The Fast God Chooses (Isa 58:6)
By David Hentschel
“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 58:6)
God’s idea of faithfulness often disrupts ours. In Isaiah 58, the people are fasting, praying, and seeking God—yet something is profoundly wrong. Their religious devotion is impressive on the outside but hollow at the center. So God speaks plainly: this is the fast I choose.
True worship does not terminate on ourselves. It bends outward. God’s chosen fast loosens what sin tightens, frees what injustice binds, and breaks yokes that crush image-bearers. The verse is not a rejection of spiritual disciplines, but a redefinition of them. Fasting that pleases God is not merely abstaining from food; it is participating in His redemptive work in the world.
Isaiah 58:6 reminds us that righteousness is not performative but restorative. God is not impressed by religious activity that leaves oppression untouched. He delights in hearts so aligned with His own that worship spills over into mercy, justice, and compassion.
The question this verse leaves us with is simple and searching: Does our devotion reflect the freedom-bringing heart of God? The fast He chooses still calls us to examine not just what we give up—but who we lift up.
