NOTES for Isa 65:8-16
The fast is drawing to a close, and the readings from the prophet Isaiah help us draw certain conclusions. In today’s prophecy, the Lord speaks of the fruits that a person’s choice bears: the one who chooses the Lord will rejoice, while the one who chooses himself will be put to shame. Yet the emphasis in these words shifts surprisingly quickly to the great and glorious works of God. The source of heartfelt gladness is not the multitude of efforts we have made, but the “new thing” that the Lord Himself accomplishes. The purpose of all the fasting that preceded these days is to see the salvation that the Son of God accomplished on the Cross and to rejoice.