56:2 God commanded his people to rest and honor him on the Sabbath (Exodus 20:8-11). He wants us to serve him every day, but he wants us to make one day special when we rest and focus our thoughts on him. For the Israelites, this special day was the Sabbath (Saturday). Some Christians set Saturday aside as this special day, but many accept Sunday (the day of the week that Jesus rose from the dead) as the “Lord’s Day,” a day of rest and honor to God. Do you make Sunday special?
56:3 Isaiah clearly proclaims the radical message that God’s blessings are for all people, even Gentiles and eunuchs, who were often excluded from worship and not even considered citizens in Israel. Whatever your race, social position, work, or financial situation, God’s blessings are as much for you as for anyone else. No one must exclude in any way those God chooses to bless.
56:7 Jesus quoted from this verse when he threw the money changers out of the Temple (Mark 11:17). See the note on Mark 11:15-17.
56:9-11 The “watchmen” were the nation’s leaders. The leaders of Israel were blind to every danger and thus did not warn when danger was coming. Apathetic about their people’s needs, they were more concerned about satisfying their own greed. Leadership’s special privileges can cause leaders to either sacrifice for the good of their people or to sacrifice their people for their own greed. If you are in a leadership position, use it for the good of your people.