A Life in Exile

After the beautiful fifty-fifth chapter of Isaiah, which contains the Lord’s invitation to all who are thirsty, the Lord Jehovah God shares through the prophet that his salvation is for all who seek to follow him. For those who seek justice and do what is right, his salvation is close at hand. He made his salvation known through the person and work of Jesus Christ.

Salvation for all who believe.

We know from the beginning of the recorded Word that God’s plan was for all nations to come to him. He chose the Jewish people to be an example of the set-apart life that is available for all who might believe and follow his Law, but they failed in becoming a blessing to the nations by following the idols of those around them. The Lord is reminding them through the prophet that he has not forgotten those they chose to disdain.

In these first verses of the fifty-sixth chapter, the Lord speaks directly to those Israel has neglected.

No foreigner who has joined himself to the Lord should say, “The Lord will exclude me from his people,” and the eunuch should not say, “Look, I am a dried-up tree.” For the Lord says this: “For the eunuchs who keep my Sabbaths, and choose what pleases me, and hold firmly to my covenant, I will give them, in my house and within my walls, a memorial and a name better than sons and daughters. I will give each of them an everlasting name that will never be cut off. (Isaiah 56:3-5)

Yes, both foreigners (non-Jews or Gentiles) and even eunuchs will have a place within the walls of the Lord’s Temple. They will be honored because they followed the Lord and kept his commands. In later verses, he talks about how the foreigners who “join themselves to the Lord to minister to him, to love the name of the Lord, and to become his servants” will be brought into his house of prayer.

Their burnt offerings and sacrifices will be acceptable on my altar, for my house will be called a house of prayer for all nations.” This is the declaration of the Lord God, who gathers the dispersed of Israel: “I will gather to them still others besides those already gathered.” (Isaiah 56:7b-8)

Cleansing the temple.

The three accounts by the gospel writers of the temple cleansing by Jesus just prior to his crucifixion are not the only time this happened. The Gospel of John records an earlier event when Jesus showed his anger over finding people selling animals and changing money within the temple courts. He formed a whip out of cords and pushed them all out.

He told those who were selling doves, “Get these things out of here! Stop turning my Father’s house into a marketplace!” And his disciples remembered that it is written: Zeal for your house will consume me. (John 2:16-17)

Apparently, this earlier warning had no effect during the later Passover celebration, because that same zeal led him to move once again against those he saw as desecrating the house of God. Matthew and Luke record this event, but it is Mark who adds the words for all nations as found in Isaiah.

They came to Jerusalem, and he went into the temple and began to throw out those buying and selling. He overturned the tables of the money changers and the chairs of those selling doves, and would not permit anyone to carry goods through the temple. He was teaching them: “Is it not written, My house will be called a house of prayer for all nations? But you have made it a den of thieves!” (Mark 11:15-17)

Some scholars write that the anger is not only about turning the house of prayer into a den of thieves, but also because the marketplace prohibited the Gentile worshippers from actually worshipping, as the marketplace was right in the middle of the court of the Gentiles. The Jews had such disdain for Gentiles (or foreigners) that they didn’t care they had no place to pray. Maybe the temple was better without them. The problem was—they’d forgotten God loves the foreigner and has made a place for them.

Jesus did not forget and rebuked them for it.

Making room for the other.

If you think this Scripture has no application in you life today, then you’re mistaken. Remember, ALL Scripture is profitable for our teaching and even for rebuking and correcting us (2 Timothy 3:16-17). This holds true for the passage in Isaiah and the those in the gospels.

Most of you who are reading this are Gentile believers. Thus, we need to be grateful that our Savior was zealous for God’s love for the nations to be upheld. He opened the door for ALL who believe to come into his Kingdom. Our salvation is a result of his love for all peoples.

Unfortunately, it’s easy for us to create barriers to outsiders by not welcoming them into our sanctuaries. Do we say hello to the strangers that come into our churches? Do we follow up with a call or visit? Do we invite those seeking to follow Christ into our churches, or do we want to keep things the way they are?

When outsiders come into the church, they are bringing with them gifts and talents and even perspectives that may be different from what’s already there. That’s a good thing. It sometimes adds a new dimension to our worship or Bible study groups that we hadn’t previously enjoyed. If someone has chosen Christ and seeks to follow his commands, why do we not welcome them in? Are we setting up our own form of marketplace in the sanctuary?

A day of cleansing is coming and the Church will be judged. I pray the Lord will find us faithful to maintaining our houses of prayer for all nations to his glory.

Grace and Peace

If you missed the last Learning from the Past post, click HERE, or start the series from the BEGINNING.