SCRIPTURE: ISAIAH 58
TRUE FASTING (vs. 1-14)
THE KIND OF FASTING GOD CHOSE:
- To loose the chains of injustice and untie the cords of the yoke.(v. 6a)To set the oppressed free and break every yoke. (v. 6)
- To share your food with the hungry and to provide the poor wanderer with shelter. (v. 7a)
- To clothe the naked and care your own flesh and blood. (v. 7b)
- To do away with the yoke of oppression with the pointing finger and malicious talk. (v. 9)
- To spend yourselves in behalf of the hungry and satisfy the needs of the oppressed. (v. 10)
- To keep your feet from breaking the Sabbath and from doing as your please. (v. 13a)
- To call the Sabbath a delight and the Lord’s holy day honorable. (v. 13b)
- To honor Sabbath by not going your own way and not doing as you please or speaking idle words. (v. 13c)
BENEFITS/REWARDS OF TRUE FASTING:
- Your light will break forth like the dawn and your healing will quickly appear. (v. 8a)
- Your righteousness will go before you and the glory of the Lord will be your rear guard. (v. 8b)
- The Lord will answer when you call and he will say “Here am I”, when you cry for help. (v. 9)
- Your light will rise in the darkness, and your night will become like the noonday. (v. 10)
- The Lord will guide you always; he will satisfy your needs and will strengthen your frame. (v. 11a)
- You will be like a well-watered garden, like a spring whose waters never fall. (v. 11b)
- You will rebuild the ancient ruins and will raise up the age-old foundations. (v. 12)
- You will be called Repairer of Broken Walls, Restorer of Streets with Dwellings. (v. 12b)
- You will find your joy in the Lord, ride on the heights of the land, and feast on the inheritance of Jacob. (v. 14)
The people in Judah enjoyed learning the Word and participating in fasts. They bowed their head like a reed and lied down on sackcloth and ashes. But when the day of fasting was over, they did as they pleased and exploited their workers. They quarreled with each other in wicked fists. This is not the fast that God wanted. This kind of fast is not accepted by the Lord. Instead of showing the external activities of religion, God wants us to love Him from our hearts and let that love touch the lives of others. He wants us to show acts of kindness, charity, justice and generosity which are pleasing to the Lord.
THOUGHTS:
True worship is more than the religious ritual such as going to church, fasting, listening to the reading of the Scripture. It is rather a vital relationship with God having genuine compassion for the oppressed, the poor and the helpless. God wants our fasting to go beyond by showing acts of kindness, charity, justice and generosity which are pleasing to the Lord.
The Sabbath day is the day of rest. We are to keep the Sabbath holy by honoring God and refreshing ourselves spiritually and physically. It is a day to unify our family and gather together in worshiping God and reflecting on God without the stress of our everyday activities. Are you keeping the commandment of God to keep Sabbath day holy?