Isaiah 65:14Meaning & Commentary from the Church Fathers

Thus, He encourages the hearts of those called by both the promise of reward and the warning of punishment. He assures them they will partake in sustenance; they will drink and will not thirst; they will rejoice, even while others face disgrace. Those who recognize the true and living God, who have cast aside false idols, and who seek the beauty of genuine worship will truly partake of the blessings of the mountains. They will satiate their hearts at the life-giving feast of Christ, the Savior, consuming the bread of life and the divine drink, which brings them the joy found in the mountains, cleansing their sins, dispelling sorrow, and preventing the dread of punishment from overshadowing their thoughts. Our joy intensifies in the hope set forth in Scripture regarding the good things prepared for those who love God. However, Scripture warns that those in error will cry out in the distress of their hearts, weeping from a spirit broken by their sins. When Christ, our collective Savior, descends from heaven to reward everyone according to their actions, all who fail to know the true God will weep, and those who remain in their sins will rise again. You will be abandoned, He declares, for your name's sake, to provide nourishment for My chosen ones, while the Lord will discipline you. I urge you again to delve deeper into this thought. Occasionally, the divinely inspired Scriptures speak in terms of satiation to denote disgust, as when God tells the Israelites, 'Therefore I will not endure your sins; be My satiety' (Isaiah 1:14). Thus, He refers to those who cling to false gods or remain mired in their sins as forsaking their names, rendering them as objects of disgust to My chosen. Naturally, no one can compel those once chosen to embrace the designation of idolaters; rather, they seek to be recognized as a holy nation, a chosen race, a royal priesthood, as articulated by the Apostle Peter (1 Pet. 2:9). However, should anyone wish to interpret this in relation to the Israelites, one could assert that Israel was once regarded as God’s children, His people, and His inheritance, yet when they willingly succumbed to immorality, they forfeited that honor, making way for those called from among the Gentiles to become heirs in their stead. Concerning this matter, God proclaims through Hosea, 'I will call not my people My people, and I will say not to My people, You are My people' (Hosea 2:23).

Some believe this will manifest within a thousand years, interpreting food and drink as the kingdom of God, failing to comprehend the truth of Scripture: "Strive not for food that perishes, but for the food that endures unto everlasting life" (John 6), longing instead for the body of Christ and the fruit from the tree of life. The Savior said, "I am the bread that came down from heaven" (John 6:33-35), and Proverbs advises, "Open your eyes and be filled with bread" (Proverbs 20:13). The Psalmist declares, "I was young, and now am old, yet I have not seen the righteous forsaken, nor his seed begging bread. He is ever merciful and lends, and his descendants are blessed" (Psalm 36:25-26). Regarding this bread and the spiritual feast, the Savior taught His disciples, "You are those who have continued with Me in My trials, and I appoint for you a kingdom as My Father appointed for Me, that you may eat and drink at My table in My kingdom" (Luke 22:28-30). If we take this to mean merely physical bread, how do we explain that the Lord will not condemn a righteous soul (Proverbs 10:3) and that He will guide the way of the blameless, guaranteeing them sustenance in times of trouble? "They will not be ashamed in times of adversity; in days of hunger, they will be satisfied" (Psalm 36:18-19). Many righteous endure persecution, starvation, and poverty, while the wicked thrive in cruelty. The drink must be understood as that which flows from the springs of Israel; anyone who drinks shall have a well of water springing up to eternal life (John 4). The Savior also pledges to drink in the Father’s kingdom with His disciples (Luke 22), bringing joy to the human heart (Psalm 103), enabling those who partake to exclaim, "You have put gladness in my heart" (Psalm 4:8). This food and drink are echoed in the Beatitudes: "Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness" (Matthew 5:6). The Mother of our Lord, filled with the Holy Spirit, prophesied, "Those who hunger and thirst will be filled with good things, while the rich go away empty" (Luke 1:53), referring to those who represented the Lord's sustenance at His burial yet despised the words of the prophets. The Psalmist also sings, "The rich perish, but those who seek the Lord shall lack no good thing" (Psalm 33:11). As those who serve Christ and place their faith in Him rejoice and glorify God with genuine joy, the unfaithful will be filled with shame upon witnessing others take their place, crying out in deep sorrow, fulfilling the words, "There will be weeping and gnashing of teeth" (Matthew 13:50). The righteous will sit at the right hand, while the wicked shall face eternal judgment. The brokenness of spirit resulting from sorrowful hearts should be understood in the context of sin, aligning with, "Those who go astray in spirit will gain understanding" (Isaiah 29:24), and, "You will not despise a broken and contrite heart, O God" (Psalm 51). A spirit is broken when it is lifted up in pride, as seen with the king opposed to Israel: "The Lord hardened his spirit" (Deuteronomy 2:30); similarly with the king of Babylon, whose heart grew proud and spirit hardened, uttering boastfully, "This Babylon I have built" (Daniel 4:27).

