A Pivotal Question About Fasting
(Fifty Days of Consecration #6)
Isaiah 58[1]
4-24-05
I. Our text this morning in Isaiah 58 pivots on a question raised by God’s people. It is perhaps a question that has crossed your mind at one time or another. We’ll talk about the question in a moment.
But before we can appreciate the significance of the question we have to understand some things about the people who are asking God this question. God Himself identifies them as people who seem eager to know His ways. I would hope that I am a person who seems eager to know God’s ways. We are told in Isaiah 58:2 that they are daily seeking God. I suspect their church attendance was quite good. Were we to ask these people to join us on our 50 Days of Consecration they would have probably said to us, “That’s all very nice but we’re already doing all the things you people are talking about.” They were people who asked God for just decisions. By all appearances these people were outstanding examples of faithfulness to God. They are described as people who “seem eager for God to come near them.” They didn’t have the book of James to work with; but I think they would have said a hearty amen when we quoted James 4:8 “Draw near to God and He will draw near to you…” (NKJV) By comparison to other people these folks seemed to be quite sincere in their pursuit of God. Until we get a sense of all that we can’t appreciate their question very well.
So what is this pivotal question? It is found in Isaiah 58:3. “Why have we fasted, they say, and you have not seen it? Why have we humbled ourselves, and you have not noticed?” Fasting is a way to crank things up a notch. It’s one thing to pray—that is a part of my Christian walk. But when I’m really serious about getting God involved in a matter—that’s when I fast. I think these people may have felt they had gone the extra mile in their pursuit of God when they fasted. But in the tone of their question there is a high degree of frustration. What does it take to get God to answer prayer? What do I have to do to get Him to intervene?
If you’ve never had that kind of question on your heart you are way ahead of me. I find myself a bit baffled at times in my prayer life—in my fasting. I consider myself to be pretty serious about my pursuit of God and my Christianity. I have seen God work some amazing miracles—I know the joy of His blessing on my life. But even with all that, I can identify with the question posed in verse 3. Can you understand why these people were asking this question? In their minds they had done everything they were supposed to do. They had faithfully served the church. They had faithfully tithed. They had stayed sober. They had stayed married. They were trying to teach their kids to live right. Why isn’t this working? That was the essence of their question.
II. God’s answer to their question went straight to the heart of the matter. I read God’s answer to these people and have to ask myself: Can I handle God’s level of honesty? There is not much sugar coating on the answer God gives in verses 3 and 4. Look with me at those verses for a moment. The question in the first part of verse 3, “Why have we fasted, they say, and you have not seen it? Why have we humbled ourselves, and you have not noticed?” Now God’s answer comes in verse 3, “Yet on the day of your fasting, you do as you please…” Let’s consider that for a moment. They were doing the proper religious things—even going so far as fasting. On the surface, it all looked very sincere. In fact, I personally think those people were convinced that they were doing everything they should do. But God’s eyes penetrate through the religious veneer. He sees what’s going on at the deepest heat level.[2] What does He see? He sees people who have a form of godliness.[3] He sees people who are looking good on the surface. He sees people who are saying all the right things. But when it really gets down to it, they do exactly what they want to do. They live their lives the way they want to live. They do the churchy stuff. But when decisions are made those decisions are based on what they want—not what God wants. Yes they pray. But they hear what they want to hear. And they are going to do what they want to do.
What’s happening in the American church? Why isn’t the world being turned upside down[4] the way in was in Acts? Perhaps God’s answer to those questions is very similar to the one He gives here in Isaiah 58.
Look at the end of verse 3 “…you do as you please and exploit all your workers.” Somehow these people had managed to compartmentalize their lives. Monday through Friday was about making money. Saturday was about having fun. And then Sunday was the day to do some religious stuff to keep God happy. They were not treating people right in their business dealings. Yet they couldn’t see how that was negating all the religious stuff. In Isaiah 1 God tells His people that He is sick and tired of their church services. Can you imagine that? Isaiah 1:15 “When you spread out your hands in prayer, I will hide my eyes from you.” Was He wanting them to stop going to church? No, He was wanting them to continue to be the church when they went to their jobs and when they transacted business and when they encountered the sufferings of people around them.
Back in our text, Isaiah 58:4, “Your fasting ends in quarreling and strife, and in striking each other with wicked fists.” These people could not get along with each other. They were good and religious but God help anybody that crossed them. They were hungry for position and power. Rather than functioning in the pure, peaceable wisdom from above that James talks about, they were selfish and judgmental of others.[5]
So now we have addressed the most fundamental issue of fasting. It is (by the way) the most fundamental issue for prayer, Bible study, and other disciplines we will talk about.
