International House of Prayer – Isaiah 56:3-8

The International House of Prayer is a charismatic evangelical Christian movement and missions organization based in Kansas City, Missouri, and the nearby suburb of Grandview that focuses on prayer and worship.  Their tagline is “Advancing 24/7 Prayer and Proclaiming the Beauty of Jesus and His Glorious Return.”  They are anticipating what Isaiah speaks to for the future.

Let not the foreigner who has joined himself to the LORD say, “The LORD will surely separate me from his people”; and let not the eunuch say, “Behold, I am a dry tree.”  For thus says the LORD:  “To the eunuchs who keep my Sabbaths, who choose the things that please me and hold fast my covenant, I will give in my house and within my walls a monument and a name better than sons and daughters; I will give them an everlasting name that shall not be cut off.

“And the foreigners who join themselves to the LORD, to minister to him, to love the name of the LORD, and to be his servants, everyone who keeps the Sabbath and does not profane it, and holds fast my covenant— these I will bring to my holy mountain, and make them joyful in my house of prayer; their burnt offerings and their sacrifices will be accepted on my altar; for my house shall be called a house of prayer for all peoples.”  The Lord GOD, who gathers the outcasts of Israel, declares, “I will gather yet others to him besides those already gathered.”  (Isaiah 56:3-8 ESV)

In Israel’s law Yahweh has prohibited foreigners and eunuchs from the rituals of worship (Deuteronomy 23).  This did not mean they could not worship Yahweh, but was meant to symbolize the need for perfection in the ritual of approach to God.  But now Yahweh announces that a day is coming when those distinctions will be erased.

Eunuchs who keep His sabbath and hold fast to His covenant in the other areas as well will be honored in the temple and be given a name normally only perpetuated by one’s offspring.  Foreigners who keep the covenant will be ushered into the house of prayer, the temple, to indicate that the temple is a place of prayer for all nations.  On this day, when Yahweh gathers Israel to Himself He will also gather the nations.

This is being beautifully fulfilled in Jesus building of his church from all nations and awaits the bringing in of the Jews during the great tribulation (Revelation 7).  In the meantime we are to reach out to all nations and to Israel with the gospel.

Discussion Questions

1. What is the longest you have had to be away from meeting with the church and why?
2. Why do you think keeping Sabbath is mentioned as a key aspect of law righteousness?
3. For the eunuch who cannot reproduce, what is the promise from Yahweh?
4. What is the promise for the foreigner?
5. Jesus quoted “My house will be a house of prayer for all nations” (Mark 11:17) when he was cleansing the temple.  What did he see as the import of this passage?
6. How are you participating in God’s gathering of outcasts and those other than you to Himself?