"day after day he seeks me out;
he seems eager to know my ways,
as if he were a person that does what is right
and has not forsaken the commands of his God.
he asks me for just decisions
and seems eager for God to come near him
but he has fallen asleep...
When they meet on sunday
he is the first to raise his hands in praise
when its time to participate in communion
he is the most devout of them all
he is the most solem,
he seems to think that his is serving his lord
but he does not even have the strength to stand...
he fasts
"look at how i struggle and sacrifice for you"
he says
but he has missed the point...
he is so far off the target
he is blinded by his own self righteousness
his own good deeds and ways
he is so blinded he doesn't even remember who i am
his fasting ends in quarreling and strife,
and in striking at others with wicked fists.
He cannot fast as he does today
and expect his voice to be heard on high.
Only when he learns
only when he looses the chains of injustice
and unties the cords of the yoke,
only when he to sets the oppressed free
and breaks every yoke?
only then...
When he shares his food with the hungry
and to provides the poor wanderer with shelter—
when he sees the naked, and gives them clothes,
and does not to turn away from his own flesh and blood
only then...
Only then my light will break forth like the dawn,
and my healing will quickly appear;
Then he will call, and the LORD will answer;
he will cry for help, and I will say: "Here am I.
If you do away with the yoke of oppression,
with the pointing finger and malicious talk,
only if he spends himself on behalf of the hungry
and satisfies the needs of the oppressed,
then his light will rise in the darkness,
and his night will become like the noonday.
The LORD will guide him always;
I will satisfy his needs in a sun-scorched land
and will strengthen him
He will be like a well-watered garden,
like a spring whose waters never fail.
he will be called Repairer of Broken Walls,
Restorer of Streets with Dwellings.
The mouth of the LORD has spoken!"
The Pharisee that i am talking about is really me. I am the one who fasts, and raises his hand in "worship". I am the one who likes looking good. But i am dead on the inside. My stench has reached to the heavens, and God has called me out on it. Its time to change.
Read Isaiah 58.
he seems eager to know my ways,
as if he were a person that does what is right
and has not forsaken the commands of his God.
he asks me for just decisions
and seems eager for God to come near him
but he has fallen asleep...
When they meet on sunday
he is the first to raise his hands in praise
when its time to participate in communion
he is the most devout of them all
he is the most solem,
he seems to think that his is serving his lord
but he does not even have the strength to stand...
he fasts
"look at how i struggle and sacrifice for you"
he says
but he has missed the point...
he is so far off the target
he is blinded by his own self righteousness
his own good deeds and ways
he is so blinded he doesn't even remember who i am
his fasting ends in quarreling and strife,
and in striking at others with wicked fists.
He cannot fast as he does today
and expect his voice to be heard on high.
Only when he learns
only when he looses the chains of injustice
and unties the cords of the yoke,
only when he to sets the oppressed free
and breaks every yoke?
only then...
When he shares his food with the hungry
and to provides the poor wanderer with shelter—
when he sees the naked, and gives them clothes,
and does not to turn away from his own flesh and blood
only then...
Only then my light will break forth like the dawn,
and my healing will quickly appear;
Only then will my righteousness go before him,
and the glory of the LORD will be his rear guard.Then he will call, and the LORD will answer;
he will cry for help, and I will say: "Here am I.
If you do away with the yoke of oppression,
with the pointing finger and malicious talk,
only if he spends himself on behalf of the hungry
and satisfies the needs of the oppressed,
then his light will rise in the darkness,
and his night will become like the noonday.
The LORD will guide him always;
I will satisfy his needs in a sun-scorched land
and will strengthen him
He will be like a well-watered garden,
like a spring whose waters never fail.
he will be called Repairer of Broken Walls,
Restorer of Streets with Dwellings.
The mouth of the LORD has spoken!"
The Pharisee that i am talking about is really me. I am the one who fasts, and raises his hand in "worship". I am the one who likes looking good. But i am dead on the inside. My stench has reached to the heavens, and God has called me out on it. Its time to change.
Read Isaiah 58.
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