The start of verse 11 clearly communicates that an analogy is being announced by beginning with the words, “So shall My Word be…” The obvious question is, “So shall My Word be…like what?” Therefore, we are forced to compare verses 10 and 11 on an analogous level.
So shall My Word be that goes forth from My mouth
God’s Word begins with God and comes from his mouth.[1] God is known to be omnipresent; He is everywhere. However, we are being asked by this analogy to picture Him in heaven or in the sky like rain clouds are in the sky. In verses 8 and 9 of the same chapter Isaiah compared God’s ways and thoughts to man’s ways and thoughts by saying, “For as the heavens are higher than the earth…” So, we are not amiss in seeing God in these verses as above the earth.
We see God likening His Word to the rain and snow that comes down from the clouds above the earth. So not only does God’s Word come down from above, but also, we liken God’s Word to precipitation, or more specifically, water. The same analogy exists in the New Testament where reference is made to the “water of the Word.”[2]
“…it (God’s Word) shall accomplish what I please, and it shall prosper in the thing for which I sent it.”
God’s Word comes out of the mouth of God[3] and comes to the earth where God wants it to accomplish many things, things which please Him. He sent His Word to prosper in particular areas of focus[4] which is communicated through the Bible, and which is made increasingly clear and alive by the Holy Spirit.[5]
“It shall not return to Me void”
The return of the Word of God is incredibly important to this process, and we are the vessels through which this occurs. We return God’s Word in prayer and other forms of verbal release.
Let’s now begin to make the comparison of the two verses and analyze what God might be saying to us.
[1] Matthew 4:4
[2] Ephesians 5:26
[3] Psalm 33:6
[4] Psalm 107:20
[5] Ephesians 1:17-1
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