Isa 58:5

Isa 58:5  Is it such a fast that I have chosen? a day for a man to afflict his soul? is it to bow down his head as a bulrush, and to spread sackcloth and ashes under him? wilt thou call this a fast, and an acceptable day to the LORD?                                                                                Isaiah 58 is a rebuke to a hypocritical nation. On the surface they were religious: “They seek me daily, and delight to know my ways, as a nation that did righteousness, and forsook not the ordinance of their God: they ask of me the ordinances of justice; they take delight in approaching to God” (v.2). They fasted regularly too (v.3). And, this is their complaint: “Wherefore have we fasted, say they, and thou seest not? wherefore have we afflicted our soul, and thou takest no knowledge?” (v.3a). They were complaining that God had taken no notice of their fasting. They had fasted evidently with the expectation that God would deliver them from their miseries. They were disappointed that God had not interposed as they had expected; they remained as captives in a foreign land. How did God reply to their complaint? God said: “Behold, in the day of your fast ye find pleasure, and exact all your labours. Behold, ye fast for strife and debate, and to smite with the fist of wickedness: ye shall not fast as ye do this day, to make your voice to be heard on high” (v.3b, 4). 1. Behold, in the day of your fast ye find pleasure – Fasting was supposed to afflict the soul. But, they turned it into a day of delight. We don’t know exactly what they did. Perhaps, there was no sincerity in their fasting. Instead of afflicting the souls, they took it as a holiday and were having some good family time. 2. And exact all your labours – Instead of afflicting their bodies, they were afflicting their workers. Even on a day when they fasted, they still exploited their employees. Perhaps, they made them work during the fasting day, thus depriving them of fasting too. 3. Ye fast for strife and debate, and to smite with the fist of wickedness – In their fasting, they still had contention and strife. Fasting was supposedly one of repentance. But, their hearts were wicked. Should God then hear their prayers when they fasted? Obviously, He would not hear. God said to them: “Ye shall not fast as ye do this day, to make your voice to be heard on high” (v.4b). It means, this is not the way to fast if you want your prayers to be heard in heaven! God said their rituals, even putting on sackcloth, amounted to nothing (v.5). What kind of fast was God looking for? God said they were to stop all oppressions of their fellowmen (v.6). They were to do good to those in need: “Is it not to share your bread with the hungry and bring the homeless poor into your house; when you see the naked, to cover him,” (v.7, ESV). God looks at the heart. How much service we render to God is worthless if our hearts are not right. We may preach well; do we practice what we preach? “Thou that preachest a man should not steal, dost thou steal?” (Romans 2:21). We see God is concerned how we treat our fellow men and brethren. God said they were oppressing their workers. Do we oppress our workers? God said they showed no compassion to the poor and homeless. Do we feed the hungry? We see that God place a high premium on how we practise our religion. Are we practising the true religion? “Pure religion and undefiled before God and the Father is this, To visit the fatherless and widows in their affliction, and to keep himself unspotted from the world” (James 1:27).