Likewise, sinners today are confronted with calls to repent and witness the mercy of God extended to those who turn back, yet if they refuse to genuinely turn from their transgressions and seek repentance, they will encounter not divine mercy but divine justice and retribution. “He shall rain down upon the wicked a net: fire and brimstone, and a stormy spirit, their portion out of their cup” (Psalm 10:6). “But the fearful, and the unfaithful, and the profane, and murderers, and lovers, and sorcerers, and idolaters, and all liars, their fate is in the lake burning with fire and brimstone. This is the second death” (Rev. 21:8). In that day, they will truly grasp the grave warnings they hear in the sacred scriptures. If they reject God’s grace, they will face His righteous truth. Currently, God extends an invitation for mercy, but then He will cast them away and unleash His righteous fury upon them. At present, He invites, “Repent,” but in due time He will declare, “Repent.” Now He beckons, “Come unto Me,” but later He will say, “Depart from Me.” To where? “Into the eternal fire prepared for the devil and his angels” (Matt. 25:41). Presently, He listens to those who repent and seek Him, but then the unrepentant will hear, “I do not know you, you did not recognize Me and I do not recognize you; you did not listen to Me and I will not listen to you.” “I have called and you have not listened, I have stretched out My words and you have not heeded; instead, you have ignored My guidance and dismissed My rebukes. Therefore, I will also laugh at your calamity; I will rejoice when disaster strikes you” (Proverbs 1:24-26). And again, “I called, and you did not respond; I spoke, and you would not listen; instead, you did evil before Me and chose what was displeasing to Me. Therefore, thus says the Lord God: ‘Behold, my servants shall eat, and you shall be hungry; behold, my servants shall drink, and you shall be thirsty; behold, my servants shall rejoice, and you shall be ashamed; my servants shall rejoice in gladness of heart, and you shall cry out in the anguish of your heart, and you shall weep in bitterness of spirit’” (Isaiah 65:12-14). Sinners! Let us heed God’s commands and repent while the message of repentance is being proclaimed. Let us gratefully accept His mercy while it is available. Let us turn to Him while He is calling and waiting for us. Let us pray to Him while those who seek Him are still being heard. “We are ambassadors for Christ, as though God Himself were appealing through us; in Christ’s name we implore you: be reconciled to God. For He who knew no sin became a sin offering for us, that we might become the righteousness of God in Him. But as His co-workers, we urge you not to receive God’s grace in vain. For it is said, In a favorable time I heard you, and in the day of salvation I helped you. Behold, now is the favorable time, behold, now is the day of salvation” (2 Cor. 5:20-21, 6:1-2). “Come unto Me, all ye that labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest; take My yoke upon you and learn of Me, for I am meek and lowly in heart, and you shall find rest for your souls, for My yoke is easy and My burden is light,” says the Lord (Matt. 11:28-30). “Or do you disregard the riches of His goodness, patience, and forbearance, not realizing that God’s kindness leads you to repentance? But because of your stubbornness and unrepentant heart, you are accumulating wrath for yourself for the day of wrath and the revelation of the righteous judgment of God, who will repay each person according to their deeds: to those who by perseverance in good works seek glory, honor, and immortality, eternal life; but to those who are self-seeking and do not obey the truth but obey unrighteousness, there will be wrath and fury. There will be trouble and distress for every human being who does evil, first for the Jew, then for the Gentile” (Rom. 2:4-9).