Isaiah 56 explained: A House of Prayer for Everyone

Do what is right (vv. 1-2)

Because God's rescue is coming soon, people are called to live fairly and honestly now. Keeping the Sabbath, the weekly day of rest, stands for loyalty to God, and avoiding evil stands for treating others well.

A name for the childless (vv. 3-5)

Eunuchs were castrated men, often royal servants, and the law barred them from the gathered community; with no children, they felt like a 'dry tree' whose name would die out. God promises them a monument and a name inside his own house that will outlast any family line.

Foreigners welcomed in (vv. 6-8)

Outsiders who commit themselves to God will be brought to his holy mountain in Jerusalem, and their offerings will be accepted like anyone else's. God's house is to be a place of prayer for every people, and the Gospels report Jesus quoting this line when he drove traders out of the temple.

Leaders who fail (vv. 9-12)

Wild animals are invited to devour, a picture of enemy nations attacking, because Israel's leaders are like guard dogs that sleep instead of barking a warning. They are greedy shepherds who drink and assume tomorrow will be just as easy.

Key verse: Isaiah 56:7

Where Christians differ

Christians differ on whether the promise of a temple open to all peoples is fulfilled spiritually in the worldwide church or still awaits a literal future fulfillment in Jerusalem.

Something to think about

Have you ever been sure you would be shut out of a group, and what actually helped, or would have helped, you feel you belonged?