Isaiah 58: Group Study Handout

How to use: read Isaiah 58 aloud together, then take the questions in order. One page is enough for an evening.

Overview

God commands Isaiah to cry out to His people about their disobedience and sins (vv. 1-2). They question Him, saying, ‘Why have we fasted,’ but they find pleasure and oppress their workers during their fast (vv.

Key verse

“Isn’t this the fast that I have chosen: to release the bonds of wickedness, to undo the straps of the yoke, to let the oppressed go free, and that you break every yoke?”
Isaiah 58:6 (WEB)

Outline

Isaiah 58:1–2 Call to Address Disobedience
Isaiah 58:3–5 Hypocrisy of Fasting
Isaiah 58:6–7 True Meaning of Fasting
Isaiah 58:8–10 Promise of Divine Response
Isaiah 58:11–12 Restoration and Renewal
Isaiah 58:13–14 Sabbath Observance

Discussion questions

In v3, what do the people claim about their fasting and afflicting their soul?
What does the word 'fast' imply in vv. 5-6 regarding God's expectations?
In v7, what does it mean to 'not hide yourself from your own flesh'?
In v13, what does it mean to call the Sabbath a 'delight'?
When have you seen someone 'afflict their soul' while failing to act justly?

Go deeper

Passages that echo Isaiah 58: Psalm 37, John 7, Isaiah 30.

Before next time: read Isaiah 59.