Tuesday: Fast Friends
Isaiah 58:1-8
What is the “fast” referred to in Isaiah 58:3?
This must be the fast of the Day of Atonement, the only fast commanded by God (Lev: 16:29, Leviticus 16:31; Lev: 23:27-32).
Image © Pacific Press at Goodsalt.com
This is confirmed in Isaiah 58:3 by the parallel expression “humble ourselves” (NRSV), which follows the terminology of Leviticus. Humbling/afflicting oneself referred to various forms of self-denial, including fasting (compare Ps: 35:13; Daniel 10.2-3, Daniel 10:12).
The day of Atonement setting explains God’s command to “Lift up your voice like a trumpet!” (Isa: 58:1, NRSV). This kind of ram’s horn trumpet, called a shofar, was to be blown as a memorial or reminder ten days before the Day of Atonement (Lev: 23:24). Furthermore, every fiftieth year, on the Day of Atonement, it was to announce the beginning of the Jubilee year of freedom ( Leviticus 25.9-10; compare Isa: 27:13).
Read Isaiah 58:3-7. What is the Lord complaining to them about? What was wrong with their “fast”?
It seems the people were expecting the Lord to congratulate them for their “piety.” Of course, they had it all backward. Practicing self-denial on the Day of Atonement was to express their gratitude and loyalty to Him on the day the high priest went before God to cleanse the sanctuary and thereby cleanse them from sins for which they had already been forgiven (Leviticus 16; compare chapter 4). Their acts should have been done in thankfulness and gratitude to the God who saved them in the day of judgment, not in order to get God’s approval for their “piety” and “devotion.” After all, it was the sins of the people that had defiled God’s sanctuary. It had to be cleansed with blood that was shed because of what they had done.
| One of the crucial lessons that come from these texts points to the difference between being merely religious and truly being a follower of Christ. How do we see the difference there? How do we, as individuals, face the same danger as those presented here, which is believing that our religious rituals somehow show we are really following the Lord as He asks us to? |
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Right at the very outset of Isaiah, God get stuck into the Hebrews for their religiosity. He doesn't hold back. Read this:
Have you ever received a present done up in nice packaging with beautiful writing on the outside, only to find that when you opened it, it was something quite ordinary or did not live up to its name? One of my uncles with a wicked sense of humour gave me a box and on the outside it said that it contained a movie camera (You can see that this story comes from another era). I was excited because I would love to be able to make movies. I opened it up and inside was a box of laundry detergent. Phew, I was so disappointed, but then I knew my uncle and we had a good laugh together.
But, when our religion is only as deep as the packaging, it is not a joke. That is why God was getting stuck into the Hebrews; their religion had stopped at the packaging, and inside the packaging was self-centredness.
But God provides the solution:
I have owned two tables. One of them was made of particleboard, and on the surface of the particleboard was a thin veneer of Moutain Ash timber. It did not last all that long. Our second table was made of Mountain Ash as well but it was solid timber all the way through. I am not sure how long we have owned it now, but it will probably outlast me.
Sometimes we ar slow learners. I am sure that even today we sometimes concentrate on the veneer of religion rather than the heart of Christianity.
There is no problem so big that God cannot solve it. There is not a problem so complex or powerful that God cannot handle it. The scripture tells us that God is omniscient, He is all knowing, and all powerful.
All the wisdom of the world is his. Beyond that the scripture tells us that God says the fast that I have chosen is…
Isaiah 58:6 NKJV “To undo the heavy burdens”
I am learning something new, I always though the phrase "afflict your soul" during the Day of Atonement was a spiritual issue only. It seems the Jews of Isaiah's day thought it was mainly a ritual, something they had to do to earn God's favour.
Reading Lev 23:32 in various translations they say: afflict your soul, humble yourself, deny yourself, but then Isa 58:3 expands the meaning by linking it with fasting.
