Isaiah 56:2, commentary and pictures

Blessed is the one who holds fast to right doing and just dealing in the time when God's salvation is near to come, by keeping the Sabbath undefiled and turning the hand away from every evil. The Sabbath to be kept is the seventh day of the fourth commandment, the memorial of creation that God rested upon and blessed and set apart as holy, to be honored by laying aside one's own ways and pleasures and delighting in the Lord. This blessing is for every man and not for Jews only, welcoming the stranger and the outsider who thirsts and comes and joins himself to the Lord till the close of time. Its obligation still binds in the Christian age while the gospel goes to all nations, as God's great moral test and separating line between the loyal and true and those who serve Him not, not to be trimmed to suit convenience. Those who keep it and choose what pleases God receive heaven's richest blessings of guidance and peace now and glory hereafter, with a place and an everlasting name in God's house better than sons and daughters, and are called to urgent, faithful living and missionary work without delay.

Setting and Wording

The blessing stands where God's salvation is near to come and His righteousness is to be revealed, joining Sabbath-keeping with keeping judgment and doing justice and moral faithfulness. That faithful conduct belongs with the Lord's coming salvation, the salvation accomplished through Jesus Christ who comes in mercy, compassion and love to be welcomed. Doing this and laying hold on it means doing what is right and holding fast to it, keeping hold of God's instruction and covenant. It means choosing the things that please God and refusing to do any evil work.

The Sabbath to be kept from polluting is the seventh day commanded after six days of labor, about whose identity God has spoken plainly so there is no uncertainty. It is the fourth commandment in the center of the moral law, spoken from Sinai and written on stone. It is the memorial of creation, the memorial of His creative works which He rested upon and sanctified and blessed and set apart, the prince of days bearing His holy signet. God has put His holiness upon that seventh-day Sabbath for those who observe it. Keeping it from polluting means keeping it holy unto God, not profaning it but honoring it as His holy day rather than pursuing one's own ways, pleasures or words. Those who so honor it delight in the Lord and receive the promised blessing.

Man and son of man shows the blessing is for every man who lays hold on it and guards the Sabbath unpolluted, till the close of time and not for Jews only, so the blessing is universal. It is for everyone who thirsts and comes, including the stranger joined to the Lord and the eunuch, so that no outsider is cut off or separated or left as a dry tree. The passage presents two groups and urges studying God's Word to stand among those assured of God's love, living to glorify Him.

Sabbath Duty Endures

The blessing on keeping the Sabbath from pollution and keeping the hand from evil belongs to the Christian age, for the Sabbath duty remains binding beyond crucifixion, resurrection, and ascension while the gospel is preached to all nations. The gathering of the Gentiles through that gospel proves its continuance, and Gentiles who join themselves to the Lord and keep the Sabbath share fully in the blessing.

Taking hold of the covenant in such Sabbath-keeping and refraining from evil is the obedience pledged at Mount Sinai to do all the Lord said and to keep His law, and that covenant is still in force. Keeping the Sabbath is therefore a duty and not a matter of convenience. God's ten precepts stand as His great moral standard and the foundation of prophets and apostles, not to be trimmed down to suit human ideas or convenience nor brought down to self, but requiring self to be brought up to the law.

The Sabbath of the fourth commandment is God's test and no manmade test, the great test question and separating line to distinguish the loyal and true, him that serves God from him that serves Him not. Keeping it from polluting means keeping it strictly, without belittling the holy requirement of the fourth commandment. That strictness forbids sending children to school to study and work on the Sabbath and forbids working to earn bread on the Sabbath, calling instead for committing every temporal and eternal interest by faith to Him who reigns over all in heaven and on earth. For those who honor it and keep it pure there are precious promises, with infinite wisdom and power and love engaged in their behalf, and the heavenly host registers their names as among the loyal and true.

Promise and Inclusion

Through obedience the obedient receive heaven's richest blessings, including guidance, protection against enemies, bringing into the promised place, prosperity, blessing on bread and water, and taking away of sickness. Those in darkness who accept the promise have light in the Lord. Those who obey God receive peace and comfort in this life, even through trial and affliction, and glory, honor and immortality in the life to come.

