Read
True Religion
1Shout the message!
Don't hold back.
Say to my people Israel:
You've sinned! You've turned
against the Lord.
2Day after day, you worship him
and seem eager to learn
his teachings.
You act like a nation
that wants to do right
by obeying his laws.
You ask him about justice,
and say you enjoy
worshiping the Lord.
3You wonder why the Lord
pays no attention
when you go without eating
and act humble.
But on those same days
that you give up eating,
you think only of yourselves
and abuse your workers.
4You even get angry
and ready to fight.
No wonder God won't listen
to your prayers!
5Do you think the Lord
wants you to give up eating
and to act as humble
as a bent-over bush?
Or to dress in sackcloth
and sit in ashes?
Is this really what he wants
on a day of worship?
6I'll tell you
what it really means
to worship the Lord.
Remove the chains of prisoners
who are bound unjustly.
Free those who are abused!
7 Share your food with everyone
who is hungry;
share your home
with the poor and homeless.
Give clothes to those in need;
don't turn away your relatives.
8Then your light will shine
like the dawning sun, and you
will quickly be healed.
Your honesty will protect you
as you advance,
and the glory of the Lord
will defend you from behind.
9When you beg the Lord for help,
he will answer, “Here I am!”
Don't mistreat others
or falsely accuse them
or say something cruel.
10Give your food to the hungry
and care for the homeless.
Then your light will shine
in the dark;
your darkest hour will be
like the noonday sun.
11The Lord will always guide you
and provide good things to eat
when you are in the desert.
He will make you healthy.
You will be like a garden
that has plenty of water
or like a stream
that never runs dry.
12You will rebuild those houses
left in ruins for years;
you will be known
as a builder and repairer
of city walls and streets.
13But first, you must start
respecting the Sabbath
as a joyful day of worship.
You must stop doing and saying
whatever you please
on this special day.
14Then you will truly enjoy
knowing the Lord.
He will let you rule
from the highest mountains
and bless you with the land
of your ancestor Jacob.
The Lord has spoken!
Reflect
I’ve always found the tradition of giving a watch or clock as a retirement gift a bit odd. After all not having to keep to a specific time schedule ranks as a retirement perk.
The tradition, which dates back to the Pepsi Cola Company in the 1940’s, stems from a good intention. You gave the company your time all of those years. Now the company acknowledges your contribution by symbolically giving you back your time.
In this passage of Isaiah, the contrast between how the people are worshiping and the worship God desires reminds me of the retirement clock. The company desires to recognize the retiree’s worth and years of service. They want to thank and delight the retiree.
And how is this gift received? Graciously, though not always enthusiastically. I haven’t done any research on it, but my guess is that most retirees would prefer something other than a clock. Perhaps a trip to the Bahamas would be more appealing, maybe even making up for all of those vacation days they didn’t take. Perhaps they desired a better salary or promotion or some other measure of appreciation during their tenure with the company.
Similarly we desire to acknowledge God’s worth through our acts of worship. We shout “Praise the Lord!” We repeat a worship chorus, increasing the volume each time. We fast to show our devotion.
Yet, Isaiah reveals that this is not the worship our Lord desires. This true worship involves loving his creation – speaking kindly, freeing prisoners chained unjustly, feeding the poor, housing the homeless. It’s this worship that acknowledges God’s worth and glorifies him.
Respond
Sovereign Lord, you are worthy of all of my worship and praise. Sometimes is easier to focus on singing and fasting instead of loving people the way you love me. I ask that you help me today to worship you truly by loving and serving others. Amen.
Arnie Cole
DR. ARNIE COLE (Pepperdine) is the CEO of Back to the Bible—an international radio and internet ministry—and Director of Research and Development for the Center for Bible Engagement. He has spent much of his professional life tracking trends of human behavior. Dr. Cole is the co-author of seven books, including Seven Secrets of Worry-Free Living (BroadStreet Publishing). He and his wife, Char, are parents of adult children and operate an equestrian center in Nebraska.