So my understanding of the Day of Atonement now is it was a physical act combined with spiritual repentance and an indication of total mind, soul, spirit and body depending on the LORD for sustenance.
This was just one day but "spoiler alert" there is more tomorrow!
Tuesday's lesson is entitled "Fast Friends". When I look up the term "fast friends", I get the following explanation.
The phrase 'Fast Friends' is used to describe good, loyal friends. Example of Use: “The two of them had been fast friends since college.”
I was curious to know what the author was trying to get across with this title? I did not understand how to tie the title in with the lesson.
I think that it could be a bit of a pun - “fast friends” does mean what you say, but “fast” friends - that is friends who fast - is a slightly different thing and a play on words.
Not sure that’s helpful to understanding why the title was chosen but it could also imply something like “fair weather friends” - people who are your friends when times are good, but who disappear when the going gets rough.
Norman, read the scripture passage for this portion(Isa 58:1-8) and then see if "fast friends" makes sense. It's about fasting not mistreating others as the next portion suggests with the title "fast fight", or fighting with others while pretending to be religious while fasting. No love, joy, or peace in such a "religion".
Yes, could have had a better title...
We could probably understand this properly if asking the motive for the fast. While God has assigned a fast for the day of atonement, we see throughout scripture that fasts were often self-assigned by those feeling a desperate need to entreat a holy and just God while being sinners(e.g. Nineveh). Fasting is an act of humility and usually accompanies earnest desire for help/relief and seeking the Lord in a time of great need. A fast will also clear the mind of distractions and helps to eliminate dull perceptions. Also, fasting does indicate the exercise of faith in those petitioning and reveals an understanding of priorities.
The assignment of the Typical day of atonement fast has deep implications for the time we now live in, and teaches how we are to live “sober, righteous, and godly” in this hour, which will end without notice.
God's displeasure at their fast was due to their personal motives which were self-serving at the expense of others. Too easy to do this isn't it?
Now is the end come upon thee, and I will send mine anger upon thee, and will judge thee according to thy ways, and will recompense upon thee all thine abominations. Ezekiel 7:3
Fast Friends
The Lord was saying, when he called a 'fast' it was the culmination/end of what they/we ought to be doing. They/we were supposed to make wrongs right before we come to the 'fast'. So when we come to the 'fast', we will receive the blessing the Lord promised.
In the bible there were 5 different laws to govern the Israelites- 1.moral, 2.ceremonial, 3.statues and judgments, 4.civil and 5.health. The Jewish economy rested on these. All of these were spelt out in the way they were supposed to be enacted, down to the minute detail. No one could say I did not understood what was asked of me. More so, if you are a leader, how do you not know the laws and the true interpretation of them?
E.g who should be a bond servant and who should be a hired servant. Or what should happen on the 50th year, the year of Jubilee. The problems were- humans were sinning all year round, living in known/presumptuous sins and on the day of these 'fast' days come before the Lord with their burnt offering to offer up these animals to the Lord like if he was not seeing
their sins.
When we read the book of Ezekiel we see the leaders coming before him to ask a word from the Lord. The Lord told him dont even worry with those leaders. He took Ezekiel in visions to the temple and shew him what they were doing. Both men and women were committing gruesome sins. Humans want to be bless even while committing and living in known sins.
Would anyone disagree with me that there were corrupted kings, priests, judges, and leaders in the bible? Those who the Lord had to get rid of by harsh methods. E.g look at Aaron two sons, Eli two sons and Samuel two sons. The list is too long to mention.
If we are spiritual Israelites, who are we then? Are we better?
What is he saying to the Laodicean church/era. Rev 3:13-22.
Isnt this the era we are saying we are more wiser than our fore parents, more tech advanced, more sophisticated in knowing and can outdo things, go to other planets, we have food so much can last for yrs without spoiling etc.
The King James Version entitled Isaiah Ch.53: “True Religion”. When I first came to participate in organized religion, I was immediately struck by how much importance is placed on strict observance of formalities during gatherings, even in the Protestant faith. Gathering places and management structure are mostly the same, but rituals differ.
