A HOUSE OF PRAYER FOR ALL NATIONS

Passage: Isaiah 56:1-12

Key verse: 7

NIV

Salvation for Others

56 This is what the Lord says:

“Maintain justice(A)
    and do what is right,(B)
for my salvation(C) is close at hand
    and my righteousness(D) will soon be revealed.
2 Blessed(E) is the one who does this—
    the person who holds it fast,
who keeps the Sabbath(F) without desecrating it,
    and keeps their hands from doing any evil.”

3 Let no foreigner(G) who is bound to the Lord say,
    “The Lord will surely exclude me from his people.”(H)
And let no eunuch(I) complain,
    “I am only a dry tree.”

4 For this is what the Lord says:

“To the eunuchs(J) who keep my Sabbaths,
    who choose what pleases me
    and hold fast to my covenant(K)—
5 to them I will give within my temple and its walls(L)
    a memorial(M) and a name
    better than sons and daughters;
I will give them an everlasting name(N)
    that will endure forever.(O)
6 And foreigners(P) who bind themselves to the Lord
    to minister(Q) to him,
to love the name(R) of the Lord,
    and to be his servants,
all who keep the Sabbath(S) without desecrating it
    and who hold fast to my covenant—
7 these I will bring to my holy mountain(T)
    and give them joy in my house of prayer.
Their burnt offerings and sacrifices(U)
    will be accepted on my altar;
for my house will be called
    a house of prayer for all nations.(V)”(W)
8 The Sovereign Lord declares—
    he who gathers the exiles of Israel:
“I will gather(X) still others to them
    besides those already gathered.”

God’s Accusation Against the Wicked

9 Come, all you beasts of the field,(Y)
    come and devour, all you beasts of the forest!
10 Israel’s watchmen(Z) are blind,
    they all lack knowledge;(AA)
they are all mute dogs,
    they cannot bark;
they lie around and dream,
    they love to sleep.(AB)
11 They are dogs with mighty appetites;
    they never have enough.
They are shepherds(AC) who lack understanding;(AD)
    they all turn to their own way,(AE)
    they seek their own gain.(AF)
12 “Come,” each one cries, “let me get wine!(AG)
    Let us drink our fill of beer!
And tomorrow will be like today,
    or even far better.”(AH)

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ESV

Salvation for Foreigners

56 Thus says the Lord:
“Keep justice, and do righteousness,
(A)for soon my salvation will come,
    and my righteousness be revealed.
2 Blessed is the man who does this,
    and the son of man who holds it fast,
(B)who keeps the Sabbath, not profaning it,
    and keeps his hand from doing any evil.”

3 Let not (C)the foreigner who has joined himself to the Lord say,
    “The Lord will surely separate me from his people”;
and let not the eunuch say,
    “Behold, I am (D)a dry tree.”
4 For thus says the Lord:
“To the eunuchs (E)who keep my Sabbaths,
    who choose the things that please me
    and hold fast my covenant,
5 (F)I will give in my house and within my walls
    a (G)monument and a name
    better than sons and daughters;
(H)I will give them an everlasting name
    that shall not be cut off.

6 “And (I)the foreigners who join themselves to the Lord,
    to minister to him, to love the name of the Lord,
    and to be his servants,
everyone (J)who keeps the Sabbath and does not profane it,
    and holds fast my covenant—
7 (K)these I will bring to (L)my holy mountain,
    and make them joyful in my house of prayer;
(M)their burnt offerings and their sacrifices
    will be accepted on my altar;
for (N)my house shall be called a house of prayer
    for all peoples.”
8 The Lord God,
    (O)who gathers the outcasts of Israel, declares,
(P)“I will gather yet others to him
    besides those already gathered.”

Israel's Irresponsible Leaders

9 (Q)All you beasts of the field, come to devour—
    all you beasts in the forest.
10 (R)His watchmen are blind;
    they are all without knowledge;
they are all silent (S)dogs;
    they cannot bark,
dreaming, lying down,
    loving to slumber.
11 (T)The dogs have a mighty appetite;
    they never have enough.
But (U)they are shepherds who have no understanding;
    they have all turned to their own way,
    (V)each to his own gain, one and all.
12 (W)“Come,” they say, “let me get wine;
    let us fill ourselves with strong drink;
(X)and tomorrow will be like this day,
    great beyond measure.”

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The Holy Bible, English Standard Version. ESV® Text Edition: 2016. Copyright © 2001 by Crossway Bibles, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers.
Source: BibleGateway

1. My salvation is close at hand (1-8)

God's saving hand is extended to anyone who grasps it in faith. Those whose human conditions seem to make salvation impossible are the very ones God is seeking. The Jews regarded all foreigners as objects made for destruction; and eunuchs were like dry trees, without fruit or hope in the world. But if any man binds himself to the Lord, he will not be excluded from God's love and blessing. God wants all people everywhere to love and obey and worship him. God's people must be a kingdom of priests for the world. They seek the lost and bring them to God's house, so that the Lord's house may be a house of prayer for all nations.

2. Shepherds who lack understanding (9-12)

Even if men are called 'God's people' and 'Israel's watchmen,' if they don't care about God and ignore God's desire to bring all people to himself, they are not really God's people.

Prayer: Lord, thank you for making even dry trees fruitful. Help me to obey you and bring others to you.

One Word: A house of prayer for all people