The Fast God Chooses (58:1-14)
Neal Pollard
It is possible to worship God according to His Word and God still reject it and even be repulsed by it. Such is the situation in Isaiah 58. The chapter begins with God charging Isaiah with the mission of crying out to the people, “declare to My people their transgression And to the house of Jacob their sins” (1). The sins have to do with their worship, but it was not that they were engaged in idolatry or violating the law of Moses concerning the acts. They plead their case that they sought Him, delighted in His ways, ask for just decisions, and delight in His nearness (2). They actually contend with God, wanting to know why He wasn’t seeing their fasting or noticing their humbling (3a). Somehow, they had numbed their consciences and have fooled themselves into thinking God watched their worship but ignored their lifestyles. Why was God so displeased with their fasts and their worship?
Their mistreatment of each other (3-5). From the very beginning (Gen. 4:6-8), God ties acceptable worship to loving and properly treating our brethren (see 1 John 3:12). On the very day of their fast, they sought their own desire, drove their workers hard, and fought and even resorted to violence with one another. They were not humbling themselves or showing remorse for sin when they fasted (5). They were blind to their inconsistency. How clearly God ties the two together! Through John, He also says, “If someone says, “I love God,” and hates his brother, he is a liar; for the one who does not love his brother whom he has seen, cannot love God whom he has not seen. And this commandment we have from Him, that the one who loves God should love his brother also” (1 John 4:20-21).
Their neglect of their daily duty (6-7). God tells them the fast He chooses, endorses, and accepts. It is one that leads to repudiating their wickedness (6) by a drive to stop oppressing their brethren (6), be benevolent and practice true religion with the less fortunate (7), and not avoid those in need (7). To hold up a pleading hand to God while slapping away a pleading hand of a brother is the height of hypocrisy. James says, “Pure and undefiled religion in the sight of our God and Father is this: to visit orphans and widows in their distress, and to keep oneself unstained by the world” (1:27).
Their disconnect between heart and action (8-12). God holds forth the promise of what could be if! By reigniting their heart and true devotion to God, they would find His positive response to their worship and their affliction of soul. He promises to bless and guide them if they would do the right thing driven by the right reasons. God wanted to rebuild for them and satisfy them, but He wanted them to “want” to do right driven by right motives.
Their failure to truly put God above themselves in worship (13-14). They were more concerned in the beginning of the chapter about why their fasting did not benefit them rather than how God felt about it. The prophet exhorts them to be solely motivated His pleasure (13) and truly taking delight in Him (14). Then, and only then, would He pour out His blessings on them. Desisting from our own ways (13) is so difficult, but it is imperative to unlocking heaven’s genuine delight.
Isn’t it interesting that Jesus would comment of vain worship during His ministry, citing the book of Isaiah? In Matthew 15:8-9, He says, “You hypocrites, rightly did Isaiah prophesy of you: ‘This people honors Me with their lips, But their heart is far away from Me. ‘But in vain do they worship Me, Teaching as doctrines the precepts of men.” This is quoting from Isaiah 29, and it discusses a different issue. But the principle is the same. Worship and lifestyle are inseparably joined. Our lips and mouths must be attuned to hearts driven to do the right things for the right reasons.
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