Seek you the LORD while he may be found, call you on him while he is near:
seek
Isaiah 45:19 I have not spoken in secret, in a dark place of the earth: I said not unto the seed of Jacob, Seek ye me in vain: I the LORD speak righteousness, I declare things that are right.
1 Chronicles 28:9 And thou, Solomon my son, know thou the God of thy father, and serve him with a perfect heart and with a willing mind: for the LORD searcheth all hearts, and understandeth all the imaginations of the thoughts: if thou seek him, he will be found of thee; but if thou forsake him, he will cast thee off for ever.
2 Chronicles 19:3 Nevertheless there are good things found in thee, in that thou hast taken away the groves out of the land, and hast prepared thine heart to seek God.
while he is near
Isaiah 12:6 Cry out and shout, thou inhabitant of Zion: for great is the Holy One of Israel in the midst of thee.
Isaiah 46:13 I bring near my righteousness; it shall not be far off, and my salvation shall not tarry: and I will place salvation in Zion for Israel my glory.
Deuteronomy 4:7 For what nation is there so great, who hath God so nigh unto them, as the LORD our God is in all things that we call upon him for?
call on Him while He is near.
This part of the verse suggests that there are times when God is especially accessible to His people. In the cultural context of ancient Israel, calling on God was an act of worship and dependence, often associated with prayer and sacrifice. The nearness of God can be seen in the context of His covenant promises and His presence among His people, as seen in passages like Deuteronomy 4:7. This also foreshadows the New Testament revelation of God being near through Jesus Christ, who is Emmanuel, "God with us" (Matthew 1:23). The phrase encourages believers to take advantage of God's presence and willingness to respond to those who earnestly seek Him.
• The command is active and personal. “Seek the LORD” is not a casual glance; it is a deliberate pursuit of the God who has already revealed Himself (Psalm 105:4: “Seek out the LORD and His strength; seek His face always”).
• Seeking God means turning from self-reliance to God-reliance. Isaiah’s wider context (55:1-5) invites thirsty souls to come for free grace; verse 6 calls for a wholehearted response (Jeremiah 29:13: “You will seek Me and find Me when you search for Me with all your heart”).
• The pursuit is life-giving. Amos 5:4, records the same plea: “Seek Me and live!” Jesus echoes it in Matthew 6:33: “Seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness,” promising God’s provision in return.
• Opportunity is not endless. God sets a gracious window for repentance (2 Corinthians 6:2: “Behold, now is the time of favor; now is the day of salvation!”).
• Hardening the heart risks missing that window (Hebrews 3:15: “Today, if you hear His voice, do not harden your hearts”). Proverbs 1:24-28 warns that delaying obedience can leave a person calling too late.
• The phrase underscores God’s patience but also His justice. Mercy extended today will not be offered forever; therefore urgency is loving, not harsh.
• “Call” expresses dependence. We cry out because only God can save (Romans 10:13: “Everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved”).
• Calling is covenantal; it assumes relationship. Psalm 50:15, links prayer and deliverance: “Call upon Me in the day of trouble; I will deliver you.”
• The promise is inclusive. Joel 2:32, opens the door to “everyone” who calls, anticipating the gospel’s reach to all nations.
• God’s nearness is real, yet it must be embraced. Acts 17:27, notes that God “is not far from each one of us.”
• Nearness invites intimacy and cleansing (James 4:8: “Draw near to God, and He will draw near to you”). The verse implies that refusal leads to distance, as Jerusalem discovered when it ignored Messiah’s visit (Luke 19:42).
• The assurance is comforting: we are not chasing a distant deity. The Creator stoops low so we can reach Him, but we must respond before the moment passes.
Isaiah 55:6 issues an urgent, gracious invitation: actively pursue the Lord, because right now He is within reach. Delay risks missing the God-given window, but immediate, wholehearted seeking and calling bring salvation and fellowship.
(6) While he may be found . . .--The appeal shows that the promised blessings are not unconditional. There may come a time (as in Matthew 25:11) when "too late will be written on all efforts to gain the inheritance which has been forfeited by neglect (2Corinthians 6:2).Verse 6. - Seek ye the Lord. Again the strain changes. The people are once more addressed, but in a tone of reproach. Israel must "seek the Lord" without delay, or the opportunity will be past; God will have withdrawn himself from them. He "will not alway be chiding, neither keepeth he his anger for ever" (Psalm 103:9).