In Isaiah 58 the Almighty is speaking to backslidden Judah (the Jews), telling them that, though they are extremely religious and are doing WHAT He has told them to do, they are in deep trouble with Him because they are not doing it HOW He has told them to do it. As a result, He has turned a deaf ear to their prayers and refuses to help them out of the negative situations in which they continually find themselves. Specifically, though they fast and observe His Sabbath Day, they do so in the wrong way and with the wrong attitude. In this series I will write the narrative in the manner of the Jewish Bible which is not as stilted as the language found in the various English translations. This makes the message much easier to understand. Read Second Timothy 3:14-17. “All Scripture” refers to the Old Testament–the only Scriptures in existence at that time.

As we are told in several New Testament Scriptures, God’s dealings with and Words to the Israelites (Genesis through Malachi) have been preserved over many centuries in order to be used as teaching tools for the New Testament Church which came into being on the Day of Pentecost 31 A.D. The Apostle Peter tells us that it was on that day that the “latter days” began (Acts 2 1-18). Note verse 17 where Peter said: “This is that …,” referring to what had just happened. Today we are living at the end of the “latter days” to which the Prophet Joel was referring. This is proof that the Old Testament is as relevant as the New Testament to God’s end time church. To understand this Truth Read Ephesians 2:20/ Second Timothy 3:14-16/ First Corinthians 10:11/ Matthew 4:4 and Second Peter 1:21. The connection between ancient Israel and the latter day church is so complete and unbreakable that in Galatians 6:16 the Apostle Paul refers to the New Testament Church as “the Israel of God.” The modern day church is an Israelite institution. Gentiles who enter in must become spiritual Israelites by obeying the Biblical God’s Law. Let us begin our study of what God is now saying to that institution through the Words He spoke to the ancient Jews concerning their, and our, relationship with Him. Read Who and Where is Israel Today? Key word–Where?

We will begin our study with Isaiah 58:1 where we find the Almighty commanding the Prophet Isaiah to: “Shout out loud! Don’t hold back! Raise your voice like a shofar (ram’s horn). Proclaim to My people what rebels they are; tell the house of Jacob (ancient Israel and the New Testament church) what sinners they are.” Note that, though God called the Jews (and the modern church) “My people,” most of them were rebelling against Him and were no longer “KNOWN” by Him. Read Knowing Jesus: What Does it Mean? Key word–Knowing. Most of the ancient Jews (tribes of Judah and Benjamin) were like the foolish virgins of Matthew 25. The true saints among them were like the wise virgins. Note that both were called “virgins,” meaning church members. All were known by Christ, but only half of them were “KNOWN” (intimately) by Him. Today the percentage is much smaller and decreasing steadily (Mat. 7:13,14/ 24:4,5).

In verse two the Lord begins to tell Isaiah exactly what is going on with His people, and why: “O yes, they seek Me day after day and claim to delight in My ways. They continue to ask Me to bless them as if they were obedient to Me. They expect Me to fulfill My promises to them while claiming to fast as I require them to. When I refuse to answer their prayers they ask, ‘Why should we fast if You don’t notice when we afflict our souls (bodies)'”? Fasting is doing without food for a period of time in order to bring the flesh and its appetites under control while focusing on the Lord.

In verse four the Lord speaks to the people through the prophet: “Here is My answer to your complaints. When you fast you treat your laborers harshly, even attacking them physically. Your attitude toward them is not of Me. Fasting as you do will not make your voice heard on high.” Notice the Lord’s emphasis on His HEARING their prayers. When they fast with the wrong attitudes and wrong actions their “heaven becomes as iron” as He warned in Leviticus 26:19. The people could not understand why they fasted and prayed but to no avail. Nothing changed. God would not answer their prayers. As a result, problems continued to plague them even though they continued to pray, fast and observe His Sabbath.

In verse five God asks the Jews: “What kind of fast do you think I require? Do you try to get My attention by fasting in public so that others can see that you are fasting and admire you? Do you sit on sackcloth surrounded by ashes with your heard hanging down so as to advertise what your fake piety? Is this what you call a fast? Do you think this pleases the Lord your God?” The unholy Jews were prone to “announcing” that they were fasting in order to impress others with their pretended holiness. God was not impressed. Nor is He impressed with man’s super-churchiness today.

Beginning in verse six the Almighty explains to the Jews the type of fast He required then and requires now. They were to fast privately, meaning that, regardless of what they did while fasting, they were not to appear to others to be fasting. They were to keep their fasting between themselves and their God. They were to conduct themselves in a holy manner not only when fasting but at all other times. THEN He would hear their prayers and would do any number of good things for them. THEN they would call out to Him and He would answer: “Here I am.” He would not only help them, He would enable them to help others. In the process they would be showing others how to serve Him in humility and holiness. Read verses seven through twelve.

In verse 13 the Lord changes His focus from fasting to observing His seventh day (Saturday) Sabbath which He calls “My Holy Day.” This is the one and only day of the week that He declares holy unto Himself by putting His name in it, designating it as “My Holy Day.” He also requires His people to observe HIS holy day as THEIR holy day. We are commanded to “REMEMBER THE SABBATH DAY AND KEEP IT HOLY” (Exodus 20 and Deuteronomy 5). Remember that He said of Himself: “I am the Lord, I CHANGE NOT” (Mal. 3:6). Man, not God, changed the day the Creator of all days called His Holy Sabbath from Saturday to Sunday–the day when sun worshipers in the Catholic Church paid homage to their god–the sun. The change of the weekly Sabbath from Saturday to Sunday took place in 364 A.D. at the Council of Laodicea when Pope Sylvester declared that from that day forward the sabbath would be observed on the sun god’s day in order to appease the sun worshipers who had been forced into the Catholic Church by the Roman Empire.

When the so-called “Protestants” (“protesters”) left with Martin Luther they took many of the Catholic beliefs and practices with them. Some of them are listed on the home page of this website. Luther and his followers did not leave the Catholic Church because of her beliefs and practices, but because of the sinful behavior of the priests. Read Simon of Samaria: The Legacy. Key word–Simon in order to learn the origin of many Protestant and Catholic beliefs and customs. Many of the foundational “truths” upon which professing Christendom is founded were borrowed from the world of heathenism. The Catholic/Protestant Church System is heathen to the core. For that reason God commands Truth seekers to “come out of her and be separate; do not touch that unclean thing” (2 Cor. 6:14-7:1). He tells us that only THEN will He be our God and we will be His people. Only THEN will He “KNOW” us spiritually–intimately. Read Knowing Jesus and Touching. Key words–Knowing and Touching respectively.

In part 2 of this series we will briefly examine God’s instructions for observing His Sabbath. His general information relative to His Sabbath is found in verses 13 and 14 of Isaiah 53. Here He tells us to lay aside all worldly pursuits like working, recreating, shopping, etc. that are not sins in and of themselves. However, if entered into on His Sabbath they become sins. We are to dedicate Saturday as our Sabbath (rest) Day as did the Lord Who gave us that day to rest as He did following His re-creation of the universe. By following His instructions we will honor His Sabbath and delight in it. For this He promises to bless us with abundance of everything we need. L.J.