Isaiah 58:2, commentary and pictures

Isaiah 58:2 describes people who seek God every day and take pleasure in knowing his ways and coming near to him, presenting themselves as a righteous nation that keeps his ordinances and asks him for just decisions. The rebuke is spoken to God's own professed people, the house of Jacob, including professed Sabbath-keepers, and it portrays the condition of the Jewish nation when Christ came, especially priests and Pharisees who trusted outward forms and worship while lacking meekness and lowliness. Their outward seeking, fasting, worship and delight stand alongside transgression and sin, for they pursue their own pleasure and interest, live in selfishness and injustice, oppress workers, exact labor, and live in strife and violence, and they complain that God does not see or answer them when the defect lies with themselves. The ordinance they claim not to have forsaken but have in fact forsaken and trampled is the Sabbath, which God's people are called to restore by repairing the breach made in the law of God and raising up the foundations of many generations. True seeking and delight in approaching God must therefore be joined to heart work and practical godliness that does justice and mercy, loosing oppression, feeding the hungry, housing the poor who are cast out, clothing the naked, and uplifting the wounded and needy.

Verse Wording and Setting

The verse pictures a people who seek God every day and delight to learn His ways, who carry themselves as a righteous nation that has kept the ordinances of God, who ask Him for just decisions and take pleasure in drawing near to Him. Their daily seeking, desire to know, claim of righteousness, request for righteous judgments, and delight in approaching stand in the chapter as outward signs of devotion alongside wrongdoing that must be exposed. That outward seeking is answered by complaint, for they charge God with not seeing, not acknowledging their works, not taking knowledge of their affliction of soul, and not answering their prayers and fasting, while they remain active only in outward worship, neglect His work, refuse His way, pursue their own interests, and live in strife and oppression.

The rebuke falls not on the wicked world but on those God calls His own people, the house of Jacob under rebuke for transgression and sins. It addresses professed Sabbath-keepers who profess godliness, whose many meetings and prayers cannot gain God's approval in place of doing what is right at the right time, with less self-care and more generosity toward the needy, the homeless, orphans, and widows. They think themselves righteous and appear to take great interest in serving God, yet the stern rebuke of the Searcher of hearts proves them transgressors trampling the divine precepts, needing to be awakened and to have their transgressions and sins shown to them. Especially men in positions of responsibility are now to take heed against deception, study the whole teaching carefully, distrust self, fear God, walk humbly before Him, and stay attentive to His Word under a loud trumpet-like warning.

The same description portrays the condition of the Jewish nation when Christ came, above all the priests and Pharisees. They sought God daily and delighted to know His ways as though they did righteousness and had not forsaken Him or His ordinances, asked for the ordinances of justice and delighted in approaching God and even in seeking Christ, as though seeking in obedience. Their asking and pleasure did not prove true faithfulness or inward obedience, for they trusted outward forms and ceremonies and outward performances of worship to commend them to Christ and to recommend sinners to Him. There they stumbled as the Pharisees stumbled, looking to form and ceremony while they had forsaken God and lacked the spirit of meekness and lowliness that Christ had.

The verse applies in the present time and in the last period of earth's history, to our own experience now, to church institutions and those in responsible places, and to the repairing of the breach made in God's law. It describes the nation's present spiritual and sinful condition and the reason for its calamity, a people with the outward appearance of seeking God while having forsaken and forgotten Him, chosen other gods, followed corrupt ways, and disregarded His law, covenant, and Sabbath. It meets false teachers who refuse facts, spread unbelief, and go so far in the wrong way as no longer to believe in Christ as the atoning sacrifice, receiving lying, seducing sentiments of Satan that would work fearful harm to souls if not arrested by crying aloud, sparing not, and showing God's people their transgressions and the house of Jacob their sins to save the flock. It meets those who mistreat the enslaved and those who reject knowledge of God's ways when the Sabbath issue comes, with the first part of the chapter once spoken to a packed house in which two-thirds were unbelievers, and it calls broken covenant-keepers to return by repentance while identifying the forsaken ordinance as the Sabbath changed by Roman power, whose divine institution and foundations are to be restored.

Outward Profession Exposed

The daily seeking, eagerness to learn divine ways, claim to be a righteous nation keeping divine ordinances, request for just decisions, and pleasure in drawing near are exposed as inconsistent with conduct. Outward devotion and religious observance stand in contrast to the sins laid bare around the verse, for fasting is joined to pursuing personal interests, exacting labor, selfishness, injustice, oppression of workers, strife and violence. Such worship does not express the justice and freedom required, and pretended mourning and ceremony hiding defects of character cannot make fasting acceptable, but call instead for gratitude and showing goodness, love and compassion to others. Religious claims are thus contradicted by selfishness which is not accepted, revealing the gap between professed devotion and required character, with worship as outward show while remaining selfish, unjust and unrepentant.

