Inspired by Jesus’ 40-day sojourn in the wilderness, Robert Bogucki ventured into Australia’s Great Sandy Desert—and disappeared. A manhunt was launched after tourists spotted his abandoned bicycle and supplies, but after 15 days of searching they concluded that he had not survived. Bogucki’s family hired trackers to continue the search. Forty-three days after Bogucki went missing, he was spotted by a television news helicopter. His water had run out 12 days earlier, and he survived by eating flowers and drinking water strained from mud. God’s approved fast includes more than abstaining from meals. It is a lifestyle of loving self-sacrifice. Isaiah employed the image of a desert to describe the benefit of living this way. Since it is often the fear of deprivation that keeps us from making such sacrifices, Isaiah promised that the Lord “will satisfy your needs in a sun-scorched land. . . . You will be like a well-watered garden” (v. 11). The imagery of verse 12 suggests that these promises were addressed to those who would be brought back to Jerusalem after the Babylonian exile. The emphasis on observing the Sabbath is a theme Isaiah introduced earlier as an example of what it meant to “maintain justice” (56:2–6). Israel’s failure to observe the prescribed weekly Sabbath, or the Sabbath year every seven years when the ground was left fallow, or the Year of Jubilee every 50 years when all debts were canceled, were examples of the disobedience that had resulted in God’s people being sent into exile (Ezek. 20:23; see Lev. 26:33–34). Keeping the Sabbath is linked with justice, because observances like these provided rest for workers and relief for the poor.

In a sermon preached to the Zion Hill Baptist Church in Los Angeles on June 17, 1962, the Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. made a promise that he would repeat in speeches and sermons all over the country. It was a prediction, really, framed in the lyrics of what is considered the anthem of the civil rights movement. “We shall overcome,” he said. “We shall overcome because the arc of the moral universe is long, but it bends toward justice.” In today’s passage, we find that justice is one of God’s abiding concerns. After condemning Israel for its hypocrisy in fasting, Isaiah describes what God considers a true fast: a sacrificial demonstration of love for others. This fast includes sharing food with the hungry, providing shelter for the homeless, and clothing the naked. Although these actions are performed by individual people, they produce a cumulative effect on the community as a whole. Acts of justice have relational as well as economic dimensions. They are the opposite of finger pointing and malicious talk (v. 9). Justice is not merely political; it is also personal. Justice is more than a system. It is something we engage in by our individual actions toward one another. Our notions of justice today tend to be vague, abstract, or impersonal. We narrow the scope of justice to only legal or political categories. Scripture describes justice in more personal terms. God’s notion of justice affects the way we treat the person standing in front of us. Jesus captures the essence of what justice looks like in the two great commandments: love God with all of your being, and love your neighbor as yourself (see Matt. 22:36–40). This is how we show our love for God and please Him.

Fasting used to be done primarily for religious purposes. Today, most of those who voluntarily abstain from eating want to improve their health or to lose weight, with little thought given to fasting as a spiritual practice. In Isaiah’s day, people practiced fasting in an attempt to get God’s attention and enlist His aid. They became frustrated when God seemed to ignore their efforts: “‘Why have we fasted,’ they say, ‘and you have not seen it? Why have we humbled ourselves, and you have not noticed?’” (v. 3). The Lord’s reply revealed the flaw. They were regular in their religious activity but superficial in their devotion. On the surface they appeared sincere. They sought God daily and even seemed eager to know about Him. But on closer inspection, their lives showed serious inconsistencies. Their religious practices were mixed with acts of selfishness, exploitation of others, and quarreling. Like a church member who thanks the pastor for the sermon on loving your neighbor and then gossips about a friend on the way out, their ordinary behavior proved that these spiritual practices were only a religious veneer. The word for this kind of behavior is hypocrisy. The trouble with hypocrisy is that we have a sharper eye for it in others than we do for ourselves. We think others are hypocrites; we are merely inconsistent. The flaw in those Isaiah criticized was twofold. First, they thought they could use their acts of devotion as leverage to get God to do what they wanted. Second, their practice of spirituality was compartmentalized. Jesus echoed Isaiah’s criticism when He rebuked the religious leaders of His day for attending to minor details while ignoring the heart of holy living (Matt. 23:23).

