Isaiah 58 (2)

This story has two versions. All facts are true. One has the right emphasis.

About 10 years ago. I got in a boat in Anchor Point. I traveled out several miles. I went to a favorite fishing hole. I had the perfect bait for catching halibut. All of a sudden there was a bite. I began to real the line in and continued to real the line in for what I would guess was 10 minutes. After a long fight, I was finally able to pull the halibut into the boat. All the work was worth it when I was proudly able to take a picture next to the 109 pound halibut.

Version 2

Pastor Bruce told me about a guy in Jim’s church.

Jim put us in touch with Ofishial charters.

Bill used his boat to bring us out to where he knew the fish would be.

Bill actually handed the pole to me.

He then put the brace around my waist to help me hoist the fish in.

He coached me on what to do.

Someone put the net down to help me get the fish in the boat.

One could say, that sounds pretty helpless. Or one could say that Bill wanted me to share in delights that I knew nothing about.

At no point did I offer suggestions to him regarding what I wanted him to do.

Our human nature desires God for our pleasure. God desires and provides for us to participate in His pleasure.

Emphasize the fact that this emphasis comes up in chapter 1, but it has a different focus after the servant’s work. This shows how God’s people live in light of the provision and anticipate the future salvation.

How then does God provide for us to participate in His pleasure?

He unveils our shallow pleasure (v.v. 1-4)

He is honest with His people about their sin and need (v. 1)

He shows the shallow audience one lives for in seeking their pleasure. They are content to give an appearance of righteousness.

He reveals their expectation. They do so God will do for them.

They are seeking their own pleasure

He reveals that this intention will not result in their voice being heard.

He reveals what accompanies a heart that seeks His pleasure

Illustration of young person putting on the shoes and shorts in order to be a runner.

Form follows the heart (v. 5)

His pleasure regulates the outflow of my heart (v.v. 6-7; 9b-10a)

He delights to free

He delights to provide

Application: Gift to God before reconciliation. A together marriage before a pure heart. 2 Cor. 8:8 I speak not by commandment, but I am testing the sincerity of your love by the diligence of others. Desiring to be right more than desiring a person to be reconciled.

Seeking the physical and spiritual needs of people. Not just putting on the show of care.

He reveals the benefits of participating in His pleasure

These benefits are not limited to what we can see and understand. One is opening up His heart for God to benefit as He sees best. One is not imposing His time and means upon God.

The benefits are much greater than the requests we make

Light, Healing, Fellowship, Protection of righteousness, provision in the midst of difficulty, consequences are not final, restoration.

However, I see in Scripture that the generous heart that has been awakened by God will receive generous results.(Pr. 28:27) Mt. 6 teaches that the one who prays and gives not to be seen by man will be rewarded by God. I also see in the gospels that giving of oneself now to God which looks like meeting the real needs of others results in treasures in heaven. (Luke 18:22)

Illustration

In the 1820s, humanity's pipe dream of traveling vast distances in a cramped, heavily polluting sardine tin on wheels was realized with the invention of the steam locomotive. It is impossible to overstate how huge this was -- the ability to travel and/or move goods at a speed faster than a pack animal trotting changed everything. Plus, you suddenly could visit faraway places, without worrying about getting bogged down in the prairie and having to eat your fellow passengers.

Not everyone was thrilled, however. Specifically, people were worried about the effects that traveling at blistering, unfathomable speeds of up to 20 mph would have on the frail human body. Anti-train propagandists warned that climbing aboard one of these death traps could, at worst, cause the human body to disintegrate under the stress of traveling at speeds

He reveals that obedience becomes an avenue of enjoying God

The Prophecy of Isaiah Sin Exposed and Confessed

The essence of Israelite religion, however, is response. Not doing things to influence the Lord but doing them to obey him; not works looking for reward but faith acting in obedience. For this reason, Isaiah counterpoises the desperate fasting of verses 2–3 with the joyful keeping of the Sabbath in verses 13–14. For in every sense the Sabbath brings us to the heart of the matter. It is a real test of ‘heart’-religion to give a whole day to God and to do it with delight. The Sabbath is, first, a call to consecrate life’s timetable to God, to adopt a style for six days which allows the seventh day to be a day apart