Playing the Game
“Why have we fasted and You do not see? Why have we humbled ourselves and You do not notice?” Behold, on the day of your fast you find your desire, and drive hard all your workers. Isaiah 58:3 NASB
Find your desire – This evening we begin Yom Kippur. Fasting is appropriate on the day of corporate repentance. But there should be no doubt that fasting by itself means nothing. Ritual without restitution is empty. Isaiah’s words from God indicate that these people fasted. They played the ritual game. But they did so timtseu hefets (seeking pleasure). In other words, the real motivation behind this fast was not humility before God or sincere desire to honor Him and do His will. It was personal gain. They supposed that as a result of ritual practice God would do something for them.
What evidence does the prophet produce to justify this claim? Certainly God knows. He can examine men’s hearts and determine their motives. But we who do not have this capability are often deluded by outward actions. So the prophet provides observable evidence that reveals true motivation. The bosses fast. They practice the ritual. But they drive their workers hard on the same day. The compassion, mercy, humility and submission necessary for true repentance are not present because they do not extend it to those under them. The test of true devotion to the Lord is the way we treat other people. “Love the Lord your God” cannot be separated from “your neighbor as yourself.”
The verb here (matsa) is unusual in that it means both “to find” and “to come upon, reach, attain.” It is not the verb of Deuteronomy 4:29 translated “seek” (baqash) but it is the second verb in that famous passage. Biblical thought often suggests that seeking results in finding. But here in Isaiah, there is no “seeking.” The ones who perform the ritual are not seeking God. They are in it in order to find without seeking. Their goal is to attain hefets, a word meaning “delight.” They wish to find the emotional state of satisfaction that accompanies completion of a task. In other words, they practice their religion in order to feel good. That’s why the prophet excoriates them. Their goal is not righteousness or restitution or repentance. Their goal is feeling better about themselves because they have done their religious duty. The proof is that none of their actions change the rest of their expectations or demands on others. There has been no transformation of the heart. All they got was a good feeling.
This passage makes us pay much more attention to the purposes of assembling together. Do we seek the Lord or do we want to have our spirits lifted? Are we gathering before Him in order to pay Him homage or are we joining together so that we might experience the emotional high of communal involvement? Do we practice religion for Him or for us?
Topical Index: fast, find, matsa, desire, delight, hefets, Isaiah 58:3
All I can say is Thank You!
Didn’t Yeshua essentially reiterate the same principle in the Sermon on the Mount when He advised anyone who had anything against their brother to leave the gift at the altar and go reconcile FIRST before the reconciliation with YHVH counted?
I have concluded that, unfortunately, we “have sought out many inventions” when it comes to convincing ourselves that we have ‘done our dooty’ when it comes to worshiping our God. But what does He have to say to us about what He requires? Multiple places I have found, searching the Word, where He has said things like tending widows and orphans is true religion, and that if we want to know whether we love Him or not, is not how high we lift the hands and how loud we hum the chorus, but if we have kept His commandments. I find that what HE says He requires of us is to DO justly, and to love mercy. These all look more like my gift before the altar just might need to sit there a few more years while I go and get right some more!
Then there is the account in the Temple where Yeshua pointed out the contrast between the ruler who brought in his ostentatious offering with great fanfare and lifting of hands and halleluahs, no doubt, vs. the sinner in the corner striking his breast and crying “be merciful to me, a sinner”. And who “went down to his house, justified”, according to the Saviour?
So what do we really want, I wonder sometimes? To feel good, or to be justified? And, no, the one does not necessarily equate with the other!
If the Law is not my foundation, my meditation focus, day and night; if the doing of it is not my reason for living and loving and the breath in my body, and ALL MY JOY, then is not life just vanity???
To me, the Gospel, the Good News, is about restoring my CAPACITY to be able to obey. Halleluah! The RELATIONSHIP that is a RESULT of my obedience, is where all the good stuff is at. Yes, I celebrate the reconciliation that I was graciously granted, but that is only half. Jumping up and down about that is all well and good, but isn’t what I actually should be doing, MY HALF? Isn’t obeying better than sacrifice? Is there any other way to show Him that I love Him OTHER than keeping His commandments? Did He give me any? Both Old Testament and New, I read the same: “If you love Me, keep My commandments”. My gift at the altar may just have to wait a while more!
Yesterday, my sister went to get a three month old baby out of the crib and she was dead. All I could think about was that I wanted to be clean and whole, so I could effectively intercede for her, and the parents of the baby she was caring for. I cringe at every harsh word, critical judgement and wasted opportunity to show love through my life. My heart aches that we live a lie when the Truth is available and was so costly. I grieve that the ones who speak about light are often the ones who spread darkness. I feel such sadness that I’ve actually made choices that worked against the Kingdom. Maybe that’s why we’ve been given someone who previously persecuted those in the Way to tell us we really can be restored. I simply cannot fathom One who is so awesome! I want to learn to love. Restoring the capacity to obey IS Good News! I agree!!! There is atonement, restoration and reconciliation in order that we could have Life! The Author of life wants obedience as demonstrated by doing justly, loving mercy and walking humbly. A cow, or a few bucks, won’t cut it.
“Whatever He says to you, do it.”
What God intends for good we make futile. Do we think we are righteous because we fast on Yom Kippur? A self righteous attitude is not the desired fruit for this day, but recognizing our true state, how far we have yet to go to become like our Father. Our mercy, love and compassion for others falls far short. May we be granted mercy.
is it okay to fast on the saboth?
