Fasting for faithfulness; restore true ways
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¶ Cry aloud, spare not, lift up thy voice like a trumpet, and shew
my people their transgression, and the house of Jacob their sins.
2 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. |
1 - This is important but requires tact. |
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¶ 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.
4 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. .5 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? |
3 - Fasted They were religious in works. They had a form of godliness but without its power 2ti0305. Their "fast" should be in humility as in v5. |
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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?
.7 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? |
6 -
Loose
the bands of wickedness Sin is a hard master.
6 - Heavy burdens Jesus proclaimed freedom mt2304 but many today in the most popular church are in spiritual bondage. |
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¶ 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.
9 Then shalt thou call, and the LORD shall answer; thou shalt cry, and he shall say, Here I am. If thou take away from the midst of thee the yoke, the putting forth of the finger, and speaking vanity; 10 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 noonday: .11 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. .12 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. 8 - Light In spreading truth is6001. 8 - Health Physical well-being is a goal of those who love the light of truth. 8 - Righteousness We may picture security in walking in the paths of righteous ps02303. "Rereward" means "rear guard." 9 - The Lord shall answer He is eager to pour out the blessings of heaven, but blessings are conditional de28. 11 - Like a spring See jn0738. 12 - Build the old waste places Or "build the ancient ruins." Upon returning from captivity the people would find their city in ruins but the foundation was sure and they were to rebuild. This disrepair represented the spiritual state to be rebuilt on the foundation the Lord had given long before. Image
© GoodSalt.com
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¶ 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:
.14 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. |
13 - Turn away thy foot The Sabbath is holy time ge0201. This helps us understand how to keep it. And notice that this is a promise yet to be fulfilled although by the faithful few at the end of time. See v12. |
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