The Command to Seek Yahweh (Isaiah 55:6-7).
And now as a result of the triumph of the Servant and of the Davidic King the call of mercy can go out to all.
‘Seek Yahweh while he may be found,
Call on him while he is near,
Let the wicked forsake his way,
And the unrighteous man his thoughts,
And let him return to Yahweh,
And he will have mercy on him,
And to our God,
For he will abundantly pardon.'
Now all are called on to seek Yahweh in this time of opportunity, and to call on Him. Emphasis is laid on the importance of responding while there is yet time. God has brought His Servant into the world and the opportunity of knowing God has been opened up, but it should not be missed for its time is limited.
‘Seeking' does not involve ‘searching for'. The point is that He has been presented through His Servant and men must now respond to Him and seek His face and call on Him (see Deuteronomy 12:5). The ‘being near' of God is a comparatively rare expression. It is usually man who comes near to God. It can have in mind His coming near in judgment (Malachi 3:5), but in Deuteronomy 4:7 the nearness of God is a distinguishing feature that reveals the difference between Israel and the nations, He is near whenever they call on Him. In Psalms 34:18 God is near to those who call on Him with a broken heart and a contrite spirit, and in Psalms 75:1 His name is near when His wondrous works are revealed, while in Psalms 145:18 He is near to all those who call on Him in truth. It is probably the idea in Psalms 75:1 that is in mind, combined with the thoughts in Isaiah 51:5; Isaiah 56:1 where His righteousness and His salvation are seen as near, for the nearness is seen as something that will at some stage come to an end, when God will cease to be approachable. The thought, however, may be that He is near as a near Kinsman (see Leviticus 25:25; Ruth 2:20; Ruth 3:12; Ruth 4:4), and the opportunity must be taken while it is there.
So let the wicked, those who are guilty of breaking God's instruction, turn from their sinful own way (Isaiah 53:6) into the way of Yahweh, the way of holiness (Isaiah 35:8). ‘The way' is a permanent set of mind resulting in a continuing walk. And let the unrighteous man turn from his thoughts. The Biblical emphasis on the importance of the thoughts of men comes out strongly here. Among the ten commandments one concentrated on men's thoughts, “You shall not covet”. It matters not only what a man does but what he thinks (compare Matthew 5:28). The word ‘unrighteous' often contains within it the thought of one who causes trouble, ‘doers of unrighteousness', thus the unrighteous man is always planning how he can cause trouble and mischief, which is why his thoughts must be forsaken. It can also refer to false worship.
Then let them turn, or return, (shub can include both), to Yahweh and there, through what the Servant has done, they will find mercy and abundant pardon. Thus there is involved a seeking, a turning from and a turning to (1 Thessalonians 1:9). For turning or returning to Yahweh compare Isaiah 44:22. See also Isaiah 1:27; Isaiah 7:3; Isaiah 35:10; Isaiah 51:11; Isaiah 59:20.
‘Mercy -- pardon.' Mercy (compassion) is God's overflowing love and compassion revealed to the unworthy (Isaiah 54:7-8). Pardon or forgiveness is the act of God whereby He removes the barrier between Himself and those who have offended against Him, and the word is used only of God's forgiveness. It is possible here because Another has borne their sin (Isaiah 53:4-6; Isaiah 53:8; Isaiah 53:11).