Isaiah
58:1-14 is a familiar passage to many in that it is an often utilized passage
of Scripture by pastors who want to convey to their congregation the power of
fasting. Since the text communicates much more than the implications of
fasting, I will exegete this passage with the purpose of uncovering the
multiple nuances of the aforementioned text. To do this I will first provide a
summary of the entire passage with the purpose of providing an overview that
will prepare the reader to understand the specific details outlined in the
text. This will be followed by an exposition of those specific points. The goal
here is to glean a detailed understanding of what Isaiah intended to
communicate. I will end with a summary of the theological contribution the
passage made and briefly discuss two key application principles.
Introduction
In
this passage Isaiah is rebuking the people for being selfish and oppressive.
They apparently did not heed the warning that God first offered because
previously Isaiah warned the people to maintain justice and do what was right, for God’s salvation
was close at hand and His righteousness would soon be revealed (Isaiah 56:1).[1] “Instead of their religion
making them a blessing to those around them, as God intended, it made them a
curse.”[2] The Isaiah 56:1 passage
makes it clear that God wanted them to maintain justice and do what was right,
or more specifically, what God commanded. As an alternative, they preceded to
fast thinking that this would somehow absolve them of the requirement to obey
God. However, God takes issue with them, through Isaiah, because of their
rebellious response. Isaiah 58:1-14 records God’s response.
God’s
Rebellious People (Is. 58:1-3)
God’s
response was to first point out to God’s people what they were doing, which was
rebelling against Him (v.1-3). Apparently, they were so enamored by their
attempts at religious piety that they failed to consider that they were
“manipulating God to act in their favor” through their fast. God responds to
their attempts at piety by pointing out the error of their ways. “Verses 4-12
expand on this theme. God does want to bless His people (58:8-8, 10b-12), but
that blessing cannot be obtained by cultic manipulation.”[3] To the contrary, it is
God’s intention to offer his blessings to “those with unbroken covenants with
Him.”[4] To do this means they would
have to stop their rebellion and their oppression of the poor, a point that
Isaiah specifically makes in the text.
Isaiah
starts off chapter 58 with a call or cry for repentance. “The prophet mentions
his task, the proclamation which starts in v. 3b. The imperative 
(to call, cry) may introduce a word of
salvation,… or a word of doom.”[5] In this case, given the
context, the prophet is offering a word of doom. The idea of crying illustrates
the prophet’s mandate from God to express the call to repent with dramatic
intensity. Consequently, he was to not hold back when crying out. This is
precisely why the cry is accompanied by a trumpet call, which was “intended to
arouse the hearers to action.”[6]
(to call, cry) may introduce a word of
salvation,… or a word of doom.”[5] In this case, given the
context, the prophet is offering a word of doom. The idea of crying illustrates
the prophet’s mandate from God to express the call to repent with dramatic
intensity. Consequently, he was to not hold back when crying out. This is
precisely why the cry is accompanied by a trumpet call, which was “intended to
arouse the hearers to action.”[6]
This was not the first time that Isaiah illustrates for the reader God’s
call to repentance. “The prophet has already exposed the empty ritualism of the
people in chapter 1. [However] here he concentrates on the religious activity
of fasting.”[7]
Isaiah rebukes the Children of Israel denouncing them for using fasting to
indulge in sin.
His denouncement extended beyond the onetime misuse of fasting. In verse
2 Isaiah uses the word “daily” to show that “the text is not talking about just
one day of prayer and repentance. In what follows there are days in which
people fast, and so this line probably presupposes a series of fast-days.”[8] Hence, what one discovers
is that the avoidance of dealing with sin, was more of a lifestyle than a one
time happening.
God
Rejects their Fast Days (Is. 58:4-5)
Following His indictment of their sin, Isaiah then moves to expand on
this indictment by citing their propensity towards living contrary to self-denial
which was the purpose of fasting. The indictment starts with Isaiah pointing
out “the people’s hypocrisy. Clearly their fast was not spiritually motivated.”[9] This is shown by their
fighting with one another. The text says, “Your fasting ends in quarreling
and strife, and in striking each other with wicked fists (Is. 58:4a). The reason could have been because fasting
does produce an irritability of sorts as a result of the doing away with food.
Yet, the primary reason here probably was because of their desire to live how
they wanted to, which in turn made their fasting worthless.
