Well I know this is a pretty long scripture to put at the front of this piece … but if I cut it short I’d have to send you off to read the whole thing anyway!
Isaiah 56:1-8 — Thus saith the Lord, Keep ye judgment, and do justice: for my salvation is near to come, and my righteousness to be revealed. Blessed is the man that doeth this, and the son of man that layeth hold on it; that keepeth the sabbath from polluting it, and keepeth his hand from doing any evil. Neither let the son of the stranger, that hath joined himself to the Lord, speak, saying, The Lord hath utterly separated me from his people: neither let the eunuch say, Behold, I am a dry tree. For thus saith the Lord unto the eunuchs that keep my sabbaths, and choose the things that please me, and take hold of my covenant; Even unto them will I give in mine house and within my walls a place and a name better than of sons and of daughters: I will give them an everlasting name, that shall not be cut off. Also the sons of the stranger, that join themselves to the Lord, to serve him, and to love the name of the Lord, to be his servants, every one that keepeth the sabbath from polluting it, and taketh hold of my covenant; even them will I bring to my holy mountain, and make them joyful in my house of prayer: their burnt offerings and their sacrifices shall be accepted upon mine altar; for mine house shall be called a house of prayer for all people. The Lord [God] which gathereth the outcasts of Israel saith, Yet will I gather others to him, besides those that are gathered unto him.
This is both a return to my recurring theme of the Sabbath, and a follow-on piece from yesterday’s grafting together of the Jewish and Gentile stocks.
This passage in Isaiah starts with a message that is as relevant, if not more relevant, today than it was when it was written. “Be obedient, do My law, because my salvation is near.” It is a repetition of an idea expressed in Isaiah 55, “Seek The Lord while He may be found.”
Central to Isaiah’s view of obedience is the keeping of the Sabbath.
The sabbath is a sign given by God to the Jews to mark His separation of them from the Gentile nations and as a reminder that He brought them out of Egypt and given them their promised land. Now He is going to move on to make a promise that must be of great importance to us. “Look,” He says, “if you join yourself to Me, I will open My house to you. It makes no difference if you are a foreigner, or if you have any disability, you will be part of My household.” Jew or Gentile, whole or broken, it makes no difference. It is a promise to remove that barrier of separation, and must remind us of yesterday’s passage from Romans 11.
The extent of this promise is all embracing. All people are not just permitted to worship in the Lord’s house — all people will serve in His house, “their burnt offerings and their sacrifices shall be accepted upon mine altar”.
There is a promise for the future, “Mine house shall be called a house of prayer for all people.” The promise was not for Isaiah’s time, nor yet is it for today, but it is for the near future. There will be a day soon when “As I live, saith the Lord, every knee shall bow to me, and every tongue shall confess to God.” (Romans 14:11). The Lord says he will bring back the outcasts of Israel, and will add others — plainly not of Israel — to the household.
Let’s sum up. God says His salvation is near. He says keep His sabbath, and by implication obey his law — do the right thing. For all who follow His commands, there is a full membership of His household, in a single united church. How wonderful!