Bible League: Living His Word "Is not this the fast that I choose:to loose the bonds of wickedness, to undo the straps of the yoke, to let the oppressed go free, and to break every yoke?" What does it mean to go on a fast? Typically, it means that someone abstains from food for a period of time. Sometimes, it even means abstaining from food and water for a period of time. The reason for doing this is to deny oneself in order to get close to God. The idea is to deny the sinful self's demands for what it wants when it wants it, even necessary and good things like food and water, in order to show God that there is nothing more important than Him. The idea is to seek God's favor and help by whole-heartedly turning to Him, instead of catering to the sinful self's cravings and demands. God, however, had a problem with the fasts of the people of God. As the context of our verse for today makes clear, the problem God had was that at the same time His people were fasting they were also oppressing their fellow countrymen. They were denying the sinful self's demands for food and water, but caving in to its demands for exploitation and oppression of others. From God's point of view, they were guilty of gross inconsistency. From God's point of view, their fasting was worthless. He said to them, '"Fasting like yours this day will not make your voice to be heard on high" (Isaiah 58:4). The trouble was that the people of God thought they could get on God's good side simply by fasting for a relatively brief period of time, while continuously indulging their wicked lifestyle. They thought that a brief period of denial would cover for a lifestyle of indulgence. God, however, rejected their kind of fasting. He said, "Will you call this a fast, and a day acceptable to the LORD?" (Isaiah 58:5). In response to them, God spoke the words of our verse for today. Real fasting is more than just abstinence from food and water. Real fasting is abstinence from all the works of the sinful self. Although no one is perfect, real fasting is to be just and righteous in every area of life. God wants us to go on fasts, but in the context of a lifestyle of fasting. Bible in a Year Old Testament ReadingZephaniah Zephaniah 1 -- The Word of the Lord to Zephaniah: God's Severe Judgments against Judah NIV NLT ESV NAS GWT KJV ASV ERV DRB Zephaniah 2 -- Judgments on Judah's Enemies: Philistia, Moab, Ammon, Cush and Assyria NIV NLT ESV NAS GWT KJV ASV ERV DRB Zephaniah 3 -- Woe to Jerusalem; The Remnant of Israel Will do no Iniquity NIV NLT ESV NAS GWT KJV ASV ERV DRB New Testament Reading Revelation 15 Revelation 15 -- The Seven Angels with the Seven Last Plagues NIV NLT ESV NAS GWT KJV ASV ERV DRB Reading Plan Courtesy of Christian Classics Etherial Library. Tyndale Life Application Daily Devotion But it is no shame to suffer for being a Christian. Praise God for the privilege of being called by his name!Insight It is not shameful to suffer for being a Christian. When Peter and John were persecuted for preaching the Good News, they rejoiced because such persecution was a mark of God's approval of their work. Challenge Don't seek out suffering, and don't try to avoid it. Instead, keep on doing what is right regardless of the suffering it might bring. Morning and Evening by Spurgeon 2 Corinthians 8:9 For your sakes he became poor.The Lord Jesus Christ was eternally rich, glorious, and exalted; but "though he was rich, yet for your sakes he became poor." As the rich saint cannot be true in his communion with his poor brethren unless of his substance he ministers to their necessities, so (the same rule holding with the head as between the members), it is impossible that our Divine Lord could have had fellowship with us unless he had imparted to us of his own abounding wealth, and had become poor to make us rich. Had he remained upon his throne of glory, and had we continued in the ruins of the fall without receiving his salvation, communion would have been impossible on both sides. Our position by the fall, apart from the covenant of grace, made it as impossible for fallen man to communicate with God as it is for Belial to be in concord with Christ. In order, therefore, that communion might be compassed, it was necessary that the rich kinsman should bestow his estate upon his poor relatives, that the righteous Saviour should give to his sinning brethren of his own perfection, and that we, the poor and guilty, should receive of his fulness grace for grace; that thus in giving and receiving, the One might descend from the heights, and the other ascend from the depths, and so be able to embrace each other in true and hearty fellowship. Poverty must be enriched by him in whom are infinite treasures before it can venture to commune; and guilt must lose itself in imputed and imparted righteousness ere the soul can walk in fellowship with purity. Jesus must clothe his people in his own garments, or he cannot admit them into his palace of glory; and he must wash them in his own blood, or else they will be too defiled for the embrace of his fellowship. O believer, herein is love! For your sake the Lord Jesus "became poor" that he might lift you up into communion with himself. Daily Light on the Daily Path Romans 8:13 for if you are living according to the flesh, you must die; but if by the Spirit you are putting to death the deeds of the body, you will live.Galatians 5:19,21-25 Now the deeds of the flesh are evident, which are: immorality, impurity, sensuality, • envying, drunkenness, carousing, and things like these, of which I forewarn you, just as I have forewarned you, that those who practice such things will not inherit the kingdom of God. • But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, • gentleness, self-control; against such things there is no law. • Now those who belong to Christ Jesus have crucified the flesh with its passions and desires. • If we live by the Spirit, let us also walk by the Spirit. Titus 2:11?14 For the grace of God has appeared, bringing salvation to all men, • instructing us to deny ungodliness and worldly desires and to live sensibly, righteously and godly in the present age, • looking for the blessed hope and the appearing of the glory of our great God and Savior, Christ Jesus, • who gave Himself for us to redeem us from every lawless deed, and to purify for Himself a people for His own possession, zealous for good deeds. New American Standard Bible Copyright © 1960, 1962, 1963, 1968, 1971, 1972, 1973, 1975, 1977, 1995 by The Lockman Foundation, La Habra, Calif. All rights reserved. For Permission to Quote Information visit http://www.lockman.org. |
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