The House of Prayer – Isaiah 56:1-8
This is just a short lesson on prayer. Prayer is having a conversation with God. We speak and make our requests to Him and He replies to us. Sometimes He initiates the conversation, speaking into our lives through the word, others and our circumstances and other times we initiate the prayer.
The first two verses of this passage describes the heart of one who can pray.
Thus says the Lord:
The Lord is speaking to us this day. He first demands that we “keep justice”. What does it mean to “keep justice”? Justice is the proper response to any action. It is just to strengthen and commend the righteous. It is just to condemn the wicked. To keep justice is to find the standard that God commands and hold to it.
“And do righteousness” – this forces us to ask what are we doing for the work of the Lord? The one who does righteousness, who can establish a spiritual resume has a right to go to the Lord in prayer. The one who calls for God’s strength and power with no intention of using it to do God’s work is like the person who asks his employer for payment for the work he does as recreation. Ultimately our power is granted to do God’s will.
But Isaiah also answers the question “how long?” The one who keeps justice and does righteousness must do so until God’s salvation comes. In other words we will do the work of God until he returns. And if we hold it fast – meaning if we endure – we will be blessed. Blessings belong to the one who endures.
3 Let not the foreigner who has joined himself to the Lord say,
At times we presume that God won’t bless us. The two individuals listed would be seen as unfortunate by the world. But they shouldn’t consider themselves cursed just because the world considers them cursed.
The Eunuch is a person with no functional sexual organs. People would look at a Eunuch and see someone who will never enjoy sexual pleasure. But God tells the Eunuch to stop focusing on his physical limitations and focus on his spiritual blessings.
4 For thus says the Lord:
Look at how God defines the righteous:
The foreigner is a person without a family. His fear was that he would be isolated because he couldn’t see how anyone in Israel would accept him. In many ways his fears echo the sentiment of many when they first look at the church and fear that no one can identify with him.
6 “And the foreigners who join themselves to the Lord,
The foreigner nothing to fear. If he is defined by this:
When we see what a “house of prayer” is in these verses we see that the church is meant to be a place where all those who are righteous feel welcome and a part of the family of God. It is meant to be a joyful place; a house of encouragement.
What are you doing to make this house of prayer joyful or encouraging? What can you do and pray for to make this happen? Can you look past your circumstances and focus on the promises of God?
to minister to him, to love the name of the Lord,
and to be his servants,
everyone who keeps the Sabbath and does not profane it,
and holds fast my covenant—
7 these I will bring to my holy mountain,
and make them joyful in my house of prayer;
their burnt offerings and their sacrifices
will be accepted on my altar;
for my house shall be called a house of prayer
for all peoples.”
8 The Lord God,
who gathers the outcasts of Israel
, declares,
“I will gather yet others to him
besides those already gathered.”
“To the eunuchs who keep my Sabbaths,
who choose the things that please me
and hold fast my covenant,
5 I will give in my house and within my walls
a monument and a name
better than sons and daughters;
I will give them an everlasting name
that shall not be cut off.
“The Lord will surely separate me from his people”;
and let not the eunuch say,
“Behold, I am a dry tree.”
“Keep justice, and do righteousness,
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,
who keeps the Sabbath, not profaning it,
and keeps his hand from doing any evil.”
This is just a short lesson on prayer. Prayer is having a conversation with God. We speak and make our requests to Him and He replies to us. Sometimes He initiates the conversation, speaking into our lives through the word, others and our circumstances and other times we initiate the prayer.
The first two verses of this passage describes the heart of one who can pray.
Thus says the Lord:
The Lord is speaking to us this day. He first demands that we “keep justice”. What does it mean to “keep justice”? Justice is the proper response to any action. It is just to strengthen and commend the righteous. It is just to condemn the wicked. To keep justice is to find the standard that God commands and hold to it.
“And do righteousness” – this forces us to ask what are we doing for the work of the Lord? The one who does righteousness, who can establish a spiritual resume has a right to go to the Lord in prayer. The one who calls for God’s strength and power with no intention of using it to do God’s work is like the person who asks his employer for payment for the work he does as recreation. Ultimately our power is granted to do God’s will.
But Isaiah also answers the question “how long?” The one who keeps justice and does righteousness must do so until God’s salvation comes. In other words we will do the work of God until he returns. And if we hold it fast – meaning if we endure – we will be blessed. Blessings belong to the one who endures.
3 Let not the foreigner who has joined himself to the Lord say,
At times we presume that God won’t bless us. The two individuals listed would be seen as unfortunate by the world. But they shouldn’t consider themselves cursed just because the world considers them cursed.
The Eunuch is a person with no functional sexual organs. People would look at a Eunuch and see someone who will never enjoy sexual pleasure. But God tells the Eunuch to stop focusing on his physical limitations and focus on his spiritual blessings.
4 For thus says the Lord:
Look at how God defines the righteous:
- Those who keep his Sabbaths.
- Those that choose the things that please Him.
- Those who hold fast His covenant.
The foreigner is a person without a family. His fear was that he would be isolated because he couldn’t see how anyone in Israel would accept him. In many ways his fears echo the sentiment of many when they first look at the church and fear that no one can identify with him.
6 “And the foreigners who join themselves to the Lord,
The foreigner nothing to fear. If he is defined by this:
- Joining himself to the Lord.
- Ministering to the Lord.
- Loving the Lord.
- Holding fast God’s Covenant.
When we see what a “house of prayer” is in these verses we see that the church is meant to be a place where all those who are righteous feel welcome and a part of the family of God. It is meant to be a joyful place; a house of encouragement.
What are you doing to make this house of prayer joyful or encouraging? What can you do and pray for to make this happen? Can you look past your circumstances and focus on the promises of God?
to minister to him, to love the name of the Lord,
and to be his servants,
everyone who keeps the Sabbath and does not profane it,
and holds fast my covenant—
7 these I will bring to my holy mountain,
and make them joyful in my house of prayer;
their burnt offerings and their sacrifices
will be accepted on my altar;
for my house shall be called a house of prayer
for all peoples.”
8 The Lord God,
who gathers the outcasts of Israel
, declares,
“I will gather yet others to him
besides those already gathered.”
“To the eunuchs who keep my Sabbaths,
who choose the things that please me
and hold fast my covenant,
5 I will give in my house and within my walls
a monument and a name
better than sons and daughters;
I will give them an everlasting name
that shall not be cut off.
“The Lord will surely separate me from his people”;
and let not the eunuch say,
“Behold, I am a dry tree.”
“Keep justice, and do righteousness,
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,
who keeps the Sabbath, not profaning it,
and keeps his hand from doing any evil.”
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