(Isa 56:1 KJV) Thus saith the LORD, Keep ye judgment, and do justice: for my salvation is near to come, and my righteousness to be revealed.
Here we have a promise of salvation. This does not just mean salvation from the armies of enemies although that is also a promise to Israel in the future. This means an eternal salvation of the soul which brings forth righteousness. This is blessed as the next verse indicates. Happy is the man that does this.
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.
A person who follows after righteousness, (right living) is actually a happy person.
I used to teach children the song, "Happiness is to be forgiven, living a life that’s worth the living, having a change in my behavior, happiness is the Lord." True joy is walking in righteousness, partaking of the holiness of the Lord. He is holy. We are not. Happiness is when we accept Him and become partakers of His righteousness and His holiness. Through faith in Christ, we who have known nothing but old filthy sin can be made righteous, clean, holy, and part of the Kingdom of God. Wow, Jesus actually did more for us than we can even imagine.
At first we were full of sin, filthy, unclean, unholy, and deserved death. Jesus intervenes on our behalf, pays the price for our sins and we become clean, sanctified, holy and worthy to inherit the Kingdom of God. Thank you Jesus.
(Isa 56:3 KJV) 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.
This is beautiful. The son of the stranger would seem to indicate a Gentile or heathen. Yet the salvation of God is for all that come and drink of the waters. It is for all that believe and receive God's plan of salvation.
(Isa 56:4 KJV) 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;
When we choose Him and His righteousness, when we receive His salvation it is compared to keeping the Sabbath. To me keeping the Sabbath is taking a time to acknowledge God fully. Jesus represents a kind of Sabbath. He is a rest to those who receive Him. He actually fulfills the Sabbath. When we lay down our sins, receive Jesus as savior, and make Him Lord of our lives, we actually enter is the a sort of Sabbath.
I believe the observance of Sabbath days in the Old Testament pointed toward the Sabbath that was coming in Jesus Christ. Sure I believe in setting aside a special day to go to church and worship the Lord but the real Sabbath is simply receiving the Lord, His righteousness, His ways into our hearts, minds and souls.
I don’t want to get away from observing a day to worship. I realize that doctors, policemen, firemen, paramedics etc. have to work seven days a week but after we got away with observing one day to go to church and rest from labor something was lost here in America at least. There seems to be something missing. We really need God. We need to stop and think about Him. We need to acknowledge His creation, His greatness, His ways. "Blessed is the nation whose God is the Lord." He is our rest, our fortress, our shield. He is our righteousness, our help and our comforter. We need our Lord, folks.
(Isa 56:5 KJV) 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.
His promise of salvation is an everlasting covenant to the nation of Israel and all who believe in the name of Jesus. We will have a new name written down in glory.
(Isa 56:6 KJV) 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;
How beautiful it is to love the Lord, to love His word to acknowledge Him in all our ways. True conversion to Jesus Christ is more than just believing in His existence. True conversion is to love Him, accept Him, receive Him, and love His word. We cannot love God and have an attitude of rebellion against the Holy Scriptures. If we love Him, we will want to keep His word and obey His voice.
A good comparison is a wife who marries a husband and says that she loves that husband. If she turns around and starts going out with other men and forsakes the husband, that is not love.
We cannot say we love God and then ignore His word, prefer sin and love this present world. The two attitudes are not compatible.
(Isa 56:7 KJV) 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 an house of prayer for all people.
8 The Lord GOD which gathereth the outcasts of Israel saith, Yet will I gather others to him, beside those that are gathered unto him.
The outcasts of Israel will indeed be gathered to the Lord in the latter days but this gathering will include all that believe and receive the Lord Jesus Christ as savior from sin. All, who come, receive and love the Lord and His righteousness. This is great. Why do so many prefer to abide in sin and rebel against living forever? Why do so many prefer death (which is what sin brings forth) instead of life? Jesus came to free us from the curse of sin and death. He came to give us a life free from sin so that we can inherit eternal life.
(Isa 56:9 KJV) All ye beasts of the field, come to devour, yea, all ye beasts in the forest.
10 His watchmen are blind: they are all ignorant, they are all dumb dogs, they cannot bark; sleeping, lying down, loving to slumber.
11 Yea, they are greedy dogs which can never have enough, and they are shepherds that cannot understand: they all look to their own way, every one for his gain, from his quarter.
12 Come ye, say they, I will fetch wine, and we will fill ourselves with strong drink; and to morrow shall be as this day, and much more abundant.
Unfaithful servants are as those who follow after gain and do not care for the lost. They are supposed to be watchmen but are careless. They eat, drink and care not for the perishing. They love to be entertained, sleep and are greedy but do not care for the needs of others.
When we serve God, we need to remember those who are lost and without God. This is not something that we keep to ourselves. We need to pray for compassion upon those that are suffering, lost and in some kind of need. We need compassion not just for the eternal souls of our fellow men but also for their material needs. Selfishness is something we need to overcome.
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