Three sons left home, went out on their own and prospered. Getting back together, they discussed the gifts they were able to give their elderly mother. The first said, "I built a big house for our mother." The second said, "I sent her a Mercedes with a driver." The third smiled and said, "I’ve got you both beat. You remember how mom enjoyed reading the Bible? And you know she can’t see very well. So I sent her a remarkable parrot that recites the entire Bible. It took elders in the church 12 years to teach him. He’s one of a kind. Mama just has to name the chapter and verse, and the parrot recites it." Soon thereafter, mom sent out her letters of thanks: "Milton," she wrote one son, "The house you built is so huge. I live in only one room, but I have to clean the whole house." "Gerald," she wrote to another, "I am too old to travel. I stay most of the time at home, so I rarely use the Mercedes. And the driver is so rude!" "Dearest Donald," she wrote to her third son, "You have the good sense to know what your mother likes. The chicken was delicious."

Today we’re going to look at something that was meant by God to be a valuable gift, but something that has been greatly abused. We’re going to look at God’s ideas about fasting.

cry – qara’ – (Qal) to call, cry, utter a loud sound; to proclaim

aloud – garown – neck, throat

spare not – chasak – to withhold, restrain, hold back, keep in check, refrain

trumpet – showphar – horn, ram’s horn

God is asking Isaiah to speak up and show His people what they are doing wrong. He asks Isaiah to shout it out like a trumpet to get their attention.

shew – nagad – to be conspicuous; (Hiphil) to tell, declare; announce, report; make known, expound

seek – darash – to resort to, seek with care, enquire

It speaks of praying, as in asking God for guidance. Doesn’t sound like "sin" to me.

delight – chaphets – to delight in, take pleasure in, desire, be pleased with

The people took pleasure in knowing what God’s ways were like. Sounds good.

They made an effort at obeying the laws of God. Sounds good.

justice – tsedeq – justice, rightness, righteousness

They would pray, "God, take care of those people that have hurt me so much"

approaching – q@rabah – an approach, a drawing near

They liked the things they were to do in order to approach God.

NOTE: As spiritual as this all sounds, keep in mind that these are all EXTERNAL things. They are good things, but something is missing.

fasted – tsuwm – to abstain from food, fast

There was only one day each year that the Jews were commanded to fast, on the Day of Atonement (Lev. 16:29-31), though they were allowed to fast on other days if they wanted.

seest – ra’ah – to see, look at, inspect, perceive, consider

"God, how come we’ve worked so hard at being miserable and yet You haven’t answered our prayers? Don’t you owe us something here?"

afflicted – ‘anah – to afflict, oppress, humble, be bowed down

This is God’s response to the question in the first part of the verse.

pleasure – chephets – delight, pleasure

In their fasting, the people might have abstained from food, but they made sure they still had their other pleasures. They may have been keeping from food, but they made sure they were comfortable in doing it.

exact – nagas – to press, drive, oppress, exact, exert demanding pressure; driver, taskmaster, ruler, oppressor, tyrant, lord, exactor of tribute (participle)

labours – ‘atseb – labourer, toiler, labour

better, "you oppress all your workers"

strife – riyb – strife, controversy, dispute; quarrel

debate – matstsah – strife, contention

smite – nakah – to strike, smite, hit, beat, slay, kill

wickedness – resha‘– wrong, wickedness, guilt

(Isa 58:4 NLT) What good is fasting when you keep on fighting and quarreling?

(Isa 58:4 NIV) …You cannot fast as you do today and expect your voice to be heard on high.

One of the goals of fasting is to "make your voice be heard on high", to have God pay attention to your prayers. You will often see "fasting" connected with "prayer" in the Scripture (11 times in KJV).

chosen – bachar – to choose, elect, decide for

"Is this what kind of fast I’m really looking for? says the Lord. Is all I want you to do is just bow your heads and wear sackcloth and ashes?" The answer is "no".

In verses 6 & 7 God describes the kind of "fast" that He likes. It seems to me that verse 6 seems focused on the spiritual part of fasting while verse 7 describes the practical parts of fasting.

to loose – pathach – to open; (Piel); to free; to loosen; to open, open oneself

bands – chartsubbah – bond, fetter, pang, hands

wickedness – resha‘– wrong, wickedness, guilt (same word used in verse 4)

The wording can carry the idea of "setting free people from the bondage of wickedness or guilt"

Do you realize that we have a message that sets people free from guilt and condemnation?

to undo – nathar – (Hiphil) to unfasten, loosen; to set free, unbind

heavy – mowtah – pole, bar of yoke

burdens – ‘aguddah – band, binding; cords, bands, thongs (metaphorical of slavery)

The wording can mean, "to unfasten the cords of the yoke", to set something free from a kind of slavery.

Jesus said,

oppressed – ratsats – to crush, oppress

free – chophshiy – free; free (from slavery); free (from taxes or obligations)

"Let those that are crushed and broken be freed from slavery"

break – nathaq – to pull or tear or draw off or away or apart, draw out, pluck up, break, lift, root out

yoke – mowtah – pole, bar of yoke; of oppression (fig.)

"tear away every yoke of oppression"

deal – parac – to divide, break in two

bring – bow’ – (Hiphil); to lead in; to carry in

cast out – maruwd – restlessness, straying, wanderer, refugee

To give shelter to those who have no home.

hide – ‘alam – to conceal, hide, be hidden, be concealed, be secret.

flesh – basar – flesh; kindred, blood-relations

Don’t hide yourself from seeing the needs of your own kindred, your own family.