"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.
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;
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.
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;
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.
The Lord God which gathereth the outcasts of Israel saith, Yet will I gather others to him, beside those that are gathered unto him."
Isaiah 56:3-8
These verses talk about "the son of the stranger" and "the eunuch" as examples of outcasts... of people who don't fit in. Sons of the stranger represent foreigners, strangers, people not of the covenant... people who perhaps racially and culturally didn't fit in. Eunuchs were outcasts in a different way because, by their own choice or that of another, they were unable to marry and have children, which made them strangers as well in a society where that was a central tenet.
It is hard for us to do as God asks and to "love [our] enemies, and do good, and lend, hoping for nothing again" (Luke 6:35). It's much easier to love people who are similar to us, who are in our own families, our own countries, who have similar families and lifestyles and beliefs. It's seriously a lot to ask to reach out to the outcasts who of course we don't hang out with because what do we have in common? Sounds pretty awkward. And yet "the Lord God which gathereth the outcasts" will gather "even them" and "yet will . . . gather others" (verses 7-8).
The Lord doesn't look at any of this the way that we do (1 Samuel 16:7). He isn't gathering just the physically beautiful and the graceful and the people that speak the same language or that have the same desires, or that sin the same way that we do. God is gathering every single person that will hear his voice, and he means to save us. He doesn't care whether or not we are considered outcasts... he loves us all.
Today, let's work on seeing as God sees, and asking God to help us do that a little bit better. Perhaps then we will discover the amazing hearts of the people around us, and be willing to gather together, outcasts or not, as children of God.
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;
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.
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;
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.
The Lord God which gathereth the outcasts of Israel saith, Yet will I gather others to him, beside those that are gathered unto him."
Isaiah 56:3-8
These verses talk about "the son of the stranger" and "the eunuch" as examples of outcasts... of people who don't fit in. Sons of the stranger represent foreigners, strangers, people not of the covenant... people who perhaps racially and culturally didn't fit in. Eunuchs were outcasts in a different way because, by their own choice or that of another, they were unable to marry and have children, which made them strangers as well in a society where that was a central tenet.
It is hard for us to do as God asks and to "love [our] enemies, and do good, and lend, hoping for nothing again" (Luke 6:35). It's much easier to love people who are similar to us, who are in our own families, our own countries, who have similar families and lifestyles and beliefs. It's seriously a lot to ask to reach out to the outcasts who of course we don't hang out with because what do we have in common? Sounds pretty awkward. And yet "the Lord God which gathereth the outcasts" will gather "even them" and "yet will . . . gather others" (verses 7-8).
The Lord doesn't look at any of this the way that we do (1 Samuel 16:7). He isn't gathering just the physically beautiful and the graceful and the people that speak the same language or that have the same desires, or that sin the same way that we do. God is gathering every single person that will hear his voice, and he means to save us. He doesn't care whether or not we are considered outcasts... he loves us all.
Today, let's work on seeing as God sees, and asking God to help us do that a little bit better. Perhaps then we will discover the amazing hearts of the people around us, and be willing to gather together, outcasts or not, as children of God.
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