What was God's purpose for Israel in Isaiah regarding the Gentiles?
According to the Isaiah context, God intended Israel to serve as a kingdom of priests and eventually go out to evangelize the Gentiles. This purpose shows that God's plan included Gentiles, not because Israel naturally welcomed them, but because His intent was for Israel to carry His message to the nations.
Les explains that in Isaiah, God's whole intent and purpose was that Israel, as a kingdom of priests, would at one time go and evangelize the Gentiles. The context notes that even the Jews had lost sight of this by Christ's earthly ministry and on into Acts. Jonah resisted going east to Nineveh, and the Jewish mindset was that God had no time for pagan dogs. The Canaanite woman illustrated Israel's place of privilege, since they had the Word of God. When Paul spoke the word Gentiles in Acts, a riot followed. Isaiah chapter 2 repeats the same thought in different language.