Isaiah 58:6 (ESV) … “Is not this the fast that I choose: to loose the bonds of wickedness, to undo the straps of the yoke, to let the oppressed go free, and to break every yoke?”
Isaiah let the people know, that if they want Divine blessings (Isaiah 58:3) upon their fasting and other religious observances, then let them improve in their conduct by not oppressing people and let them help the needy. It is then and only then that God will bless them for their religious worship, for it would be real and not hypocritical.
The same lesson for these Old Testament saints is for us as New Testament believers. If we wish to have God bless us for our worship on Sunday’s at church, then we must keep an eye on our conduct or daily living. If we are oppressing others in our lives and not helping those who are hungry or hurting, then what makes us think we can expect the Lord’s blessings on Sunday?
Hypocritical living isn’t anything new to this world. It didn’t just appear on earth when Jesus was here. Hypocritical living has been around since the very beginning. As a matter of fact, Adam and Eve tried to live hypocritical. They tried to hide their sin from God while still enjoying his presence. God is holy, holy, holy. God is thrice holy. That means his very presence will always expose our sins. We must be confessional and genuine in repentance. Beyond that, we must strive to live holy each day so that when we find ourselves in his presence, we might rightly worship him.
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