The motives behind the fasting are far more important than the techniques of the fast or the length of the fast. Jesus is addressing motive in Matthew 6 when he talks about fasting there. Matt 6:16-18 "When you fast, do not look somber as the hypocrites do, for they disfigure their faces to show men they are fasting. I tell you the truth, they have received their reward in full. 17 But when you fast, put oil on your head and wash your face, 18 so that it will not be obvious to men that you are fasting, but only to your Father, who is unseen; and your Father, who sees what is done in secret, will reward you.” In that text Jesus has said essentially the same thing about financial giving and prayer. He’s not looking for an obsession with secrecy. There are even times when we need to call a public fast.[6] The issue is why we are fasting in the first place. Is it for appearances or are we sincerely humbling ourselves before God and genuinely desiring to know His will so that we can do it? Your fasting doesn’t need to be any more secret than your giving or your praying. All of it needs to be free of pretense and a sincere pursuit of God.
III. So what kind of fast pleases God? What kind of fast is He looking for? We’re given the answer to that question beginning in verse 6 of Isaiah 58. Let’s see what it says.
Isa 58:6 “Is not this the kind of fasting I have chosen: to loose the chains of injustice and untie the cords of the yoke, to set the oppressed free and break every yoke?” First and foremost He is talking about dealing justly with other people—not taking advantage to the weak. There is certainly a call to social justice in those words. There is clearly a call to help people at a very natural level. But I think there is also a spiritual application as well. There are people everywhere in spiritual bondage who need to be set free. And fasting that sincerely pursues their deliverance is a powerful spiritual dynamic.
Look with me at the fast Jesus went on in Luke 4. Most of you are familiar with this story so it will be easy to make the point. In Luke 4:1 “Jesus, full of the Holy Spirit, returned from the Jordan and was led by the Spirit in the desert, 2 where for forty days he was tempted by the devil. He ate nothing during those days, and at the end of them he was hungry.” What happened when Jesus got full of the Holy Spirit at His water baptism? He was led into a fast. What happened when he fasted? He had a spiritual battle. Sometimes fasting uncovers the enemy and you have to deal with him. But the thing I want you to see is the result of the fast and the victory that he gained. Luke 4:14 “Jesus returned to Galilee in the power of the Spirit…” If Jesus is our example, then there is something important to see in the relationship between fasting and power ministry. In verse 1 He is full of the Holy Spirit. But He does not stop there. In verse 14 he returns in the power of the Spirit.
Follow the story with me. Luke 4:14-19 “Jesus returned to Galilee in the power of the Spirit, and news about him spread through the whole countryside. 15 He taught in their synagogues, and everyone praised him. 16 He went to Nazareth, where he had been brought up, and on the Sabbath day he went into the synagogue, as was his custom. And he stood up to read. 17 The scroll of the prophet Isaiah was handed to him. Unrolling it, he found the place where it is written:
18 "The Spirit of the Lord is on me, because he has anointed me to preach good news to the poor. He has sent me to proclaim freedom for the prisoners and recovery of sight for the blind, to release the oppressed, 19 to proclaim the year of the Lord’s favor."
Doesn’t that sound a bit like Isaiah 58:6? “Is not this the kind of fasting I have chosen: to loose the chains of injustice and untie the cords of the yoke, to set the oppressed free and break every yoke?”
Now look what is happening in Luke 4:31-37
“Then he went down to Capernaum, a town in Galilee, and on the Sabbath began to teach the people. 32 They were amazed at his teaching, because his message had authority. 33 In the synagogue there was a man possessed by a demon, an evil spirit. He cried out at the top of his voice, 34 "Ha! What do you want with us, Jesus of Nazareth? Have you come to destroy us? I know who you are-the Holy One of God!" 35 "Be quiet!" Jesus said sternly. "Come out of him!" Then the demon threw the man down before them all and came out without injuring him. 36 All the people were amazed and said to each other, "What is this teaching? With authority and power he gives orders to evil spirits and they come out!" 37 And the news about him spread throughout the surrounding area.”
When done right, fasting can be a powerful part of spiritual warfare and deliverance for those oppressed by the devil.
Isa 58:7 “Is it not to share your food with the hungry and to provide the poor wanderer with shelter--when you see the naked, to clothe him, and not to turn away from your own flesh and blood?”