Yom Kippur is the Sabbath of Sabbaths so it takes precedence over the weekly Shabbbat. Yes, fasting is appropriate on Shabbat for this holy day.
Ohhhh this pierces right through the inner most being. Praise be to God for desiring our hands to be clean and hearts to be pure!
On this eve of Yom Kippur, I think of Nicodemus. A great and highly honored man of the synagogue….there was nothing he did not know, understand and teach regarding the Torah…a wise man who gave much of his life, I’m sure, to passing along that understanding to those who were waiting to learn. It was that true and honest love for the words of God that vibrated within his heart whenever he heard Jesus teach. I imagine, like the sense of something coming alive in us when we hear Jesus’ words to us in those moments of raw honesty and need, he too felt…there is something more here…more than words…more than rote, more than knowledge. What is it? I want it..more of it…I must have it or I simply cannot go on. So that night, he went to find this Man…this Man..who speaks and something more is there then words. “Rabbi”, he began, “we know You are from God…..” – no one affects the heart as You do. “Ah! – you’re correct”, Jesus answered him, “I tell you that unless a person is born again from above (not from earthly “parts” – but the spiritual) he cannot even see the Kingdom of God.” (The Kingdom of God – the spiritual realm). “But Rabbi! A man can’t go back into the womb of his mother and come out again!!” “EXACTLY!” Jesus wholeheartedly agreed. “Unless a man is born from water and the Spirit…..he simply cannot enter the (spiritual realm) of the Kingdom of God. What is born of the flesh – it is flesh (all that flesh includes comes in that birth-intellect, physical and the emotional) – and what is born of the Spirit-that is Spirit.” “But how can that happen?!!” I’m sure he was hungry AND frustrated at this point – this isn’t making sense! Jesus’ response was exclamatory. “You hold the office of teacher in Israel, and you don’t know this?!” Nicodemus-you know everything about every word written in the Torah – you have much of it memorized! You teach those words every day! Ah – but still you don’t know the Spirit. Maybe Nicodemus, like all of us at some point began to realize…there is much more to this Life of God then the words that only describe Him. From there I roll back time to David, (Psalm 51) “God in Your grace, have mercy on me; in Your great compassion, blot out my crimes. Wash me completely from my guilt, and cleanse me from my sin. For I know my crimes, my sin confronts me all the time. Against You, You only, have I sinned and done what is evil from Your perspective; so that You are right in accusing me and justified in passing sentence. True, I was born guilty, was a sinner from the moment my mother conceived me. Still, You want truth in the inner person; so make me know wisdom in my inmost heart. Sprinkle me with oregano, and I will be clean; wash me, and I will be whiter than snow. Let me hear the sound of joy and gladness, so that the bones You crushed can rejoice. Turn away Your Face from my sins, and blot out all my crimes. Create in me a clean heart, God; renew in me a resolute spirit, don’t thrust me away from Your Presence, don’t take Your Ruach Kodesh away from me. Restore my joy in Your salvation, and let a willing spirit uphold me. Then I will teach the wicked Your ways, and sinners will return to You. Rescue me from the guilt of shedding blood, God, God of my salvation! Then my tongue will sing about Your Righteousness – Adonai, open my lips; then my mouth will praise You. For You don’t want sacrifices, or I would give them; You don’t take pleasure in burnt offerings.(Things of the flesh) My sacrifice to God is a broken spirit; God, You won’t spurn a broken, chastened heart. (A spiritual gift of brokenness before God) In Your good pleasure, make Tziyon prosper; rebuild the walls of Yerushalayim. Then You will delight in righteous sacrifices, in burnt offerings and whole burnt offerings, then they will offer bulls on Your altar.” So obviously, even if we give all and still do not receive Him in brokenness…it is a worthless gift.
David and Nicodemus learning about the Spirit that is Life. For David, his lineage gave birth to Christ…Nicodemus gave up all his religious, community standing and worldly wealth….but he found it worth it all.
Oh God, forgive us our sins with which we have grieved Your Heart. Show us Your Truth – pour Your Life over us and fill us with Your Water and Your Spirit that we might go forward in the power of Your Grace. You Alone are Holy!
I appreciate your fervor and intention, but you will have to rethink your exegesis of Psalm 51. There is nothing in that psalm to support the “sinful nature-born guilty” theology of Luther (see my several writings on this subject including the Psalm). If in fact we are born guilty, then Yom Kippur is a farce.
Hmmmmmmmm. Yeah
So sorry – I had no idea I was making that statement. I just love David’s heart and his willingness to give it in it’s brokenness to the only One who can cleanse it completely. I have prayed it many times when I’ve honestly faced those attitudes or mind sets that separated me from Him. In truth, Luther has nothing to do with living my life – I’ve learned, as Nicodemus, there’s just something more that refuses to be grasped with my mental striving – it’s a heart thing. Wow, I didn’t know I was giving an exegesis – nor did I realize I made a connection to “sinful nature-born guilty” – did David? I was just repeating his words because they are precious to me. Oh wait! Verse 5! Ah – well – in my ignorance I looked right over that so you’ll have to take that up with David…my prayer of heart is “Purge me with hyssop, and I shall be clean; wash me, and I shall be whiter than snow. Make me hear joy and gladness…create in me a clean heart, O God, and renew a steadfast spirit within me……” Being Yom Kippur it is a prayer that resonates in my heart. Blessings cover you.
No need to be sorry. Just keep studying.