GOD CALLS

ISAIAH 58:1-12

THIS WEEK’S focusWhether you still like to dress up in costumes on occassion or not, we all put

on masks sometimes in life. We do this through the way we use social media—

only showing pictures that make it look like our lives are great all of the time.

We also put on masks in the way we interact with our friends and family—we

say we are ‘good’ when we might actually be upset or hurting. Today we are

going to see God, speaking through Isaiah, call out the people of Israel for

putting on masks. They were pretending to be religious and spiritual when in

reality they were living very selfishly. Following Christ invovles taking off our

masks and letting who we truly are be seen. It invovles turning from selfish

living so that we might see and meet the needs of the vulnerable around us.

CENTRAL truthGod calls us to turn from selfish living and to instead serve the vulnerable around us.

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EXPLORE

scripture ISAIAH 58:1-12

ISAIAH 58:1-5

1 Cry out loudly, don’t hold back! Raise

your voice like a trumpet. Tell my people

their transgression and the house of Jacob

their sins. 2 They seek me day after day and

delight to know my ways, like a nation that

does what is right and does not abandon the

justice of their God. They ask me for righteous

judgments; they delight in the nearness of

God.” 3 “Why have we fasted, but you have

not seen? We have denied ourselves, but you

haven’t noticed!” “Look, you do as you please

on the day of your fast, and oppress all your

workers. 4 You fast with contention and strife

to strike viciously with your fist. You cannot

fast as you do today, hoping to make your

voice heard on high. 5 Will the fast I choose be

like this: A day for a person to deny himself,

to bow his head like a reed, and to spread out

sackcloth and ashes? Will you call this a fast

and a day acceptable to the Lord?

ISAIAH 58:6-10

6 Isn’t this the fast I choose: To break the

chains of wickedness, to untie the ropes of

the yoke, to set the oppressed free, and to

tear off every yoke? 7 Is it not to share your

bread with the hungry, to bring the poor and

homeless into your house, to clothe the naked

when you see him, and not to ignore your own

flesh and blood? 8 Then your light will appear

like the dawn, and your recovery will come

quickly. Your righteousness will go before you,

and the Lord’s glory will be your rear guard.

9 At that time, when you call, the Lord will

answer; when you cry out, he will say, ‘Here

I am.’ If you get rid of the yoke among you,

the finger-pointing and malicious speaking,

10 and if you offer yourself to the hungry, and

satisfy the afflicted one, then your light will

shine in the darkness, and your night will be

like noonday.

ISAIAH 58:11-12

11 The Lord will always lead you, satisfy you

in a parched land, and strengthen your bones.

You will be like a watered garden and like a

spring whose water never runs dry. 12 Some

of you will rebuild the ancient ruins; you will

restore the foundations laid long ago; you

will be called the repairer of broken walls, the

restorer of streets where people live.

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CONVERSATION

questionsREAD ISAIAH 58:1-5

Why did God command Isaiah to speak out loudly against the sins of the people of Israel? What was it about their sin that required this kind of response?

What were the people of Israel doing and why were they frustrated with God (vv. 2-3)? Why might we be tempted to do something similar?

How can we tell if our motives for worshiping are off?

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ISAIAH 58:1-12

GIVE AN ANSWERIsaiah’s bold words, calling out the people of Israel for the way that they were fasting, does not mean we shouldn’t fast. While Jesus also warned against fasting that drew attention to self (Matt. 6:16-18), His teaching also assumed that His followers would make a regular practice of fasting. The issue in both passages is motive. Anyone who fasts should make sure that their motive is not to be seen and praised by others. Fasting is simply a temporary break from consuming food for the purpose of seeking God in prayer and in His word. Fasting should not be entered into lightly—talk to a trusted Christian mentor before starting a fast for advice on how to fast wisely and to make sure you understand the health implications.

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READ ISAIAH 58:6-10

If God wasn’t impressed with the fasting and worship of the people of Israel, what kind of fasting and worship does He expect of us?

What kind of life do verses 6-7 indicate God’s people will live? What is promised to those who live this way (vv. 8-10)?

What does Isaiah tell the people of Israel to stop doing? What does this mean for us?

READ ISAIAH 58:11-12

What is God committed to doing for His people (v. 11)? Why is this good news for us today?

These verses envision a day when the temple would be rebuilt. Why did the people of Israel need to first consider how they treated the poor?

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THEOLOGYGod hates oppression, and wants His people to set oppressed people free. This passage envisions the people dedicating themselves to providing the basic needs of life to those who do not possess them. We feed the hungry and provide shelter for the poor. We clothe those who cannot afford proper clothing. The “you” that Isaiah 58:1-14 refers to is singular—meaning that it is aimed at every member of the people of God. None of us can claim that we don’t have a responsibility to love and serve the needy around us.

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NOW

what?ISAIAH 58:1-12

CENTRAL truthGod calls us to turn from selfish living and instead serve the vulnerable around us.

