Isaiah 58:1-12

Throughout the book, Isaiah oscillates between declarations of Israel’s sin and God’s impending deliverance. In chapter 58, it appears Isaiah is continuing this theme of oscillation. Verse 1 starts with a strong public declaration of Israel’s sin,

“Shout loudly! Don’t be quiet! Yell as loudly as a trumpet! Confront my people with their rebellious deeds; confront Jacob’s family with their sin.” (NET)

It’s quickly followed by verse 2 which seemingly justifies Israel.

They seek me day after day; they want to know my requirements,
like a nation that does what is right and does not reject the law of their God.
They ask me for just decrees; they want to be near God. (NET)

However, verse 3 opens with puzzling questions from Israel.  “Why don’t you notice when we fast? Why don’t you pay attention when we humble ourselves?”

Certainly fasting and humbling oneself is a good thing. These are basic spiritual practices. As we continue reading from verses 3b to 7, we begin to understand why God did not notice or pay attention to Israel. The Israelites were full of wickedness toward their fellow man — oppression, violence, strife, and contention. It is a consistent problem throughout the ages, from the times of the Kings to the exilic period, to the time of Jesus and to the church today. The problem is external practices (or rituals and activities) divorced from a internal renewal or transformation of the spirit. It is the internal renewal that brings about obedience (and love) which glorifies God. The outward practice is supposed to be a reflection of the inward reality. Unfortunately throughout history, the outward practice is maintained and often used to conceal the hollow inward reality.

When Saul was king he disobeyed God and kept spoils from a battle, which he was specifically commanded not to keep. Samuel rebuked Saul, “Has the Lord as much delight in burnt offerings and sacrifices as in obeying the voice of the Lord? Behold, to obey is better than sacrifice, and to heed than the fat of rams.” Saul performed the external ritual of sacrifice, i.e. mostly obeyed what God commanded, but he did not obey completely because he sought not God in his heart.  In Jesus’ time, the Pharisees are a prime example of this – full of religion on the outside, empty on the inside. The Pharisees fasted, studied Scripture, tithed along with all the other externals, but Jesus called them white-washed tombs.

This is a trap into which we can easily fall. We are supposed to practice these externals, but they must not be divorced from the inner transformation. Intrinsically, the externals have little value without the right spirit and heart.  Back to verse 2a. We say we seek God and delight to know His ways. So, we go to church and study His word. Even though we are doing these activities we would do well to examine ourselves and ask, “Are we really seeking God?” “Is God pleased with the spirit in which I’m doing these things?” Do we really want to know His ways, i.e. obey His word? Perhaps a simple test is the question, “Are we loving our neighbors?”  “. . . for the one who does not love his brother whom he has seen, cannot love God whom he has not seen.”