November 4, Isaiah 58
Then shall your light break forth like the dawn,
and your healing shall spring up speedily; our
righteousness shall go before you; the glory of
the LORD shall be your rear guard. - Isaiah 58:8
Some of God's promises and blessings are unconditional. Others are in the form of if/then statements. When the "if" condition is true, the "then" statement will be in effect. That is the nature of the ifs and thens in Isaiah 58.
God told Isaiah to cry out like an alarm trumpet as he declared the transgression and sin of the house of Jacob. He described them as zealous religious practitioners, keeping many fasts. But God never commanded them to keep a great number of fasts. He only called for one in the year, and they did not observe that one as he had commanded them to do. In their many fasts, they asserted their righteousness, and then questioned God about why he did not seem to see or acknowledge their fasting.
God's message to his wayward people distinguished between their fasts and his own. Instead of humbling themselves, they were doing what they chose to do and seeking their own pleasure in their religious rituals. They went through the motions of fasting, but they still oppressed their workers. If they were really humbling themselves, God said they would have loosed the bonds and straps of their servants, and shared their goods with people in need. Then he would have acknowledged their fast and blessed them.
This chapter is one of several, especially in the prophets, that proclaim that religious ritual without righteous living is useless. God's words here also remind us that God is not honored or pleased when we express our religious devotion in ways that he never commanded or authorized, while neglecting to worship him as he directed. We humans are not at liberty to make up what we want to do in worship. We cannot bind on others as a command from God some tradition or preference about how we do a thing. In this case, God called for one fast on the Day of Atonement. The others were not authorized. When that was paired with their daily lives and conduct being disconnected from their worship ritual, God was neither honored by it or pleased with it.
God notices and approves when we humble ourselves before him, share our blessings and relieve oppression when we have an opportunity to do so. When his people live and worship like that, he promises to guide, heal, provide, protect and hear the worshipers' prayers. Paul described the submission and obedience of Jesus in the phrase "he emptied himself." That same idea is here. We pour out ourselves when we humbly obey God as we worship and live our lives before him. We betray our selfishness when we please ourselves and mistreat people around us. But if we delight in doing God's will, he will pour out the rich blessings he wants to give us.
Some folks make righteous living all and only about social justice. Others emphasize worshiping as God directs as the essential point of righteousness. In truth, it's not a case of either/or. It is both/and. We truly humble ourselves before God when we worship him as he directs and live our lives as he has called us to do. We must not emphasize one to the exemption of the other. Let's examine ourselves and make sure the Lord sees both our authorized worship to him and selfless service to others in our conduct.
Copyright © 2023 by Michael B. McElroy. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
Today in God's Word—November 2023
East Tallassee Church of Christ
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