When Prince Harry married Meghan Markle last May, the wedding celebration included a formal dinner reception for 200 guests, a luncheon hosted by the queen for the 600 guests at the wedding, and light refreshments for over 2,000 members of the public who were invited to Windsor Castle to witness the presentation of the newlyweds. In today’s passage, we find an invitation to a far greater feast. This one extends to “all who are thirsty” and to those who are hungry but have no money (v. 1). The menu includes wine, milk, and “the richest of fare” (v. 2). This abundance will be provided without cost to those who receive it. In verse 3 through 5, the focus shifts from the invited guests to Israel’s Messiah, indicating that the fulfillment of these promises will happen in the messianic age. God’s promise that the nations would come running to the Messiah means that the invitation in the opening verses also includes Gentiles. Anyone who bows the knee in submission to God’s promised servant will also be welcome (see Phil. 2:9–11). Although entry is free, those who accept the invitation should repent of their sins: “Let the wicked forsake their ways and the unrighteous their thoughts. Let them turn to the Lord, and he will have mercy on them, and to our God, for he will freely pardon” (v. 7). The blessings described in the final verses will happen in the future, but the only way to be certain that we will enjoy them is to accept the invitation now. We do not do this by dropping a response card into the mail or by showing an engraved invitation at the door. Instead, we show our acceptance through simple faith. We must take God at His word and say yes to His Son Jesus Christ by acknowledging Him as our Lord and Savior.

Thirst is a common experience for us, because water is fundamental to our survival. Although humans can live for several weeks without food, we can only survive a few days without water. In view of this, perhaps we should not be surprised that the Israelites became anxious when they camped at Rephidim and saw that there was no water. But this was not the first time Israel grumbled about God’s provision, nor would it be the last. Earlier in their journey, God’s people had grumbled because the water they found at Marah was undrinkable (Ex. 15:22–27). While traveling through the desert of Sin, they complained about food, saying that their circumstances had been better in Egypt (Ex. 16:1–3). They recalled being fed from cauldrons of meat. In reality, their memory was selective; they had forgotten that slavery had also been on the menu in Egypt. The cauldrons were not as full as they remembered. Later, when the Israelites arrived at Kadesh, they would complain to Moses again using similar words (Num. 20:3–5). On each of these occasions God provided in a miraculous way. At Rephidim and Kadesh He miraculously caused water to flow from a rock. The apostle Paul saw a parallel in these incidents to the church’s experience, noting that Israel drank from “the spiritual rock which followed them” and identifying this rock with Christ (1 Cor. 10:4). Rabbinic tradition described a rock or a well that traveled with God’s people through the wilderness, and it looks like Paul amplifies that in order to make a spiritual point in this verse. The same Christ who sustained Israel in the wilderness also sustains us. But those who enjoyed God’s provision did not always learn the important lesson of faith from what they had experienced (1 Cor. 10:5).

Holiday meals are usually a festive occasion. This is certainly true of holidays like Thanksgiving and Christmas, and other holidays are also often celebrated by feasting and gathering with loved ones. But the atmosphere of the first Passover was somber rather than festive. It was probably terrifying to those who originally participated in the meal. As they ate, God’s people recited a liturgy that described how they would be spared while others died (see Ex. 12:26–27). At midnight “a great cry” went up throughout the land. This was a wail of grief from every Egyptian home where the firstborn perished. The message of the first Passover meal was one of judgment as well as protection. Those who shared in the meal were protected by the blood of the lamb applied to the lintel (i.e., the top) and door posts of the home’s entrance. Those shielded by the blood were protected from the destroying angel who executed God’s promised judgment on the rest of the Egyptian households. The first Christians saw a parallel between this event and the suffering of Christ. Like the blood of the Passover lamb, Christ’s blood shields believers from the punishment that their sins merit. Using this analogy, the apostle Paul urged the Corinthian church to address the sinful practices of some in the congregation. Just as the Israelites were required to remove leaven (the agent that makes bread rise) from their homes prior to observing Passover, Paul told the church to remove one member who was involved in an illicit sexual relationship (see 1 Cor. 5:1–5). This may seem harsh to some today. But Paul offered a very practical reason for the command: “a little yeast works through the whole batch of dough” (1 Cor. 5:7).

The word worldly is often used today to describe a person who is sophisticated or refined in their tastes. But the biblical meaning of this word is something quite different. Worldly in Scripture is synonymous with “ungodly.” Hebrews 12:16 characterizes Jacob’s brother, Esau, as a worldly or profane person because he did not value his birthright. Instead of regarding it as a legacy from God and a token of divine promises made to His forefathers Abraham and Isaac, Esau treated his right to this inheritance as if it were something insignificant. When Jacob offered to purchase the family inheritance with a bowl of lentil stew, Esau agreed with an oath (vv. 29–33). Did Esau think that Jacob was merely joking? Did Esau believe he would eventually be able to win it back? The story suggests that Esau didn’t think at all. He ate the meal and walked out without giving his rash vow a second thought. In so doing, he became the prototype of the person “whose god is their belly” (Phil. 3:19). Esau eventually regretted this decision (see Gen. 37:36). But it was too late. We often criticize Jacob for his scheming, and other texts examine his character flaws more fully. But Scripture also lays blame on Esau. The fact that Esau did not value his inheritance indicated that he did not value the things of God. When he finally apprehended its true worth, it was too late. Esau had carelessly traded away what was most precious. An old hymn asks, “Is this vile world a friend to grace, to help me on to God?” The implied answer to the question is “No!” Do we value the things that God values? Or are we willing to trade our spiritual inheritance for immediate gratification?