How can we make sure our worship is not just for show?

What has God given you? Make a short list.

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How might we use the things God has given us to love and serve people in need around us?

How might we, as a group, regularly practice serving people in need? How might doing so point people to Christ?

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day 1

ISAIAH 58:1-7DWELLIt is so easy to make ourselves look like we’re doing the right thing when really, we're doing the opposite. If we use the “right” words and say the “right” things, we can convince people that we care when we don’t, or that we were paying attention when actually, our mind was wandering. That’s exactly what the people of Israel were doing. On the surface, they were acting as though they were truly seeking out God’s will. But God sees more than just what we want Him to see, and He knew that his people were acting in ways that showed they really didn’t care about Him or His Word at all.

How were the people acting in ways that showed they didn’t truly care about following God’s will?

How should you pray and worship in light of these verses?

MEMORIZEAsk a friend or family member to memorize Isaiah 58:11 with you this week. Quiz each other several times this week.

PRAYAsk God to show you the areas of your life where you may be saying one thing but acting differently. Ask Him to help you repent.

DAILYdevotions

MEMORIZE ISAIAH 58:11

7 ARROWS FOR BIBLE READING

What does this passage demand of me?

What does this passage say?

What did this passage mean to its

original audience?

What does this passage tell us

about man?

What does this passage tell us about God?

How does this passage change the way I relate to people?

How does this passage prompt me to pray?

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day 3

ISAIAH 59:1-9DWELL

How were the people of Israel behaving according to these verses?

How were these actions in conflict with a healthy relationship with God?

These verses describe some of the ways that the people of Israel were being hypocrites—saying they cared about God and His will, but acting in ways that showed the opposite. Isaiah told them it wasn’t that God couldn’t hear them or save them, but that their sins and their hypocrisy had separated them from God. Have you ever had a fight with someone you cared about and left the issue unresolved? Things were probably uncomfortable between you until you made things right again. The same thing was happening here—the people of Israel would not be able to fully enjoy God’s blessings until they made things right with Him.

MEMORIZEUse a dry erase marker to write Isaiah 58:11 on a mirror you use every day or write it on a notebook card and tape it to the mirror. Erase or mark out a few words each day until you've memorized the whole verse.

PRAYAsk God to help you follow Him with your whole heart: in your words as well as in your actions.

day 2

ISAIAH 58:8-12DWELLWhen we worship God by serving and loving others in ways that show honor and glory to Him, we will experience transformation and blessings in our own lives. But we need to be careful that we don’t view serving others as some sort of magic ticket to get what we want out of God. The point is that when we have a loving, trusting relationship with God, and act in ways that show we are listening to Him and understand what He values, then we will experience our God truly leading, guiding, and strengthening us..

According to these verses, what are some of the blessings of a right relationship with God?

What are some ways that you could serve others today?

MEMORIZEBreak Isaiah 58:11 down into several parts, and work on reciting each part one at a time from memory before trying to recite the whole verse.

PRAYPray that God would show you people in your life who you could love and serve this week.

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day 5

ROMANS 12:1-2DWELLPaul tells his readers to “present your bodies as a living sacrifice” (v.1). The word “sacrifice” brings to mind the Old Testament system of animal sacrifices, but Paul does not mean that we need to do something in exchange for our sin. Jesus’ death on the cross and His resurrection has put an end to that system, once and for all! Instead, Paul means that the truest way we can worship God is with our lives—by voluntarily choosing to live in a way that honors Him. Paul also goes on to give two instructions for how to carry out this “living sacrifice”: (1) to stop following the ways of this world and (2) to let our minds be transformed through our devotion to God and His ways.

What does it mean to be “conformed to this age” (v. 2)? List some examples from today’s world.

What are some ways that you could be a “living sacrifice”? How can you pray for God to help you?

MEMORIZECheck in with your friend or family member from Day 1 and continue to challenge each other to commit Isaiah 58:11 to memory.

PRAYAsk God to show you His “good, pleasing, and perfect will."

day 4

MATTHEW 6:1-8DWELL

What things did Jesus say that hypocrites did? Why did Jesus warn His followers to not do these things?

Verses 3-4 and verse 6 repeat similar phrases. What are they? Why do you think these phrases are repeated?

Jesus told His disciples to not act in ways that seemed righteous on the surface, drawing attention to themselves so that people would think they were good. This wasn’t true righteousness. Instead, they should do righteous deeds privately—their good deeds should be between them and God. This may seem confusing—aren’t we supposed to show Jesus to others through the way we live? The real problem isn’t one of secrecy. Jesus was warning His disciples to not show off. We cannot truly serve God if what we care most about is the approval of other people. The One whose approval we should care about is God.

MEMORIZEGo somewhere quiet and read Isaiah 58:11 aloud several times. Note key words and think of images or hand motions to help you memorize the verse.

PRAYPray that God would forgive you for the times you sought approval from humans instead of from Him.

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