"Do not let the son of the foreigner who has joined himself to the Lord speak, saying, 'The Lord has utterly separated me from His people'; nor let the eunuch say, 'Here I am, a dry tree.' For thus says the Lord: 'To the eunuchs who keep My sabbaths, and choose what pleases Me, and hold fast My covenant, even to them I will give in My house and within My walls a place and a name better than that of sons and daughters; I will give them an everlasting name that shall not be cut off. Also the sons of the foreigner who join themselves to the Lord, to serve Him, and to love the name of the Lord, and be His servants - everyone who keeps from defiling the Sabbath, and holds fast My covenant - even them I will bring to My holy mountain, and make them joyful in My house of prayer" (Isaiah 56:3-7).You still with me? Good! Now, let's study this passage and make some application to the lives of 21st century Christians.
The above passage describes circumstances in the land of Israel during Old Testament times. As you know, the Israelites were God's chosen people. They were blessed above all the nations of the earth, and had special access to God's revealed law, the Law of Moses. However, it would be wrong to assume that each and every Israelite had the same ease of faith. For the most part, yes, the members of the Israelite community were raised in faithful Jewish homes, got married, raised kids, made a living...and had normal lives. But this was not always the case, as we learn in the passage above.
Isaiah describes two types of people whose circumstances were not typical. There were, for example, those who were not raised in Jewish homes, but had converted to the Hebrew faith - we call these types of people "proselytes." These were Gentiles who did not have a Jewish lineage, but were so impressed with the God of Israel that they abandoned their pagan ancestry in pursuit of Hebrew faith.
Then Isaiah describes another class of people - eunuchs. A "eunuch" is, by definition, a castrated male that generally was enrolled in the service of the state. Often, these men would serve females, or be in the presence of female nobility, and so to prevent any "indiscretion," and to remove the temptation of promiscuity, they would be castrated. While the word may have different applications, one thing is sure: eunuchs were unmarried and thus had livesyles that were atypical.
Now, with both proselytes and eunuchs, there was the tempation to use their circumstances as an excuse to be spiritually weaker than their brethren. For example, the proselyte might conclude that because he wasn't raised in a Jewish home, he didn't have to be as strong, or try as hard, as the one who WAS raised by faithful Hebrew parents. Look at the proselytes upbringing: perhaps raised in a pagan environment, surrounded by immorality, and ignorant of the Law of Moses. Who would hold the proselyte to the same standard as the lifelong Hebrew?
Similarly, the eunuchs might've held themselves to a lower standard. Due to circumstances (often beyond their control), they were forced to lead lives of celibacy, and were often in positions of service, distracted by the rigors of their work. Perhaps these were eunuchs that, despite their Hebrew lineage and/or faith, were stuck in foreign palaces serving pagan monarchs. I don't know. Suffice it to say, the life of a "eunuch" was a difficult life. Even Jesus attested to this fact (Matthew 19:11-12).
But neither the proselyte nor the eunuch was given a free-pass by God; neither was allowed to excuse poor obedience or weak faith. And that's the whole point of Isaiah 56:3-7. One's circumstances may be less than ideal, but that doesn't mean that God has lower expectations for them, or that they can hold themselves to a lower standard.
The application is obvious, isn't it?
There are many Christians today who have been "raised in the church," who are happily married, and their circumstances are ideal. And then there are the rest of us who have had to deal with a variety of circumstances that are...again, less than ideal.
Not raised in the church. Not married to a strong Christian. Not married to a Christian at all. Divorced. Widowed. Member of a small, struggling congregation. Parents and/or siblings that have abandoned the faith. Coworkers that constantly pressure us to compromise our convictions. Poor. Fewer resources than other Christians (due to low income). Young. Old. Handicapped. "Unfulfilled." A lifelong disease or sickness that results in physical frailty. A privite, shy demeanor. Lack of education. Lack of Bible knowledge. New to the faith. Overbearing parents. Et cetera.
Get the point?
It's so very tempting to find some kind of excuse to cling to...to justify our lack of spiritual excellence. But folks, just like the proselytes and eunuchs of old, we are just as obligated to "choose what pleases" God and to "hold fast" to His covenant (Isaiah 56:4). Rather than lowering the standard, let us push through the adverse circumstances that may afflict us, and strive to meet God's standard.
I'm not saying that some Christians haven't been blessed with wonderful circumstances, or that faith isn't more challenging for some, or that some of us don't have setbacks - what I'm saying is that, no matter what your circumstances might be, make every effort to please God.
Challenge the "challenging" excuse. In other words, don't fall prey to the temptation to use "challenging" circumstances" as an excuse for poor Christian performance.
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