Isaiah 55:10, commentary and pictures

As the rain and snow fall from the sky and do not go back until they have soaked the ground and made it sprout, yielding both seed for planting and food for eating. So the word that goes out from God never comes back empty, but carries out what He desires and succeeds in the work He sends it to do. This certainty stands because His thoughts and ways are as far above human thoughts and ways as the heavens are above the earth. It means He richly forgives all who leave evil ways and thoughts and come back to Him while He may be found and is near. Its fruit appears in lives made new with joy and peace, freed from evil passions and filled with the graces of the Spirit, giving confidence that the word shared with others will also spring up and multiply.

Rain, Snow, and Harvest

As the rain and the snow come down from heaven and do not return there, but water the earth and make it bring forth and bud, the earth is caused to yield growth that gives seed to the sower to sow and bread to the eater to eat. So the word that goes forth out of God's mouth does not return to Him void or empty, but accomplishes what He pleases and prospers in the thing and mission to which He sends it. This certainty rests on the fact that His ways and thoughts are higher than human ways and thoughts, as the heavens are higher than the earth. It is one of the richest promises of God's Word, belonging to those who accept the condition of obedience. Through the power of the Spirit and the agency of that word, God instructs those who keep seeking to know Him, and for those who labor for the good of others He strengthens faith by letting them see in this life evidence of the power of His grace upon hearts and lives, leading to going out with joy and being led forth with peace, with evil passions cast out and the graces of the Holy Spirit developing in character.

Mists rising from the sea and from the ocean fall again as rain and showers to water the earth and cause it to bring forth growth to serve other life. What the sea receives it gives back, and what descends from the heavens helps the earth bear growth, illustrating a mutual ministry in creation in which what receives also gives and sustains other life.

The harvest that follows provides two kinds of provision together, seed for future sowing and bread for those who eat for food, linking God's provision to continued fruitfulness and generous sharing. God's Word is therefore to be planted in many hearts and the bread of life shared with people who hunger for it, so that a believer does not live for self but bears fruit by representing Christ and helping bring salvation to others. The provision of seed and its multiplication are linked to generous giving, which increases the fruits of righteousness.

Word That Never Fails

As rain and snow descend from heaven and do not go back there without watering the ground and causing it to sprout and grow, so the word that goes out of God's mouth does not come back empty or fruitless but carries out what He desires and succeeds in the mission and purpose for which He sends it. The same likeness shows seed supplied to the sower and bread supplied to the eater, and through the Spirit's power and the agency of that word God teaches and guides those who keep seeking to know Him. This certainty holds because God's ways and thoughts stand higher than human ways and thoughts, as the heavens stand higher than the earth. That higher wisdom means human judgments about what He will accomplish avail nothing for condemning or saving, and must not be used to limit His power.

The verse is one of the richest promises of God's Word, given to those who meet the condition of obedience. It belongs with the comfort and encouragement of Isaiah 55:8-13, which sets before the seeker an open door where God can be earnestly sought and found. That promise prospers in its work especially in those who let the word work within them and give their service to Christ. It calls for humbling the heart before God in the meekness seen in Christ's life and character, and for standing in right relation to Him.

The unfailing word includes the visions and revelations about the closing period of this earth's history, which go forth as a burning lamp to every nation, kindred, tongue, and people, and not to the Jewish nation merely. As rain makes the earth fruitful, so God's showers of grace bring spiritual growth and fulfill His promises. Those blessings are already falling, so that whoever recognizes and receives them in faith need not wait for a future latter rain.

Pardon for Returning Sinners

As rain and snow come down from heaven and do not return without watering the earth and making it bring forth and bud to give seed to the sower and bread to the eater, so the word that goes out of God's mouth does not return void but accomplishes what He pleases and prospers in the purpose for which He sends it, and this means that He abundantly pardons those who forsake wicked ways and thoughts and return to Him. The call is for the wicked to turn to God for mercy and abundant pardon while He may be found and while He is near. This certainty rests on the fact that His ways and thoughts are higher than human ways and thoughts as the heavens are higher than the earth, and His created nature reflects His joy in His people's happiness. The pardoned one is thus brought out with joy and led forth with peace.