The life style God is looking for in His chosen fast is unselfish. That is the key issue. Everybody has a reason and excuse for what they do and what they don’t do. You may have 20 reasons why you can’t help in the nursery. You may have lots of reasons why you can’t sacrifice a fun day to help someone in need. Only God can determine whether those are acceptable in His evaluation of things.
The Jews had come up with a simple way to excuse themselves from the hard task of caring for elderly parents. (Did you notice that phrase at the end of verse 7, “and not to turn away from your own flesh and blood?”). Mark 7:9-13 “ And he said to them: ‘You have a fine way of setting aside the commands of God in order to observe your own traditions! 10 For Moses said, ’Honor your father and your mother,’ and, ’Anyone who curses his father or mother must be put to death.’ 11 But you say that if a man says to his father or mother: ’Whatever help you might otherwise have received from me is Corban’ (that is, a gift devoted to God), 12 then you no longer let him do anything for his father or mother. 13 Thus you nullify the word of God by your tradition that you have handed down. And you do many things like that.’" Just because something has become acceptable in our society or more specifically in our little Christian sub-culture, does not mean that God has bought into the idea. We are each one responsible to ask God what He wants us to do and then do it. Disobedience is not excused just because everybody else is doing it.
Isa 58:9b "If you do away with the yoke of oppression, with the pointing finger and malicious talk.” James talks about how difficult it is to control the tongue and how destructive the tongue can be. Lots of Christian people wonder why there is no spiritual authority in their lives, why they call and God doesn’t answer. Yet they discount the effect of their “pointing the finger” of criticism and their malicious gossip. Most of that is driven by a subtle sense of insecurity and pride. The belittling of others is a pitiful effort to lift oneself up. Sadly it has the opposite effect. The book of James is an outstanding commentary on Isaiah 58. Listen to James 1:26 “If anyone considers himself religious and yet does not keep a tight rein on his tongue, he deceives himself and his religion is worthless.”
Isa 58:10a “and if you spend yourselves in behalf of the hungry and satisfy the needs of the oppressed.” How are you spending yourself? That is the essential question related to all this. The spending of oneself is measured in terms of hours and days. It is measured in terms of energy invested. The people in our text, as religious as they were, were in reality spending themselves on themselves. All their time and energy went into making a living for themselves and their families—promoting themselves—advancing themselves—entertaining themselves—enjoying themselves. And though they thought it was terrible that the needy were not being properly cared for by either the government or the church—they personally had not time and energy left to invest. “and if you spend yourselves in behalf of the hungry and satisfy the needs of the oppressed.” That is a great big “if.” That is easier said than done. But if we don’t do it; then we’re not in a position to ask God why He isn’t doing His part.
I can boil down the plight of the American church in very simple terms. It is comprised mostly of people who want to live their lives selfishly and enjoy God’s blessings at the same time. Church is an addition designed to make life more enjoyable. It is a place to get a little help with some personal need, and to hopefully find a few friends. God is not against us enjoying life and having friends. In fact, He wants that for us. But Christianity is something far more significant than that. As understandable as those desires and goals are, they will never launch people into the purposes and power of Almighty God. God will graciously meet us where we are. But the supernatural power of God is reserved for those who will “spend” themselves in a more unselfish way.
Isa 58:13 "If you keep your feet from breaking the Sabbath and from doing as you please on my holy day, if you call the Sabbath a delight and the LORD’s holy day honorable,and if you honor it by not going your own way and not doing as you please or speaking idle words.” I don’t have time to contrast the American understanding of a holiday with what God is saying in this verse. The short contrast is this. Most Americans see a holiday as a day for them.[7] God sees it as a day for Him.
There is much about fasting that I have not touched on this morning. But what we have dealt with is the most essential issue. I don’t know how anyone could honestly read Isaiah 58 without feeling challenged by the word of God. The response God is always looking for is not despondency but repentance. What will you do to move closer to the call given in this chapter? Maybe it’s only a baby step. But will you take that step? Maybe it’s as simple as looking around this church and asking God who is hurting and who needs you? Maybe it’s as simple as bridling the tongue next time the temptation to gossip comes along. This is the fast God has chosen.
