Isaiah 56
In this chapter, God addresses two groups of people who were considered outcasts in Israel: the eunuchs and the foreigners. Back in Deuteronomy 23, both groups had been forbidden from entering “the assembly of the Lord.” Incidentally, that phrase is only used three times at the beginning of Deuteronomy 23… and nowhere else in the Old Testament. So, all scholars don’t agree on what “the assembly of the Lord” means, but it likely had something to do with taking part in ceremonial or religious practices.
It’s interesting, then, that God specifically welcomes them to the temple in this chapter: “Let no foreigner who is bound to the Lord say, ‘The Lord will surely exclude me from his people.’ And let no eunuch complain, ‘I am only a dry tree.’ For this is what the Lord says… ‘To them I will give within my temple and its walls a memorial and a name better than sons and daughters… these I will bring to my holy mountain and give them joy in my house of prayer.’” (vs 3-4, 5, 7)
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As I thought about this today, I wondered how the eunuchs and foreigners had ever become such outcasts in Israel. I’m sure that the God who values community so much wouldn’t have intended for there to be such long-standing divisions among His children.
However, regardless of whether the Israelites followed or strayed away from God’s original intention regarding these folks on the fringes, the fact is, they came to be regarded as the pariahs of society, often being shunned not only from religious life, but every other aspect of life as well. They were the outcasts, the “untouchables.”
Photo © Unsplash/Brigitte Thom
But God has a special place in His heart for the untouchables. He has great compassion for the outcasts. In fact, when Jesus lived with us, most of His time was spent with the outcasts. He touched the people that nobody else would touch. He talked to people who were ignored by everyone else. He spent His time drawing people closer, not pushing them away.
God has never played favorites. He doesn’t want an exclusive “members-only” club; He wants a community where everyone is loved, valued, and appreciated. He wants every single person to find joy in His presence. So, if we’re keeping at arm’s length those whom God is seeking to draw in, we better think twice.
God loves outcasts, and so should we!