Isaiah 56 - Introduction

Isaiah 56-66. Yahweh's Deliverance.

As we approach this last section it should perhaps be noted that the dividing point between 40-55 and 56-66 is to some extent arbitrary and used for convenience. There is no specific point of separation. Chapter 55 moves on into chapter 56.

This being said this section of Isaiah is built around the theme of faithfulness to the everlasting covenant mentioned in Isaiah 55:3, and of response (or lack of response) to God's saving purposes. One important aspect of this is with regard to the keeping of the Sabbath which comes with a threefold emphasis in Isaiah 56:1; Isaiah 58:13; Isaiah 66:23, where the thought is of keeping one day set apart for the worship of Yahweh (Isaiah 66:23). The ancient emphasis on simply not working on the Sabbath is not mentioned, although can be assumed, but the idea of the Sabbath has become more positive. It is a day for worship (Isaiah 66:23) and for doing Yahweh's pleasure (Isaiah 58:13). It is a day for submission to Yahweh. It is a day for delighting in His will.

Note how this ‘new' approach to the Sabbath is in line with Isaiah 1:11. It is not calling simply for a laborious observance of its requirement, but for a new positive attitude towards God. It is to be living and not dead.

It is significant that this observance of the Sabbath is especially linked to ‘outsiders' coming to Yahweh. It becomes the sign that eunuchs (Isaiah 56:4), ‘strangers' (Isaiah 56:6) and ‘all flesh' (Isaiah 66:23) are welcomed within the new covenant. For Yahweh's house is to be a house of prayer for all peoples (Isaiah 56:7). Significantly there is no mention of circumcision. True worship of Yahweh on one day out of seven in full-hearted and total commitment, and ceasing to do evil and learning to do well, become the signs of true believers (compare Isaiah 1:16). It is good news for all.

The theme of this section might be seen as summarised in Isaiah 61:2. It looks forward to ‘the acceptable year of Yahweh' and the ‘the Day of Vengeance of our God. It is noteworthy in this regard that after chapter 53 the theme of the Servant of Yahweh ceases to be prominent, having been prominent from chapter 41 onwards, and from this point on mention is made rather of His ‘servants', always in the plural, who will carry forward His will. This is because in the Servant described in chapter 53 the idea of the Servant has come to its full potential. In what He has accomplished there He has achieved what Israel had failed to achieve, a way back to God for all men. Now He must divide the spoil with the strong (Isaiah 53:12). All else must now flow from Him. The great Servant has fulfilled all that is necessary for Gods work of deliverance, His task as the Servant is done and the Servant as such now almost falls from view (but see commentary).

But this is not because He has ceased to be important. It is because He now takes on a new role. Concentration will now be on Him as coming as a Redeemer (Isaiah 59:20), as a Mighty Warrior (Isaiah 59:17) and as an Anointed One on Whom has come the Spirit of the Lord Yahweh (Isaiah 61:1). This latter reference to the Spirit links the Anointed One both with the coming Davidic king (Isaiah 11:1) and with the coming Servant (Isaiah 42:1). He will come to deliver and to proclaim the acceptable year of Yahweh and the day of God's vengeance and to establish Yahweh's new priesthood. (But this is not Cyrus. It is significant in this regard that the Spirit is nowhere connected with the activity of Cyrus. He was ‘anointed' but being anointed refers to a setting apart by Yahweh to His service. It does not necessarily indicate the presence of the Spirit. Cyrus was neither beloved nor Spirit-filled. He was simply for a brief period God's external instrument who freed God's people from the constraints of external idolatry).

In some ways Isaiah 61:1 might be seen as a crux passage in Isaiah for another reason, for as expounded by Jesus it demonstrates quite clearly the telescoping of his prophecies. Jesus would apply the first part of Isaiah 56:2 to Himself and His current ministry as far as ‘the acceptable year of the Lord', a ‘year' lasting on through the centuries (Luke 4:16). And it was at this point that He ‘closed the book'. The ‘day of vengeance', although occurring at times through history, would then finally come at the end of time. Jesus thus recognised that Isaiah's prophecies stretched out over the centuries.

