56. Isaiah Chapter Fifty-Six
Isaiah Chapter 56 The opening words of this chapter, “Keep ye judgment and do righteousness,” recall the admonition in Isaiah 55:6-7 of the preceding chapter. The thoughts and the ways of Israel were not those of the Lord (Isaiah 56:8). The glorious promises which followed in that chapter were incentives to the wicked to forsake his way and the unrighteous man his thoughts; they were also preparatory to the present injunctions. Let them fulfill practical righteousness and they would thus become conformed to the righteousness of God’s character and dealings. And the reason why they should do so is twofold: “for My salvation,” He says, “is near to come [the salvation expressed in the preceding promises], and My righteousness to be revealed.” Righteous dealing has as its basis the relationship into which God brings His people. It was a covenanted relation with Israel, involving the fulfillment of righteousness on each side. God fulfilled His part and He was ready to manifest it if they turned from their unrighteous ways and fell into line with His. If they only realized how near His salvation and His righteous dealings were in their manifestation, this itself should have impelled them to respond to His promise and command. A special blessing is held out to him who keeps God’s command, and to the son of man “that holdeth fast by it, that keepeth the sabbath from polluting it, and keepeth his hand from doing any evil” (Isaiah 56:2). As to the sabbath, ours is a perpetual sabbath keeping; “there remaineth [i.e., continueth perpetually] a sabbath rest for the people of God” (Hebrews 4:9). We ourselves can only enjoy this rest in Christ if we keep our hand from doing evil. The stranger who had joined himself to the Lord (and there were not a few who, professing the religion of Jehovah, had joined His people) might be tempted to fear that after Israel was restored to their land the Lord would separate him from them, depriving him of the privileges he had enjoyed. The fear was ill-founded, for if they “held fast by His covenant,” God would bring them to His Holy mountain, and make them joyful in His house of prayer; their burnt offerings and sacrifices would be accepted upon His altar: for His house “would be called a house of prayer for all peoples.” And He who will gather the outcasts of Israel, will gather others to him beside “his own” that were gathered (Isaiah 56:6-8, r.v.).
There were others who might be tempted to despair, considering their condition and all that was taking place. There were the eunuchs, concerning whom a prohibition was given in Deuteronomy 23:1. But even to these a promise is given of a “memorial [a.v., place] and a name better than of sons, and of daughters,” an everlasting name that would not be cut off (Isaiah 56:4-5), on condition that they refrained from profaning the sabbath and held fast by the Lord’s covenant. The party wall would be pulled down, which separated the eunuchs from fellowship with the congregation of Israel. All humanly erected barriers to fellowship are destined to be removed in the coming day.
Isaiah 56:9, which the r.v. marks as the beginning of a paragraph, probably commences a new subject and forms the beginning of chapter 57. The watchman and the shepherds in Israel had given way to selfishness and debauchery. They had abandoned their responsibilities toward God’s people and, instead of giving warning, they were blind to the impending danger. They were “dumb dogs,” unable to bark. Instead of watching they were “dreaming, lying down, loving to slumber.” Accordingly the Lord gives an invitation to the beasts of the field and the forest, metaphorically representing Gentile powers, to come and devour (Isaiah 56:9-12).
All whom the Lord makes responsible to act as shepherds over His flock need to guard themselves against gradual decline from their duty and against either lording it over the charge allotted to them or becoming possessed of sordid aims to acquire filthy lucre (1 Peter 5:2-3).