Human thoughts that God has given a great sinner up to the enemy and will not pardon him are not correct and true, they dishonor God, and they avail nothing for condemning or saving. Human beings must not limit God's power by their own judgments about what He will accomplish, for through His grace He can bring about change and make people fit for the work He has chosen for them. God's thoughts and God's words amount to much, while human thoughts about what condemns and what saves amount to nothing.

Sinners must put away their own ideas, feelings, groaning and self-study about sin and stop studying themselves. They are to humble the heart before God in the meekness shown in Christ's life and character and to stand in right relation to Him. They are to look away from self and from the serpent's bite to the uplifted Saviour, the Lamb of God who takes away sin. The promise stands as an open door where God can be met, where He can be sought earnestly and will be found, giving comfort and encouragement.

Growth in Changed Lives

As rain and snow come down from heaven and do not return without watering the earth and causing growth that yields seed for sowing and bread for eating, so the word that goes out from God's mouth does not return empty but accomplishes His pleasure and prospers in the mission for which He sends it, because His ways and thoughts are higher than human ways and thoughts. Its fruit is seen in changed hearts and lives, in those who go out with joy and are led forth with peace. In them evil passions are cast out, the graces of the Holy Spirit develop, and those once like thornbushes become fruitful and beautiful. For those who labor for the good of others, seeing this evidence of the power of grace upon hearts and lives in this life encourages them and strengthens their faith.

Through the power of the Spirit and the agency of God's word, God instructs those who keep seeking to know Him. The Holy Spirit waters the seed of divine truth sown in the heart through teaching, as rain waters the earth and brings forth growth. That watering explains how the word works like rain and snow to make the earth produce growth, seed, and food.

Even when teaching seems to have little effect on minds and hearts, the work does not fail when it is wrought in God. Lessons of divine truth may linger in the memory even of the most careless students, remain there, and after many days spring up and bear fruit to the glory of God. Divine grace like softening showers is needed to soften hearts, and without receiving it worshipers remain unsoftened.

Confidence in Gospel Labor

As rain and snow come down to water the earth and cause growth that yields both seed and bread, so the word sent from God unfailingly nourishes and accomplishes the purpose for which He sends it, giving strong reason to expect that the word shared with people will bear fruit. The gospel seed sown according to His will can multiply to reach thousands who have never heard the truth. This certainty calls for increased faith and firmer belief in the promise, for patience joined with perseverance in faithful work, and for more earnest prayer for the deep moving of the Holy Spirit. Church members are to pray for those who preach, and ministers are to take time to pray for themselves and for God's people, drawing near to souls through the Spirit's power to soften hearts and turn them from earthly things to heavenly things and to Christ. Success in preaching the gospel and saving souls does not depend on money, since no earthly riches can save even one soul, but on consecrating every power to rescuing those Satan seeks to destroy while exalting Christ as all and in all.

When crops are killed and work is hindered through no fault of one's own, God's purpose is still certain to succeed, so there is no cause for complaint, perverse lips, unbelieving or dark talk, or discouragement. Instead there is cause to thank God, to talk hope and light, to rejoice in the Lord, and to hold up the hands of fellow workers even when experience is hard and grievous. The promise sustains those working in harmony with God's educational plan with confidence in His sustaining presence and in the effectiveness of His work through them. It belongs to those who let the word work in them and give their service to Christ, and to those who labor for the good of others. The Father encourages such workers and strengthens their faith by letting them see in this life evidence of the power of His grace upon the hearts and lives of those for whom they work, as grace changes hearts and lives.

The provision of seed to the sower and bread to the eater means God's Word is to be planted in many hearts and the bread of life shared with people who hunger for it. The earth's growth yielding both seed for future sowing and bread for eating means a believer is not to live for self but to bear fruit by representing Christ and helping bring salvation to others. Generous giving is linked to the provision and multiplication of seed, increasing the fruits of righteousness, and supporting a gospel meetinghouse in Nashville that will send out the gospel helps bring about the fulfillment of these promises. The church is to seek the Lord while He may be found and call upon Him while He is near, receiving the light of His Word with gratitude for past mercies into heart and mind and reflecting it to souls in darkness. Done without faithlessness, complaining, faultfinding, or murmuring, this fits believers by the Holy Spirit for missionary work that keeps the commandments of God and the faith of Jesus to the praise and glory of Jesus Christ.