(1) In the foregoing he punished sins against faith; here he attacks the fruits of unbelief and the outward vices which were hidden under their hypocrisy. For these are the two most important things, that first faith should be taught, and then good works. Now the Jews not only omitted the commandments of the first tablet,
but also those of the second tablet, because of the superstitious works of human statutes. And this is what they are reproached with here. Therefore, he condemns the trust they placed in their fasting and lists the sins that were hidden under this fasting. Then he teaches what true fasting is, namely to practice works of love, and adds
He adds excellent promises for good works. Finally, he also rejects their Sabbath, and teaches what is, to keep the Sabbath. But he also adds a glorious promise to this piece.
V. 1. Shout confidently, spare not, lift up your voice like a trumpet.
2. he indicates what the trumpet meant in the Old Testament, namely the sermon.
This is an excellent passage against the hypocrites, who choose seeming works, fasting, walking sadly, 2c., and yet are full of avarice, cruelty, lust, and other passions. The cause is this: because when one has departed from the faith, the hearts must necessarily be taken over by the devil, who then covers these hidden vices with the appearance of works, and makes men puffed up with the vain hope of holiness.
V. 2. They seek me daily.
(4) He says, "Not only do they fail to obey the first commandment, not only do they not obey the commandments of the other table, but after they have completed their fasts, they rightly challenge me, wanting to know the reason why I do such and such, since they deserve nothing.
They rightly challenge me, and want to get right with their God.
As it is said in the Gospel [Luc. 7, 35]: "Wisdom must be justified by her children. Not that they do this openly, that they want to be right with God, yes, they even boast themselves of the service of God and their obedience to God, but they are right with God when he speaks to them through the preaching of his word and punishes them through it; and this God, who speaks to them through the godly, they deny and reject. For they reject the word, they also reject the ministers of the word, who punish vain superstition; against these they boast of their righteousness, and so they right with God.
V. 3. Behold, when you fast.
5 Here he adds the reason why he rejects their fasting. For since he says: "So
you do your will," he indicates the contrast. As if he wanted to say: I wanted you to do my will, but you are fasting to cover your will and your sins, which are greed, avarice, contempt and cruelty. So today the monks and priests of the pope cover their very grave sins, namely, persecuting the word, killing the innocent, blaspheming Christ 2c., with their apparent works, that they say mass daily, pray much, live celibate. Therefore, he does not condemn fasting outright, but he condemns such fasting, which was made into a cover with which they covered their evil will and set it against the will of God.
V. 4. Behold, ye fast, that ye strive and quarrel.
(6) In your fasting you are devout, but with your neighbor you deal most cruelly. For, as he wrote: Vera justitia compassionem, falsa autem indignationem parit [true justice inspires compassion, but false justice inspires anger]. Examples are before our eyes today. For the adversaries who so fiercely defend good works are very vengeful and very cruel people, who deal by day and by night with nothing but how they may judge us, and secretly lay snares, and how they may do us the greatest harm. But it is a misery that they are so blind that they do not recognize this hidden vice themselves, but must first be taught against it; and yet it is not yet recognized. For with their cruelty they pretend to zeal for justice, and of their tyranny they say they are doing God a service. But for this service they will receive their reward from the devil.
Do not fast as you are doing now, so that a shout will be heard from you on high.
7. a cry, namely about you. For he indicates that the poor who are oppressed by the saints of works through violence and injustice cry out to God; as it is said about the blood of Abel in Gen. 4, 10, and above Cap. 5, 9.
V. 5. Was this supposed to be a fast?
(8) Here we see how far the holy papists differ from the Jews, whom the prophet is here chastising. They put the main part of their religion in outward gestures: they walk sadly and hang their heads like a rush. This is a very beautiful simile. In a rush there is nothing solid, nothing strong; the surface is exceedingly thin and smooth. The hypocrites are also completely like this: from the outside they have a good appearance, but inside there is nothing solid or thorough.
That a man should lie on sackcloth or in ashes.
9. sack means a lowly garment; ashes a miserable sitting, according to the custom of this people.
V. 6 But this is a fast that I choose: Let go which thou hast joined with unrighteousness.
10 That is, let go of those whom you have bonded through injustice and avarice, namely, your debtors.
11. Furthermore, it should be noted in this passage that no fasting, nor any other works, however holy and good they may be, are pleasing to God if the duties of love are omitted. Therefore Christ says in the Gospel [Matth. 22, 39.]: "The other commandment is equal to the first: You shall love your neighbor as yourself." Likewise [Matth. 5, 24.]: "First be reconciled to your brother, and then offer your gift."
