Isa 58:1 | KingComments | STEP | Overview main part 2.3 – Isaiah 58-66 God as Judge and Savior The third part of the second main part (Isaiah 40-66) contains Isaiah 58-66 and can be divided as follows: 1. True fasting (Isaiah 58) 2. Sin, grief and salvation (Isaiah 59) 3. The future glory of Zion (Isaiah 60) 4. The year of the favor of the LORD (Isaiah 61) 5. Convinced prayer for the future of Zion (Isaiah 62) 6. The LORD, the Avenger (Isaiah 63:1-6) 7. A psalm of praise and lamentation (Isaiah 63:7-64:12) 8. The great final decisions (Isaiah 65-66) Introduction to Isaiah 58 With Isaiah 58 a new series of prophecies begins. The first part of it is remarkably similar to what preceded, namely admonition, warning and promise. However, the emphasis in this part is on the future realization of God’s salvation. For the earthly Israel this means the restoration in the land and receiving the full blessing in the millennial realm of peace. There is no longer directly talk of fulfillment in the short term, as is the case in the previous chapters. Isaiah 1-39 is about the threat of the king of Assyria with a short term fulfillment in the days of Hezekiah and a full fulfillment in the end time. In Isaiah 40-57 it is about the return from exile in Babylon with the short term fulfillment in the return of a remnant to the land and also a full fulfillment in the end time. But in this last part of the book, Isaiah 58-66, it is almost only about the fulfillment in the end time. Isaiah 40-48 deals with the first great sin of the people of Israel, namely idolatry. That part ends with the observation that the wicked have no peace. In Isaiah 49-57 it is about the second great sin of the people of Israel, namely the rejection of Christ and receiving the antichrist with open arms. That part also ends with the statement that the wicked have no peace. That is why Isaiah 58 begins with a call to humble themselves, just as the blowing of the trumpets is a call to humble themselves in view of the day of atonement ( ). Also compare the call to humility and conversion by John the baptist, which is a preparation for the coming of Christ. The blowing of the trumpets goes hand in hand with fasting, which finds its climax on the day of atonement. Here, too, we find a call to fasting. The question sounds as it were: “Was it actually for Me that you fasted?” ( ), for the LORD “desires truth in the innermost being” ( ). In order to make the contrast with the future clear, the present situation must also be clear. That is what this chapter is about, which also has great significance for us. It is about fasting, but the intention is to demonstrate the principle of the underlying hypocritical, false piety, an external religion. This is also found in professing Christianity. We find it not only in the Pharisees, but also in ourselves. These are people who seem very sincere. The prophet is summoned to cry “loudly” (literally “with the throat”) and raise his voice like a trumpet to make God’s people known their sins ( ). With this, Isaiah underlines the words of the prophet Micah, his contemporary ( ). The sound of the trumpet is not a silver trumpet, but a ram’s horn. The sound must penetrate to behind the hypocritical righteousness and religious masks behind which the people hide. In God speaks about the righteousness of His people. Outwardly everything seems to be in order. Prophetically this is about the last week – i.e. a period of seven years – from the book of Daniel ( ). A covenant will be made between Israel under the antichrist and the restored Roman Empire or the united states of Europe under the leadership of the beast out of the sea ( ). The temple in Jerusalem has been rebuilt and temple service resumed, something that Israel has not been able to do for many centuries ( ). It seems that they like to approach God. They seek the LORD daily. They are also interested in His ways. They would like to get to know them better and for that they read in the Bible. They even pretend they are a nation that has done righteousness and has not forsaken the ordinance of their God. You would say, applied to our time, that they are people who like to visit Christian meetings and are also religiously engaged at home. You would say that they serve God wholeheartedly. However, makes it clear that their hearts are not involved at all. Their own confession of piety becomes a cause for complaining that God does not pay attention to it. They complain that they notice so little of God’s blessing in their lives, to which they are entitled because of their tremendous dedication and interest in His things. He should reward this by giving them a pleasant life. The fact is that they don’t notice how much they do everything to please themselves and not God. With all their ‘good’ intentions they are blind to what God wants. There is something essential missing from all that external religion. The prayer and humility that go with fasting are absent as well as the real seeking of God. They cling to the form, but their hearts are not in harmony with it. The only fasting that Scripture asks for in the Old Testament is in connection with the day of atonement and is accompanied by true humility ( ). They are blamed by God for the kind of fasting they do, because their fasting is only an outward ritual ( ). They seek their own advantage and put pressure on their staff to produce more ( ; cf. ). They content and strife with each other. How can the relationship with the Lord be in order when we live in contention with each other? This is not the fast preferred by the LORD and pleasing to Him ( ). Bowing the head, walking in sackcloth and living on ashes seems very humble, but God desires a contrite heart ( ).

