You Call This A Fast?
(Isaiah 58:1-9)
I. False Fasting
A. Objectives
1. Deceive God
2. Serve Self
3. Make a Fast Shekel
B. Results
1. Exploitation of workers
2. Quarreling and strife
3. External humility
4. Unrepentant mourning
II. True Fasting
A. Objectives
1. Exercise justice
a) Loose the chains of injustice
b) Set the oppressed free
2. Relief to the poor and needy
a) Sharing food
b) Providing shelter
c) Clothe the naked
3. Main point is to be in tune with God
B. Results
1. Love of God will shine
2. Complete restoration
3. Enveloped by the presence of God
4. Prayers will be answered
Introduction
This morning I’d like to begin a short series of messages on a subject that is bound to elicit an emotional response from just about everyone here. It’s a topic that is sometimes shrouded in mystery or regarded as pertaining to only an eccentric or fanatical brand of Christian. There are many misconceptions, misunderstanding and misgivings concerning its benefits or relevance for the modern disciple. There are extremists on both sides of the issue, which has led to much ignorance and silence on the subject. But I want to assure you, today, that it is a matter worth our investigation and incorporation into our lives.
What am I talking about? Well, if you have your bulletins handy, then you already know. I’m going to be preaching a series of messages entitled, A Primer on Fasting. It will consist of 4 sermons. Our message this morning will look at fasting from an OT perspective. This passage will give us a glimpse of God’s attitude toward fasting and reveal what He desires to be accomplished through this discipline. Next week we will look at fasting from a NT perspective. We will give consideration to Jesus’ teaching on fasting as a Kingdom principle. I’ll conclude this series with 2 messages of a topical nature designed to answer many of the common questions people have regarding what fasting is all about.
This morning we’re going to take a look at God’s attitude toward fasting and His desired results. I think that you’ll be surprised by what you discover. True fasting is more than merely abstaining from food. It’s more than appearing to be humble before God. It’s more than yearning for answers to prayer about some great personal need or a need in the life of another. It’s more than a time of seeking blessings from God. True fasting causes one to be moved to action on behalf of others as the result of a deep-seated love for God. When we engage in true fasting, we can rightly expect blessings from God and we become blessings to others. I invite you to take you Bibles and turn with me to Isaiah 58:1-9.
False Fasting
In this passage, Isaiah is speaking as the mouthpiece of God. As God’s spokesman, Isaiah tells the people what God sees and what He thinks about what He sees. He begins by letting them know how he regards the flurry of their religious activity. And God’s assessment is that what they are engaging in has little to do with what He considers to be acceptable worship. They have the external form correct enough, but there is no internal substance to validate their actions. In other words, God’s judgment of their activity “for Him” is, in v. 1, actually rebellion for it completely misses the mark and is therefore unacceptable. The people were guilty of participating in false fasting.
Objectives
Why does God accuse them of rebellion? What is the basis of His indictment against them? The answer is found by observing the objectives of those practicing this type of fasting.
Deceive God
The first objective of those who practice false fasting is to deceive God. In v. 2, God lets the people know that He is not fooled in the least by their charade of devoutness and humility. Their act amounts to nothing in His sight because He sees the intent of their hearts. “They seem eager…” but the truth is not hidden from God’s eyes. They showed outward evidence of wanting to do God’s will, but it was merely skin deep. They set out to fool God, but ultimately only succeed in deceiving themselves into believing that God is going to participate in their masquerade and turn a blind eye to the true nature of their lives.
Serve Self
The second objective of those who practice false fasting is to serve self. In the first half of v. 3, Isaiah records the complaints of those who had “piously and earnestly” fasted before the Lord. They complain that God hasn’t taken any notice of their actions. You can hear them crying out, “Look, God, we’ve done what You’ve required, what more do You want? Why aren’t we being blessed? Why are You ignoring us? Aren’t we doing it right?”
