The Efficiency of God’s Word. 

God’s Word is Efficient and Effective. Isaiah 55:10

Isaiah has been calling upon wayward Israel to return to her God, redeemer and deliverer. To seek him and repent, so that she can experience God’s mercy and pardon. Notice the series of consequences. Mark all the verses beginning with FOR. 

• As sure as God is greater than us, he pardons us. 
• As sure as the gap between heaven and earth, so great is the gap between God’s pure holy thoughts and ways than our sinful thoughts and ways. 
• As sure as rain waters the earth and makes crops grow to produce food, so shall God’s Word achieve its purpose. 
• As sure as God’s word is everlasting and efficacious so His people shall be redeemed, blessed and kept. 

So Isaiah describes how the abundant life in Christ is conveyed to us by God’s command. 

1. A Natural Analogy. 10 “For as the rain comes down, and the snow from heaven,
And do not return there,
But water the earth,
And make it bring forth and bud,
That it may give seed to the sower
And bread to the eater, God’s providence in creation illustrates his purposes. 

1. Weather is God’s work!
2. Weather has a divine purpose. (God gives the increase) 
3. Weather is the method by which. God sustains us. 

2. A Substantive Application. 11. So shall My word be that goes forth from My mouth; It shall not return to Me void, But it shall accomplish what I please, And it shall prosper in the thing for which I sent it.

• God’s word proceeds from Him. From his mouth. (God’s Word described as seed in Mk 4:4)
• It has a purpose. And in the achievement of that purpose it: Never fails.  Does God’s pleasure. 
• It achieves that purpose in accomplishment and spiritual prosperity. 

3. A Happy Accomplishment. 12. For you shall go out with joy, And be led out with peace; The mountains and the hills Shall break forth into singing before you, And all the trees of the field shall clap their hands. 13. Instead of the thorn shall come up the cypress tree, And instead of the brier shall come up the myrtle tree; And it shall be to the Lord for a name, For an everlasting sign that shall not be cut off.”

• Israel’s redemption. You shall go out! Exodus. A sure picture of how God delivers his people from their sins. 52:11, Jn 10:3, Col 1:13
• Israel’s blessing. Expressed in joy, peace and praise. Even nature praised God!  
• Israel’s prosperity. The growth if the kingdom of God. Reversal of the fall?  
• Israel’s permanence. An everlasting sign, like the rainbow in Gen. 9:8-17

How powerful is God’s Word!