Vs 1-2
Maintain justice and do what is right....Blessed is the one who does this...
- continue in obedience in anticipation of what He will do
vs 4 "To the eunuchs who keep my Sabbaths, who choose what please me and hold fast to my covenant....
vs 6 "And foreigners who bind themselves to the Lord to minister to Him....
vs 8 "The Sovereign Lord declares - He who gathers the exiles of Israel; 'I will gather still others to them besides those already gathered.'"
The outcasts of Israel were foreigners and eunuchs. Oftentimes, they were referred to as sojourners. (Deuteronomy 16:14) Mosaic Law made provisions for them. For instance, if they abandoned the polytheism of paganism and embraced Yahweh as the one true God, they were allowed to live and coexist as part of the Jewish nation, but their status carried certain restrictions. They were not allowed to be a part of the assembly of God's chosen people, and they were not able to partake in Israel's celebration of the Passover unless circumcised. (Exodus 12:43-48; Deuteronomy 23:1-8) Sadly, their status was considered irreversible. They were the outsiders. Period. End of story.
But then along comes Isaiah, a prophet speaking to the Israelites who are now "outcasts" themselves as exiles in Babylon and beyond. And he turns everything around. He says the former outcasts — the ones who had historically been denied participation with God's people — will no longer be cast out. God is personally inviting the outcasts to come in and be a part!
This beautiful invitation in Isaiah is a sweet foretaste of the magnificent glory to come when Jesus would soon break down the dividing wall between the Jews and Gentiles once and for all. (Ephesians 2:13-22) Through Christ, all who call on His name are now a part of one family — the family of God. We are brothers and sisters from every tribe and every region, united as one family with God as our heavenly Father.