Leupold states in his commentary, “When men blame God for what is befalling them there is something decidedly unwholesome about their attitude.” Isaiah is pointing out the fact that the only reason the people of Judah fasted was to gain favor with God for their own selfish desires. They were going for “brownie points.” “We’ve done our part, now it’s Your turn, God!” They were depending on their prayers and fasting to place God under some kind of an obligation to serve them and bless them.
It is interesting to note that fasting was suggested in the Mosaic Law only once. In Leviticus 16:29, Moses commanded the people to observe a fast on the Day of Atonement. Nowhere else in the OT do we find a com-mand from God concerning fasting. Furthermore, the Day of Atonement was established as a time when the Israelites were to recognize their sinfulness and separation from God. It was to be a day of humbling themselves before God and seeking His forgiveness. It was not a day to gain merit or place God under any obligation. But instead of seeking God’s mercy in authentic humility and contrition, the people attempted to adapt a form (or religious ritual) to satisfy their own selfish desires. They placed more confidence in the act of worship than in the originally intended Object of their worship.
Unfortunately, we often times find ourselves doing the same kinds of things that the people of Judah did. “I did this for You, God, now it’s Your turn to do something for me.” However, the Bible makes it clear as to how God views our acts of righteousness: they are like filthy rags in His sight (Isaiah 64:6). The words of Paul in Romans 9 echo a similar truth. We are but a lump of clay in the Potter’s hand. What right do we have to ask, “Why did you make me like this?” (v. 20). All that we have, all that we are, all that we hope to be is a gift from God, not the result of our own deserving.
Make a Fast Shekel
The third objective of those who practice false fasting is to make a fast shekel. The second half of v. 3 states, “Yet on the day of your fasting, you do as you please…” Some commentators understand the phrase, you do as you please, to convey the idea of carrying out a business transaction. They regarded the fast day to be an ordinary day of work. They were intent on making their daily quotas. They remained focused on what really mattered to them or pleased them—earning a full day’s profit.
The act of fasting had made no real impact on their lives. It was merely an external ritual void of any true significance. Their fasting did not penetrate the surface or go beyond the visible. The reality is fasting that doesn’t get inside you is worthless and meaningless. And when it amounts to nothing more than ritual, it is difficult to escape the pursuit of personal gain.
Results
We’ve looked at the objectives of false fasting, now let’s examine the results.
Exploitation of Workers
The first result is the exploitation of workers. Again, fasting was not regarded by these people as an occasion for everything to come to a halt. They saw no need to alter anything they were used to doing. Devotion to God should by no means result in the loss of material wealth.
Delitzsch writes in his commentary, “they are then, more than at any other time, true taskmasters to their work-people (lest the service of the master should suffer from the service to God).” The force of the verb used here suggests that these employers demanded all they could get from their workers. In effect they were saying, “God, You can ask me to suffer from hunger pains for a day, but don’t touch my money.”
Quarrelling and Strife
The second result of false fasting is quarrelling and strife. One of the natural side effects of going without food is a tendency toward becoming easily irritated, especially when your focus is in the wrong place. These individuals showed external piety, but it wasn’t enough to carry them through the natural course of life’s ups and downs. The smallest incident could set them off.
But what we have described for us here goes way beyond being edgy or irritated. Isaiah records that sometimes their irritations would escalate to the point of breaking out in fist fights. Can you imagine it? Here you are walking down the street and you see these two guys beating the daylights out of each other. Then you turn to one of the spectators and ask what started the bout, and he says, “Oh, they’re just fasting for the Lord.”
This is obviously not what God had intended fasting to be. In their present state, the true purpose of fasting—an act to draw them nearer to God—was quite unknown to them. How could they expect God to listen to their petitions?
External Humility
The third result of false fasting noted in this passage is an external show of humility. Look at v. 5.
I’ve mentioned the emptiness of their action already, so I’m not going to add much here. We’ve seen that their fasting was merely a show or façade they set up around themselves to conceal the truth. They assumed that the pain and inconvenience experienced by the act of abstaining from eating and their ritualistic humility was an end in itself.
