132. Wine and Milk without Money
Isaiah 55:1 Ho, every one that thirsteth, come ye to the waters, and he that hath no money; come ye, buy, and eat; yea, come, buy wine and milk without money and without price.
The Lord invites us to come and buy waters, wine and milk for free. God promises Grace: the blessings and gifts of God are free. You don’t need money to buy it, get it, and own in. No price is put upon it, for it is priceless, utterly free. That’s grace. You cannot earn it or work for it. You cannot receive it as a reward for toil and effort. You do not deserve it and you do not have it as right. It is free, given freely from the gracious and loving heart of God. He has determined that He would send His Son, who would earn it, and He would give it to us for free. Grace is unearned favor, but Christ earns it for us. So grace is “earned” favor, earned by Jesus, and free for us.
Because it is free, without money and without price; therefore, we can afford it. We are impoverished and bankrupt. But Jesus, though He was rich, for our sakes He became poor so that through His poverty we might become rich.
The promise is free grace and blessing. The promise is called “waters.” Waters are the fresh flowing of the Spirit of God. Jesus has dug the well of living water. These waters are spirit and they are life. Come to the waters and imbibe. You have no money; you are a poor, miserable sinner, but you may buy and enjoy. The promise and gift is “wine and milk,” metaphors for spiritual fertility and abundance. The life of God that He gives us is abundant nourishment for spiritual life and health. We need it desperately but we can’t get it. God has mercy, so He gives it to us free and without cost to us. The abundant life we have been given is inexhaustible and forever available. As the water is living water, so the wine symbolizes not only needed spiritual nourishment but also a luxurious spiritual feast. Jesus exhibited this luxurious abundance by turning the water into wine at a wedding feast.
The promise is for everyone, for everyone is thirsty, dry and empty. We have the kingdom of God: “Blessed are the poor, for theirs is the kingdom of God.” The poor are blessed because they have a generous and extremely rich Savior and Lord.