We have all heard that the word of the Lord never returns unfulfilled, but does the word ever not return?
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Let’s look at the entire statement, Isaiah 55:10-12 (CJB):
“For just as rain and snow fall from the sky and do not return there, but water the earth,
causing it to bud and produce, giving seed to the sower and bread to the eater;
so is my word that goes out from my mouth — it will not return to me unfulfilled;
but it will accomplish what I intend, and cause to succeed what I sent it to do.”
OK, someone may say that rain and snow which falls to the earth does return eventually through evaporation. Yet, for the rain or snow that is absorbed by the earth and ends up as sustenance for the plants or animals, that doesn’t really return, does it? That is the rain and snow that accomplishes what God sent it to do- bring life.
We know that God sent his word into the world, to the Jews first and then to the rest of the nations (Goyim), instructing us all how to worship him and how to treat each other, yet there are so many who haven’t made any adjustment to their sinful lives, so what’s up with that? How can God say his word never returns unfulfilled for the purpose he sent it, yet here we have an undeniable truth- most of the world has ignored it, including most of the Christian religions who profess to worship him!
It seems we have a real conundrum: we know that what God says he will do, will be done. Period. But yet, here we have his word sent to the world, but his word doesn’t seem to be accomplishing what God sent it to do.
I could use a Predestination view (which, for the record, I do not believe in) and say that those who do not hear the word were never meant to hear it, and that nicely answers the problem of how it can not return unfulfilled.
But I don’t think that is the real answer.
I am thinking of what Yeshua told his Talmudim as he sent them into the world (Luke 10), when he said as they come to a house, to give it their “Shalom”, and if the house returns their shalom, to stay there. That meant that if the place they came to was open to hearing the word, then their shalom, i.e., the message of peace, will return to them, meaning that its purpose to teach them how God wants them to live, will not be unfulfilled.
God’s word is to teach us how to be righteous in his eyes; however, when his Torah (meaning teachings) fall on deaf ears, it is the shalom that was not returned.
What I am trying to say is that when God’s word is has been spoken to those who are willing to listen to it, it returns to God fulfilled. However, if the word sent falls on deaf ears, it will not return to God.
The fly in the ointment is Free Will- God’s word is life eternal, but for those who refuse to listen, the purpose God sent his word to fulfill will not be accomplished. Not because of any inability of God’s word to accomplish his purpose, but because of our ability to reject that word.
So there’s the answer to the conundrum: the only word that returns to God is the word that has fulfilled its purpose. The word that is ignored does not return to God, but like rain falling in the ocean, or snow falling on a mountaintop already full of snow, it has no impact or change to what is already there.
God’s word is a powerful medicine that can cure any disease, but if it is not taken by the person who is sick, its purpose is unfulfilled.
Thank you for being here, and please remember to subscribe and share these messages. That’s it for today, so l’hitraot and Baruch HaShem!