Unrepentant Mourning
The final result mentioned in connection with false fasting is unrepentant mourning. To hang their heads down and sit on sackcloth and ashes did not in itself deserve the designation of fasting or a day of gracious reception from the Lord. Putting on sackcloth and ashes was intended to symbolize self-abasement and true repentance before God. It was meant to be an external sign of an inward condition. But the people of Judah had turned this into a mock ritual.
To this God replied at the end of v. 5 with intense sarcasm “Is that what you call a fast, a day acceptable to the Lord?” Or as one commentator paraphrased it, “If one regards this type of worship as acceptable to the Lord he is grossly mistaken.” God was not fooled by any of their actions and He would not have any part in their mockery.
True Fasting
We’ve looked at what false fasting is like, now let’s discover what true fasting is. Let’s look at vv. 6-7.
Young writes in his commentary, “the mere mention of what God does approve makes clear that the opposite is not approved by Him.”
Objectives
We begin by looking at the objectives that God has in mind when we engage in true fasting.
Exercise Justice
The first objective of true fasting is to exercise justice. As we saw in v. 3, those who practiced false fasting were noted for exploiting their workers. In contrast, a true fast is characterized by sympathy and self-denying love. A true fast is more than abstinence from food.
There is an ancient saying, “not eating is a natural fast, but abstaining from sin is a spiritual fast.” God is commanding more than hunger and external piety, He calls His people to exercise justice. It is important to note that Isaiah is employing infinitives to record God’s commands. The use of infinitives suggests the permanence of the divine requirements.
Loose the Chains of Injustice
The first act of justice mentioned is to loose the chains of injustice. To this Leupold writes, “Social suffering wherever it is found, it to be relieved as much as lies in our power. Steps are to be taken to free those unjustly imprisoned, if to do so is possible.” We cannot just sit back apathetically in our easy chairs while all around us lays a hurting world. We need to stand up against injustices while we can and when we can.
Set the Oppressed Free
The second act of justice mentioned is to set the oppressed free. The word “oppressed” connotes persons unjustly or forcibly oppressed even with cruelty. I believe that God is saying that in order to relieve oppression it may involve our personally experiencing some degree of difficulty. It means there’s a potential of abuse. It will cost us. It means giving.
If you think back to the days of slavery in our country, you will recall that it was not the “in thing” to be an abolitionist if you resided in the South. A Southern abolitionist was considered an oxymoron. One who held such a position was regarded as being anti-South and anti-economy, and was treated as a traitor. The abolition of slavery meant that the South would be headed for social and economic upheaval. But slavery was wrong and had to be brought to an end.
It cost those Southerners dearly who fought against slavery. They faced public abuse and disgrace. Their children were mistreated. They lost their jobs and property. Sometimes it even cost them their very lives. But justice meant more to them than comfort or security. Today, we need to seek to alleviate oppression if it is within our power, even at the expense of personal comfort.
Relief to the Poor and Needy
The second objective of true fasting that Isaiah points out is relief to the poor and needy. Relief for the poor and needy is expressed in three ways in this passage.
Sharing Food
The first expression is in sharing our food with the hungry. We’re all familiar with the various organizations and campaigns that are involved in feeding the hungry throughout the world. From churches to rock stars, many have been engaged in this humanitarian effort. And it is a good thing to be reminded of the needs of destitute and impoverished people throughout the world while we sit in plenty.
However, this is not the point that is being made in this passage. God is not asking us to “sacrifice” our surplus. He is not asking us to give in an impersonal manner. He doesn’t even use the word “give” at all. God’s ideal is for His people to be characterized by sharing. Sharing is not the same thing as handing out a donation as a tax write-off. Sharing involves dividing what is ours with others. Sharing implies personal contact and the development of meaningful relationships. It may mean that we will have to go without something in order that others may have something.
Providing Shelter
The second way to bring relief to the poor and needy is through providing shelter for the homeless. Again, this is not intended to mean the putting out of money for a hotel room, or setting up a tent in the backyard, or calling some relief agency to take the needy person in. If that’s all we can honestly provide, then that’s another matter. But what God is calling us to do is to make room in our homes and make the needy person feel welcome. God has always met us on a personal level, and He expects the same of His children.
