ISAIAH 58 - LIVES THAT GLOW IN THE DARK!

 YOUR PRAYERS WON’T GET OFF THE GROUND

God begins by commanding Isaiah to shout loudly to His people!  He desperately wants to get their attention! 

They think everything is fine!  They go to worship and study about God regularly.  To all appearances they’re a nation of right-living people – law-abiding, God honoring.  [v.2]

They even practice fasting, but they’re aware that God doesn’t seem to notice this.  They wonder “Why?”.

God tells them why!

God tells them that the bottom line on their ‘fast’ days is their own benefit.  They drive their employees too hard.  They bicker and fight.  They put on a pious face and show off their humility.  They parade around solemnly in black.  [v.5]

God makes it clear to them that this is not the kind of ‘fasting’ that He desires. 

Rather, God says:  

This is the kind of fast day I’m after:
    to break the chains of injustice,
    get rid of exploitation in the workplace,
    free the oppressed,
    cancel debts.

What I’m interested in seeing you do is:
    sharing your food with the hungry,
    inviting the homeless poor into your homes,
    putting clothes on the shivering ill-clad,
    being available to your own families.

Do this and the lights will turn on, and your lives will turn around at once.
Your righteousness will pave your way. The God of glory will secure your passage.
Then when you pray, GOD will answer. You’ll call out for help and I’ll say, ‘Here I am.’ [vs.6-9]

A FULL LIFE IN THE EMPTIEST OF PLACES

“If you get rid of unfair practices,
quit blaming victims,
quit gossiping about other people’s sins,
If you are generous with the hungry
and start giving yourselves to the down-and-out,
Your lives will begin to glow in the darkness,
your shadowed lives will be bathed in sunlight.
I will always show you where to go.
I’ll give you a full life in the emptiest of places—
firm muscles, strong bones.
You’ll be like a well-watered garden,
a gurgling spring that never runs dry.
You’ll use the old rubble of past lives to build anew,
rebuild the foundations from out of your past.
You’ll be known as those who can fix anything,
restore old ruins, rebuild and renovate,
make the community livable again. [vs.9-12]

Then God delivers a final word about observing His Sabbath day:

“If you watch your step on the Sabbath
    and don’t use my holy day for personal advantage,
If you treat the Sabbath as a day of joy,
    God’s holy day as a celebration,
If you honor it by refusing ‘business as usual,’
    making money, running here and there—
Then you’ll be free to enjoy God!
    Oh, I’ll make you ride high and soar above it all.
I’ll make you feast on the inheritance of your ancestor Jacob.”
    Yes! God says so!  [vs.13-14]