What does "make peace with Me" mean in Isaiah 27:5? Setting the Scene in Isaiah 27 • The chapter pictures Israel as “a vineyard of delight” under the Lord’s constant care (Isaiah 27:2-3). • God is not “angry” with His vineyard, yet He warns that if “thorns and briers” (unrepentant enemies) rise against Him, He will “burn them to the ground” (v. 4). • Verse 5 interrupts that warning with a gracious invitation: “Or let them take hold of My strength; let them make peace with Me—yes, let them make peace with Me.” Key Words and Their Force • “Take hold of My strength” (Hebrew: ḥĕzqī): cling to, grasp firmly; it pictures desperate dependence. • “Make peace” (Hebrew: śālôm): not a truce but full shalom—wholeness, well-being, covenant harmony. • The repetition—“let them make peace with Me—yes, let them make peace with Me”—underscores urgency and certainty. What It Means—Plain Sense • God offers His foes a choice: keep resisting and be consumed, or grab on to His mighty hand and be reconciled. • Peace is available on His terms, not theirs; they must surrender, acknowledge His rule, and rely on His power. • This is a literal call to personal reconciliation with the living God, not merely national diplomacy or inner calm. Confirmed by the Broader Prophets • Isaiah 1:18 ‑ “Come now, let us reason together… though your sins are scarlet, they shall be as white as snow.” • Isaiah 55:6-7 ‑ “Seek the LORD while He may be found… He will abundantly pardon.” • Ezekiel 18:32 ‑ “I take no pleasure in anyone’s death… repent and live!” Fulfilled in the New Covenant • Romans 5:1 ‑ “Therefore, since we have been justified through faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ.” • Colossians 1:20 ‑ Christ made “peace through the blood of His cross.” • Ephesians 2:14-16 ‑ He “is our peace,” reconciling both Jew and Gentile to God “through the cross.” → Isaiah’s invitation ultimately finds its open door in the crucified and risen Messiah. How to “Make Peace” Today 1. Admit the hostility: “All have sinned” (Romans 3:23). 2. Grasp His strength, not yours: trust the finished work of Jesus (Acts 16:31). 3. Confess and forsake sin (1 John 1:9; Proverbs 28:13). 4. Submit to His lordship (Romans 10:9). 5. Enjoy the ongoing shalom—security, fellowship, purpose (Philippians 4:7; John 14:27). Takeaway “Make peace with Me” is God’s earnest, literal plea for rebels to lay down their arms, seize His saving power, and enter covenant fellowship—now fully offered through His Son. |
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