Devotional: Isa. 58:9b-12

If you do away with the yoke of oppression,
With the pointing finger and malicious talk,
And if you spend yourselves on behalf of the hungry,
And satisfy the needs of the oppressed,
Then your light will rise in the darkness,
and your night will become like the noonday.
The Lord will guide you always;
He will satisfy your needs in a sun-scorched land,
and will strengthen your frame.
You will be like a well-watered garden,
like a spring whose waters never fail.
Your people will rebuild the ancient ruins,
and will raise up age-old foundations;
You will be called Repairer of Broken Walls,
Restorer of streets with dwellings.
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Making a difference. For those of us with activist hearts, it's more than the mantra of the current era ... it's our heartcry. Once we "awaken" to the full-orbed teaching of Scripture we see that God's priority on the spiritual doesn't mean he ignores the temporal. In fact, there are plenty of Scriptures to show us that He doesn't want us to ignore the "stuff of earth" either. As Francis Chan observes in "Crazy Love", sometimes God's answer to our question, "Why are people starving?" might be to turn around and ask us that question.

That's why this is one of my favorite sections of this passage. The results of the actions God prescribes will bring light into darkness and restoration into brokenness. And that's pretty cool.

Let's break this down. It's basically a big if-then statement, some cause-and-effect relationships:

If we ...
1) Stop oppressing others (through legalism, or mistreatment, or unfair wages, or any other number of ways.)
2) Stop gossipy, malicious conversation (wounding words)
3) Pour ourselves out for the hungry (the Hebrew translated "spend yourselves" means to "cause to come out from the spirit/soul" ... the KJV says closely "draw out thy soul"). This signifies a meeting of others' needs that comes from deep within our being.
4) and satisfy the needs of the oppressed ("satisfy" meaning to provide more than enough - to fill, to overflow even; and "oppressed" meaning afflicted, humiliated - the same word is used for "rape" in some places in the OT) ...

Then - the effect will be profound.
1) Light in dark places, so much so that night is like noonday;
2) Guidance from God;
3) Satisfaction of our own needs in the midst of a dry place;
4) Physical strength;
5) An inward "watering" that keeps us flourishing and fruitful (reminiscient of the "river of life" Jesus spoke of);
6) Corporate restoration of brokenness - including making unliveable places liveable again!

As we've discussed before, it's easy to spiritualize these verses. Sure, it is referencing spiritual freedom and healing. But again, I go back to the fact that God is chiding them in part for being ONLY focused on spiritual ritual and not the effect their religion should have "where the rubber meets the road". It says a lot to me that in many Third World countries where life conditions are much closer to the culture of the Bible than our own Western "advanced" society, Christians don't hesitate to apply these things very literally. Believers in Israel/Palestine who long for peace, believers in Sudan who are on the run, believers in Pakistan who live in secrecy ... all see these verses and others like them as very practical ways to change their society. They know Christ will come again and make all things new. But they want to experience glimpses of His kingdom on earth ... His will on earth as it is in heaven.

So I've been giving some thought to this as I've worked on memorizing this section. Why does God connect these things? Why this cause-and-effect relationship?

I think part of it simply goes back to the principle of the Great Commission. He promised His presence always as we go. That doesn't mean that just because we are about His business we will never suffer. It does mean that if we are focused on His work, then He will clear obstacles until He has a different plan for our lives or our service is complete. So those personal "cause-and-effect" relationships center on His kingdom purposes - a key distinction missed by prosperity gospel teachers. Significantly, the ones mentioned here whose needs will be met and whose frame will be strengthened are the very ones who in the depth of their souls want to meet the needs of others - not themselves.

The effect on those around us - on the "darkness" in which we live - is another way God's kingdom is revealed on earth as it is in heaven. I think the reason "light in the darkness" is part of the "cause and effect" of these verses is reflected in Jesus words of the Sermon on the Mount, Matt. 5:16: "Let your light shine before men, so they will see your good works and glorify your father who is in heaven". If you are in a dark environment, you know the impact of light. It's noticeable. And it's for His glory. So when God tells us our actions will have the effect of making our light brighter and push back the darkness - it's all about His glory.

Finally, the corporate opportunity to rebuild, raise up, restore ... all is part of the Hebrew concept of "shalom" which is much more than peace ... it is wholeness. Verse 12 is a beautiful example of what shalom can look like in the life of a nation - or a church - or a family. We forget, so easily, that even though God allows for our human failures and weaknesses - for example, by allowing that governments have the "sword" to protect good against evil - He also has a perfect will that He wants to see on earth as it is in heaven. He uses everything for His purposes ... but that doesn't mean He doesn't want to see some of the bad things reversed. Shalom is the state that results when those things are reversed and we get a glimpse of His kingdom.

Thomas Merton captured this concept beautifully in his poem, Senescente Mundo:
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I hear a sovereign talking in my arteries,
Reversing, with His promises,
All things that now go on with fire and thunder.

His truth is greater than disaster,
His peace imposes silence on the evidence against us.
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We get that, personally and spiritually. What I hear in God's word through Isaiah is that it can also be true on a very practical level. And the actions we take fueled by a heart that has been filled with His Spirit and changed to be in line with His purposes can be part of that incredible process, for His glory.