by Tommy Peeler<\/p>\n
Isaiah 58 stresses God’s commandments about fasting (Isaiah 58:1-12) and the Sabbath day (Isaiah 58:13-14). Israel was called to humble themselves when fasting (Isaiah 58:3, 5) and to refrain from their pleasures on the Sabbath to do what is pleasing to the Lord (Isaiah 58:13-14). Israel was not listening to God’s commandments in these matters. God rebuked them and called them to use their fast days to clothe the naked and feed the hungry (Isaiah 58:6-7).<\/p>\n
Was God saying that fasting and the Sabbath themselves were no big deal? The instructions God gave about fasting and the Sabbath were indeed important. They could not be ignored. Capital punishment was the penalty for violation of either of these commands (Exodus 31:12-18; Numbers 15:32-36; Leviticus 23:29-30). Some argue “that the prophetic author is radically calling into question all ritual piety as essentially misdirected and has replaced it with an altogether new definition of right behavior before God, consisting of care for the poor and homeless” [ B.S. Childs, Isaiah, 476-477]. However, Isaiah is not erasing everything Moses said in the law regarding the Sabbath and fasting.<\/p>\n
However, the purpose of these commandments regarding the Sabbath and fasting was greater than simply keeping these instructions outwardly. The purpose of these commandments was also to shape and conform the people into God’s image and likeness. God sought through these commandments to humble the people and to teach them dependence upon Him (Isaiah 58:3, 5, 10). God sought to turn the people from those who sought their own desires and ways to people who fully surrender to His desires (Isaiah 58:2-3, 13-14). He wanted His people to find their ultimate delight in Him (Isaiah 58:14). On the Sabbath, they reflected on the magnitude of God’s creation (Exodus 20:8-11) and His deliverance of them from Egyptian bondage (Deut. 5:12-15). The fasting on the day of atonement was “for the purpose of meditation on the seriousness of one’s sins and the greatness of God in making a way of atonement for them” [John N. Oswalt, Isaiah 40-66, 497].<\/p>\n
God wanted the people to obey His words, guidance, and instructions. God was also using His commandments on these subjects (and all others) to shape Israel into a people who loved Him and loved one another. We must listen to God, submit our will to His, and let His words shape us into who He would have us be.<\/p>\n\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
by Tommy Peeler Isaiah 58 stresses God’s commandments about fasting (Isaiah 58:1-12) and the Sabbath day (Isaiah 58:13-14). Israel was called to humble themselves when fasting (Isaiah 58:3, 5) and to refrain from their pleasures on the Sabbath to do what is pleasing to the Lord (Isaiah 58:13-14). Israel was not listening to God’s commandments…<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"advanced_seo_description":"","jetpack_seo_html_title":"","jetpack_seo_noindex":false,"footnotes":"","jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false},"categories":[27],"tags":[545,54,348,798],"class_list":["post-87975","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-article","tag-fasting","tag-obedience","tag-sabbath","tag-sincerity"],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"jetpack_likes_enabled":true,"jetpack-related-posts":[{"id":63466,"url":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/should-christians-fast-2\/","url_meta":{"origin":87975,"position":0},"title":"Should Christians Fast? (Sermon)","author":"Jeffrey Hamilton","date":"October 18, 2005","format":false,"excerpt":"by Jeffrey W. Hamilton Text: Isaiah 58:1-12\u00a0 I.\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0Once in a while someone will ask if they ought to fast. \u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0A.\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0Is it something acceptable in the New Testament, or was it only a part of the Old? \u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0B.\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0Do you fast just to be doing, or does it serve some purpose? II.\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0Purpose\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Sermon"","block_context":{"text":"Sermon","link":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/category\/sermon\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"","width":0,"height":0},"classes":[]},{"id":53359,"url":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/rituals-dont-cancel-sin\/","url_meta":{"origin":87975,"position":1},"title":"Rituals Don’t Cancel Sin","author":"Jeffrey Hamilton","date":"June 3, 2018","format":false,"excerpt":"by Jeffrey W. Hamilton Text: Isaiah 58:1-14 \u00a0 I.\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0Men get into their minds that they need to make God listen to them \u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0A.\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0Like a child holding his breath, they believe that if they suffer, then God will listen \u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0B.\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0There were false religions based on self-inflicted pain to gain their god\u2019s\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Audio"","block_context":{"text":"Audio","link":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/category\/audio\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"","width":0,"height":0},"classes":[]},{"id":55097,"url":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/is-fasting-required-to-communicate-with-god\/","url_meta":{"origin":87975,"position":2},"title":"Is fasting required to communicate with God?","author":"Jeffrey Hamilton","date":"October 9, 2022","format":false,"excerpt":"Question: Regarding fasting: some pastors say that when you want God to communicate with you, you have to fast for three days or more, and if you want to be delivered from certain things fasting has to be involved. Is it really true? Secondly, in Matthew 17:19-21, may I ask\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Answer"","block_context":{"text":"Answer","link":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/category\/answer\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"","width":0,"height":0},"classes":[]},{"id":4053,"url":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/should-christians-fast\/","url_meta":{"origin":87975,"position":3},"title":"Should Christians fast? (Answer)","author":"Jeffrey Hamilton","date":"March 12, 2006","format":false,"excerpt":"Question: I have a friend who asked about fasting. All I could quote was\u00a0Matthew 6:16\u00a0and\u00a0Matthew 15:17-20. Can you tell me where it says that all food is good for you? I can't remember the passage. Also, could you explain Matthew 17:21? Does it mean you should fast? Is it something\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Answer"","block_context":{"text":"Answer","link":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/category\/answer\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"","width":0,"height":0},"classes":[]},{"id":11820,"url":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/doesnt-isaiah-566-8-prove-that-god-wanted-non-jews-to-keep-the-sabbath\/","url_meta":{"origin":87975,"position":4},"title":"Doesn’t Isaiah 56:6-8 prove that God wanted non-Jews to keep the Sabbath?","author":"Jeffrey Hamilton","date":"August 27, 2007","format":false,"excerpt":"Question: Now if the Sabbath was only for the nation of Israel, why does it say in Isaiah 56:6-8 that God wanted the strangers (non-Jews) to keep and observe His Sabbath along with the covenant besides the nation of Israel. Now think about it, if he wanted people outside the\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Answer"","block_context":{"text":"Answer","link":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/category\/answer\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"","width":0,"height":0},"classes":[]},{"id":61467,"url":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/notes-on-fasting\/","url_meta":{"origin":87975,"position":5},"title":"Notes on Fasting","author":"Jeffrey Hamilton","date":"June 19, 2005","format":false,"excerpt":"Judges 20:26 I Samuel 7:6 I Samuel 31:13 II Samuel 1:12 II\u00a0 Samuel 12:16-23 I Kings 21:27 I Chronicles 10:12 II Chronicles 20:3 Ezra 8:21-23 Nehemiah 1:4 Nehemiah 9:1 Esther 4:3 Esther 4:16 Esther 9:31 Psalm 35:13 Psalm 69:10 Psalm 109:24 Isaiah 58:1-12 Jeremiah 14:12 Jeremiah 36:6, 9 Daniel 6:18\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Notes"","block_context":{"text":"Notes","link":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/category\/notes\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"","width":0,"height":0},"classes":[]}],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/87975","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=87975"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/87975\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=87975"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=87975"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=87975"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}