Isaiah 56
I. (1-39) Condemnation
A. Chapters 1-12 - ”Prophecies against Israel and Judah
B. Chapters 13-23 - ”Prophecies against the Nations
C. Chapters 24-27 - ”Prophecies of the Day of the Lord
D. Chapters 28-35 - ”Prophecies of Judgment and Blessing
E. Chapters 36-39 - ”Historical accounts
II. (40-66) Consolation
A. Chapters 40-48 - Israel’s God
B. Chapters 49-54 - Israel’s Messiah
C. Chapters 55-66 - Israel’s Opportunity
1. \\#Isa 55:1-56:8\\ An Invitation - The first eight verses of
this chapter continue with the invitation; however, the tone
moves from future blessedness to present condemnation.
2. \\#Isa 56:9-12\\ A Condemnation - The last four verses of
this chapter have God condemning the "watchmen" of Isaiah’s day.
I. \\#55:1-56:8\\ An Invitation
A. \\#55:1-5\\ Come and Be Satisfied
B. \\#55:6-13\\ Come and Receive
C. \\#56:1-8\\ Come and Be Blessed
1. \\#56:1-2\\ God’s expectations
a. \\#56:1\\ "Keep judgment…do justice" - God is telling Israel
what they need to do to have His favor.
b. "my salvation is near… my righteousness to be revealed" - This
is a promise of deliverance, probably both of physical
deliverance and spiritual, to any in Israel who would accept it.
c. \\#56:2\\ "Blessed is the man that doeth this" - Any man in any
time who will trust in the Lord and obey Him, is indeed a
blessed man.
d. Several specific laws are brought up as examples of keeping
God’s judgments:
(1) \\#56:2,4,6\\ "keepeth the sabbath"
(2) \\#56:2\\ "keepeth his hand from doing any evil"
e. The mentioning of the Sabbath might make some think that this is
related strictly to Isaiah’s day, but the millennial saints
will also follow the Old Testament law \\#Eze 43:19, 44:27, 29\\
and the remaining verses in this section are exclusively end
time (\\#55:3-8\\).
2. \\#56:3-8\\ God’s encouragement - God returns His attention to the
EVERY ONE mentioned in \\#Is 55:1\\. Here God declare that those
of the Gentiles who accept His invitation not be "second class"
citizens to Israel.
a. \\#56:3\\ "son of the stranger that hath joined himself to the
Lord" - Any STRANGER THAT has JOINED… TO THE LORD would be
a Gentile proselyte.
b. \\#56:4\\ "the eunuchs… that keep" his "sabbaths… and take
hold of my covenant" - Eunuchs were slaves that have been
physically demasculinized so as to give their full attention to
their masters. Jews could not make long-term slaves of Jews
\\#Lev 25:39-41\\ so for God to speak to a eunuch in Israel
meant that He was be speaking to a Gentile slave.
(1) Not only is God concerned with His people, Israel, but He
is also concerned with any who accept His salvation,
regardless of their nationally or status in life. God
is not "anti-Gentile." He is pro-righteousness.
(2) Some feel that this welcome of God to those outside of
Israel is God’s welcome to those who would be saved during
the Age of Grace. However, the references to keeping the
Sabbath \\#56:2,4,6\\ and offering BURNT SACRIFICES
\\#56:7\\ makes that highly unlikely. At the most, it
would have a symbolic meaning for the church.
c. \\#56:5-8\\ God not only knows those outside of Israel who
come to Him, He will reward them.
(1) \\#56:5\\ "…I give… a place and a name better than of
sons and of daughters" - God promises to honor these
outsiders with a name that is more honorable than those of
His own children, Israel. He calls it AN EVERLASTING NAME
THAT SHALL NOT BE CUT OFF.
(2) \\#56:7\\ "…them will I bring to my holy mountain" - The
holy mountain that shall be used for PRAYER and
SACRIFICES is Mt. Moriah. This is the mountain where the
temple has and will be build.
(a) It is doubtful God would refer to any part of
Jerusalem as holy in Isaiah’s day, especially after
the condemnations given against it
\\#Is 3:16-17, 4:4\\. However, God has already
declared that mountain will be His again
\\#Is 1:24-28, 2:2-4, 4:2-6\\ in the end time.
(b) The "adopted" converts will be brought to the HOUSE
OF PRAYER to rejoice and their SACRIFICES will be
ACCEPTED.
(c) During this time, God’s house will BE CALLED AN HOUSE
OF PRAYER FOR ALL PEOPLE.
(3) \\#56:8\\ "Yet will I gather others to him"
(a) God declares that "the outcasts of Israel" will first
be GATHERED (past tense) to Him. That will occur at
the end of the tribulation or the beginning of the
millennium.
(b) Then WILL I GATHER OTHERS - The OTHERS would have to be
Gentiles. The Gentile worshipers of God will be
gathered to the Lord just like His own people, Israel.
II. \\#56:9-12\\ A Condemnation - God is no longer looking to the future.
This condemnation is for those of Isaiah’s day.
A. \\#56:9\\ A Second invitation - As the last chapter and one-half was
an invitation for the lost to come, so this verse contains an
invitation for the "beasts of the field" to come "devour" a prey.
B. \\#56:10-12\\ The prey described
1. \\#56:10\\ "His watchmen" - While not named, the prey is described
as HIS WATCHMEN. It would appear as though these were appointed by
the Lord to watch over Israel, making them either the religious
leaders of Isaiah’s day, the political leaders, or both.
2. These WATCHMEN are described in several analogies. All of pictures
describe them as failures.
(a) They are BLIND WATCHMEN.
(b) They are mute (DUMB) DOGS which CANNOT BARK.
(c) They are lazy DOGS - SLEEPING, LYING DOWN, LOVING TO SLUMBER.
(d) \\#56"11\\ They are GREEDY DOGS WHICH CAN NEVER HAVE ENOUGH."
(e) THEY ARE SHEPHERDS THAT CANNOT UNDERSTAND.
3. The summation of this is "THEY LOOK TO THEIR OWN WAY, EVERY ONE FOR
HIS GAIN."
4. \\#56:12\\ "we will fill ourselves with strong drink" - They are
drunkards who only want to MUCH MORE the next day.
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