Isaiah 58:6-14

Isaiah: An Introduction and Commentary c. The Sabbath People (58:1–14)

Verses 6–12, describing how a fast day should be used, fall into two parts, each specifying activities (6–7, 9c–10b) and promising blessings (8–9b, 10c–12). First, a fast day is for the creation of a caring society (6), meeting needs (7a–c) and family welfare (7c), and it brings consequent personal blessings: new beginnings (8a), personal restoration (8b), security (8cd) and a free-flowing relationship with the Lord (9ab). Secondly, a true fast is for correction of inhuman conditions (9c), banishing mischief-making (9d) and meeting needs (10ab), and it results in clear guidance in life’s perplexities (10cd–11a), renewal (11b), durability (11c), ever-fresh resources (11de), restoration and continuance (12). What seems like deprivation—fasting—is actually enrichment when used according to God.

This chapter of Isaiah points out very important themes, talking and doing. there is being genuine and being fake. Most of us function in the talking and fake word than the doing and genuine world.

This chapter deals with observing fasts and how the Israelites went about observing them. They were fasting and checking off the blocks in saying they were being genuine but in reality they were going through the motions. Simply for show. What they were doing looked good in public but it was really only fo show.

They looked good to the congregation, but it was not genuine. It wasn’t because they were fully commited to God they were fully commited to looking holy.

They made the mistake that we all make and forgot that God knows our hearts and knows when we are being genuine and when we are being fake.

Now let’s look take a look at what God Himself had to say. Now notice that God asks a question and anytime He asks a question something big is coming. Here is what He says, “Is this not the fast I choose to undo the bonds of the yoke and let the oppressed go free and break every yoke.

Untie … yoke: to eliminate every way in which social mismanagement treats people like animals.

Isaiah: An Introduction and Commentary c. The Sabbath People (58:1–14)

Untie … yoke: to eliminate every way in which social mismanagement treats people like animals.

Break every yoke: God is saying it is not enough to untie; action must be taken to see that such bondage cannot ever be repeated.You see the hypocritical nature in which they went about fasting is what we want to talk about today.

Break every yoke: God is saying it is not enough to untie; action must be taken to see that such bondage cannot ever be repeated.

You see the hypocritical nature in which they went about fasting is what we want to talk about today.

I’m not here to talk about fasting, that is a sermon for another day. What we need to focus on in this scripture is how the Israelites lived through God’s eyes and compare it to how we live our own lives and see if there are similarities.

The first point we need to establish is that through God’s eyes they were hypocrites. Hypocrisy is universal, no matter what it is your being and I are being hypocritical about the steps are the same. There is no glory in hypocrisy. Hypocrisy can fool man but it can never ever fool God.

Let’s break down how God saw the peoples hypocrisy when it came to fasting and we can apply the same principles to our lives.

This is not intended to condemn anyone here but to give us a way of evaluating our relationship and walk with God.

Here is what God says about the Israelites:

They seek God daily. Their seeking was only an outward show to attract attention to self and deceive others.

They delight to know God’s ways. They pretend to delight to know His ways, and do carry out many rituals but their heart is far from God.

They act as a nation which has done righteousness. Their acts consisting of outward forms and rituals , which they continually break God’s laws. One minute celebrating Passover the next minute crucifying a Savior.

They act as if they did did not want to forsake the ordinances God.

Isaiah 58:6-14

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