(When I taught my two year long Bible study on Isaiah, I used The Pulpit Commentary Volume 10: Isaiah edited by H.D.M. Spence and Joseph S. Exell to give me a starting point and rough outline of the material covered in the chapters. In this article, when you read the phrase “my commentary”, I am referring to this volume.)
Read Isaiah 58:8. Reading this verse I couldn’t help noticing how contrary the Bible often appears to worldly logic. If we want to be glorified and blessed, we have to put our focus on other people, not on ourselves. When we take care of those hurting around us, then we ourselves will be healed. That seems so opposite to what the world teaches: “Me first”, “If I don’t look out for me, who else will?”
“the glory of the Lord will be your rear guard” is most likely referring to how the pillar of fire and cloud followed behind the Israelites when they were fleeing the Egyptians. Read Exodus 14:19-20.
Read Isaiah 58:9a. The greatest blessing of all is that you will be able to talk to God and know that God will hear you and answer you.
God then continues describing more conditions about how one can be blessed.
Read Isaiah 58:9b-10. Notice that once again all these actions are “other” focused; that is, in how we treat other people. “the pointing finger” undoubtedly is a gesture of scorn or contempt. Read Proverbs 6:12-14.
The image of light is often used to represent joy, prosperity, and salvation. The images of darkness and night, therefore, would be of fear, want, and death.
Read Isaiah 58:11. The description of the promised blessings continue, using images residents of hot, desert Palestine could relate to. God promises four things: 1) that He will guide the Jews in the way they should go; 2) He will satisfy their needs in a sun-scorched land. That is what ever their needs are, either spiritual or material, He will take care of them. “Sun-scorched” often relates to times of drought which can be an image of spiritual depression or weariness; 3) He will strengthen their frames. This means that He will add strength to their bones, give them the strength to continue through difficult times; 4) provide water to make the Jews like a well-watered garden. This image reflects back to Isaiah 1:30, in which Jerusalem is compared to a garden without water. Notice that here in Isaiah 58 this water is from a spring that never fails. This should make us think of how Jesus spoke of being the “living water”. Read John 4:13-14.
Read Isaiah 58:12. This verse can be read both literally and metaphorically. “Your people” most likely refers to the Jews’ Godly descendants. Jews would return to Judah and rebuild the ruined cities, temple, homes, etc. that were destroyed by the Babylonians. That is the literal interpretation. But they would also repair other things that had been broken, such as following the ancient customs and faith of their godly ancestors as described in the Law. Idolatry, for example, no longer was a besetting sin for those Jews that returned from the Babylonian exile. That was one foundation that had been cracked during the Jews’ falling away from God. That is one metaphorical interpretation of this verse.
For the last two verses of this chapter we switch gears from focusing on fasting, to observing and honoring the Sabbath. With fasting the Jews were keeping somewhat to the letter of the Law, but not the spirit. With keeping the Sabbath, the Jews weren’t keeping it very well in either the letter of the Law or in the spirit of the Law.
Read Isaiah 58:13-14. Here God addresses the two main issues He sees wrong regarding keeping the Sabbath. For one thing, the Jews were working on the Sabbath “keep your feet from breaking the Sabbath” and “doing as you please on my holy day” which was contrary to the Law. Read Exodus 20:8-11. By the time we get up to Jesus’ day, however, many of the Jews had gone completely to the other extreme and legalized just about ever aspect of the Sabbath, burdening the Jews in spiritual bondage! Read John 5:8-16. Jesus, by healing on the Sabbath, tries to show people how the Law of the Sabbath is to be balanced with the spirit of the Sabbath.
The second issue God sees wrong regarding keeping of the Sabbath here in Isaiah 58 is that they were not keeping the Sabbath in the right spirit. That is they did not “call the Sabbath a delight and the Lord’s holy day honorable.” The Sabbath was intended to be a day where you joyfully communed with God, a sign of sincere devotion. Once again when you are in right relationship with God, blessings will come.
