We do not appreciate how radical all of this is. Under the Law foreigners were excluded from the assembly (Deut 23:3), as were eunuchs (Deut 23:1).Now Isaiah is proclaiming that they will be part of God's kingdom. Those who chose to love the Lord are welcomed in. The eunuchs will be given a name and memorial better than that of sons and daughters. Now a eunuch obviously could not have children, but God promises them a better reward. This is relevant to us today. Many people have suffered some serious loss or disappointment in life. Sometimes God makes up that loss directly, eg a couple who cannot have children are enabled to have children, but at other times He will make up the loss in a much greater way. A direct healing is not always God's solution, but something far better always is. We need to get a hold of this. God's plans for you and for me are very good. Sometimes seeking a direct solution can be a barrier to progress in our relationship with God. So how are we to know what God's will is in any particular situation? Well I cannot give you an easy answer, but we are in a relationship with Christ, so we are to approach Him and seek Him on that basis. I believe that He will either give us a direct "healing", or give us the grace to know and believe that ultimately He has something far greater for us.
So what are we to make of the Law being "against" foreigners and eunuchs? Well, the law is a shadow of what was to come, a shadow of the real thing. There are things that are excluded from the kingdom. There will not be sickness nor imperfection in the kingdom when it is fully consummated.
In the meantime, all who seek to be part of God's kingdom are welcomed in through faith in Christ. No matter what obstacles there might seem to be in our life, no matter what barriers there are, if we come to Christ we are welcomed in, and a work of transformation will begin.
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