The same people bring a charge against God, complaining He does not see, acknowledge their works, regard their fasting and humbling of soul, take knowledge of their affliction, or answer their prayers. This is one side of a two-sided question, the people's unjust accusation, answered by God showing the other side that on their fast day they find pleasure and exact all their labors. The defect and trouble lie with themselves, not with Him, for they are active only in outward forms of worship while neglecting His work and refusing to follow His way. Their complaint casts reproach upon God, and He casts the reproach back upon them by exposing fasting for strife and oppression rather than the chosen fast of loosing wickedness, freeing the oppressed, feeding the hungry, housing the poor and clothing the naked, declaring they do not deserve all they require because they have not dealt righteously.

Confidence in personal righteousness hides sin, for they suppose themselves righteous and expect reward as owed for what they have done. Outward religious interest is deceptive because there is no true delight in truth nor humble searching of Scripture, especially when accepting truth requires sacrifice. They remain unsubdued and rebellious, boasting of righteousness while cherishing defective traits and worldly standards, and their profession and self-justification conceal deception that dishonors God and fails to show the deep work of grace in the heart.

Zealous, earnest religious exercises, habitual prayer, fasting, bowing the head and spreading sackcloth and ashes are not observed in heaven, accomplish nothing and avail nothing while the heart is estranged by a wrong course and by unrepented, unconfessed, unforsaken sin. High profession bearing no fruit to God's glory, neglect of positive duties, lack of heart work, and profession without unselfish work leave prayers unanswered, with the fault not in neglect on God's part but lack in the people. Before prayer in affliction where Satan controls the mind there must be closest self-examination to discover, repent, confess and forsake sins with deep humility and firm reliance on the merits of Christ's blood alone, with motives and actions prayerfully investigated, for the promise is on condition of obedience and compliance with all requirements. Hearing without obeying brings no blessing, for hearing words while following unbelief and sinful indulgences leaves complaint when blessing does not come, and praying with abstinence from food avails nothing unless laying hold of the special work of dealing bread to the hungry, bringing in the cast-out poor, and relieving the oppressed. It is impossible to fasten upon the divine arm with one hand while the other ministers to personal pleasure, for one hand must by faith take hold of the mighty arm that brings salvation while the other hand of love reaches the oppressed.

Asking for justice and delight in approaching do not prove faithfulness, for outward profession without inward obedience contradicts the claim. The condition is that of the Jewish nation when Christ came, especially priests and Pharisees who trusted outward forms, ceremonies and performances of worship to commend and recommend them to Christ while lacking His meek and lowly spirit and while in reality having forsaken God. Claim to connection with God is proved not by religious practices, zeal in a false faith, or self-confidence, but by mercy, love and works of righteousness toward others, with true religion as practical godliness and Bible religion doing justice and mercy and elevating the purest principles of the kingdom. Such profession denies Christ when mercy is neglected, and becoming lawbreakers forfeits protecting care.

Sabbath Law and Repair

The ordinance claimed as kept but in fact forsaken and trampled is the Sabbath. The verse does not describe the wicked world but those whom God calls His own people, who seek Him daily and delight to know His ways as a nation that did righteousness and had not forsaken His ordinance, asking for just ordinances and delighting to draw near to Him. They think themselves righteous and show great interest in serving God, yet the stern rebuke of the Searcher of hearts proves them transgressors trampling the divine precepts. Disregarding the Sabbath is robbery of God and separates from Him, while keeping it gives a day for holy communion and contemplation of His creative and redeeming power and love. The following verses identify the neglected ordinance with the Sabbath, whose change by Roman power made a breach in God's law.

The chapter applies in the present time when the breach made in the law is to be repaired and the divine institution restored. Its message to God's own people is to make up the breach that the man of sin has made in the law of God, given with the power of God resting on the speaker to bring souls to conversion. The first part of the chapter stands distinct from the last part, which calls for the work all are required of God to do to repair the breach made in the law and to raise up the foundations of many generations by keeping the Sabbath of the fourth commandment. That work is to rebuild the old waste places, repair the breach, restore the paths, and take a determined stand for God's law and truth. The first part was spoken to a packed house where two-thirds were unbelievers who gave good attention.

