Isaiah 56: Group Study Handout

How to use: read Isaiah 56 aloud together, then take the questions in order. One page is enough for an evening.

Overview

Yahweh commands the people to maintain justice and do what is right, stating that salvation is near (vv. 1-2). Foreigners and eunuchs who join themselves to Yahweh are assured that they will not be separated from His people.

Key verse

“I will bring these 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 will be called a house of prayer for all peoples.”
Isaiah 56:7 (WEB)

Outline

Isaiah 56:1–2 Call to Justice and Righteousness
Isaiah 56:3–5 Inclusivity for Foreigners and Eunuchs
Isaiah 56:6–7 Joy and Acceptance in God's House
Isaiah 56:8 Gathering of All Peoples
Isaiah 56:9–12 Critique of Leaders and Their Failings

Discussion questions

In v5, what does Yahweh promise to the eunuchs who keep his Sabbaths?
In v6, who is included as a foreigner that can join Yahweh?
Yahweh's promise in v7: what does it mean for His house to be a house of prayer for all peoples?
In v10, what does the phrase 'mute dogs' imply about the spiritual leaders of Israel?
When have you felt excluded like the eunuchs in v3, and how did that shape your faith?

Go deeper

Passages that echo Isaiah 56: John 10, Mark 11, Matthew 21.

Before next time: read Isaiah 57.