Commentary on Isaiah 58:1-12
This is a clarion call to an (outwardly) pious and religious community who fasted and prayed, sought the Lord, and seemingly delighted in God’s ways (Isaiah 58:2). Despite their religious observances, the Lord calls them out on their rebellion and sin.
“Rebellion” and “sins” (verse 1) are shocking words with which to address the community described in verse 2. After all, they delight in their religious practices. But the prophetic voice indicts them for merely keeping up appearances: day after day, they sought the Lord “as if they were a nation who practiced righteousness [ṣĕdāqâ] and did not forsake the ordinance [mišpaṭ] of the Lord.”
The terms ṣĕdāqâ and mišpaṭ (here translated as “ordinance,” but often translated as “justice”) are main concerns in the Isaianic tradition. The book of Isaiah opens with a lament over Jerusalem, lamenting that once upon a time Jerusalem was faithful, full of justice and righteousness, mišpaṭ and ṣĕdāqâ (1:21). The prophetic book also looks forward to promises of a king who will rule with mišpaṭ and ṣĕdāqâ (for example, Isaiah 9:7; 32:1; 33:5). Indeed, these are the marks of the kingdom of God in the book of Isaiah. Thus, it remains the prophet’s concern that the people of God continue to seek and put in practice the ṣĕdāqâ and mišpaṭ of the Lord.
Returning to the text and the community’s religiosity, the people beseech God to notice their piety (58:3). They say: “Why, O Lord, have you not noticed that we are (outwardly) righteous and humble?” (my paraphrase). Almost as if to suggest they were only conforming so that the Lord would notice. As it turns out, the Lord had long noticed!
They have perfected the motions of a fast day: to bow down the head like a bulrush and to lie in sackcloth and ashes (58:5). Yet they oppress their workers, and the community is rife with social and economic issues. People are looking out for their own interests while practicing their religion with fervor, hoping for God to notice their religiosity and bestow blessings or favor. They exhibit a form of godliness that is lacking in substance and transformation, and God is not impressed.
They want God to notice (literally, to see) their worship, yet they do not notice what is wrong before their very eyes. Economic disparity and unequal opportunities stemming from the period of exile have progressively polarized the community, creating strife, exploitation, abuse, and oppression.
This text is assigned to Ash Wednesday, a day we traditionally place the sign of the cross on our foreheads by an imposition of ash. It is a visible reminder of our human frailty and our mortal need for God. Ash Wednesday marks the beginning of the season of Lent, a season of self-denial and repentance. It is widely accepted that Lent commemorates Jesus’ time in the wilderness for 40 days and 40 nights. More significantly, therefore, Lent is a season during which we imitate Christ.
Similarly, our text calls us to imitate a just and righteous God. It sets out what the Lord desires of us. Spiritual practices, traditions, liturgy, and rituals—these are immediate, visible, and outward signs of our religiosity and spirituality. However, true faith demands that we practice and observe God’s ṣĕdāqâ and God’s mišpaṭ. This text asserts that true worship is closely tied to justice and an ethical life. It is the way of life that imitates a holy God.
This Lent, are we paying attention to our liturgy and spiritual practices to the exclusion of what goes on in our own communities? This text does not ask us to throw out our rituals and traditions, for these are rich in meaning and should continue to edify us inwardly. However, our spirituality should not only be a matter of the heart. It should also translate to active practice of ṣĕdāqâ and mišpaṭ as outlined in verses 6 and 7.
The fast that the Lord desires for us is to put right the injustices we witness in our communities, to respond to the needs of others, to restore to those who suffer what is rightfully theirs, to include in our fellowship and homes those who are homeless or lonely or grieving, to empower and advocate for those who are oppressed, and to look out for the interests of others. It is also to be reconciled to one another and to end hostilities within the community (“the pointing of the finger” and “the speaking of evil” in verse 9).
A truly godly and righteous community recognizes the humanity of one’s neighbor even as it pays attention to the liturgy in church. It is marked by solidarity with a fellow kinsperson. It cares deeply and actively notices when things are wrong within the community, when God’s justice and righteousness are not in place, causing another to suffer. This Lent might be a time to notice and see, to pay attention to specific issues within our own communities.
Interestingly, if we preached from the prophetic text on the First Sunday of Advent of this liturgical year (Year C, first reading), we would have read that “a righteous Branch will spring up for David, who will execute justice and righteousness in the land” (Jeremiah 33:15).
Just as we began the season of Advent holding on to the promise of justice and righteousness, here and now as we begin Lent, the prophetic tradition reminds us that we are the people of God and partners in God’s kingdom. Therefore, the prophetic voice calls us to boldly practice justice and righteousness if we are to be true adherents of any form of spirituality that seeks to honor the Lord.
The outcome of justice and righteousness is described by the prophet in imagery that depicts salvation, well-being, and restoration. Then, your light shall break forth like dawn. Then, the Lord will guide you continually, you shall be a watered garden, a spring of water. The figurative imagery ends with the promise of rebuilding the people’s ancient ruins.
March 5, 2025