What God Really Wants

Isaiah 57:12-58:14

“I will declare thy righteousness, and thy works; for they shall not profit thee.  When thou criest, let thy companies deliver thee; but the wind shall carry them all away; vanity shall take them: but he that putteth his trust in me shall possess the land, and shall inherit my holy mountain; And shall say, Cast ye up, cast ye up, prepare the way, take up the stumbling block out of the way of my people.” (Isaiah 57:12-14)

Israel has persistently rebelled against God, choosing to worship other gods while insisting they are serving Him.  God is going to make their self-righteousness and sinful behavior apparent to everyone, showing that it is just an act and means nothing.  Like a leaf in the wind, they will learn how weak their human armies are.  At the same time, those who have put their trust in God, acting on that faith by obeying Him will be firmly established in the land, experiencing a satisfactory relationship with him, encouraging others to put away their pride and sin, making things ready for God. 

 

“For thus saith the high and lofty One that inhabiteth eternity, whose name is Holy; I dwell in the high and holy place, with him also that is of a contrite and humble spirit, to revive the spirit of the humble, and to revive the heart of the contrite ones.  For I will not contend for ever, neither will I be always wroth: for the spirit should fail before me, and the souls which I have made.”  (Isaiah 57:15-16)

The eternal, all powerful and holy God advises that he lives in a holy place with all who are humble and acknowledge their sin.  He will give the humble a sense of confidence and worth and will give those who are sorry for their sin hope and comfort in his love.  He will not stay mad forever, or prolong punishment unduly, because he understands that if he did everyone would give up hope and all would be destroyed. 

“For the iniquity of his covetousness was I wroth, and smote him: I hid me, and was wroth, and he went on frowardly in the way of his heart.  I have seen his ways, and will heal him: I will lead him also, and restore comforts unto him and to his mourners.” (Isaiah 57:17-18)

God was angry because the children of Israel and Judah were not content with what he gave them, wanting what the people around them had as well, and trying to get them by doing what they were doing.  When God rebuked them and warned them they deliberately ignored the warnings, trying to get what they wanted.    God has seen their ways, and still loves them, wanting to give them what they want and restore their happiness and peace.

I create the fruit of the lips; Peace, peace to him that is far off, and to him that is near, saith the LORD; and I will heal him.  But the wicked are like the troubled sea, when it cannot rest, whose waters cast up mire and dirt.  There is no peace, saith my God, to the wicked.” (Isaiah 57:19-21)

God is the one who makes people able to express themselves and their feelings.  He gives peace to people whether they are close to him or far away, willingly healing their emotional and psychological pain.  Many times rescuers used to pour oil on the waves to enable them to effect a rescue because the surface tension of the oil would reduce the violence of the waves, but it required too much oil to succeed if the wind was too strong.  The wicked are like the waves in a hurricane, so powerfully driven by their own goals and desires that the peace god offers does not settle them down.  They continue to bring up the dirt and muck from the bottom of the lake. 

“Cry aloud, spare not, lift up thy voice like a trumpet, and show my people their transgression, and the house of Jacob their sins.  Yet they seek me daily, and delight to know my ways, as a nation that did righteousness, and forsook not the ordinance of their God: they ask of me the ordinances of justice; they take delight in approaching to God.” (Isaiah 58:1-2)

Like many people today, the Jews thought of themselves as walking closely with God.  They regularly read the Bible, and loved to hear preaching about the law every day as if they were actually serving God and following him exactly.   They spent a lot of time in study and prayer, thoroughly enjoying celebrating the times they came to together to celebrate the various holidays commemorating what God had done for them.   Isaiah is give the job of showing them that while they were quite zealous, they were not pleasing God by their actions.  It is a message that is needed in many churches today.   

Fasting was considered a very important aspect of worship and a close walk with God, and most  Jews practiced fasting in an effort to please God.  Isaiah points out that while it is important, it is not about simply going without food.  If not done properly, it accomplishes nothing of value. 

“Wherefore have we fasted, say they, and thou seest not? wherefore have we afflicted our soul, and thou takest no knowledge? Behold, in the day of your fast ye find pleasure, and exact all your labours.  Behold, ye fast for strife and debate, and to smite with the fist of wickedness: ye shall not fast as ye do this day, to make your voice to be heard on high.” (Isaiah 58:3-4)

Despite the many hours the Jews spent fasting it was accomplishing little.  God was not answering their prayers, and they were beginning to question the value of their sacrifices and effort.  As He points out, while they were taking time off from work to fast, they were still finding time to go out and enjoy their hobbies and requiring other people to do their jobs.   In many ways, it was no different than Christians who insist on having Sunday off because they are Christians, but who go out to eat Sunday afternoon or go home to watch football Sunday afternoon, forcing others to work.  The only real difference between it and any other day is they are acting religious.