Faithful Sabbath observance means strict observance according to God's commandment and renewed faithfulness by ministers and people. It corrects the dishonor shown by professed Sabbathkeepers who bring their own work, words, and unsanctified thoughts into the Sabbath. It refuses to rob God in tithes and offerings. It requires cleansing fraud, robbery, extortion, and every dishonest transaction, for the methods Sabbathkeepers are to follow must honor the sign of God's government rather than be joined to fraud. Those who refrain from labor on the Sabbath may claim every comfort and consolation promised there.

The Sabbath truth is to be proclaimed with a loud voice as part of the third angel's message to the world. The proclamation is to be given in clear, distinct lines, not by gradually preparing the way for the Sabbath question, and with earnestness proportionate to its importance, that is with the power of the Holy Spirit. When a breach is made in God's law by exalting a spurious Sabbath instead of the Sabbath of Jehovah, and when laws will soon compel all to observe the first day of the week instead of the seventh, those who profess to keep God's commandments are called to repair the breach and must meet the coming difficulty without stirring up contention among themselves. The chapter's message has led hearers to decide to keep the Sabbath and the Lord's Sabbath despite coming trials and to share the light of truth with others. By contrast, when the Sabbath issue is brought before those living in transgression of God's law, they may reject knowledge of God's ways and say they do not want such knowledge.

Obedience to God's commandments is a call to follow Christ, and God is ready to bless those who come to Him. People are to live the commandments so their conduct shows their profession genuine, for professed devotion must be shown by lives that keep the commandments, specifically the Sabbath commandment which brings rich blessings. The chapter is a living message that all who wish to be followers of Christ must take heed to the commandments and take their stand to keep all the commandments of God. People must decide whether to obey the light received or reject it, for Sabbath obedience is not a matter of little moment. Obedience is the basis of the covenant of peace between God and His people, so churches whose members have broken His law and covenant are graciously called to return through sincere repentance and confession that they may receive mercy.

True Worship Required

True religion is not mere profession or zeal in a false faith, but practical godliness and Bible religion that plainly marks out the way of the Lord. It is reproof and correction in righteousness that calls for doing justice and mercy and for ever elevating the purest principles of the kingdom of God. Seeking God daily and delighting to know His ways must be joined to practicing the justice, mercy, and truth He requires, so that professed faith is not contradicted by unjust treatment. Its principles are to govern practical work, including medical care and fair charges, and to shape lives free from selfishness and covetousness that reflect unselfish care for others. Religious profession and delight in worship are not enough while passing by the wounded, straying, needy, or discouraged, for true service seeks to uplift and bless them and to put God’s principles into compassionate practice.

True seeking is earnest and intelligent, seeking to understand God’s ways and follow Him so that the desire to know Him and His work in the heart can be approved. It is receiving the truth which works by love and purifies the soul, yielding mind, heart, and will to God in loyalty shown by obedience to His law, which is holy, just, and good, and that yielding is the spirit of true fasting and prayer. It means faith and works combined rather than merely theoretical belief, with practice proportionate to light, especially in practical service and in educating others to serve, by which workers walk in the light and receive the Spirit and favor. It means searching the Scriptures as diligent students while imparting to souls in darkness the knowledge already received, depending on the grace of Christ to help in teaching others instead of only going over the same ground, and by this doing of the Word understanding is greatly enlarged. Those whose hearts remain unsubdued by grace and rebellious against truth may keep up much outward exactness and great inward wickedness while complaining that God lets their services go unnoticed.

What God requires is heart work and the deep work of grace rather than self-justification and high profession that bears no fruit to His glory. Zealous, earnest religious exercises, habitual prayer, fasting, and delight in approaching Him are not observed in heaven and accomplish nothing while the heart is estranged by a wrong course and by unrepented, unconfessed, unforsaken sins and neglect of positive duties. Before prayer in affliction where Satan controls the mind there must be closest self-examination to discover sins, with deep humility of soul, repentance, confession, forsaking of sin, and firm, humble reliance upon the merits of the blood of Christ alone. Good works must spring from a heart filled with love, with careful and prayerful investigation of motives and actions, because God’s promise to answer is on condition of obedience and compliance with all His requirements.

Religious seeking and delight in approaching God must be joined to Christlike benevolence and practical labor for others, including generous giving, helping suffering people, and feeding the hungry after Christ’s ministry, which brings life to churches. Those who accept truth are to practice it so its sacred influence is seen in conduct, by taking personal responsibility for the poor, orphans, and aged among them rather than leaving their care to others, and by giving up luxuries to relieve suffering. True worship requires action: loosing oppression, relieving burdens, feeding the hungry, sheltering the poor who are cast out, clothing the naked, and caring for those in need, and fasting and seeking that avoid this work miss the purpose of instruction and forfeit its blessing. The promised blessing belongs to those who show mercy to the hungry and afflicted and practice justice toward the poor, infirm, and oppressed, for religious zeal without compassion does not accord with God’s ways.

