The Chosen Fast Isaiah 58:1-12

A priest was coming back to his rectory one evening in the dark when he was accosted by a robber who pulled a gun on him and demanded, "Your money or your life!"

As the priest reached his hand into his coat pocket, the robber saw his Roman collar and said: "I see you’re a priest. Never mind, you can go."

The priest, surprised at this unexpected show of piety, tried to reciprocate by offering the robber a candy bar that he remembered was in his pocket.

The robber replied, "No thank you, Father. I don’t eat candy during Lent."

-God answers the prayers of people who love people

I. God is Unimpressed by Religion Without Righteousness vv. 1-4

In our passage this morning, Isaiah speaks on behalf of the Lord to His people, declaring their sin to them

There is a fundamental disconnect that they are facing: Their prayers go unanswered, in spite of their religiosity

They seek the Lord daily and desire to know His ways

They behave like a righteous nation, but it turns out that they are only religious

They have forsaken the judgment of God!

They ask a question that the Lord answers: “Why haven’t you seen our fasting?”

The Lord will not answer their prayers; He ignores them because of their unrighteousness

In what ways are they unrighteous?

They oppress their workers

They quarrel and fight

They practice violence

No amount of religious activity, like fasting, is going to overcome the noise of this wicked behavior in the ears of God

We have to understand this principle: I cannot divorce my relationship with people from my relationship with God. Both Old and New Testaments speak to this truth!

God is not interested in the least in a religious practice that is not reflected through a genuine care for people

Micah 6:8

[8] He has told you, O man, what is good;

and what does the LORD require of you

but to do justice, and to love kindness,

and to walk humbly with your God? (ESV)

Mark 12:30–31

[30] And you shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind and with all your strength.’ [31] The second is this: ‘You shall love your neighbor as yourself.’ There is no other commandment greater than these.” (ESV)

1 John 4:20–21

[20] If anyone says, “I love God,” and hates his brother, he is a liar; for he who does not love his brother whom he has seen cannot love God whom he has not seen. [21] And this commandment we have from him: whoever loves God must also love his brother. (ESV)

II. God Requires Justice and Mercy vv. 5-7

The Lord takes this further to make His requirements clear:

He is not interested in the bowed head and the displays of spiritual grief that the people loved to practice

God cares about action!

The Lord describes two kinds of actions here:

First, we see acts of justice: these are acts that insure that others are treated fairly. Stop doing evil!

Loose the bonds of wickedness

Undo the straps of the yoke

Let the oppressed go free

Second we see acts of mercy: these are acts that insure that others are treated graciously. Start doing good!

Share your bread with the hungry

Bring the poor into your home

Clothe the naked

Share your life with others!

The Lord expects this of us; we cannot cut off our lives from others and expect to have a spiritually fruitful life!

Isaiah 1:12–18

[12] “When you come to appear before me,

who has required of you

this trampling of my courts?

[13] Bring no more vain offerings;

incense is an abomination to me.

New moon and Sabbath and the calling of convocations—

I cannot endure iniquity and solemn assembly.

[14] Your new moons and your appointed feasts

my soul hates;

they have become a burden to me;

I am weary of bearing them.

[15] When you spread out your hands,

I will hide my eyes from you;

even though you make many prayers,

I will not listen;

your hands are full of blood.

[16] Wash yourselves; make yourselves clean;

remove the evil of your deeds from before my eyes;

cease to do evil,

[17] learn to do good;

seek justice,

correct oppression;

bring justice to the fatherless,

plead the widow’s cause.

[18] “Come now, let us reason together, says the LORD:

though your sins are like scarlet,

they shall be as white as snow;

though they are red like crimson,

they shall become like wool. (ESV)

III. God Rewards Repentance with Restoration vv. 8-12

In spite of the harsh declaration the Lord makes here, there is good news: If they repent, there will be a restoration!

When we begin to do justice and love mercy towards others, God will respond:

He will be with us and we will see His glory on display, guarding us v. 8

He will hear us and will answer our prayers v. 9

He will fill our lives with a light that shines in even the deepest darkness. 10

He will guide us, directing our paths v. 11

He will give us a kind of vibrancy of spirit, a life that endures terrible hardship v. 11

He will restore the ancient ruins v. 12

He will transform your reputation v. 12

When we begin to live as God’s people and we intentionally practice justice and mercy towards others, He will do a work in our lives that transforms us, that transforms our community, and that transforms our reputations!

We are surrounded by ancient ruins and empty wastes in need of foundations;

we can repair the breech and restore the streets, if we are willing to commit to love people the way that God does.

This is our participation in the work of Christ!

Will you treat people like Jesus does? If we did, it would change everything!

I can imagine when Christ said to that little band around Him, ‘Go ye into all the world and preach the Gospel,’ Peter said, ‘Lord, do you really mean that we’re to go back to Jerusalem and preach the Gospel to those men who murdered You?’

‘Yes,’ said Christ, ‘Go! Hunt up that man that spat in my face, tell him he may still have a seat in My Kingdom yet, if he repents. Yes, Peter, go find that man that made that cruel crown of thorns placed on my brow, and tell him I will have a crown ready for him when he comes into My Kingdom, and there will be no thorns in it. Hunt up that man that took a reed and brought it down over the cruel thorns, driving them into My brow, and tell him that I will put a scepter in his hand and he shall rule over the nations of the earth with me if he will accept salvation. Search for the man that drove the spear into My side, and tell him that there is a nearer way to My heart than that. Tell him I forgive him freely, and that he can be saved if he will accept salvation as a gift.

-DL Moody