Daily. Bible. Reading.

One of the things the Hebrew prophets are famous for is calling out bad behavior. In chapter 58, Isaiah does just that as he points out the hypocrisy of many people’s religious behavior compared to their actions. In doing so, he touches upon an important spiritual practice that is often misunderstood or ignored.

Monday – Isaiah 58:1

The text begins with what seems like the Lord’s command to Isaiah to yet again cry. This time, it is not a cry for comfort or about deliverance, it is to shout the sins of the people – like a trumpet! If you were to do that same thing – what five sins would you shout aloud to the people of God?

Think about those lists of sins, and talk to the Lord about your own failures.

Tuesday – Isaiah 58:1-5

The people are upset with God because they haven’t heard from him. Has that ever been your situation? They say they have fasted, they have gone to worship daily, they do all the religious activities to hear from God – but nothing is forthcoming. The reason for this is given in 3b-4. Underline those reasons in your Bible. Chapter five highlights the hypocrisy – they sat in ashes, and looked holy, but their actions were profane.

Pray about your role in oppression, violence, and religious arguments, and ask the Lord to show you how to not fall into self-serving traps.

Wednesday – Isaiah 58:6-7

At the end of verse 8 you can almost hear the prophet shout, ‘BOOM!’ It is often misunderstood that Isaiah is condemning the biblical act of fasting or the symbols thereof, but that is to misread the text. He is condemning outward acts that are betrayed by unjust activity. Fasting should lead us to evaluate our lives and change. It should lead us to help people in need, not judge them.

Pray about the yokes, the oppression, the hungry, the needy, the homeless, and any other evidences of economic imbalance and seek the Lord’s guidance on what your role can be.

Thursday – Isaiah 58:8-12

We now have a wonderful and typical Old Testament ‘if . . . then’ set up. If the people will fast properly and connect it to their own sinfulness and make the world better, then the Lord will hear them and answer them. He begins by promising healing, and goes on to describe several others and finishing with rebuilding the ancient ruins. What specific action would you want the Lord to do right now in the world – what would be your desired ‘then’ to his ‘if’?

Pray for healing and the rebuilding of ruins – the restoration of broken parts of our society. 

Friday – Isaiah 58:13-14

These last two verses are a call for attitudinal adjustment regarding religious practice. He doesn’t mention fasting again, but does talk about Sabbath observance. The ESV uses words like ‘honor’ and ‘delight in’ spiritual practices as important for faithful people. Do you ‘honor’ the Lord’s day? Do you ‘delight in’ fasting and other spiritual disciplines? What might be getting in the way?

Reflect again on the entire passage of Isaiah 58, then ask the Lord if you should undergo a time of fasting in the near future as a way to draw closer to him and listen for the hurting in the world and to see how you might help.