Israel's Empty Religion
Study note
God tells the prophet to shout like a trumpet and expose the people's sins. On the surface, the people seem religious: they seek God every day, they want to know his ways, and they act like a righteous nation. They even fast, going without food to show devotion to God. But they complain that God does not notice their fasting. God answers that on their fast days, they still do business as usual, exploit their workers, and fight with each other. Bowing your head like a reed and lying on sackcloth and ashes may look impressive, but God asks, 'Is this really the kind of fasting I want?'
1 "Shout as loud as you can! Do not hold anything back! Raise your voice like a trumpet blast! Tell my people about their rebellion and the family of Jacob about their sins." Cry aloud, spare not, lift up thy voice like a trumpet, and shew my people their transgression, and the house of Jacob their sins.
2 "Day after day they come looking for me, acting like they enjoy learning about my ways. They pretend to be a nation that does what is right and has not abandoned their God's commands. They ask me to make fair decisions and act like they love being close to God." Yet they seek me daily, and delight to know my ways, as a nation that did righteousness, and forsook not the ordinance of their God: they ask of me the ordinances of justice; they take delight in approaching to God.
3 They complain, "We went without food, but you did not notice! We made ourselves miserable, but you did not care!" But God answers, "On your fasting days you still chase after money and mistreat everyone who works for you." Wherefore have we fasted, say they, and thou seest not? wherefore have we afflicted our soul, and thou takest no knowledge? Behold, in the day of your fast ye find pleasure, and exact all your labours.
4 "Your fasting leads to arguments, fights, and punching each other. You cannot fast the way you have been doing it and expect me to listen to your prayers up in heaven." Behold, ye fast for strife and debate, and to smite with the fist of wickedness: ye shall not fast as ye do this day, to make your voice to be heard on high.
5 "Is this truly the fast I want? A day of making yourselves miserable? Is it about hanging your head like a droopy plant and spreading out sackcloth and ashes under yourselves? You call that a fast? You think that makes the Lord happy?" Is it such a fast that I have chosen? a day for a man to afflict his soul? is it to bow down his head as a bulrush, and to spread sackcloth and ashes under him? wilt thou call this a fast, and an acceptable day to the LORD?
The Fast That Pleases God
Study note
God describes the kind of fasting he truly desires. It has nothing to do with going without food and everything to do with justice and mercy: freeing those who are unjustly imprisoned, removing burdens from the oppressed, sharing food with the hungry, giving shelter to the homeless, and clothing those who have nothing. When people do these things, their light will break through like the dawn, and healing will quickly follow. God himself will go ahead of them and guard them from behind. When they call out, God will answer, 'Here I am.' Their darkness will become like bright noon. God will guide them constantly and satisfy their needs. They will be like a well-watered garden, like a spring that never runs dry. They will rebuild ancient ruins and be called 'the Repairer of Broken Walls.'
6 "No! This is the fast I want: Set free people who are unjustly locked up. Lighten the load on those who work for you. Release the people being crushed, and shatter every chain." Is not this the fast that I have chosen? to loose the bands of wickedness, to undo the heavy burdens, and to let the oppressed go free, and that ye break every yoke?
7 "Give your food to hungry people. Open your home to poor and homeless people. When you see someone with no clothes, give them something to wear. And do not ignore your own family members who need help." Is it not to deal thy bread to the hungry, and that thou bring the poor that are cast out to thy house? when thou seest the naked, that thou cover him; and that thou hide not thyself from thine own flesh?
8 "Then your light will burst out like the sunrise, and your healing will happen fast. Your goodness will march ahead of you, and the Lord's glory will guard you from behind." Then shall thy light break forth as the morning, and thine health shall spring forth speedily: and thy righteousness shall go before thee; the glory of the LORD shall be thy rearward.
9 "Then when you call, the Lord will answer. When you cry for help, he will say, 'Here I am.' If you stop crushing people, stop pointing blame, and stop talking trash," Then shalt thou call, and the LORD shall answer; thou shalt cry, and he shall say, Here I am. If thou take away from the midst of thee the yoke, the putting forth of the finger, and speaking vanity;
10 "Pour yourself into feeding the hungry. Meet the needs of those who struggle. Then your light will shine through the darkness. Your deepest night will become bright as noon." And if thou draw out thy soul to the hungry, and satisfy the afflicted soul; then shall thy light rise in obscurity, and thy darkness be as the noonday:
11 "And the Lord shall guide you continually, and satisfy your soul in drought, and strengthen your bones: and you shall be like a watered garden, and like a spring of water, whose waters fail not." And the LORD shall guide thee continually, and satisfy thy soul in drought, and make fat thy bones: and thou shalt be like a watered garden, and like a spring of water, whose waters fail not.
12 "Your people will rebuild the ancient ruins. You will raise up foundations that have been there for generations. People will nickname you 'The Repairer of Broken Walls' and 'The Restorer of Neighborhoods.'" And they that shall be of thee shall build the old waste places: thou shalt raise up the foundations of many generations; and thou shalt be called, The repairer of the breach, The restorer of paths to dwell in.
The Blessing of Keeping the Sabbath
Study note
The chapter closes with a promise connected to honoring the Sabbath. If the people stop doing their own thing on God's holy day and instead call the Sabbath a delight and an honor, then they will find their joy in the Lord. God will give them the heights of the land and feed them with the inheritance of their ancestor Jacob. This is God's word, and it is certain.
13 "Stop treating the Sabbath like any other day. Stop doing whatever you feel like on my holy day. Instead, call the Sabbath a delight. Treat the Lord's holy day as something to be honored. Give up your own plans, your own hobbies, and your own empty chatter." If thou turn away thy foot from the sabbath, from doing thy pleasure on my holy day; and call the sabbath a delight, the holy of the LORD, honourable; and shalt honour him, not doing thine own ways, nor finding thine own pleasure, nor speaking thine own words:
14 "then you will find deep joy in the Lord. I will lift you to the heights of the land and let you enjoy the inheritance of your ancestor Jacob." The Lord himself has spoken. Then shalt thou delight thyself in the LORD; and I will cause thee to ride upon the high places of the earth, and feed thee with the heritage of Jacob thy father: for the mouth of the LORD hath spoken it.