‏ Isaiah 58:1

Introduction

Overview main part 2.3 – Isaiah 58-66

God as Judge and Savior

The third part of the second main part (Isaiah 40-66) contains Isaiah 58-66 and can be divided as follows:

1. True fasting (Isaiah 58)

2. Sin, grief and salvation (Isaiah 59)

3. The future glory of Zion (Isaiah 60)

4. The year of the favor of the LORD (Isaiah 61)

5. Convinced prayer for the future of Zion (Isaiah 62)

6. The LORD, the Avenger (Isaiah 63:1-6)

7. A psalm of praise and lamentation (Isaiah 63:7-64:12)

8. The great final decisions (Isaiah 65-66)

Introduction to Isaiah 58

With Isaiah 58 a new series of prophecies begins. The first part of it is remarkably similar to what preceded, namely admonition, warning and promise. However, the emphasis in this part is on the future realization of God’s salvation. For the earthly Israel this means the restoration in the land and receiving the full blessing in the millennial realm of peace.

There is no longer directly talk of fulfillment in the short term, as is the case in the previous chapters. Isaiah 1-39 is about the threat of the king of Assyria with a short term fulfillment in the days of Hezekiah and a full fulfillment in the end time. In Isaiah 40-57 it is about the return from exile in Babylon with the short term fulfillment in the return of a remnant to the land and also a full fulfillment in the end time. But in this last part of the book, Isaiah 58-66, it is almost only about the fulfillment in the end time.

Isaiah 40-48 deals with the first great sin of the people of Israel, namely idolatry. That part ends with the observation that the wicked have no peace. In Isaiah 49-57 it is about the second great sin of the people of Israel, namely the rejection of Christ and receiving the antichrist with open arms. That part also ends with the statement that the wicked have no peace.

That is why Isaiah 58 begins with a call to humble themselves, just as the blowing of the trumpets is a call to humble themselves in view of the day of atonement (Lev 23:23-27). Also compare the call to humility and conversion by John the baptist, which is a preparation for the coming of Christ. The blowing of the trumpets goes hand in hand with fasting, which finds its climax on the day of atonement. Here, too, we find a call to fasting. The question sounds as it were: “Was it actually for Me that you fasted?” (Zec 7:5), for the LORD “desires truth in the innermost being” (Psa 51:6a).

Fast of the People

In order to make the contrast with the future clear, the present situation must also be clear. That is what this chapter is about, which also has great significance for us. It is about fasting, but the intention is to demonstrate the principle of the underlying hypocritical, false piety, an external religion. This is also found in professing Christianity. We find it not only in the Pharisees, but also in ourselves. These are people who seem very sincere.

The prophet is summoned to cry “loudly” (literally “with the throat”) and raise his voice like a trumpet to make God’s people known their sins (Isa 58:1). With this, Isaiah underlines the words of the prophet Micah, his contemporary (Mic 3:8b). The sound of the trumpet is not a silver trumpet, but a ram’s horn. The sound must penetrate to behind the hypocritical righteousness and religious masks behind which the people hide.

In Isa 58:2 God speaks about the righteousness of His people. Outwardly everything seems to be in order. Prophetically this is about the last week – i.e. a period of seven years – from the book of Daniel (Dan 9:27). A covenant will be made between Israel under the antichrist and the restored Roman Empire or the united states of Europe under the leadership of the beast out of the sea (Rev 13:1-10). The temple in Jerusalem has been rebuilt and temple service resumed, something that Israel has not been able to do for many centuries (Hos 3:4).

It seems that they like to approach God. They seek the LORD daily. They are also interested in His ways. They would like to get to know them better and for that they read in the Bible. They even pretend they are a nation that has done righteousness and has not forsaken the ordinance of their God. You would say, applied to our time, that they are people who like to visit Christian meetings and are also religiously engaged at home. You would say that they serve God wholeheartedly.

However, Isa 58:3a makes it clear that their hearts are not involved at all. Their own confession of piety becomes a cause for complaining that God does not pay attention to it. They complain that they notice so little of God’s blessing in their lives, to which they are entitled because of their tremendous dedication and interest in His things. He should reward this by giving them a pleasant life.

The fact is that they don’t notice how much they do everything to please themselves and not God. With all their ‘good’ intentions they are blind to what God wants. There is something essential missing from all that external religion. The prayer and humility that go with fasting are absent as well as the real seeking of God. They cling to the form, but their hearts are not in harmony with it. The only fasting that Scripture asks for in the Old Testament is in connection with the day of atonement and is accompanied by true humility (Lev 16:29).

They are blamed by God for the kind of fasting they do, because their fasting is only an outward ritual (Isa 58:3b). They seek their own advantage and put pressure on their staff to produce more (Isa 58:4; cf. Jam 5:1-6). They content and strife with each other. How can the relationship with the Lord be in order when we live in contention with each other? This is not the fast preferred by the LORD and pleasing to Him (Isa 58:5). Bowing the head, walking in sackcloth and living on ashes seems very humble, but God desires a contrite heart (Isa 57:15).