Isa 56:3-8 | KingComments | STEP | mentions the two kinds of people who are outside the promises of Israel. The first is “the foreigner”. This is the foreigner by origin but who has come to live in the land and knows the LORD. He has joined the Jewish people – such a person is called “proselyte” – and maintains the Jewish laws. There are such people in Babylon. The foreigner might think that the call to go back to the land of Israel does not apply to him. But he need not fear that the LORD will separate him from His people and rob him of the privileges he has enjoyed. The “blessed” of applies to all men, all mortals, who fulfill the conditions of . It is not his genealogy that is decisive, but the question whether he preserves justice and does righteousness as mentioned in . The second is the “the eunuch”. The law forbids him, even though he is an Israelite, to become part of God’s people ( ). He can think he cannot be part of it because he knows his own condition as eunuch. Just as a dry tree bears no fruit, a eunuch one cannot conceive offspring. However, the LORD has an encouraging word for “the eunuchs” who cling to His covenant ( ). Their fears will prove to be unfounded. They are allowed to be in His house. He even gives them the promise of a memorial and a name that are better than that of sons and daughters ( ). Anyone who thinks he is only a second-rate believer, someone who thinks he is underprivileged, not in count, gets an extra encouragement here. We may gratefully accept this encouragement and pass it on to others. Every member of His people is one for whom the Lord Jesus has given His life. Their name will never be eradicated, but will be known to God forever (cf. ). It is not about who they are originally, but what they have become in Him. If they keep from profaning the sabbath ( ), God will bring them to His holy mountain and give them joy in His house of prayer ( ). He will destroy any barrier to fellowship. They will be a full part of the congregation of Israel. He will accept their burnt offerings and sacrifices on His altar, for His house will be called “a house of prayer for all the peoples” (cf. ). And He Who in the future brings together the dispersed, will still bring together more people ( ). The LORD will bring together these dispersed, the eunuchs, the scattered of Israel, the ten tribes, as well as the others, the nations. This also applies to today. The gospel continues and every day many throughout the world come to repentance ( ). They come to His house, the New Testament church of the living God. The church is also first and foremost a house of prayer ( ).

‏ Isaiah 56:3-8

Foreigner and Eunuch

Isa 56:3 mentions the two kinds of people who are outside the promises of Israel. The first is “the foreigner”. This is the foreigner by origin but who has come to live in the land and knows the LORD. He has joined the Jewish people – such a person is called “proselyte” – and maintains the Jewish laws. There are such people in Babylon. The foreigner might think that the call to go back to the land of Israel does not apply to him.

But he need not fear that the LORD will separate him from His people and rob him of the privileges he has enjoyed. The “blessed” of Isa 56:2 applies to all men, all mortals, who fulfill the conditions of Isa 56:1. It is not his genealogy that is decisive, but the question whether he preserves justice and does righteousness as mentioned in Isa 56:1.

The second is the “the eunuch”. The law forbids him, even though he is an Israelite, to become part of God’s people (Deu 23:1). He can think he cannot be part of it because he knows his own condition as eunuch. Just as a dry tree bears no fruit, a eunuch one cannot conceive offspring.

However, the LORD has an encouraging word for “the eunuchs” who cling to His covenant (Isa 56:4). Their fears will prove to be unfounded. They are allowed to be in His house. He even gives them the promise of a memorial and a name that are better than that of sons and daughters (Isa 56:5). Anyone who thinks he is only a second-rate believer, someone who thinks he is underprivileged, not in count, gets an extra encouragement here.

We may gratefully accept this encouragement and pass it on to others. Every member of His people is one for whom the Lord Jesus has given His life. Their name will never be eradicated, but will be known to God forever (cf. Rev 3:12). It is not about who they are originally, but what they have become in Him.

If they keep from profaning the sabbath (Isa 56:6), God will bring them to His holy mountain and give them joy in His house of prayer (Isa 56:7). He will destroy any barrier to fellowship. They will be a full part of the congregation of Israel. He will accept their burnt offerings and sacrifices on His altar, for His house will be called “a house of prayer for all the peoples” (cf. Mt 21:13). And He Who in the future brings together the dispersed, will still bring together more people (Isa 56:8). The LORD will bring together these dispersed, the eunuchs, the scattered of Israel, the ten tribes, as well as the others, the nations.

This also applies to today. The gospel continues and every day many throughout the world come to repentance (Acts 2:47). They come to His house, the New Testament church of the living God. The church is also first and foremost a house of prayer (1Tim 2:1-2).