“If you do away with the yoke of oppression,
    with the pointing finger and malicious talk,
10 and if you spend yourselves in behalf of the hungry
    and satisfy the needs of the oppressed,
then your light will rise in the darkness,
    and your night will become like the noonday.
11 The Lord will guide you always;
    he will satisfy your needs in a sun-scorched land
    and will strengthen your frame.
You will be like a well-watered garden,
    like a spring whose waters never fail.
12 Your people will rebuild the ancient ruins
    and will raise up the age-old foundations;
you will be called Repairer of Broken Walls,
    Restorer of Streets with Dwellings.

13 “If you keep your feet from breaking the Sabbath
    and from doing as you please on my holy day,
if you call the Sabbath a delight
    and the Lord’s holy day honourable,
and if you honour it by not going your own way
    and not doing as you please or speaking idle words,
14 then you will find your joy in the Lord,
    and I will cause you to ride in triumph on the heights of the land
    and to feast on the inheritance of your father Jacob.”
For the mouth of the Lord has spoken.

Who would not want the promises of verses 10b to 12 to apply to themselves? But as we read today’s passage, and chapter 58 as a whole, we can see that they are conditional. (Look at the repetition of ”then” in vv.10b/14a).

‘The best way to test the genuineness of our religious faith is to examine the way we treat other human beings in need. That also happens to be the way God tests the genuineness of of our faith!’ Tom Hale: ‘Applied Old Testament Commentary’, p.1063.

‘The orthodox faith was popular in Judah at that time, and people enjoyed learning the Word and even participating in fasts (vv.2-3). But when the services were over, the worshipers went back to exploiting people and pleasing themselves.

What a difference it makes when we repent and return to the Lord (vv.8-12)! We have light instead of darkness, healing instead of disease, righteousness instead of defilement, glory instead of disgrace; and life becomes a watered garden, not a dismal swamp.’ Warren Wiersbe: ‘With the Word’, p.488.

PRAYER: In your mercy, Lord, please grant that my life becomes so well-watered that it is a place of beauty and fragrance, refreshing and rest and healing for others.