Isaiah 58

The Facts:

List three things that Isaiah's audience believed about fasting?

(What did Isaiah's audience believe about the reason for fasting

the way to fast?

what is included in fasting?)

List four reasons God (through Isaiah) says their fasting will prevent them from being heard?

How does He describe a fast that will make them heard and its results?

Interpretation:

read context/historical context: What healing did they need? What did they want vs. What did God prescribe?

What picture of God would lead someone to humble themselves on the outside or physically, but not on the inside relationally/spiritually and expect to be heard? They thought God wants appeasement rather than relationship. God wants mercy not sacrifice.

In what ways do we turn the Sabbath into appeasement?

(How does Isaiah describe human relationships during the audience's fasting?)

Did anyone notice in what order this works? Fix relationships first, then God will hear? Why is this? What is it about broken relationships that prevents God from answering and blessing those who pray. What is it about good relationships that allows Him to answer prayer?

This is where we left off. Who can sum it up for us in a principle? God operates responsibly. He doesn't send mixed messages, He doesn't override the natural consequences of wickedness in human relationships? So any fasting that does not improve our human relationships is a counterproductive fast. The self-denial God is looking for is not self-denial that is pointless suffering. It is self-denial that alleviates another's pain.

I've heard of students who fasted one lunch a week and used that money to feed others.

If fasting does not impress God, what is one attitude that we should never have when fasting and praying?

(What is it about fasting while fighting that is so unacceptable?)

What does fasting have in common with the Sabbath?

What can fasting teach us about the Sabbath? Sabbath is a day of relationship with God. Fasting also is about relationship.

Fasting should improve our relationships with people. The Sabbath should improve our relationship with God.

What does this tell us about fasting? Is Isaiah against it? for it? What makes the difference? What is the purpose? Fasting should make us nicer. Fasting is not to make God nicer, but to make us more like Him. The One who denied Himself is giving us a taste of what it is like to be Him, denying self.

What characteristics of God does true fasting illuminate? Self- denial for the benefit of others How can fasting make us more like God?

Fasting is to draw us closer to God and to make us more like Him. The Sabbath also is for that purpose, yet we becloud our brains more on the Sabbath (and sleep) than any other day. Would fasting on the Sabbath help us to use the Sabbath for its intended purpose? We do our own pleasure and Sabbath is a holiday not a holy day.

If fasting doesn't impress God, then should we practice it? Do any of you have experiences with fasting that could help us understand it? What does fasting do for us? For God?

Who can state what we've learned about fasting and our relationships to God and others in one sentence?

Fasting should improve our relationships with others by helping us to be more in harmony with God.

Application:

I have a story that will help us get a glimpse of how this works.

Janis's story. Major turning point, not because God heard her and did what she wanted, but because she was brought into closer awareness of God's will and way of doing things and she acted on it.

When might you use fasting? Sometime when you are faced with a perplexity and you want to make sure you are right with God and in harmony with His will.

(This kind comes out only by (Mk 9:29 or Matt 17:21) prayer and fasting? Not original, but the truth is that one would need to be in harmony with God to do some such things)

What are some ways we deny ourselves that do not benefit others?

What are some methods of self-denial that would benefit others? Could fasting aid us in doing any of these?

What are some ways we refuse to lift a yoke on other people, or oppress them which may be interfering with our prayer life?

What's one yoke you could lift from someone this week?

What is one way you could improve a relationship this week? How might fasting help?

When will you fast this week?