V. 7. Do not deprive yourself of your flesh.
(12) This is a strong exhortation to good works. For he calls his neighbor not a brother, not a father, which are the nearest grades, but "our flesh," which we are to care for and help when it suffers; we are not to nourish it for pleasure and lust. In the same way, lazy people should not be helped, but forced to work.
V. 8. Then your light will break forth like the dawn.
(13) These are excellent promises, that the merciful will have abundance of all kinds of goods even in this life; as it is said [Luc. 6:38], "Pray, and it shall be given you."
14. "Light" means bliss, peace, well-being 2c.
Your righteousness will go before you.
1.]. Good works will strengthen your conscience. Your conscience will bear witness that you have not injured anyone. Thus good works establish our calling and election, as Peter says [2 Ep. 1:10], and free us from the conscience of evil works among men. For we are not dealing here with the doctrine of justification.
And the glory of the Lord will take you.
From this testimony of your conscience and from your works, you will certainly be assured that God is well pleased with you and approves of your works. Thus, a godly mother knows for certain that if she does her duty in educating the children, this work will please God. Thus, the glory of works consists in the fact that we can say with a clear conscience: I know that this work pleases God. For the glory of faith is another, which says: I know that I am righteous by grace alone 2c.
V. 9. Then you will call, and the Lord will answer.
17 He also promises certain help in the tribulation. For the prayer of a man who walks by faith is answered without fail.
So you do not throw anyone complaining to you.
18 In these words he makes the promises great. Just as he exhorted to good works in general [vv. 6-8], so I understand this especially of the preachers of the word, with whom they treated unkindly.
19. "If you will not have anyone complain to you," that is, if you stop using my pro-.
phets, and deal evil with them. Likewise, if you will stop "pointing fingers," that is, ridiculing my servants and persecuting them with all kinds of shameful speeches.
20. "And you will let the hungry find your heart," that is, if you satisfy him, your light will rise in the darkness, that is, you will have an abundance of all goods. For it is a promise of happiness, and of a good conscience.
V. 11. And the LORD will satisfy your soul in the drought.
21 [Instead of: Implebit splendoribus] the Hebrew says, "He will satisfy your soul in drought," that is, you will be abundantly comforted in adversity.
V. 12: And by you shall be built up that which is waste.
You will not only be comforted, but you will also be happy in everything you do. You will help many, benefit many, and be the cause of many very good things, not only in private but also in public 2c. This is how Naaman the Syrian sustains his people [2 Kings 5:1].
And will lay foundation that will remain for and for.
You will do such things that will be beneficial and lasting, whether in the worldly government or in the church.
And shall be called: He who fences the gaps.
24. "A fence" means, to speak in the manner of the Hebrews, the remnant. You will be useful to all, both to the churches and to the communities you will order. Thus is a godly man tried, and fitted for all good work [2 Tim. 3:17].
V. 13: When you turn your foot away from the Sabbath.
(25) Just as he punished the fasting of the Jews before [vv. 4, 5], so he punishes their Sabbaths here, adding what it is,
To keep a true Sabbath, namely, to abstain from our works, whether they are actually evil or good in appearance, which we choose ourselves without God's word; such were the masses and other ungodly services on our Sabbaths. And the Sabbath is praised when the Word of God is preached and diligently heard. For in this one duty lies the service of God, that we hear God's word diligently, and obey it by faith 2c.
026 Now mark, that the sabbath day is polluted by the works which we ourselves choose: for he rejecteth our foot on the sabbath day, that is, the works which we have chosen, and also our will and our ways.
For thus shalt thou praise the same, if thou doest not thy ways.
(27) What could have been more clearly said than that the Sabbath consisted in abstaining from the things that pleased thee, even from speaking, and sanctifying the Lord in the works which he commanded? But the wicked do not believe that the Sabbath is defiled by works and services of their own choosing, but as if they were blind, they persist in this opinion, thinking: I do this work with a good intention, and it pleases me; therefore God must also necessarily approve of it, and it must please Him 2c.
V. 14. Then you will delight in the Lord.
(28) This is a good promise, but the wicked despise it as well as they despise the threats. For he promises that it will come to pass that we will delight in all that God commands and does, that we will be well pleased with the teaching of the gospel, and that we will thank God for having brought us to this knowledge, that we know what it is to have the Sabbath and not to keep it. And we can comfort ourselves in adversity, so that we can patiently endure whatever comes our way. These are tremendous gifts.