Isaiah 56

Isaiah 56:3, 10 NIV

Let no foreigner who is bound to the Lord  say,
"The Lord  will surely exclude me from his people."
And let no eunuch complain,
"I am only a dry tree."

Israel's watchmen are blind,
they all lack knowledge;
they are all mute dogs,
they cannot bark;

In this chapter we discover that those who are unacceptable according to law and society will become acceptable to God. Those who are, or ought to be, considered acceptable are described as blind and as useless as a mute guard dog. It makes me wonder whether Jesus had this chapter in mind when he called the Pharisees white washed tombs. Was he thinking of theses verses when he told the demoniac who had been living in the tombs to go throughout Decapolis telling what Jesus had done for him?

Israel had come to believe that because they had the law and the temple then all was right with God. God's message to them is that they are mistaken. I fear that we, as 21st century American believers, sometimes fall into that same trap. Jesus said that a prophet is not without honor except in his own home. I think it is also true that a drunk, a womanizer, a druggie, a "rough" individual is immediately categorized and not reached out to because of their history. Yet, Jesus was a friend of sinners. Jesus looked to fishermen, zealots and tax collectors to be the foundation of the church.

This chapter in Isaiah tells us that those who are considered unacceptable will be completely acceptable and blessed by God while the "clean" ones will be disciplined. Father, forgive me for making assumptions about people or avoiding them because of their history. Today may I see people through your eyes.

By His grace,
Rick Weinert