Clothe the Naked
The final way to bring relief is to clothe the naked. Granted, it’s not too often that you or I will someone running around naked in Port Crane. But I’m sure there have been times when we have heard about people who have been the victims of fire, flood or some other catastrophe and they have lost everything. Right now there are many who are suffering the devastations caused by “Isadora” and “Lilly.” And they represent only a small sampling of the people all around us that daily go without the bare necessities of life.
Let me emphasize that clothing the naked is not to be understood as a opportunity for us to clean out our closets and get rid of all our outdated clothing. It means giving what we would desire to receive if we were in their shoes. After all, God always gives His very best, can we do anything less?
Main Point Is To Be in Tune with God
Before moving on to the last part of this passage, I’d like to make some important summary statements regarding God’s objectives in true fasting. First, you probably have noticed that there hasn’t been any mention of abstaining from food in these verses describing a true fast. This is not to be understood as implying that true fasting has nothing to do with not eating. Generally speaking, to fast means going without food. The reason there is no mention of not eating is because the audience being addressed thought that not eating was the entire issue. God is reminding them to get back to the core issue: seek Him!
Second, although Isaiah gives us some very concrete examples, this is not to be interpreted as what God may be calling you or me to do in a true fast. I believe the bigger point that is being made by way of these particular examples is that our minds must be focused on God. We need to be in tune with His Spirit and ways. Isaiah mentions issues that were being neglected or ignored in their particular situation. What God says to us in our current circumstance may be very different. The main thing is to keep our orientation toward Him.
Results
This passage closes with the results of true fasting. You will notice that vv. 8 and 9 begin with the word “then.” This emphasizes the fact that the blessings of true fasting are contingent upon the act of true fasting. For the people of Judah this meant that they would have to exercise justice and provide relief to the poor and needy if they expected God to bless them.
What are the results of true fasting?
Love of God Will Shine
The first result is that the love of God will shine through us. The word light is used to symbolize God’s love. His love is light and warmth to those who receive it. If you want to know the love of God in an increased measure, then practice true fasting. If you want others to know the love of God through you, then practice true fasting.
Complete Restoration
The second result mentioned is complete restoration—to your body, your mind and your spirit. The word healing indicates a recovery from sickness unto death. When we are solely preoccupied with our own pleasures, or when we sit back and casually watch the world disintegrate before our eyes, we are obviously infected with a sickness unto death. But if we spend ourselves on behalf of others, then we will experience healing. This verse not only says that we will be healed, but that our healing will come quickly.
Enveloped by the Presence of God
The third result of true fasting is a sense of being enveloped by the presence of God. The words righteousness and glory of the Lord are used synonymously to refer to God. The picture that Isaiah portrays for us is that of an army marching along whose leader and rear guard is God Himself. It is an army surrounded by God. These are great words of comfort and hope: we have nothing to fear for no foe can come against us.
Prayers Will Be Answered
The final result is that our prayers will be answered. Instead of complaining that God has not taken notice of our prayers, as in the case of those who practice false fasting, we have the assurance that God does hear us. Not only does He hear, but He also answers our cries. What strength we can find in these words, “you will cry for help, and he will say: Here am I.” He is not distant, but right beside us, desiring to give us aid and comfort.
Conclusion
We have seen in this passage the difference between false fasting and true fasting, and their respective results. Am I saying that true fasting does not involve abstaining from food? Not at all. Experiencing hunger can be beneficial because it helps us focus our attention on God, who is our Sustenance.
But fasting should not be viewed as an end in itself. As Dietrich Bonhoeffer points out, fasting has “only one purpose—to make the disciples more ready and cheerful to accomplish those things which God would have done.” Along the same vein, A.W. Tozer writes that many people have been deluded into believing that the answer to all their spiritual problems is to increase prayer, “when actually in a score of ways they were falling short in the vital matter of obedience.”
Fasting is necessary; it draws us closer to God. Fasting can also draw others closer to Him. Our challenge is to become involved in true fasting. When we engage in true fasting, we can rightly expect blessings from God and we become blessings to others.
