Historic pastoral reading
God's purposes are not always obvious to us. That is not a license to skip the text we do have.
Isaiah 55:8-9
God works in mysterious ways.
The text
WEB
8 For my thoughts are not your thoughts, and your ways are not my ways, says Yahweh.
9 For as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways, and my thoughts than your thoughts.
KJV
8 For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways, saith the LORD.
9 For as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways, and my thoughts than your thoughts.
What kind of text
- Prophecy
- Invitation
- God's ways
Isaiah 55 calls people to seek the Lord and then says his thoughts and ways are not ours.
How Christians have read this
Common misuse
Used to end hard questions as if mystery were a verse.
What the next verse does
Verses 10-11 compare God's word to rain that does not return empty.
Older commentary
Matthew Henry
Henry on Isaiah 55:8-9: God's thoughts are not ours, and his word still does not return void.
Charles Spurgeon
Spurgeon knew Cowper's hymn. When he opened Isaiah he preached higher ways and a word that works.