GOD’S PARDON

Isaiah 55:6-8  Seek the Lord while he may be found; call upon him while he is near; let the wicked forsake his way, and the unrighteous man his thoughts; let him return to the Lord, that he may have compassion on him, and to our God, for he will abundantly pardon.

            Isaiah 55 portrays a rich invitation to return to the Lord in our times of emptiness, brokenness and spiritual poverty. Look at the many times the word “come” is mentioned at the beginning of this chapter. God invites us to draw near to him so that we can feel his grace and experience the welcoming power of his redemptive pardon.

            Every time I read the opening verses of this magnificent passage, the Parable of the Prodigal Son (Luke 15:11-22) comes to my mind. In this story, the younger son demanded and received the allotted portion of his father’s inheritance early and went away to another country to party foolishly on things that didn’t last. The stupidity of his decisions sent him to a pigpen coated with slime. Coming to his senses, he realized that he could return to better conditions in his father’s house as a servant than his current setup. So he swallowed his pride and backpacked home, not knowing what awaited him.

            When his father saw him in the distance returning, he did something that was culturally unthinkable. Luke 15:20 says that “his father saw him and felt compassion, and ran and embraced him and kissed him.” In Jewish culture, men never went out to greet incoming travelers, especially a rebellious, returning son. A man would have waited for the party to come to his house. But in this story, Jesus portrays God the Father as one who is filled with deep compassion and pardoning grace for his wayward son. He knows his son has failed and fallen. Yet he waits for his return. And when he comes back, he forgives and pardons by throwing a lavish celebration. That’s what God offers today in Isaiah 55. His pardon is great. And he asks us to come.


Written by H. Curtis McDaniel