The last twenty-six chapters of Isaiah are divided into three sections, each ending with the warning that there is “no peace for the wicked” (chapter sixty-six does not exactly have those words but you will see the message is there). Beginning in chapter 52, God looks forward to the time when His people will welcome a message of peace from Him. But there can be no peace for the wicked until the sin problem is dealt with. In chapter 53, the suffering servant sacrifices himself to bring that peace (53:5) and in chapter 54, the promised peace begins to be poured out.
In chapter fifty-five, God issues an invitation to a heavenly banquet. Though the tables are filled with the richest fare, it’s all free.
Exactly what is on this table?
Mercy and pardon (verse 7).
The result of eating at the banquet of God will be peace – a thematic thread that runs throughout chapters 52-55 – and the restoration of fertility to lives as desolate as a desert.
Coming to the table however is more than just “coming to the table.” It does involve a change of life, a change described in detail in chapter fifty-six.