But Isaiah 58 brings us face to face with two things which are not that popular or congenial to our comfortable lifestyles. They are summed up in the two short words: FAST and REST We don’t like the idea of fasting, do we? And many of us long for rest but don’t know how to get it; even when we go on holiday, the surveys say it can be one of the most stressful times of the year. God’s people in the time of Isaiah were like us: they had tried fasting, but it didn’t seem to work; they had a regular holiday on the Sabbath but it was not really a ‘holy day’; they were cranky, the poor were exploited and they did not enjoy the blessing of God. They did not know properly how to fast or how to rest.

Let’s be clear about fasting: we are not thinking of dieting to lose weight; nor are we thinking of a medical fast before an operation although both those have good purposes. We are certainly not thinking of fasting to earn brownie points with God or to impress others with how religious you are. You remember how Jesus criticised the Pharisees for making it very clear that they were fasting; Jesus said rather it should be something private between you and God. In Isaiah’s time, people thought that if they fasted, it was like pressing a button to get God to do something. But God won’t let himself be manipulated like that. The result was that they got cross with each other because we get cranky don’t we when we are hungry? If we are trying to be religious and are straining to good that brings out the worst in us anyway, if our motives are wrong and we are trying to be one up on other people or even foolishly think we can fast our way into God’s favour. So when the people complain to God that he has not noticed their fasting his reply is striking: (58:3b-4) ‘on the day of your fasting, you do as you please and exploit all your workers. Your fasting ends in quarrelling and strife, and in striking each other with wicked fists. You cannot fast as you do today and expect your voice to be heard on high.’

Fasting is meant to bring us closer to God as we discipline our bodies to go without food for a time to concentrate on prayer and to sharpen our spiritual senses. If we go into fasting to impress others or even to bend God’s ear, simply don’t even think about it -- that is an abuse. Or if we endure the suffering of fasting (and fasting is certainly no ‘piece of cake’.) and yet are insincere of unjust in our other relationships God, simply, is not interested.

Could it be that the missing ingredient in our late 20th century Christianity is that we rarely fast? Let me challenge you as I have to challenge myself: are we willing to give up something, not to impress others or God, but to have more time to concentrate on him? It may not even be food, although it certainly could be sweets and cakes, it could be tea and coffee, it could be TV or if like me you are a ‘readaholic’ it could be inessential reading of papers and magazines.

David Wilkerson in his book ‘The Cross and the Switchblade’ writes about his ministry among New York gangs. How did it all begin for him as an up country minister? He used to spend a couple of hours each evening watching TV and then he sensed that the Lord wanted him to fast from that and to spend the time in prayer and bible study. And it was during one such time when his eyes fell on a headline in a magazine in his study about youths on trial in the city and he felt the Lord telling him to go and get to know such young people and help them find the freedom of Christ. God changed the whole direction of his life because he was willing to fast. That fast from TV, which was not done to impress but to get closer to God made him aware of one of the great problems of our time and that God wanted him to be involved in it. But how much time and energy do we devote not simply to having food -- God knows we have those needs -- but to having more and more tasty gourmet cuisine? And how often do we block out God’s voice and God’s concern for the people in need around us because we do not ever fast?

The same question applies to the Sabbath: how far have we blocked out God’s blessing by ignoring his prescription for one day in seven rest? Can we really say the Sabbath is a ‘delight’ to us that we truly ‘honour the Lord’ by ‘not going your own way and not doing as you please or speaking idle words’ (58.13-14). Do we find our ‘joy in the Lord’ because we have learned what it means to rest in him and we have learned a weekly discipline that has time to meet with him? I am not talking about some dreary Sabbatarianism where we try to impose a huge list of don’ts on other people but I do mean, as Isaiah means, a respect and appreciation for the Lord’s day which sets us free and gives us hope and joy. I mean, as Isaiah means, not so much a religion that makes us proud and is indifferent to the needs of others as a relationship with the living God deepened in fasting and in resting which gives us hope and joy in God alongside a real concern for other people.

Harvie Conn addressed the Coleraine Assembly of our church in 1990 and gave 3 simple indicators of a church which is a true model of Christ 1 a church that communicates dynamic faith in Jesus as the Justification of God 2 a church that authenticates unconditional love through Jesus as the Justice of God 3 a church that celebrates realistic hope orientated to Jesus as the Expectation of God

At least the second and third points shine out from Isaiah 58 (the first is implied in the references to Jacob who was a scoundrel whom God called and changed) Let’s close by reading vv 9b-12 which are the link between the sections on fasting and resting: and see how our witness and ministry are to reflect God’s loving justice and God’s refreshing hope ‘If you do away with the yoke of oppression with the pointing finger and malicious talk and if you spend yourselves on 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. 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. 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’

Lord make us people who trust you, not manipulate you; teach us how to fast and to rest that we may reflect your love and justice to those who need it most and rejoice in your hope.

Abide in Christ and bear much fruit.