Isaiah 56:3 – No Disclaimers
Advertising companies often make all kinds of wonderful promises, but then they have these exceptions, these disclaimers – this is good for everybody else, but not for you. Well, there are a couple of classes of people who would have been hearing all these glorious promises that God was giving to His people through His servant Isaiah, and would have strong temptation to think, there’s a disclaimer there. Surely this isn’t for me. We read about them here in verse three.
The first were foreigners – people from the different nations around Israel. Some of them may have been somewhat acquainted with the laws of the Word of God. They may have known that those who were not circumcised, those who were of other nations, were not allowed in the camp. They were not allowed to partake of the festivals that looked ahead to the person and work of Jesus Christ. It’s understandable how these would say, ‘The Lord has utterly separated me from His people’.
A second group are those who were the eunuchs. A eunuch is a man who is not able to be a father. So you can maybe see what he means when he says, ‘I am a dry tree.’ A dead tree has no fruit. The eunuchs were saying, ‘I’m no good for anything. There’s really no point to my life. I can’t be a blessing to anyone’.
But God says to the foreigner and the eunuch, ‘Don’t say that. You’re accepted in My Servant. Don’t let such despairing thoughts enter your mind and heart’. There’s only one people of God in the Bible, not two. One people, one Israel, one church, taken of all nations, added on, grafted into the stock of the believing Israel of God. There are no disclaimers.
There may be some reading this who think, surely this can’t be for me. I’ve been apart from God for too long. Surely all my life has been a waste. I’m a dry tree, spiritually speaking. You may think you’re too bad a sinner. God still says there are no disclaimers. You may have been far from Jesus. You may have indeed been far from his people. Holiness and righteousness may be foreign things to you, indeed. But Jesus calls you now and will receive you. Join yourself to Him. Leave behind all that foreign stuff, that foolishness and sin. Or you may see your past life as being barren and useless. And so it may truly be. But Jesus calls you now, and He will restore to you what you have wasted in your sin. Go to Him for everlasting life. And you will be a blessing to others as God uses you for his glory and you will be a glory to Him.
Question
- What does it mean that there are no disclaimers?
Prayer Points
- Give thanks that the way to Christ is open to all.
- Use prayer points from your congregation.
- Pray for family matters.