Isaiah 58 Transfiguration: from Religion to Relationship, from physical food and water to The Bread and water of life, The Way, Truth and Life.

 

1: Wail out from your throat (guttural)

Not holding back the shofar

Raise your voice, Emphasise to my people their transgressions and to the house of Jacob their sins.

2: Day after day it is for Me they seek. It is the knowledge of My Way in which they delight. As a nation, it is the Righteousness which He did and the Judgement of their God that it does not forsake. It is judgement and imminent Justice they ask me about. They delight in God.

3: For why did we fast? Did You not see? We prostrated our souls and you don’t know.

Behold! on a fasting day you discover delight. And you exploit all the labourers.

4: Behold! You fast for strife and contention. But you will not fast to cause a fist of wickedness to be struck as you would do on a day when you make your voice heard from a height.

5: Is this the sort of fast which I choose for you? A day for man to prostrate his soul? To bow his head like a bulrush? To make sackcloth and ashes to be spread out? Is this what you would call a fast? A day of goodwill for Yehoweh?

 

6: Is this not the fast I choose?

To open wicked bonds?

(Fthay Karsuvoth resha) — a-u rhyme

To undo the pole bar of the yokes?

 (hather Eggudhoth motha)

To set free the oppressed?

(V’shala ratsutsim kafshim)

And rip off every pole bar?

(V’kal motha thnatheku)

 

7: Is it not to divide your bread in two with the hungry?

And to make the poor strays come to your house?

And when you see the naked, cover him?

And not make yourself hide from your own flesh?

 

8: At that time your light, like quick but unending dawn, springs out and walks before you. Your righteousness, God’s Glory, collects behind you.

 

9: At that time call out and Yehoweh answers. Call out for help and He will say, “Here I am”.

If you put aside the pole bar (of the yoke) from your midst, sending off (that) trouble speaking pointing finger.

10: Cause your soul to come out to the hungry.

Cause the bowed-down soul* to be satiated.

(I am the bread of life John 6:35)

And your light came forth in the darkness.

And gloom like noondays.

(I am the light of the world Jn 8:12)

11: Yehoweh always guided you and caused him* to be satiated.

 

Your soul and your bones were drawn out of a drought for a water saturated garden. Its water is that which does not lie.

(Drink living water John 7:38).

 

12: From waste places (kharab)  around you they built lasting foundations – you stand for generation upon generation.

And He called you

Wall Builder of the Breach

Turn-backer (shoov) to the PathWay

Remainer-Dweller (Shavet).

(I am the way the truth and the life John 14:6)

 

13: If you cause turning back (Hifil shoov)

To Shabbat,

your foot doing your pleasure

on my holy day you called Shabbat Delight (Anag)  to Gloriously Holy Yehoweh

(referring to Sunday? Man was made for Sabbath?)

and Honour Him in

making your ways,

finding your pleasures

and speaking words

 

14: Then you will make yourself delight (Anag, Hitpael) in Yehoweh,

I (who)caused you to climb in and ride to high places on earth (?Transfiguration – omission in Interlinear for bamot – should be Strongs 1116,7,1181),

caused you to eat the heritage of your father Jacob.

 

For the mouth of Yehoweh spoke. Ponder that!

 

Prayer:

Lord, forgive us. In our religious fervour and loud prayers for justice, fasting, keeping sabbath, we forgot that the “social gospel” – providing food, water, justice to the poor – was important.

 

Lord forgive us. In our desire to feed and water the poor, we forgot that what they need is not physical but the Food and Water of Life, for spiritual freedom, for release from sin’s bondage and finding You, The Way, The Truth and The Life.

 

Now may we delight in being thus Transfigured like You were.

 

Amen.