Buying without money, 12March2023

•  Is. 55: ALL *
• Gen. 10:32, 11:1 - 9  **
• Deut. 31:16- 19, 21 - E
• Ps. 78:21 - 39
• Luke 21:1 - 36  ***

Notes:

• * (re: Is. 55:1)  "...he without money, buy and eat, buy wine and milk without money and without price..."  Thinking of this statement, you have to arrive at the idea that, either God is instituting a 'welfare state' or, what is being purchased is spiritual, not carnal. Therefore, how do you 'buy' something without a 'medium of exchange'?   The message of the Bible is: GOD is everything. He has abundantly more than you need, in order for you to be 'His "son" '. But that requires your 'investment'; Paul calls it a 'living sacrifice... your reasonable service'. Israel's 'cost' was obedience to HIS law, and fulfilling their calling, to be 'kings and priests to the world'. 
•  (re: Is:55:8)  "{My thoughts are not your thoughts..."  Here, to Israel, and by extension, to all of humanity,  God is GOD. On a natural level, we cannot understand Him or His plans for man, except we understand His Word.  (Continually) doing that,  we come to know HIM, and in doing so, He knows us.  "Christianity" preaches that 'we need to accept Him';  yes and no.  We need to acknowledge that God is GOD, and put nothing else above Him, or in His place. This includes our own thoughts and imaginations or someone else's understanding of (their) God, We need to KNOW HIM, for ourselves.
• (re: Is. 55:13)  Instead of 'thorns and briars', a phrase we hear from other prophets and Apostles, something else will grow.   Christ often refers to trees, vineyards, and 'plantings', (which He/His father have planted), which yield fruit, or don't.  Briars and thorns are not 'productive' (except for more of the same!). All these are metaphors for people being and doing what they were not supposed to (briars and thorns), versus 'fruitful plants'.  When Israel does what they were called to do, (and haven't yet done), they will be likened to fruitful trees, (fir and myrtle trees).
• ** (re: Gen. 11:1 - 9):  Post-flood humanity reverts to their own imaginations, even after the consequences of that endeavor in their recent history. With 'one mind', they seek to evolve (their) society, to elevate themselves to magnificent heights; they desire to build a tower to heaven, (to 'get closer' to 'god'? or to be gods(?)).  It is written that their goal is to "MAKE US A NAME...", i.e., something to unite us in this goal, and for posterity. God intervenes.  How much different is: today's global economy, 'our' social network regimes, and our focused mindset on being (our own) 'gods'?  Aren't we trying to control everything? The climate, the future of the planet, (environment and resources), humanity's well-being, world hunger/poverty?  Truly, "(we) are gods!" 
• *** (re: Like 21)  'What shall be the signs when these things shall be?'.  Answer: It's happening! And guess what?  Your investments, your silver, your gold, your IRA/401K or any off-shore accounts, nor your stockpiles of pallets of 30-day supplies of 5 yr shelf-life food: nothing will save you from the calamity to come.  "Seek ye first the kingdom of God,...."; '...work out your own salvatioin...";  "...look up, for your redemption draweth nigh..."