Trumpet Call to Reform

The command to cry aloud, spare not, and lift up the voice like a trumpet stands directly beside this daily seeking, to show God's people their transgression and the house of Jacob their sins. Outward devotion does not mean freedom from sin, for those described can seek daily, delight to know the ways, delight to approach, and present themselves as a righteous nation keeping the ordinances while still living in transgression and sin. That exposure is needed now, because individual souls are at stake while lawyers, judges, juries, legislators, and blind ministers act unrighteously, and the times, eternal realities, and pure and undefiled religion press the question, What is truth. It is needed toward false teachers who refuse facts, spread unbelief, have gone so far in the wrong way that they no longer believe in Christ as the atoning sacrifice, and receive lying seducing sentiments of Satan that would work fearful harm to souls if not arrested, in order to save the flock. It is needed toward all God's professed people now to take heed against deception, to study the whole teaching of the chapter carefully, and especially toward men in positions of responsibility to distrust self, fear God, walk humbly before Him, and stay attentive to His Word.

Ministers, watchmen, and ambassadors must therefore plainly show and expose wrongs on the right hand and on the left, proclaim straight truth that makes ears tingle, give warnings, rebuke sin, and correct error and wrong. They must not remain silent but must plainly rebuke transgression and proclaim the law's binding claims to reveal sin, since profession and claims do not establish righteousness and God distinguishes the righteous from the unrighteous in His visible church. This work is to be done not only in the pulpit but by personal labor, even when the message is not congenial or welcome, toward a people who keep up daily seeking and delight in knowing the ways and drawing near as if righteous and commandment-keeping while remaining lovers of pleasure more than lovers of God, impenitent under dangers and perils with doom ahead, whose wrongs seem to defy correction and whose sins seem covered. Joined to the call to expose transgression, this warning and correction prepares people for the coming crisis and arouses God's people to give the last note of warning to save a perishing world.

The chapter is to be received as warning and instruction and as pointing out the evil and the remedy for the diseased soul, calling for decided reformation not only among young people but among instructors of the young, because the work of repentance and reformation has not gone deep and thorough. It is to be studied and applied to individual life, carefully studied for light by those who rejoice in the hope of the soon-coming morning, profitable to train the mind upon and to commit to memory even in whole chapters to restrain wandering, wall the soul with divine restrictions and instructions, resist Satan with It is written when he leads the mind to dwell on earthly and sensual things, and meet doubts about being the people God is leading and preparing by tests and provings to stand in the great day by presenting clear evidence of keeping the commandments of God and the faith of Jesus. It marks out a right course and a wrong course, with calm unwavering trust in Jesus as the Way, the Truth, and the Life on the right course and avoidance of the faults condemned in ancient Israel by taking up duties close at hand. It teaches how to pray in the Spirit instead of formal prayers, by reading and practicing love for God with heart and soul and mind and strength and love for neighbor as self, so that sincere Spirit-led prayer with the whole heart bears evidence of divine prompting and is heard and answered. It is to be studied with related scriptures on witnessing and with Isaiah 54, 55, 56, and 57 as a field of comfort and an open door to meet God in meekness.

Those who do the required work and meet the will and way of the Lord verify His promise without fail, for when what He requires is verified He will verify His promise, while those who merely appear righteous and obedient do not realize His special blessing because they fail to do their part and must understand present duty and avoid extremes. Faithfulness that joins approaching and seeking with a life honoring Him makes righteousness evident and brings His glory, with goodness and truth and life and light through warning and encouragement. That work of benefiting and blessing others brings satisfaction and creates peace in the soul of more value than gold, gives physical and spiritual strength, a healthy growing experience, overcoming of selfishness, and growth of the church in spiritual life and power. Every faithful performance stands registered in the books of heaven and receives more than an earthly reward, as sacred duty to receive grace in order to give it. Beyond the fashion of this world that passes away, the chapter points to the fashion of the world to come that endures forever, with reviving healing beams of sunshine now and at last infinite bliss and boundless joy, mansions Christ has gone to prepare, a clear title to the immortal inheritance, and everlasting life for those who love God, keep His commandments, take Him at His word, enter the kingdom by faith now, and hold fast their profession to possess it forever.