Those who comply with its conditions of keeping the Sabbath from polluting it and keeping the hand from doing any evil, and of choosing what pleases God and taking hold of His covenant, receive in His house and within His walls a place and a name better than of sons and daughters, an everlasting name that shall not be cut off. That name is better than worldly honor or a name sought through connection with worldly institutions and learning. Those who lay hold on and do this can become the very highest missionaries, and can take sons and daughters into their own houses to care for and educate those who need their care, with knowledge given of every line to follow so as to know Him and do His will.

The blessing extends to those who serve and love the Lord, including the stranger joined to the Lord and the eunuchs who keep God's Sabbaths and take hold of His covenant. God welcomes them into His house to worship and gives them an enduring place among His people and an enduring name. No outsider is cut off or separated or left as a dry tree, and even a conscientious God-fearing man who is imperfect and has oddities and battles with self can lay hold on the blessing and be in better condition to become victor than respected men who injure others without thought. It is for everyone who thirsts and comes.

Those He gathers with the outcasts of Israel He brings to His holy mountain and makes joyful in His house of prayer, with offerings and sacrifices accepted on His altar, because His house shall be called a house of prayer for all people. This keeping and gathering is the grand and noble work of faithful shepherds and guardians of the flock in helping struggling, ignorant and poor souls, and blessing rests on men and women who share their homes with orphans left by Sabbathkeeping parents.

The verse is a precious promise and assurance from a God who never fails, given to encourage the churches and to be claimed in times of emergency. It offers comfort and encouragement and points to an open door to seek God and meet with Him. In its setting of coming salvation and revealed righteousness, faithful holding to what God requires encourages opening new places of work and laboring in faith.

This doing is Bible sanctification, and this sanctification is higher education. It comes by making the Bible the book for study and giving a knowledge of the Word of God, which holds the source of the highest education and gives acquaintance with God who gave His only begotten Son that believers should have everlasting life. Higher education is coming into unity with Jesus Christ and being made one with God, bringing God into mind and heart and having Christ in the life in order to reveal Him, learning to humble self and subdue self, walking in the footsteps of Jesus to preach as He preached and work as He worked, and receiving from God a knowledge of what the Lord says.

Call to Faithful Living

The blessing is for present experience and calls for urgent action in right lines with no delay, because time is passing rapidly and many understand little of what needs to be done. Trouble is coming all over the world, and persecution is coming to those who proclaim the truth, while God's salvation is near to come and His righteousness to be revealed. The message is to be given now with earnestness and fervor to everyone who thirsts and comes, including the stranger joined to the Lord and the eunuchs who keep the Sabbaths and choose what pleases Him and take hold of His covenant, to whom is given in His house and within His walls a place and a name better than of sons and daughters, an everlasting name that shall not be cut off.

Leaders in the cause and those connected with institutions need to study Isaiah 50-58, which carries reproofs for disregard of reproof, for accepting only the word they choose, for lack of thorough consecration, and for neglected duty to warn what is truth despite great light. Heeding and accepting those words opens understanding of Isaiah 60-65 and brings manifestation of power in conviction and conversion of souls. Each person is called to turn from sin and live rightly, holding to what is right, keeping the Sabbath sacred, and refraining from evil, because salvation is near and righteousness is to be revealed. That personal repentance includes turning from selfishness and covetousness and breaking free from Satan's hold with earnest determination to welcome the coming Lord.

Keeping the Sabbath from polluting it and keeping the hand from doing any evil means receiving the light with faith, following on to know the Lord, and stopping all complaining and every evil work. Keeping judgment and doing justice is the cooperation with God called for in the great work to be done by institutions established by His direction, rather than allowing human principles, self and pride of opinion to rule and giving the enemy room to intrude and hinder and dishonor Him. Obedience to God's will in walking in His light amid the conflict between good and evil gives strength and influence, joining Sabbath-keeping with justice and moral faithfulness. Sabbath-keeping marks loyal people who may face hardship for the commandments and must not be left without help.

Those who lay hold on it and comply with its conditions can become the very highest missionaries in the world, living faithfully and carrying the good news of salvation to those who have not heard it. The Lord gives them knowledge of every line to follow so they know Him and do His will, and they can take sons and daughters into their own houses to care for and educate those who need care, including sharing homes with orphans left by Sabbath-keeping parents. Defects of character, false teachings, contention and faultfinding must not misrepresent the people nor divert time and influence from sharing truth.