Fasting God’s Way: Lessons from Isaiah 58

Whenever I fast, I always turn to Isaiah 58—the fasting chapter. Every time I do, verse 4 always catches my attention, with intrigue: “You will not fast as you do this day, to make your voice heard on high.”

“But God, of course I’m fasting to spend special time talking with you, the POWER of the universe up there on your heavenly throne! I’ve got a special concern that I’d like you to know about and have your response.”

When we fast, surely we hope God will listen to what we have to say!

In time, it occurred to me that this might be a scripture that I’ve been misunderstanding and should carefully study. Why is this so important to us who want to fast more effectively, especially on the Day of Atonement?

Fasting is one of the most powerful tools in our Christian toolbox, the others being prayer, Bible study, meditation and fellowship. Mark 9:29 says some things require fasting in addition to prayer.

In a recent Colorado Springs Sabbath service, a visiting pastor Nathan Ekama said that in his experience we don’t fast as often as we should, especially for spiritual growth. Jesus said in Matthew 6:16-18 that His followers will fast and “your Father who sees in secret will reward you openly.” God is eager to bless us for fasting! In my 55 years in the Church, I have experienced that!

Context is crucial

In Isaiah 58:1-2, His people “as [if] a nation that did righteousness, and did not forsake the ordinance of their God . . . take delight in approaching God.” They were sinning! Yet they were baffled that God wasn’t paying any attention to their fasts (verse 3). They were just going hungry and thirsty! It’s just as Isaiah confirms in his next chapter that “your iniquities have separated you from your God; and your sins have hidden His face from you, so that He will not hear” (59:2).

Could mistranslation be the problem? In biblegateway.com where you can see a verse in all English translations, for Isaiah 58:4 they all agree the problem isn’t in fasting to make your voice heard in heaven, but the wicked actions and attitudes expressed in verses 3 and 4. The New International Version is a representative example: “Yet on the day of your fasting, you do as you please [similar to God’s complaint about their Sabbath keeping in Isaiah 58:13-14] and exploit all your workers. Your fasting ends in quarreling 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.” But we can fast as Isaiah 58 directs, and God will be pleased to answer!

I was making the innocent blunder of leaving out the crucial qualifier “as you do this day.”

Secondly, the word “make” is a problem word for me. We can’t make God do anything and shouldn’t be trying!

Jeff Foxworthy, the best-selling comedy recording artist of all time, tells a story about going on a group backpacking trip and hiring a guide. In a jam everybody turned on the guide, telling him he was all wrong and trying to enforce their conflicting ideas. This time Foxworthy wasn’t telling a trademark redneck joke, such as: “If you’ve ever made change in the offering plate, you might be a redneck!” His heartfelt point was “Don’t try to guide the Guide.” In the video it looked like he was speaking to a religious audience about the Guide!

We should trust Jesus Christ, the head of the Church and each of us in our wilderness journey today, to guide us to the best place to camp and be our rear guard and then move as our pillar of cloud when it’s time for us to move! (Exodus 13:21-22). How do we like our camp?

“Oh, the depth of the riches both of the wisdom and knowledge of God! How unsearchable are His judgments and His ways past finding out! ‘For who has known the mind of the Lord? Or who has become His counselor?’” (Romans 11:33-34). “Our God is in heaven; He does whatever He pleases” (Psalm 115:3).

While “make your voice” conjures up ideas of trying to bully God, Strong’s says “make your voice” is from the Hebrew kole meaning call aloud, cry out or yell. This is in line with James 5:16 which promises, “The effective, fervent prayer of a righteous man avails much” (James 5:16). The Bible is replete with powerful examples of prayer and fasting that are heartfelt and passionate!

Psalm 141:2 likens prayer to incense: Prayer should be beaten fine with a blend of ingredients (discuss everything with God); heated up (fervent); sweet and appealing to God (“He delights in every detail of their lives” [Psalm 37:23, New Living Translation]). This is the same way we parents delight in hearing from our kids!

Praiseworthy fasts in the Bible

In Ezra 8:21-23, note how Ezra sought God’s protection. Not to make his voice heard on high. Not to cajole God into taking pity on them. No, so we can recognize our total dependence and be receptive to His will—“that we might humble ourselves before our God, to seek from Him the right way for us and our little ones and all our possessions.”

When we face hard decisions about what to do, God can answer through circumstances, advice, inspiration, revelation or direct intervention.

In 2 Chronicles 20:1-12 Jehoshaphat confessed “nor do we know what to do but our eyes are upon You.” Actually, he did know what to do: He called a nationwide fast and sought God’s intervention of what would be best at the time and for all concerned!

It turns out that with Isaiah 58:4, as with other scriptures that baffle us, a little study of context and key words clears up the issue. We should not fast while sinning with evil actions and attitudes. We should fast fervently, expecting God the Master Timer to make it effective and “avail much.”—but never trying to guide the Guide, tell Him what to do or bend His will to ours.

God wants us to fast and pray and humbly look to Him and submit to His will. He loves to hear the thoughts of His children who desire to bring their attitudes and actions in harmony with His.

When we follow what Isaiah 58 teaches about fasting—what pleases God and what doesn’t—verse 9 promises, “Then you shall call, and the Lord will answer; you shall cry, and He will say, ‘Here I am.’”