OLD TESTAMENT TEXTS

Both Old Testament texts underscore the importance of integrating faith into all aspects of our lives. Isaiah 58:1-12 explores the inherent interrelationship between worship and ethics, while Psalm 112:1-9 (10) functions in praise of godliness.

Isaiah 58:1-9 a (9 b-12) - "Worship and Ethics"
Setting.  Isaiah 58:1-12 is a critique of worship. The opening line is a question by the worshiper, asking why God is absent from worship or at the very least why God is not responding to acts of worship. After this question the passage shifts to an extended divine discourse in vv. 3-12 that is meant to answer the question. Much of the divine speech appears to be a rejection of Israel's worship and a call for righteous ethical action. Note, for example, the divine judgment on fast…