They were fasting to gain God’s support so they could get victory over their enemies or win some kind of an argument.  Sometimes they were even praying for God’s blessing to help them do something that was wrong.  Several times I have heard preachers tell their people that if they wanted something, they should make a commitment to fast until god answered their prayers.   When a person refuses to eat anything until a government official does what they demand, it is called a hunger strike.   It is a form of blackmail that only works if the official fears public opinion.   God forbid them to fast in such a fashion.   

“Is it such a fast that I have chosen? a day for a man to afflict his soul? is it to bow down his head as a bulrush, and to spread sackcloth and ashes under him? wilt thou call this a fast, and an acceptable day to the LORD?” (Isaiah 58:5)

God loves people and gets no pleasure out of their suffering.  The idea of going without food or water does not please him.  He is not thrilled by our efforts to humiliate ourselves or our evidences of sorrow and suffering.  False religions may approve such behavior or even demand it, but God does not.    To him such behavior is not acceptable, regardless what others may think.

“Is not this the fast that I have chosen? to loose the bands of wickedness, to undo the heavy burdens, and to let the oppressed go free, and that ye break every yoke?  Is it not to deal thy bread to the hungry, and that thou bring the poor that are cast out to thy house? when thou seest the naked, that thou cover him; and that thou hide not thyself from thine own flesh?  Then shall thy light break forth as the morning, and thine health shall spring forth speedily: and thy righteousness shall go before thee; the glory of the LORD shall be thy rereward.  Then shalt thou call, and the LORD shall answer; thou shalt cry, and he shall say, Here I am.” (Isaiah 58:6-9a)

What God wants is for people to break free from the power of wickedness, the lusts and cravings they have and to set people free from their worries, relieving those who are being taken advantage of and setting everyone free.  Choosing to do without food in order to donate the food to someone who was hungry would be pleasing to him, as would inviting some homeless person to eat with you or giving them clothing if they needed it, even if it means you have to go without.  Godly fasting is about focusing on God and on other people, not about getting something for one’s self.

As a result of focusing on God and other people’s needs rather than one’s own, a person  will begin to see the blessings of God.  Suddenly he will become a beacon of hope to others and God will bless with his health.  People will see the glory of God in his life as his legacy or life accomplishment.  When he prays, God will answer and be there to comfort him when he is in distress.   

“If thou take away from the midst of thee the yoke, the putting forth of the finger, and speaking vanity; And if thou draw out thy soul to the hungry, and satisfy the afflicted soul; then shall thy light rise in obscurity, and thy darkness be as the noon day: And the LORD shall guide thee continually, and satisfy thy soul in drought, and make fat thy bones: and thou shalt be like a watered garden, and like a spring of water, whose waters fail not.  And they that shall be of thee shall build the old waste places: thou shalt raise up the foundations of many generations; and thou shalt be called, The repairer of the breach, The restorer of paths to dwell in.” (Isaiah 58:9b-12)

God specifies some particular actions that God would bless if they would take them.  First they would need to give up control of other people.  They would need to give up using insulting and rude signs, such as what people today refer to as flipping people off.  They would need to stop using rude and meaningless language or telling off color stories.  They would need to start showing concern for other people’s physical and emotional needs. 

If they would do so, God would make them a light even in a place where no one noticed them.  They would experience the Lord’s leadership and find their needs and wants satisfied abundantly.  Their families would be strong and they themselves would be respected for their moral and ethical standards. 

“If thou turn away thy foot from the sabbath, from doing thy pleasure on my holy day; and call the sabbath a delight, the holy of the LORD, honourable; and shalt honour him, not doing thine own ways, nor finding thine own pleasure, nor speaking thine own words: Then shalt thou delight thyself in the LORD; and I will cause thee to ride upon the high places of the earth, and feed thee with the heritage of Jacob thy father: for the mouth of the LORD hath spoken it.” (Isaiah 58:13-14)

For the greatest blessings, they needed go a step farther, actually fulfilling the commands about keeping both the Sabbath day and the sabbatical years, because they were what God wanted, and not celebrating them as just a ritual to be observed.