Better than a BOGO

Suppose when you went to the grocery, nothing had a price on it because it was all free? That's exactly what God promised the nation of Israel. Well, sort of. Keep reading to learn about the other two promises God made to Israel, and what that meant to them, and to us.

Isaiah 55:1-5 NRSV

Hear, everyone who thirsts;
come to the waters;
and you who have no money,
come, buy and eat!
Come, buy wine and milk
without money and without price.
2

Why do you spend your money for that which is not bread
and your earnings for that which does not satisfy?
Listen carefully to me, and eat what is good,
and delight yourselves in rich food.
3

Incline your ear, and come to me;
listen, so that you may live.
I will make with you an everlasting covenant,
my steadfast, sure love for David.
4

See, I made him a witness to the peoples,
a leader and commander for the peoples.
5

Now you shall call nations that you do not know,
and nations that do not know you shall run to you,
because of the Lord your God, the Holy One of Israel,
for he has glorified you.

 A Lesson from the Grocery Store and Duke's Mayonnaise

Have you been to the grocery store lately? And every time you go, does it seem like everything has gone up a little bit more – or sometimes a lot more?

We love Duke’s mayonnaise. My grandmother used it, and it’s made here in the Greenville area, so we’ve gotten quite fond of it. When we moved here two years ago Duke’s mayo was $4.64 for a regular size jar. Then, it went up to $4.98. Now, Duke’s “regular” price is $5.98, but it’s always on sale for $4.98, if you’re a Food Lion frequent flyer – or whatever they call their loyalty program.

Anyway, that’s just mayo. I looked at our grocery bill the other day and it seemed like every item on our list was priced at $5 or more -- each.

Suppose when you went to the grocery store there were no prices and everything was free? You wouldn’t need to spend a dollar – or sixty – because the best food in the store was absolutely yours for free! That's better than a BOGO.

That’s exactly what God is promising the nation of Israel. At the time Isaiah wrote these words Israel is in captivity in Babylon. Jerusalem is destroyed, and the Temple along with it. And, they’ve been there a long time -- the better part of two generations. The Jews were anything but hopeful about the future.

God's first promise: "I will provide for you."

Of course, this offer of "free food" is symbolic language. God is saying, “Don’t waste yourself in the pursuit of that which will not satisfy and is not even good for you. I’m offering you the best, the finest, the top of the line that will sustain you now and when you get back home to Judah."

Israel had given up hope of ever returning home. They had bought land, built houses, married, had children, planted gardens. But now God was saying “Stop spending your energy on that which will not sustain you – stop trusting Babylon for your security, your support, and your satisfaction. I have more in store for you than a future in Babylon.”

Not long after this promise, Cyrus defeats Babylon and sets in motion the return of the Jews to their homeland. God provided for them just as promised.

God's Second Promise: "I will protect you because you will all be like David."

3. Incline your ear, and come to me;
listen, so that you may live.
I will make with you an everlasting covenant,
my steadfast, sure love for David.

4. See, I made him a witness to the peoples,
a leader and commander for the peoples.

What are the people listening for? God tells them that the promise he made David – a kingdom that will last forever – is now going to be fulfilled in the entire nation. No longer is this promise for one man, it is for everyone. Every person will be a little David – a witness of God’s provision, a leader of God’s people, a commander of God’s power.

God's Third Promise: "You have a purpose."

But, this new democratized Davidic covenant isn’t for glory on the battlefield. Nor is it for popularity at the polling place. This new everyman covenant is for their mission, their calling, and their responsibility. 

You might remember the TV series, Mission Impossible. Long before Tom Cruise made the name famous in action movies, the TV show entertained audiences for seven seasons. Peter Graves played Jim Phelps who led the “Impossible Mission” force, a quasi-governmental group of secret operatives.

At the beginning of every show, Jim Phelps would retrieve a cassette tape player, hit play and listen as a disembodied voice intoned –

“Good morning, Mr. Phelps…” then the voice would go on to explain the circumstances of the mission. 

Finally, the voice would say,

“Your mission, Jim – should you decide to accept it – is ….” Phelps then would be given the specific objective of the mission.

That's what Isaiah meant when he wrote these words -

Now you shall call nations that you do not know,
and nations that do not know you shall run to you,
because of the Lord your God, the Holy One of Israel,
for he has glorified you.

Israel isn't just going to be provided for and protected, but God is also reminding them of their purpose.

So, God says to them, "Reach out to nations you do not know, and you will be surprised to find that the nations you do not know will come running to you." 

Why? Because they see something attractive in Israel. Something they don't have. And that something is a relationship with the One, True God -- the God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob.

This promise of a purpose goes back to the covenant with Abraham – that God is going to bless Abraham and his offspring. But not only that, God is blessing them so that they can be a blessing to all the world.

Of course, the ultimate way God uses Israel to bless the world is through Jesus, a descendant of King David, but greater than David -- the Son of God, the Savior of the world.

Remember the Free Food? It Actually Happens

The next time you’re in the grocery store, depressed by the high prices, just remember, God has a better offer than Buy One, Get One free. 

He offers us an invitation to come eat, come listen, and come be a witness. And it's all free. Now that's what I call a deal. 

Oh, and that offer of free food...it actually comes true in the Gospel reading for today. In Matthew 14:13-21, Jesus feeds five thousand people with a small lunch of five loaves and two fish. 

And in this story, everything Isaiah mentioned is there -- thousands of people come, listen, eat for free and then became witnesses. Sometimes prophecy has both a symbolic and a literal fulfillment.