Having set the scene, the rest of the chapter is a lesson on proper
worship. “The criteria for such worship turn on what God chooses, not what the
people like to do, but what God requires of any human being.”[10] What God requires is
alluded to in verse 5, which is humility. Their pride drove them to do whatever
that wanted. This is because pride is centered on self, whereas a spirit of
humility centers on God. Pride tears down ones relationship with God and destroys
ones faith. It can masquerade itself in religious showmanship as it did in the
people Isaiah was addressing. Consequently, Isaiah asks them a rhetorical
question stating, “Is it only for bowing one's head like a reed and for lying on
sackcloth and ashes? Is that what you
call a fast, a day acceptable to the LORD?” The
question is answered in the ensuing verses. What God desires for a fast-day
“was intended to be spent gathering for prayer and worship, which ought not to
have left time for thinking about or practicing either business or pleasure.”[11]
They rejected God’s command of self-denial which should accompany fasting,
opting instead for fleshly pursuits that resulted in God rejecting their
prayers.
God’s Chosen Fast (Is. 58:6-12)
Their
propensity toward pleasure seeking is also seen in there oppression of the poor
which was diametrically opposed to God’s purposes of doing away with injustice
and letting the oppressed go free (Is. 58:6). “Apparently they made the fast
easier by idleness and made up for lost time by getting their laborers to work
all the harder”, which furthered the injustice[12]
They had rejected the idea that fasting was supposed to lead one to submit
themselves to God and His purposes. Moreover, His purposes were for them to
minister to the needs of others and not to be focused on their own needs. “The
question of vv. 6-7, following immediately after those of v.5, serve to point
out the people’s separation of religious observance and social righteousness, a
theme the eighth century prophets never tired of expounding.”[13]
Following
verse 7 Isaiah begins to share with the people the results of the kind of fast
that God chooses starting in verse 8. The verse starts off by saying, “Then your
light will break forth like the dawn.” The term light is significant here in
terms of the meaning of what God desires to do with His people, which is to
bless them. “’Light’ … suggests fullness of divine blessing.”[14]
However, this was not their present predicament, which is reflected in the
statement made by Isaiah later on which states, “So justice is far from us, and
righteousness does not reach us. We look
for light, but all is darkness; for brightness, but we walk in deep shadows”
(Is. 59:9). Yet, it was God’s desire to bring about the opposite results as is
shown in Isaiah 60:1 which states, “Arise, shine, for your light has come, and
the glory of the LORD rises upon you.” A return to the proper mode of fasting
would achieve the latter result.
In verses
9b-12, “Isaiah develops the same theme again but with some variation.”[15]
Here Isaiah exhorts the people to do away with their oppression and infighting,
and God would respond to them as they did away with the things that were
displeasing to Him.[16]
In verse
10 the themes of vv. 7-8 is again reiterated with the phrase “your light will
rise.” If they would obey Yahweh, they would reap the spiritual benefits that
he promised. “With that said, there are some substantial differences in vv.
9b-12. … There are no more references to fasting; the proportions of the
component parts are quite different; and the verse I verse 12 a specific
promise is introduced which has no parallel in the previous section.”[17]
Thus, the main emphasis is not fasting, but the humbling of the soul.
In verses
9b-12 other similar themes are addressed. For instance, “Oppression is
emphasized by repetition and there is also a reference to character
assassinations.”[18]
These themes continue to resignate within the text in order to drive home the
primary point, which is the doing away with pride, and embracing godly humility
and self-denial.
\
[2] Ibid.
[3] Ibid. p.
625
[4] Ibid.
[5]
Scholarly p. 122
[6] Ibid.
[7]
Gaebelein, Frank The Expositors Bible Commentary: Isaiah, Jeremiah,
Lamentations, Ezekiel Volume 6 Grand
Rapids Zondervan 1986 p. 322
[8]
Scholarly p.122
[9]
Gaebelein, Frank p. 322-323
[10] Comment
p. 843
[11]
Scholary exposition
[12]
Gaebelein, Frank p. 323
[13] Ibid.
[14] Ibid.
[15] Ibid.
[16]
Explanation p. 844
[17] P. 217
[18]
Gaebelein, Frank p. 323
[19] http://www.sermonillustrations.com/a-z/c/cross.htm
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