Being rejected and left out is a pain that many have felt at some point in their life. For some it is a life-long pain. And for what reason have they been rejected? Often it was not because of any bad thing that they did, such as being a brat or bully. Perhaps it was the way they looked, they were too fat or too thin, the clothes they wore, the way they talked, or the color of their skin. Or maybe it was because they had a physical handicap or physical defect, and for that reason they were left out. People are often cruel in this way, and rejection hurts. How about if it is God? What if we are told that God has also rejected us because of something we can’t control, such as our looks or handicap? In our Old Testament Scripture passage today we will see what God has to say about this subject.
During the time of the Old Testament, there were certain people who were not allowed into the Temple, or who could only go in to a certain point, and then were barred from entering further. Their ability to worship Yahweh was hindered by the rules and regulations imposed upon them. These included women, Gentiles (non-Jewish people), and people with physical handicaps or disfigurements (vs. 3). If a Levite or a member of the priestly families, who were to lead and assist in the worship at the Temple, were born with a handicap or disfigurement of any type they, too, were barred from taking part. Anyone else with such a handicap or disfigurement was also barred from the Temple. Also, a Gentile, even if they feared and loved the Lord God with all of their heart, was similarly hindered or limited in taking part in worship there.
Is that what God really wanted? If one is born with a physical disfigurement, should that prevent them from taking part in worship? Today if one is born with some type of handicap, such as a cleft palate or a club foot, that can often be repaired through surgery. However in those days there was no surgery to help any type of physical handicap. There was also very little kindness shown to anyone with mental or emotional challenges, either. In addition, should one be limited in their ability to worship the Lord God because of what gender they were born, or what nationality or race they are?
As the Lord speaks through the prophet Isaiah in today’s Scripture, He tells us that everyone, no matter what country they are from, no matter what physical challenges they have, is welcome to worship Him (vs. 4-8). Anyone who obeys the Lord, following what He has proclaimed through His Word, the Bible, is accepted by Him.
God is not like the many people a lot of us have known from childhood on, who might have rejected us because we didn’t look like them, or talk like them, we were too fat or had some disfigurement. Perhaps this has even happened to some of you within a church. Maybe you were made to feel less than welcome because of how you looked, or where you came from, a lack of education, or size of one’s bank account. God does not reject us because of any of those reasons. He does not reject someone because of physical or mental limitations, because of the color of their skin or what nation they or their forebears came from. What He looks at is our heart, whether we love Him and obey His Word, whether we have accepted His Son, Jesus Christ, as our personal Savior.
God has declared that His house shall be called a house of prayer for all nations (vs. 7). Jesus repeated this when He cleansed the Temple (Matthew 21:13). The Church, God’s house, is composed of all those who have accepted the Lord Jesus as Savior, and is made up of people from all nations, both male and female, and people regardless of how they look or whether they have physical or mental challenges. Our churches that we attend in our local neighborhoods should be the same way, and be a welcoming, accepting, and loving place for everyone, as well.
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