Why does Jacob care about "wine and milk without money and without price"? 2 Nephi 9:50

Why does Jacob care about "wine and milk without money and without price"? 2 Nephi 9:50

Jacob, Nephi's younger brother, gives a powerful sermon about the Atonement of Jesus Christ. He implores his family to, "come...every one that thirsteth, come ye to the waters; and he that hath no money, come buy and eat; yea, come buy wine and milk without money and without price." This is a quote from Isaiah 55:1.

Boyd K. Packer and Weatherford T. Clayton referenced this verse from 2 Nephi in talks in General Conference. Clayton's was quite recent, in 2017.

Apparently, around 1990, there was a huge change in the way the church was run (cough cough this seems super relevant to my own life right now, nearly 30 years later). In January 1990, the church announced that activities and operation expenses of the local units were going to be paid from tithes and offerings, and Packer explained that, "It will not be possible to do all of the things we have been doing in the same way we have been doing them. It will bring an inevitable reduction in programs. That was intended." Basically - no more ridiculous roadshows. The promise was that while the change in budgets and assessments and fundraising would seem to be a temporal matter, "the effect of it will be spiritual."

He promises to families who are burdened with the cost of paying for a missionary. This change allowed it to be possible for ward members to anonymously help finance missions of people serving in their ward, using the bishop as an intermediary, and thus removing the problems that come with freeloading. Self-reliance is a huuuuuuge thing in my church.

Apparently, people at that time in the church felt like maybe we needed, "more impressive activities and more meetings, rather than fewer." But Packer assured church members that the budget change would set a better balance between the church and families.

Which is literally the exact same thing we are doing now.

Packer then urges people to spread word of the budget changes (I guess yeah, the 90's didn't have facebook or email so much, so this news would have mostly been spread by word of mouth in person or via the telephone). He tells them to remind them what Isaiah and Jacob quoting Isaiah said, that wine and milk without money and without price are available to everyone that thirsteth (and I guess, to those that are also hungry).

I can't help but be reminded of the story of the woman at the well in John 4:14-26. Jesus came to a well. There a Samaritan woman at the well - someone who would have been a pariah to Jews.

Jesus: "Give me a drink."

Woman: "Um...you're a Jew. Why are you asking me to give you a drink? Jews and Samaritans don't mix."

Jesus: "If you knew the gift of God, and who was asking you for a drink, you would have asked him for a drink instead, and he would have given you living water."

Woman: "But you have nothing to draw with and the well is deep; where are you going to get this living water? Do you think you're better than our ancestor, Jacob, who made this well for himself, his children, and his cattle?"

Jesus: "Anybody that drinks the water of this well will thirst again. But anybody who drinks the water that I have to give will never thirst, but the water will become a well inside of them, springing up to everlasting life."

Woman: "Sir, give me this water, to quench my thirst, and relieve me from drawing from the well."

Jesus: "Go get your husband."
Woman: "I don't have one."

Jesus: "That's right, you don't. You've had five husbands, and the man who you're currently living with is not your husband."

Woman: "Sir, I can tell that you can see/know things by the power of God. So, why is it that both of our ancestors worshiped here, and yet you Jews say that Jerusalem is the only place to worship?"

Jesus: "Someday worshiping won't happen here or in Jerusalem, actually. You don't know what you worship, and we Jews do - but someday all true believers will worship the Father, because the Father is looking and wanting them to worship him. God is a spirit, and true worshippers must worship in both spirit and truth."

Woman: "I know that the Messiah, the anointed one, will come, and when he does, he will tell us all things."

Jesus: "I am he."

This is one of my absolute favorite stories in the New Testament. I love it so much, I painted it and the painting is on the wall in my front room.

I can relate to this woman.

And I feel like it's not a coincidence that Jesus is using this metaphor that was also found in the Old Testament, of a free thirst-quenching liquid.

When Clayton quotes this verse, he says simply, "There is so much more to our existence than just what happens between birth and death. I invite you to come and follow Christ."

Isaiah 55:1 is referenced an impressive 39 times, also sometimes recently, by the following:

Dieter F. Uchtdorf - 2012
Jeffrey R. Holland - 2012
George A. Smith
Orson F. Whitney
Moses Thatcher
Orson Pratt
Erastus Snow
Wilford Woodruff
Daniel H. Wells
Charles C. Rich
Brigham Young
George Q. Cannon
Daniel H. Wells
John Young

Uchtdorf is talking during the 2012 priesthood session and says:

The priesthood of Almighty God is available to worthy men wherever they may be—no matter their ancestry, no matter how humble their circumstances, in the nearest or farthest reaches of the globe. It is available without money or any worldly price. To paraphrase the ancient prophet Isaiah, everyone who is thirsty can come to the waters, and no money is required to come and eat!

I understand this to mean that the priesthood power is available to me, and all worthy women, too - though we do not hold or exercise it in quite the same way because hey, our role and contribution to the plan of humankind really is different from that of men. I certainly felt longings to participate in scouting activities, but I can sincerely say I've never felt feelings of exclusion from the priesthood power - I'm not ordained to an office in the priesthood, but I have the same access to the power itself. Also, I'm quite confident women will hold specific priesthood offices later. But I also know some women don't feel the same way as I do, and find this to be a huge frustration.

When I have issues or questions about the way the church works, or something that is in the scriptures or church history, I try to emulate that Samaritan woman. She had clearly thought about things before this conversation with Jesus. She was also perceptive to subtle signals he was sending in the way he asked questions. She was also apparently very eager and willing to believe him.

Jesus promised that those who hunger and thirst after righteousness will be filled. I love this promise, because it describes how I feel quite often.

Answer:
Jacob was quoting Isaiah. He loved the words of Isaiah. He related to them. He also had a firm testimony that Jesus Christ could be the ultimate source for filling the empty pieces of his soul. He testified that the answers and fulfillment would be diverse by not just limiting the thirst quenching liquid to water, but also including wine and milk. He testified that they would be free - and I think saying they were without price also implies that the worth of the gospel of Jesus Christ is beyond human quantification.