According to the relief organization Oxfam, one definition of famine is when one out of five households experience an extreme lack of food resulting in starvation, death, and destitution. The most destructive feature of famine may not be starvation but the disease and poverty that accompany it. Given its destructive power, we may be surprised to see how often God used famine to guide His people in the Old Testament. Today’s reading tells how Abraham was diverted from his journey to Canaan by famine. He went to Egypt, where he asked his wife, Sarah, to tell a half-truth about her relationship to him. Abraham was motivated by fear, despite God’s promise to bless him and make him a great nation. That fear is understandable—Abraham appeared to be caught between the danger of famine and the danger of Pharaoh’s power to enslave or kill him. But this fear forgot God’s promises, faithfulness, and power. This fear blinded Abraham to the third choice: trusting in God to provide. In the end, God protected Sarah’s virtue and Abraham’s life by inflicting serious diseases on Pharaoh and his household (v. 17). Here is another strange account of God’s servants. Was Abraham being wise or foolish when he asked Sarah to withhold the full truth about her relationship to him? Was this an example of his faith or faithlessness? The text renders a judgment through the lips of Pharaoh (vv. 18–19). Abraham’s salvation didn’t come from his lies but from the powerful work of God. The story makes clear that God will make good on His promises. This incident also gives us a hint of the significant place Egypt will have in the life of God’s people and the role that God will play as their deliverer.

A prominent pastor faces accusations of sexual impropriety. A Christian college president admits to financial misdeeds. A ministry leader is revealed to be verbally abusive to the staff. Behind each new revelation are broken lives and damaged trust, magnifying the toll of the sin. We might be surprised to read that one of Noah’s first recorded acts after the Flood was to get drunk. His actions seem out of character for someone whom Scripture describes as righteous (Ezek. 14:14, 20; 2 Peter 2:5). Likely significant time elapsed between Noah’s departure from the ark and his night of excessive drinking. He had to begin farming and plant the vineyard (v. 20). He had to harvest the grapes and then wait for them to ferment. The original Hebrew language of this text suggests that this was Noah’s first foray into farming, and some have wondered whether Noah’s drunkenness was perhaps accidental. The focus of the passage is actually less on Noah’s failure and more on the response of his three sons. Ham was first to see his father lying naked in a drunken stupor. He told his brothers, and they covered their father while averting their eyes (vv. 22–23). Most scholars believe that Noah’s curse against Canaan, Ham’s son (10:6), implies that Ham’s response to what he saw was either contemptuous or lustful. Canaan seems to have shared his father’s taste for that which was impure. Noah’s words were also prophetic, pointing forward in history to Canaanite sin and God’s judgment upon it through His people (see Lev. 18:3). Noah was the most righteous man of his generation—but he was not perfect. Even his heroic faith did not prevent him from falling into devastating sin. Jesus is the only one who will not disappoint us.

Author Wendell Berry writes about agriculture, culture, and the decline of American farming. When people ask what to do in these areas, he replies, “Eat responsibly.” Humans are created to be more than consumers. After the judgment of the Flood, humanity was granted a new beginning, and with it came new instructions. Noah and his family had been saved by God from destruction. Their task now was to complete the original mandate to be fruitful, multiply, and fill the earth (see Gen. 1:28). Vastly outnumbered by the creatures that had come with them in the ark, God promised to confirm humanity’s dominion over creation by placing them at the top of the food chain (vv. 2–3). As in the Garden of Eden, however, a limitation was set, specifically a prohibition regarding blood. Every animal that lived and moved was to serve as food, but only after the blood had been removed. In addition, Noah and his family were given a corresponding prohibition about the shedding of human blood (v. 6). More is implied in these mandates than simply that murder is bad. These commands foreshadow the importance that blood would eventually play in God’s plan of redemption. As this plan unfolded, these same stipulations were encoded in the Law of Moses, which required “nearly everything” to be cleansed with blood (Heb. 9:2). Ultimately, these new rules set the stage for the one and only sacrifice that has the power to deal with the sin that grips all mankind. At the right time God provided the perfect sacrifice for sin, and it was a sacrifice of blood—not the blood of bulls, lambs, or goats, which could not really take away sins (Heb. 10:4), but the blood of Jesus Christ.