Isaiah 55:6: “Seek ye the LORD while he may be found, call ye upon him while he is near:”

It is interesting that the verb seek is in Qal imperative (command) form.  This is a command.  The word in Hebrew for seek is darash which is a diligent search an investigation. It comes from an old Canaanite word for treading over something.  It is a word used by a scribe to read or study.  In the Akkadian language it is used to beat and to search out.  Embedded in this word is a sense of urgency. In other words God is not saying: “Hey, if you need some help, just whistle and I’ll come a runnin’”  He is not saying that He is hard to find nor is He saying I may not be available later so you had better come to me now before I get too busy.  This is really to be taken as a plea.  In other words He is practically saying; “Please come to me when you need help, please there is so little time, call upon me. I’m here, I want to help, I want to be there for you.”

Practically all our modern translations say while he may be found. I don’t know about you but to me it sounds like, you know, “Get ‘em while it’s hot.”  God seems to be saying that He is only available for a short time, short sale, back to normal price tomorrow.  The Targum which is an ancient Aramaic translation or Aramaic paraphrase says: “Seek the Lord while you are still alive.”  In other words, don’t wait until the ax drops to call upon God.  I would paraphrase this verse as: “Please come to Him before it is too late and the damage is done.”

“Call upon Him while He is near.”  This word near is qarob in Hebrew which is a word used for a relative or kinsman. It is not reference to geographical location but the position in a relationship.  I really find the rendering call upon Him while He is near to be misleading.  The word while is hayah. I don’t understand why translators render this as while, I don’t see this word saying that at all.  This word hayah comes from the same root word for God’s name YHWH which means to be or to exist. God is not around for a while, God exist no beginning nor end.  He will always be there.  So I have no idea why translators came up with the word while for hayah except to just walk in lock step with tradition. The word while carries a sense of duration where hayah is timeless, there is no duration.  If it is hayah it is there right now.  I’m sorry but I don’t like the way this is rendered and the fact that all modern translators just join in lock step does bother me on such an important issue. God is always available God is always near.  This rendering directly contradicts Deuteronomy 31:16 and other places where God promises to never leave us nor forsake.  I must render this in a way which does not contradict other Scripture while remaining true to the original language  that is only proper Hermeneutics.  There is a way to render this that is in line with other Scripture and the original Hebrew as well.  What I am reading from the Hebrew is not call upon Him while He is near, but call upon Him because He is in a close relationship with you.  How many times has a parent told their semi adult scholar as he leaves for college: “Now if you have any problems please call me, ok?  Please?  You will call won’t you?”  Of course the semi adult responds with: “Yeah, Yeah, Yeah, I get it, ok.”   You know the old saying: “Hey, we’re family we watch out for each other.”   I believe that really expresses what this passage is saying; God is saying: “Hey, we’re family, I’m watching out for you. Would you please call me if you have any problems, ok?”

Let me explain it this way.  A few years ago I was a counselor at a half-way house.  There was a man, call him Bob, who just got out of prison who had become a Christian.  I spent considerable time praying with him, encouraging him and just helping him along in his new life in Jesus.  He started keeping a journal about his life’s journey from his experiences in the Viet Nam war to becoming an alcoholic, going to prison and finally finding Jesus and starting his life over.  He said he was keeping this journal to give to his grandson in hopes that his grandson would never make the mistakes he made.  Still, the guy did have a drinking problem and was a member of AA.  He needed a sponsor and I agreed to sponsor him.  I didn’t tell him, I commanded him, imperative, that if ever he was tempted to take a drink to call me.  I told him it didn’t matter what time of day, whether I was at work asleep in the middle of the night if he was tempted to take a drink, go into a bar or even in a bar, he was to call me and I would immediately come out and personally drag him out of that bar.  I would be there for him to help him over that hump.

One day when I came to the halfway house I was told my friend was not there, that he was sent back to prison for parole violation.  He went out and got drunk.  He didn’t call me.  I went home that night and wept. I poured myself into this guy, I prayed for him, with him, I studied the Word of God with him.  I was there for him. I would have gone to the seediest bar in the Lawndale area in the middle of the night and dragged him out if I knew he was there.  Why did he not call me?  Even to this day when I think about it I can’t help but weep and ask, ‘”Why, Bob, why? Why didn’t you call me?  I was there for you, I would have come I could have stopped this.”  I never heard from him again.

People think: “Poor Bob, he had to go back to prison, poor Bob he could not lick the drink.”  Does anyone ever say: “Poor Chaim, poor sponsor who poured his life into Bob, who loved him, was there for him and would have sacrificed for him?”  No one ever thinks about the hurt and pain of the sponsor who knows he could have done something if his friend would have just asked.

My point is when someone falls face down in the mud and we think, “Poor guy, he really is up against it.  Too bad for him.”  Does anyone ever think about his sponsor, Jesus?   Does anyone ever think, “Poor Jesus, He pour his life into this fellow, He gave His life for this fellow, He loves this guy, He would do anything for this guy to help him out of his struggle, why does He not call on Him and ask Him to sponsor Him?” Stop and think about the broken heart of Jesus when someone He suffered and died for says, “Hey, I can handle it, don’t put yourself out Jesus, I’m good, I don’t need your salvation.”   I mean that is cruel and downright selfish and if you end up hell, believe me it is your own fault. God didn’t send you there, you sent yourself there and left Him with a broken heart.

I never had an addiction where I needed a sponsor but I am sure it is very hard for someone to admit that they have a problem that they need someone to sponsor them. How it must hurt Jesus who died for you who gave Himself for you to give you a new life, to help you through and then when the chips are down, when you should call upon you don’t.  You fall into the pit and you have not only ruined your life but you broke the heart of someone who loved you enough that He even died for you.

Isaiah 55:6: “Please come to Him before it is too late, call upon Him because He is your sponsor.”