Mercy Service and Promise

The work required is practical care for children, young people, widows, orphans, the aged, the sick, the hungry, the homeless poor, and fellow believers in need. Members must take personal responsibility rather than leave it to others, search out the needy and bring them in, and give up luxuries and needless ornaments to make suffering people comfortable. Special help belongs to those who suffer loss of work, poverty, distress, and being cast out because they had moral courage to accept truth and keep the Sabbath, including loyal commandment-keepers converted through the presentation of truth. Neglect of these duties toward thoughtful care of believers, even while showing concern for those outside the faith, is a serious failure, for many meetings and prayers do not gain approval in place of doing what is right at the right time. The plan of work is to appear as a warmhearted, self-denying, self-sacrificing people who cheerfully minister to the needy in every place where truth takes hold, relieving families in distress and helping them benefit themselves and help others, and in doing so receive physical and spiritual strength and the promised blessing.

Medical missionary work and the gospel ministry are joined in one united work and must not be divorced. Together they minister to suffering humanity and at the same time bring the light of truth before a perishing world, accompanying the third angel's message without displacing its principles or the soul's spiritual needs. When the message is carried on in right lines the ministry is not given an inferior place and the poor and sick are not neglected, for the responsibility laid upon Sabbathkeepers is a work of mercy and benevolence sealed with the seal of God, to be borne earnestly and untiringly lest time pass and people be left unwarned. Its principles must govern practical work, including schools that train students to care for the sick with simple remedies from nature under Christ's direction, medical institutions where truth and religious integrity remain central, and all dealings marked by tender compassion, honesty, fair charges, feeding, washing, and clothing outcasts and then showing them Christ's love and willingness to save. Seeking God and delighting to know His ways must therefore be more than outward claims, practicing the justice, mercy, and truth He requires so that professed faith is not contradicted by unjust treatment.

Before prayer in affliction where Satan has control of the mind there must be closest self-examination to discover sins to be repented of, confessed, and forsaken. Seeking God daily, delighting to approach Him, fasting, and prayer accomplish nothing while the heart is estranged by a wrong course of action and unrepented, unconfessed, unforsaken sins, neglect of positive duties, and works that do not bear fruit to His glory. What is required is heart work and good works springing from a heart filled with love, with deep humility of soul, careful investigation of motives and actions, and firm reliance upon the merits of Christ's blood alone. God's promise to answer is on condition of obedience and compliance with all His requirements, and sincere Spirit-led prayer offered with heart and soul and mind and strength, with love for God and love for neighbor as self instead of formal prayers, bears evidence of divine prompting and is heard and answered.

The chapter warns against extremes and calls everyone granted breath of life to understand present duty, do the work required, and meet the will and way of the Lord, with assurance that when what He requires is verified He will verify His promise without fail. Its work does not include providing for all the depraved, all drunkards, and all prostitutes, nor diverting resources to slum populations yielding few genuine conversions while loyal commandment-keepers are left unaided and worthy poor families who love God and keep His commandments need generous help. It does not support sinking means and time into costly institutions or consuming experiments in one place for very little returns that displace evangelistic labor, but calls for wise handling at camp meetings, supporting presentation of truth where it has not yet been heard so more accept the message and give themselves and their means to God, and proclaiming truth in all its bearings in all cities, before nations and highest authority, reaching all classes especially on temperance, closing saloons and ending poisoned liquor, and carrying the Sabbath question to the whole world. Believers must not only sit in church Sabbath after Sabbath listening to preaching while ministers hover about repeating the same truths, but must lift up Christ, visit friends and neighbors, create interest in present truth, plant the Word in many hearts, deal out the bread of life to hungering souls, economize appetites, deny harmful indulgence, and faithfully trade every talent great or small for multitudes or individuals rather than remain idle.

The service includes proclaiming mercy and the life-saving gospel to every nation, kindred, tongue, and people in every city and village and highway and byway near and far and to regions beyond. All who believe present truth are to labor together with Christ, arrayed in His righteousness and sanctified by truth, laboring for all classes with equal care, free from selfishness, regarding all the world as the field, letting light shine without limit so men see good works and glorify God by teaching unbelievers the word and uniting in prayer for those in darkness of error. This is individual work done while living in Christ by eating the bread of life, ceasing faultfinding and improving self, putting things in order, abandoning selfish principles in church institutions, breaking every yoke hindering servants, doing justice and upholding truth for the oppressed and despised, strengthening the weak, and working as Christ worked for God's glory. Doing that work gives a healthy growing experience with righteousness going before, preserves those who do it, and invites all while mercy is heard to seek daily fellowship with Him and draw souls to Him.