Isa 58.1-14 is a chapter where Yehovah rebukes the people for depending on idolatry and their sins. It’s also a rebuke for their external worship practices that were void of the true essence of service to God, which includes love, mercy, justice and compassion. This idea was already addressed in Isa 1.15. This chapter is a Yom Kippur passage, which is also a Yom Ha Din or “Day of Judgment.” It also gives us insight into fasting.
v 1…Cry with a full throat (loudly), do not hold back, raise your voice like a trumpet (a shofar, alluding to the Shofar Ha Gadol blown on Yom Kippur in particular), and declare to my people their transgression (a Yom Ha Din), and to the house of Jacob their sins (a Hebrew parallelism).
v 2…Yet they seek me day by day, and delight to know my ways (the Torah in theory; they had an external piety and appeared outwardly religious), as a nation that has done righteousness, and has not forsaken the ordinances of their God. They ask me for just decisions (from the prophets), they delight in their nearness of God (the outward duties that would save them from the enemy; works righteousness).
v 3…Why have we fasted and thou dost not see? Why have we humbled ourselves and thou dost not take notice (but Yehovah did take notice, but they had a higher opinion of themselves because of their performances than God did)? Behold (God answers), on the day of your fast you find your desire (gratified themselves), and drive hard all your workers (carried on with normal work-day occupations and oppressed their workers).
v 4…Behold (take notice of), you fast for contention and strife and to strike with a wicked fist (brawling with servants). You do not fast like you do today to make your voice heard on high (in repentance).
v 5…Is it a fast like this I choose, a day for a man to humble himself (to look depressed, bruised, afflicted and irritable because they have not eaten)? Is it for bowing one’s head like a reed (No!), and for spreading out sackcloth and ashes as a bed (No!)? Will you call this a fast, even an acceptable day to the Lord (No!).
v 6…Is this not the fast which I chose (this indicates that there are other “fasts” not related to food that he approves of), to loosen the bonds of wickedness (by separating yourself from the flesh; to repent from error because error binds-John 8.31-32; Jam 1.25-27; Psa 119.45, 160; 2 Cor 3.17), to undo the bands of the yoke (like fraud-Matt 23.4) and to let the oppressed go free (oppressed in spirit or finances, by fines and confiscation, prison; not only physically but bound by burdens of man’s traditions, depraved judgments), and to break every yoke?
v 7…Is it not to divide your bread with the hungry (to break it; can also apply to the word of God), and to bring the homeless poor into your house (help your neighbor who has been cast out by the injustices of the powerful). When you see the naked, cover him (or those poorly clothed); and not to hide yourself from your own flesh (so you don’t have to help your family or neighbor, who are all one flesh really)?
v 8…Then your light will break out like the dawn (a term borrowed from the Temple. The services began when the light of the dawn hit Hebron, and it related to the concept of resurrection), and your recovery (health) will speedily spring forth (no more contentions and strife), and your righteousness (as defined by the Torah) will go before you; the glory of the Lord will be your rear guard (like the pillar of cloud in Exo 14.19-20).
v 9…Then (when you are sincere) you will call and the Lord will answer (with assistance-John 16.21-24; Isa 30.19, 65.24); you will cry and he will say, “Here I am (to help and give relief).” If you remove the yoke (of man’s traditions and false doctrines; oppressing others, etc) from your midst (Acts 15.10), the pointing of the finger (at those who don’t comply with those ways in a threatening way), and speaking wickedness (false doctrine, gossip, harmful things).
v 10…And if you give yourself to the hungry (to help them), and satisfy the desire of the afflicted (not just support, but to bring satisfaction to them), then your light (understanding, prosperity) will rise in darkness (affliction), and your gloom will become like midday (Zech 14.7-prosperity and joy will be clear as day).
v 11…And the Lord will continually guide you, and satisfy your desire (soul, heart) in scorched places (dryness), and give strength to your bones; and you will be like a watered garden (with life), and like a spring of water whose waters do not fail (living water, everlasting-John 4.14).
v 12…And those from among you will rebuild the ancient ruins (wasted by Assyria and Babylon-Hag 1.1-14; Neh 2.20; Isa 61.4. But, this can also be applied spiritually to mean we will rebuild the Torah correctly into our lives); you will raise up the age-old foundations; and you will be called the repairers of the breach, the restorer of the streets in which to dwell (making life inhabitable again).
v 13…If because of the sabbath (the weekly sabbath which is for all, but the context also alludes to Yom Kippur-Mark 2.27; Isa 56.1-8, 66.22) you turn your foot from doing your own pleasure (from doing business and work) on my holy day (The Lord’s Day, Day of the Lord-John 8.56; Mark 2.28. This is not Sunday and it will never be the Lord’s Day), and call the sabbath a delight, the holy day of the Lord (Yehovah) honorable (having a kedusha, which is to designate it or set it apart for the service of God by formal limitations and restrictions. The kedusha of time, like the sabbath, is marked by limits on man’s activities of work and business), and you shall honor it, desisting from your ways (of secular work and construction), from seeking your pleasure (usual business, what pleases you, our own servile work and business), and speaking our own word (vain and useless words).
v 14…Then you will take delight in the Lord (Yehovah’s love, mercy, justice, wisdom, truth, perfections, etc), and I will make you ride on the heights of the earth (above this world); and I will feed you the heritage of Jacob your father (all that God has given him-Jer 50.11; Isa 47.6; Psa 94.5; Rom 9.4-5), for the mouth of the Lord has spoken (true to his word).”
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