I am a person who does not enjoy rituals or ritualistic observances establishing traditions designed by people, others do, and if so, I suppose the more elaborate the better. Looking at the picture of today’s lesson showing men assembled for their ‘duty’ dressed in their finest makes me sad; man tries so hard to express reference for their God by outer appearances!
I have come to think that the hublah around worship is designed by man to keep himself at the center of attention; this is important to him in religous settings. Though the people of Israel received their instructions for ritualistic observances from their Lord, I venture to say that this was more for their benefit than the Lord’s. Outside of the Arc of the Covenant with its mercy seat and sacred content including the rules governing the priestly ritual for the yearly atonement, all the remaining ceremonies were more or less established for the benefit of man to *see/observe/experience* their God.
I appreciate Maurice’s scripture choice which highlights God's exasperation with the people as He sees them having discounted the inner, heartfelt worship and repentance and elevated outward pomp and ritual (which the senses appreciate). One might wonder if, based on these circumstances, sinning became 'easier/less stressful', because the sinner could then ‘enjoy’ the pomp and circumstance of the various rituals to atone for his iniquity.
The Lord used some choice words to express His displeasure about ‘atoning’ for iniquity through the use of superficial, ritualistic ceremonies. The Lord exclaims in exasperation: “Your new moons and your appointed feasts my soul hateth: they are a trouble unto me; I am weary to bear them” - Isa.1:14KJV.
It is interesting that “He bares them as He hates them”, He endures our misshapen form of worship because He knows our iniquity prevents us from knowing how to rightly worship him; the Lord's love is truly longsuffering! Throughout the time of His Judges and Prophets, God admonishes us to worship Him with a contrite heart and a willing spirit, but man just does not want to give up his ‘right’ to sit on his life's ‘throne’.
I also find it difficult to communicating with people in positions of authority who use their role to behave like 'lords' instead of 'servants'. Formal worship setting or not, we worship the Lord througout our daily lives when we express our Maker’s nature; *worship* cannot be separated from the daily lives we live!
Christ's Gospel message is this clear WAY of Truth and Light to live our lives by. By being observant and kind toward others in the *little things we do*, we ‘impress/please’ our Lord more than the big, fancy things our administratively organized churches can do. This is easily done by faithful people from all around the world who love their neighbor as themselves!
We know that we cannot do anything in our ‘own strength’ unless the Lord has sanctified/blessed it. Do we actually miss the point and ‘major in the minors’ when placing so much attention on finding ‘just the right ritualistic/organizational approach’ for worshiping the Lord, but forgetting that we worship Him by expressing His love to our neighbor?
In our day and time, most believers are faced with the choice to join a ritualistically well-established framework build to foster worship. Danger comes when organized religions establish their rituals to makes it easier to 'recognize and count the sheep in their flock’ and sowith calibrate their administrative effectiveness; like David, when he took the eyes off the Lord and counted the number of men which could be called upon to take up arms to ‘battle for the Lord’.
The Lord did not like it then, and He does not like it now; He wants us to place our trust in His guidance and providence exclusively because the help we need is provided through Him.
The Lord calls the believer to release his heart to be made new by Him whose Nature now resides in our heart. God does not recognize Himself in our garments, our holidays, our long or short beards, or shaven or unshaven heads, or vessels dedicated for observing ritualistic traditions, or in the house build to hold the congregation.
All of us like sheep have gone astray and need to return to the Lord’s sheepfold. God’s heart, filled with His righteous Love toward us is the sheepfold for us; there it is where the weary soul finds its rest and worships the LORD and Savior with the heart's joyous sounds of gratitude and gladness so returning to Him His Love.
Yes sister, many times we kept saying we are 20millions strong, at least what we have on the books. But how many of them are members who are attending church, or how many are active for Jesus.