Compare Zechariah 7:3 with Isaiah 58:6-7 on true fasting. What similarities exist? Scripture texts “...by asking the priests of the house of the LORD of Hosts and the prophets, ‘Should I continue to mourn and fast in the fifth month, as I have done for so many years?’ ” “Is not this the fast I have chosen: to break the chains of wickedness, to untie the cords of the yoke, to let the oppressed go free, and to break every yoke? Is it not to share your bread with the hungry and to bring the poor and homeless into your house; to clothe the naked when you see him, and not to turn away from your own flesh and blood?” Key Similarities on True Fasting • Both passages shift the focus from ritual to relationship—God wants hearts that love people, not mere abstention from food (cf. Hosea 6:6; Micah 6:8). • Each text contrasts formal fasting with practical mercy: care for the needy, relief for the oppressed, and compassion for “your own flesh and blood.” • The question in Zechariah (Should we keep fasting?) receives God’s implied answer in Isaiah (Fast by acts of justice and kindness). • Social justice themes match: breaking yokes, freeing captives, protecting the vulnerable (Zechariah 7:9-10; Isaiah 58:6-7). • Both highlight internal sincerity over external performance, echoing 1 Samuel 15:22—obedience outweighs sacrifice. Takeaway Principles • God measures fasting by transformed behavior toward others. • Compassionate deeds validate genuine repentance. • True worship unites vertical devotion with horizontal love (James 1:27; Matthew 22:37-40). |
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