In today’s passage, Israel responds to God’s proclamation of their rebellion. We also see part of God’s counter-response. We will see more of it tomorrow. The Israelites respond as though they are doing what God has demanded but he is not paying attention to them.
Israel is acting like a child caught not doing their homework. Or doing it half-heartedly and complaining the teacher is picking on them when they receive a failing grade. Their reaction is to deflect the blame, act as though they are innocent, and pointing the finger at God.
Unfortunately, their reaction is all too common today. How often do we hear people blame God for something going wrong? How often have we attempted to blame something going wrong on someone else rather than taking responsibility ourselves? Israel was being human with their response. Perhaps they even thought they were doing what they should. However, God goes beyond the actions.
God points out that going through the motions is not enough. They can fast and still be disobedient. Oppressing their workers was not following God’s will. Quarreling and fighting among themselves was not what God desired of them. God was not going to honor their fasting when they were not obeying him. Their fasting was rote behavior and their humility was false.
We must ask ourselves: Are we going through the motions but not carrying out God’s will? We can easily fall into the trap of rote behavior. We attend worship services on Sunday because we always have. We recite words we memorized as a child without thinking about them. We sing hymns without thinking about the words. Doing so is no less offensive to God than what the Israelites were doing. God does not desire rote behavior. He desires our entire heart being given to him.
I pray we all evaluate our attitude and behavior toward God. I pray we choose to give God our heart. I pray each one of us put our heart and soul into worshiping God every day. Evaluate your attitude toward God. Evaluate your behavior. Give your heart to God. Worship God with your whole being.
Isaiah 58:3-4
“Why do we fast, but you do not see?
Why humble ourselves, but you do not notice?”
Look, you serve your own interest on your fast day
and oppress all your workers.
You fast only to quarrel and to fight
and to strike with a wicked fist.
Such fasting as you do today
will not make your voice heard on high.
Marty Pressey 