IV. I want to close by quickly reading the kind of results this kind of fast and life style bring.[8]
Isa 58:8-9a “Then your light will break forth like the dawn, and your healing will quickly appear; then your righteousness will go before you, and the glory of the LORD will be your rear guard. 9 Then you will call, and the LORD will answer; you will cry for help, and he will say: Here am I…”
Isa 58:10b-12 “then your light will rise in the darkness, and your night will become like the noonday. 11 The LORD will guide you always; he will satisfy your needs in a sun-scorched land and will strengthen your frame. You will be like a well-watered garden,like a spring whose waters never fail.
12 Your people will rebuild the ancient ruins and will raise up the age-old foundations;you will be called Repairer of Broken Walls, Restorer of Streets with Dwellings.”
Isa 58:14 “then you will find your joy in the LORD, and I will cause you to ride on the heights of the land and to feast on the inheritance of your father Jacob. The mouth of the LORD has spoken.”
That is certainly something worth pursuing. Some people study this chapter and conclude that they should do some of these things instead of fasting. But that is not what God is wanting at all. He wants us seeking Him with prayer and fasting out of a lifestyle of obedience and unselfishness. The power to do that rests with Him. The choice to do it rests with us. An open door and an open heaven are worth pursuing. May God stir each and everyone of us to seek Him with all our hearts. For God makes this promise to us in Jer 29:13 “You will seek me and find me when you seek me with all your heart.”
TEXT: Isaiah 58:1-14
"Shout it aloud, do not hold back.Raise your voice like a trumpet.Declare to my people their rebellion and to the house of Jacob their sins. 2 For day after day they seek me out;they seem eager to know my ways,as if they were a nation that does what is right and has not forsaken the commands of its God.They ask me for just decisions and seem eager for God to come near them. 3’Why have we fasted,’ they say,’and you have not seen it?Why have we humbled ourselves,and you have not noticed?’
"Yet on the day of your fasting, you do as you please and exploit all your workers. 4 Your fasting ends in quarreling and strife,and in striking each other with wicked fists.You cannot fast as you do today and expect your voice to be heard on high. 5 Is this the kind of fast I have chosen,only a day for a man to humble himself?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?
6 "Is not this the kind of fasting I have chosen:to loose the chains of injustice and untie the cords of the yoke,to set the oppressed free and break every yoke? 7 Is it not to share your food with the hungry and to provide the poor wanderer with shelter--when you see the naked, to clothe him,and not to turn away from your own flesh and blood? 8 Then your light will break forth like the dawn,and your healing will quickly appear;then your righteousness will go before you,and the glory of the LORD will be your rear guard. 9 Then you will call, and the LORD will answer;you will cry for help, and he will say: Here am I.
"If you do away with the yoke of oppression,with the pointing finger and malicious talk, 10 and if you spend yourselves in behalf of the hungry and satisfy the needs of the oppressed,then your light will rise in the darkness,and your night will become like the noonday. 11 The LORD will guide you always;he will satisfy your needs in a sun-scorched land and will strengthen your frame.You will be like a well-watered garden,like a spring whose waters never fail. 12 Your people will rebuild the ancient ruins and will raise up the age-old foundations;you will be called Repairer of Broken Walls,Restorer of Streets with Dwellings.
13 "If you keep your feet from breaking the Sabbath and from doing as you please on my holy day,if you call the Sabbath a delight and the LORD’s holy day honorable,and if you honor it by not going your own way and not doing as you please or speaking idle words, 14 then you will find your joy in the LORD,and I will cause you to ride on the heights of the land and to feast on the inheritance of your father Jacob." The mouth of the LORD has spoken.
Richard Tow
Grace Chapel Foursquare Church
Springfield, MO
www.gracechapelchurch.org
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[1] Text which was read at beginning of service is provided at end of this manuscript. All Scripture Quotes from New International Version unless otherwise indicated.
[2] Heb. 4:12; Rev. 1:14; 1 Sam. 16:7
[3] 2 Tim. 3:5
[4] Acts 17:6
[5] James 3:13-4:3
[6] 2 Chron. 20:3; Ezra 8:21-23; Esther 4:16; Joel 1:14; Jonah 3:5-10; Acts 13:2-3
[7] Certainly the Sabbath was made for man and for his refreshing. But that is to happen in the context of honoring and worshipping God. A day consumed on the pursuit of my own pleasure may not qualify as a Sabbath even though I may be refraining from work that day.
[8] We had planned to use a clip from The Bible: Esther (0:56:03-1:04:38 measured from beginning of tape) to introduce fasting in a crisis but didn’t have time. For that video see www.christiancinema.com/catalog
