Isaiah 58 talks about the kind of religion that pleases God.
For instance, God is pleased with fasting, but not with how the Israelites were doing it in the prophet's day. Also, keeping the Sabbath is good, but only if it is done with the right motives. Based on Isaiah's writings, it seems that the people were guilty of practicing their religion with self-centered interests.
The kind of fast God loves is where the hungry are fed and the oppressed go free. To honor the Sabbath, put aside your own interests and focus on what God wants. These concepts are hard to grasp, and the people were still wrestling with them hundreds of years later when Jesus came and condemned the Pharisees for continuing many of these shallow practices.
To let your righteousness to be real, focus on God and others. Lead not with yourself, but with your compassion. Don't put yourself forward, but see what you can do to help others who are struggling. That is the real righteousness God is looking for.
No comments:
Post a Comment