant, which He establishes for those approaching Him in faith, by referring to the faithful one of David. This may pertain to the promise made regarding Christ, the Savior of all, given to the Gentile believers, or it may signify the divine and sacred words of Christ, who was born of David's lineage. These words are esteemed because they produce reverence in those who embrace them, much like the fear of the Lord, which is pure (Psalm 18:10), and leads to holiness. The Gospel, therefore, is likened to life, as Christ declared, “The words that I have spoken to you are spirit and life” (John 6:63). They are revered because they impart righteousness and integrity to those who accept them.

When Christ, of David's lineage according to the flesh, is mentioned as the one who shines among the Gentiles, it is highlighted that He is not merely any holy prophet but rather the Prince and Lord of words. He bears witness like our Lord Jesus Christ did, declaring the Gentiles to be acceptable and offering them the opportunity to receive the true light of divine wisdom. He also proclaimed with the psalmist's lyre, “Hear this, all you peoples; give ear, all inhabitants of the world, both low and high, rich and poor together. My mouth will speak wisdom, and the meditation of my heart will be understanding” (Psalm 48:2-4).

Wisdom was essential, particularly for those who had strayed, worshipping created things rather than the Creator and attributing divinity to wood and stone. Yet, the Word became flesh to enlighten them, declaring, “The Spirit of the Lord is upon me, because he has anointed me to preach good news to the poor; he has sent me to proclaim liberty to the captives and recovering of sight to the blind, to set at liberty those who are oppressed” (Is. 61:1). Such was the plight of the Gentiles, yet through Him, they received wisdom, becoming understanding, no longer feeble in mind but strengthened and prepared for every good and saving work.

Take note of the precision in His declaration: He is not merely a witness to the Gentiles, but has been appointed their ruler and lord. Unlike the blessed prophets, who often said, “Thus says the Lord,” Jesus spoke with divine authority, captivating His listeners because His words held power (Luke 4:32). He did not deliver the letter of the law but transformed it, presenting the spirit of truth with the rightful authority to command.

The prophetic message addressed to the Gentiles is made clear by God, the Father, calling Him His Son, stating that “the Gentiles, who have not known you, shall call upon you, and nations that did not know you shall run to you.” Those in darkness and despair recognized Jesus as God, addressing Him as hope, protector, and Savior. They glorified Him as the Son of God, deriving their honor from Him, as it is written: “For the sake of the Lord your God, the Holy One of Israel, because he has glorified you.” Those who honor the Father also honor the Son, as He shares in the very nature and glory of the Father.

He, existing in the form of God, did not regard equality with God a thing to be grasped, but humbled Himself, taking the nature of a servant, resembling humanity, and became obedient to the point of death, even death on a cross. Therefore, God exalted Him to the highest place and bestowed on Him a name above every name, that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow in heaven and on earth and under the earth, and every tongue acknowledge that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father (Philippians 2:5-11). Although humanity momentarily brought Him low, He returned to the glory inherent to Him as designated by the Father. This elevation is indicated by the granting of a name above all names from the Father, who declared, “Father, glorify me in your presence with the glory I had with you before the world began” (John 17:5).

Aware that the Gentiles would come to believe due to the unbelief of the Jews, He turned to the Gentiles, proclaiming that He sent His Son as a testament to all nations, to declare His commandments to them, stating, “This gospel will be preached in all the world as a witness to every nation” (Matthew 24:14). Thus, He subdued the arrogant Pilate with the declaration: I have come into the world to bear witness to the truth (John 18:37). The Apostle Paul refers to Him when writing to Timothy: “For there is one mediator between God and mankind, the man Christ Jesus, who gave Himself as a ransom for all, a testimony at the proper time, for which I was appointed a preacher and an apostle” (1 Timothy 2:5-7). All these things pertain to Him, who like a lamb was led to slaughter and, like a sheep before its shearers, remained silent, about whom it is written: “He had no form or majesty that we should look at Him, and no beauty that we should desire Him” (Isaiah 53:2), and “Surely He has borne our griefs and carried our sorrows” (Isaiah 53:4). To Him, those who had not previously known Him came saying: “God is our refuge and strength” (Psalm 46:1), and, “O Lord, You have been our dwelling place in all generations” (Psalm 90:1). Their faith is affirmed in the words: “To whom He had not been told of Him, they shall see, and those who had not heard shall understand” (Isaiah 52:15). He is the witness to all the promises the Father has made and revealed to the world, of which Paul, in his letter to the Ephesians, notes: “The God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of glory” (Ephesians 1). It is now recorded: “For the Lord your God, the Holy One of Israel, who has glorified you,” by the glory He had before the world began. The prophet also confirms this: “The glory of the Lord shall be revealed” (Isaiah 40); He is the reflection of glory and the exact representation of His being (Hebrews 1), when every tongue will acknowledge that the Lord Jesus is in the glory of the Father (Philippians 2), who responded to the Son requesting this glory: “And I will glorify You” (John 12:28). The Apostle John also writes, “We have seen His glory, glory as of the only Son from the Father, full of grace and truth” (John 1:14). Therefore, when he refers to Him who was in the beginning with God as the Word of God, he identifies Him as the Father of glory. When he speaks of that which is said in the Gospel, “Why do you seek to kill me, a man who has spoken the truth to you?” (John 8:40), he invokes the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, not to imply a distinction between them, but rather the same Son of God speaks as He considers both His divine glory and our human nature, which He chose to assume.

They placed their faith in Christ, as He is glorified by the Lord His God, the Holy One of Israel. They were persuaded that the might and wisdom of the God of Israel were revealed through the deeds of Christ during His time on earth and following His ascension to heaven; these acts were not performed by human strength but by the power of God the Father, who honored Him. Christ, as the only begotten Son of God the Father, possessed glory from eternity, yet in the final days of His earthly ministry, He implored God the Father to bestow upon Him this glory in His human form (John 17:5), and He indeed received it. Christ "humbled Himself and became obedient to the point of death, even the death of the cross; therefore God also has highly exalted Him and given Him the name which is above every name, that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, of those in heaven, of those on earth, and of those under the earth, and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father" (Phil. 2:8-11). The glory of Christ is what the prophetic words in the verse being examined refer to, speaking directly to Him.