This paralleling of salvation and judgment is, as we have seen, a regular one in Isaiah. And once again in this section salvation is paralleled with judgment, and thus the Mighty Warrior not only arises on behalf of His own (Isaiah 59:17), but also appears as the One Who is the instrument of Yahweh's vengeance on His enemies (Isaiah 59:18), and especially on Edom (Isaiah 63:1). That this latter figure is Yahweh or His Emissary comes out in that He speaks of ‘My redeemed ones' (Isaiah 56:4). In Isaiah it has been almost always Yahweh Who has been seen as the Redeemer (see introduction to the Commentary), but now the Redeemer appears as a distinctive figure, see Isaiah 59:20.

The judgment that comes on Edom is a depiction of the day of vengeance. Edom here therefore represents God's judgment on those who, having had every opportunity of coming to Him, have rejected Yahweh and have been rejected by Him (see on Isaiah 21:11). Edom had always been specially favoured from a conversion point of view (Deuteronomy 23:7, compare 3-6). The original Edom (Esau) was the son of Isaac who went outside the line of promise because he rejected his birthright, and his seed subsequently became the perpetual and permanent enemy of the people of God, and thus like Babylon had to be destroyed for ever (34). Babylon represented the world at enmity with God, Edom the traitor in the midst. In the one case as a city, and in the other as an identifiable independent people, both eventually ceased to exist, with what remained of the Edomites (Edom had been overrun by the Nabataeans) moving into southern Judah and being absorbed by the Jews at the point of the sword.

But the whole purpose of the section (and indeed of the whole book) is to lead up to the triumph of the new heaven and the new earth when all is made right and the whole world worships Yahweh (Isaiah 65:16 to Isaiah 66:24).

The section may be seen as divided into three parts.

· The first from Isaiah 56:1 to Isaiah 59:15 a offers hope to those who will respond to Him, but depicts the true spiritual condition of God's nominal people as a whole as one of formality and ingrained sin. He is seeking to arouse them from their spiritual apathy. Central to its thought is that God is dwelling in His High and Holy place, awaiting the response of those among His nominal people whose hearts are responsive towards Him (Isaiah 57:15)

The second, Isaiah 59:15 b - Isaiah 62:12 depicts the coming of the Redeemer and the consequences that are to follow. If only they will respond He will raise them out of the darkness, bring about the return of their exiles, and establish them in splendour as His people. It includes the promise of the coming of an Anointed One (Isaiah 61:1) who will help in bringing this about.

· The third, Isaiah 63:1 onwards, begins with a depiction of God's judgment on the wicked (Isaiah 63:1), again reveals the condition of God's people historically, and leads up through judgment to the final glorious consummation, closing with a depiction of the triumph of Yahweh, and a further depiction of God's judgment on the wicked (Isaiah 66:24).

Alternately some see part 2 as ending at Isaiah 63:1 with the judgment on Edom, with this being followed by the third section which also ends with warnings of judgment.

THE TRUE CONDITION OF GOD'S NOMINAL PEOPLE (Isaiah 56:1 to Isaiah 59:15 a).

In this section Isaiah offers hope to all who will respond to Him from a humble and contrite heart (Isaiah 57:15), but strongly affirms the apathetic state of the people, and lays bare the ways in which they are failing. While outwardly religious, they are failing in their moral response to the covenant, and in their responsibility towards one another and towards God.

Chapter 56 God's Welcome Extended to All, But Judah's Leaders Are Failing in Their Responsibility.

This chapter is a chapter of contrasts. On the one hand God's heart is open to all, including the physically impaired and the racially impaired, and all who seek righteousness are welcome. His house is open to all (Isaiah 56:7). It is an indication that Yahweh's welcome still reaches out widely. But the problem is then revealed to be that the spiritual leaders of Judah are by their blindness, laziness and greed welcoming ‘wild beasts' who tear the hearts out of His people. Their perspective is that they are simply offering them ‘a good time'. Compare Isaiah 22:13. Let them eat, drink and be merry for tomorrow they die.