False Religion and the Fast of God's Choosing

False Religion

Cry aloud! (v. 1)

God wants to give full vent to a message for his people.

Everyone needs to hear this, as they would listen to a trumpet being played loudly in the town center.

A call to action, as is seen in 1Cor. 14:8 “And if the bugle gives an indistinct sound, who will get ready for battle?”

Religious Zeal (v. 2)

God insists that the people are being rebellious at a time when the people are showing signs of being very religious: “as if they were a nation that did righteousness [צדקה] and did not forsake the judgement (justice) [משׁפט-] of their God.”

seek me daily

delight to know my ways

they ask of me righteous judgements: “they consult the priests and prophets as to those laws and statues about which there is any uncertainty, as if they were afraid of breaking the commandments of God through ignorance.”

they delight to draw near to God: They are apparently doing what Hebrews told us to do and had delight in doing so!

Calvin comments that they were mimicking the best parts of a holy life: “to inquire into the will of God, that we may regulate our life by the rule which he has laid down for us, and to depend on his mouth.”

You can have a lot of zeal for external religion and yet not be walking in the righteousness of God.

The Pharisees: were almost universally respected by the Jews because of their devotion to the law of God. Jewish men and women saw them as particularly holy, because they focused so intently on the minutiae of the Mosaic law that their outward manner of life was noticeably different from that of the common person.

Mark 3:1–6 ESV

1 Again he entered the synagogue, and a man was there with a withered hand. 2 And they watched Jesus, to see whether he would heal him on the Sabbath, so that they might accuse him. 3 And he said to the man with the withered hand, “Come here.” 4 And he said to them, “Is it lawful on the Sabbath to do good or to do harm, to save life or to kill?” But they were silent. 5 And he looked around at them with anger, grieved at their hardness of heart, and said to the man, “Stretch out your hand.” He stretched it out, and his hand was restored. 6 The Pharisees went out and immediately held counsel with the Herodians against him, how to destroy him.

Don’t you see our zeal for you, God? (Vv. 3-5)

‘Why have we fasted, and you see it not? Why have we humbled ourselves, and you take no knowledge of it?’

Israel was performing the most humble of acts (fasting in contrition) yet was filled with pride. They question God as if he were in the wrong.

They “acted” humble (v. 5) but were in fact prideful.

What do you really delight in? (חֵפֶץ x 3)

The irony is that it looks like Israel’s delight is in God, but really it is in their own, selfish way.

oppress their workers

quarrel and fight

hit with a wicked fist

A loveless heart betrays the fact that our religious rituals are void of true religion and are instead motivated by self-righteousness.

Our Pharisee Culture: From COVID to racial unrest to a divisive political election, there was no shortage of ways in 2020 to trust in ourselves and look down on everyone else: I’m a good person. I’m on the right side of all the right issues. And I’m here to publicly declare this to those not as good as me.

Don’t you see I voted for Trump and actually care about our nation?

Don’t you know I voted for Biden and actually have a compassionate heart?