Chapter 58 - Hypocrisy of Their Fast

58:1 - The LORD's mission  for Isaiah: Openly proclaim the sins of Judah, Jerusalem & Israel

58:2 - The message they act as a nation whose delight is in the LORD that never turned away from His law and actually delighted in coming close to The LORD.

How is this sin? - Remember Isaiah 48:1, 45:9-10

The LORD is prophesying about what the Jews will be saying after they are delivered from Babylon by Cyrus. It could be after the temple and city are rebuilt. The Jews were always a religious people. Could they be demanding that The LORD send forth judgment upon those He placed over them (the ordinances of justice they sought from Him? "Let us tell you how to deal out Your punishment".

58:3-4 - This religious people would be saying that the LORD never heard their prayers or accepted their fasting.  and [Mal 3:13-14]

Does God look at the physical aspects of worship or the inward aspects of worship? Often the Jews would actually turn the fast days into a time of pleasure The fast days were to be Holy Days not holidays. They found ways to gratify their flesh during times they were to be focusing upon The LORD. 

Their times of fasting were actually times of strife and they would pound the table demanding that God recognize their outward suffering and respond to their contentious demands {45:9-10} - Where was the strong arm of the LORD {Isa 51:9}

Zec 7:5 - even when they fasted during the 70 captivity the priest (that were left in Jerusalem) they were not seeking the LORD but contending with them.  Mt 6:16; 23:14.

58:5-7 - The LORD contrasts their fasts with what He accepts.

verse 5 - their expressions of bowing, sackcloth and ashes were only outward expressions done not in subjection to The LORD but for all to see -  Mat 6:16 Lu 18:11 -

Verses 6&7 - The fast accepted by The LORD deals with the persons sin, the yoke of bondage of sin.

It could be a time of releasing a servant, forgiving a debt, changing from dealing wickedly with others.

It is a time of generosity and looking at the needs of others. You do not hide from others or yourself but place the needs of others first.  Mat 6:18 

Hide from thine own flesh: many teach this is your family or offspring. In Mat 6:17 Jesus teaches to keep your body clean. So covering oneself with sackcloth and ashes is not part of fasting.

58:8 - Then when you get the fast right, true worship, then your light will break forth;

Thy light will be as the Morning light, the start of a new day

Ps 18:28 For thou wilt light my candle: the LORD my God will enlighten my darkness

Pr 20:27 ¶ The spirit of man is the candle of the LORD, searching all the inward parts of the belly

Lu 11:33 No man, when he hath lighted a candle, putteth it in a secret place, neither under a bushel, but on a candlestick, that they which come in may see the light.
Lu 11:36 If thy whole body therefore be full of light, having no part dark, the whole shall be full of light, as when the bright shining of a candle doth give thee light

Pr 4:18 But the path of the just is as the shining light, that shineth more and more unto the perfect day.

Mt 5:14 Ye are the light of the world. A city that is set on an hill cannot be hid.

Mt 5:16 Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father which is in heaven.

In Matthew 5 Jesus takes his disciples up on a mountain and teaches they are to be witnesses to the Glory of God for all to see.

Then Jews will be a righteous people, shining forth  Their righteousness is not of themselves.

Isa 54:17 No weapon that is formed against thee shall prosper; and every tongue that shall rise against thee in judgment thou shalt condemn. This is the heritage of the servants of the LORD, and their righteousness is of me, saith the LORD.

Isa 56:1 ¶ Thus saith the LORD, Keep ye judgment, and do justice: for my salvation is near to come, and my righteousness to be revealed

Light is outward; Health is inward, What is on the inside will show forth on the outside.

The throne of The LORD raised up for all to see, The nation of Israel dwelling in Jerusalem around the throne. The glory of the LORD shinning from behind them and through them for all the world to see.Then they will be be a witness to the Glory of The LORD for all to see - in the city - No more curse

And many teach God is through with Israel.

58:9-12 Then when the "fast" is proper that is when they glorify the LORD by diminishing themselves (removing the spotlight from themselves (The Jews are very self-centered people today) and uplift others than when they call upon the LORD He will answer. These verses are about the nation of Israel staying only upon the LORD, being a believing nation, a compassionate nation, a nation speaking truth not vanity, THEN HIS GLORY will shine forth through them for all the world to see. The world will understand that The LORD came through the Jews and they will be seen as HIS witnesses

.......and thou shalt be called, The repairer of the breach, The restorer of paths to dwell in   58:12b.

58:13-14 the summation - when you understand the sabbath not your day but My Holy Day - Than

Leviticus 26:2-12  Ye shall keep my sabbaths, and reverence my sanctuary: I am the LORD.
3 If ye walk in my statutes, and keep my commandments, and do them;
4 Then I will give you rain in due season, and the land shall yield her increase, and the trees of the field shall yield their fruit........11 And I will set my tabernacle among you: and my soul shall not abhor you. 12 And I will walk among you, and will be your God, and ye shall be my people [The Selah for  His people]

Re 21:22 And I saw no temple therein: for the Lord God Almighty and the Lamb are the temple of it.

Note:
Ps 35:13 But as for me, when they were sick, my clothing was sackcloth: I humbled my soul with fasting; and my prayer returned into mine own bosom.
The sackcloth and ashes were on the outside - physical
The fasting was on the inside - spiritual

De 9:18 And I fell down before the LORD, as at the first, forty days and forty nights: I did neither eat bread, nor drink water, because of all your sins which ye sinned, in doing wickedly in the sight of the LORD, to provoke him to anger.

The reason they were fasting was to bring attention to themselves not because of their sin. They felt they were being unjustly punished by God. Sackcloth and ashes were to be signs of humbling one’s self before God. They did not have to be in the situation they were in, if they had repented when the LORD offered His forgiveness. The desolation would not have come upon them.

The sackcloth and ashes were seen when going before the LORD for conditions beyond your control or your ability to change. - Could it have been that if they would have cleaned themselves up, worked to improve others it would have been a sign that they recognized their sin, turned to the LORD and were by faith believing all was well with their soul and the LORD was in control.

The priest were the watchman (dogs of 56:10) - could they have been taking the last of the food and money of the poor to settle debts owed to them leaving the poor even poorer?