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God’s Charge to Isaiah
God’s Charge to Isaiah
“Cry out loudly, don’t hold back! Raise your voice like a trumpet. Tell My people their transgression and the house of Jacob their sins.
Judah’s Confusion about Righteousness
Judah’s Confusion about Righteousness
They seek Me day after day and delight to know My ways, like a nation that does what is right and does not abandon the justice of their God. They ask Me for righteous judgments; they delight in the nearness of God.”
“Why have we fasted, but You have not seen? We have denied ourselves, but You haven’t noticed!” “Look, you do as you please on the day of your fast, and oppress all your workers.
You fast with contention and strife to strike viciously with your fist. You cannot fast as you do today, hoping to make your voice heard on high.
Notice that they are explaining to God how well they are doing and calling Him into question for not responding to them as they think He should.
They are going through some serious motions. They are fasting… That’s not flippant praying, but intense praying. Fasting is a good thing. Setting aside other things (food, sex, etc) in order to focus an extended period of time seeking God is a good thing.
But they aren’t getting results. And instead of holding up a mirror to themselves, they are point the finger at God.
I see parallels to the book of James in these verses.
What is the source of wars and fights among you? Don’t they come from the cravings that are at war within you?
You desire and do not have. You murder and covet and cannot obtain. You fight and war. You do not have because you do not ask.
You ask and don’t receive because you ask with wrong motives, so that you may spend it on your evil desires.
God’s Contempt for Judah’s fasting
God’s Contempt for Judah’s fasting
Will the fast I choose be like this: A day for a person to deny himself, to bow his head like a reed, and to spread out sackcloth and ashes? Will you call this a fast and a day acceptable to the Lord?
What’s wrong with that? It simply does not go far enough. It doesn’t get to the heart issue. There is no fruit of repentance involved. It is naive at best and presumptuous at worst.
Its not enough to simply go through the motions of fasting and praying that don’t lead to change in the way you approach life. In this case, God is concerned with the way His people are treating each other.
and one of you says to them, “Go in peace, keep warm, and eat well,” but you don’t give them what the body needs, what good is it?
God’s Chosen Fast for Judah
God’s Chosen Fast for Judah
Is it not and “if”
Isn’t the fast I choose: To break the chains of wickedness, to untie the ropes of the yoke, to set the oppressed free, and to tear off every yoke?
Is it not to share your bread with the hungry, to bring the poor and homeless into your house, to clothe the naked when you see him, and not to ignore your own flesh and blood?
At that time, when you call, the Lord will answer; when you cry out, He will say, ‘Here I am.’ If you get rid of the yoke among you, the finger-pointing and malicious speaking,
and if you offer yourself to the hungry, and satisfy the afflicted one, then your light will shine in the darkness, and your night will be like noonday.
“If you keep from desecrating the Sabbath, from doing whatever you want on My holy day; if you call the Sabbath a delight, and the holy day of the Lord honorable; if you honor it, not going your own ways, seeking your own pleasure, or talking too much;
Sabbath given for rest.
Sabbath given for worship.
Sabbath given for sign
Sabbath given for faith (God will take care of things even if I don’t work every day)
DO NOT MISS THE BIG POINT HERE. GOD IS INTERESTED IN HOW YOU RESPOND TO HIM AND TO OTHERS.
AND THE WAY YOU RESPOND TO THE HURT AND NEEDS OF OTHERS CAN BE A BIG INDICATION OF HOW YOU ARE WALKING WITH HIM!
I have discovered that some Christians are the sweetest most caring and giving people ever.
But I have also seen some Christians be mean spirited, hate filled, apathetic, and dismissive of the needs of others. Those attitudes are incompatible with Christianity.
God’s Comforting Promises to Judah
Then your light will appear like the dawn, and your recovery will come quickly. Your righteousness will go before you, and the Lord’s glory will be your rear guard.
Light for paths
Recovery
Righteousness leading the way
At that time, when you call, the Lord will answer; when you cry out, He will say, ‘Here I am.’ If you get rid of the yoke among you, the finger-pointing and malicious speaking,
The Lord promises to answer
and if you offer yourself to the hungry, and satisfy the afflicted one, then your light will shine in the darkness, and your night will be like noonday.
Light again
In the same way, let your light shine before men, so that they may see your good works and give glory to your Father in heaven.
The Lord will always lead you, satisfy you in a parched land, and strengthen your bones. You will be like a watered garden and like a spring whose waters never run dry.
Some of you will rebuild the ancient ruins; you will restore the foundations laid long ago; you will be called the repairer of broken walls, the restorer of streets where people live.
God’s leadership in your life
God’s satisfaction in your life… contentment
God’s supply in your life.
God’s use of you life. (12)
then you will delight yourself in the Lord, and I will make you ride over the heights of the land, and let you enjoy the heritage of your father Jacob.” For the mouth of the Lord has spoken.
For Judah, the promise of delighting in the Lord. There is a connection between how we view our rest int he Lord (He is our Sabbath), and our delighting in the Lord.
For Judah, the promise of enjoyment of the land as a heritage.
For us, the promise of enjoyment of the peace of God.
Alarm clock screaming bare feet hit the floor
It’s off to the races everybody out the door
I’m feeling like I’m falling behind, it’s a crazy life
Ninety miles an hour going fast as I can
Trying to push a little harder trying to get the upper hand
So much to do in so little time, it’s a crazy life
It’s ready, set, go it’s another wild day
When the stress is on the rise in my heart I feel you say just
Breathe, just breathe
Come and rest at my feet
And be, just be
Chaos calls but all you really need
Is to just breathe
Third cup of joe just to get me through the day
Want to make the most of time but I feel it slip away
I wonder if there’s something more to this crazy life
I’m busy, busy, busy, and it’s no surprise to see
That I only have time for me, me, me
There’s gotta be something more to this crazy life
I’m hanging on tight to another wild day
When it starts to fall apart in my heart I hear you say just
Breathe, just breathe
Come and rest at my feet
And be, just be
Chaos calls but all you really need
Is to take it in, fill your lungs
The peace of God that overcomes
Just breathe (just breathe)
let your weary spirit rest
Lay down what’s good and find what’s best
Just breathe (just breathe