Thousands of years before the U.N. passed its groundbreaking “Universal Declaration of Human Rights,” ancient Israel’s prophetic tradition had already articulated a beautiful, sweeping vision of justice and protection for the oppressed and afflicted.  Here in Isaiah 58:1-12 we behold through the eloquence of the prophet the radical justice of God.  To better understand this text and its connection to human rights, we will look closely at the set of indictments and promises with which God confronts the people of Israel.

To begin, God commands the prophet to “shout out” an indictment against the beloved and chosen people, for they would claim to be a righteous people in the midst of their “rebellion.”  What is their rebellion?  They carefully attend to religious ceremony such as fasting while ignoring what Jesus would later call “the weightier matters of the law,” justice for the oppressed and peace for the persecuted.  God does not listen to those who fast even as they “oppress all their workers.”  God pays little attention to those who pray while striking out with a “wicked fist.”  A series of rhetorical questions heightens the force of the prophet’s indictment; one can imagine the almost sarcastic tone with which he addresses the people.  Do you really think that this is what it’s about?  Do you really think that God will listen to you while you deny the most basic human rights of those around you?

What kind of religious observance is God ready to accept?  “Is not this the fast that I choose: to loose the bonds of injustice, to undo the thongs of the yoke, to let the oppressed go free, and to break every yoke?  Is it not to share your bread with the hungry, and bring the homeless poor into your house; when you see the naked, to cover them…?”  Is it not, the prophet seems to say, to work for justice in the midst of a terribly violent and destructive world?  Is it not to uphold the human rights of all people?  

In verse 8 the tone of the passage shifts dramatically, as the prophet goes from giving voice to divine accusation to expressing the divine vision for the world as it is supposed to be.  When God’s people liberate the oppressed, breaking every yoke of bondage, discrimination, violence and injustice, then their “light shall break forth like the dawn, and [their] healing shall spring up quickly; [their] vindicator shall go before you, the glory of the LORD shall be [their] rear guard” (58:8).  In verse 11, the prophet holds forth the promise that as God’s people work for justice, God will provide them with guidance, strength, and provision for their every need.  When Israel takes up the cause of the oppressed, God promises to be faithfully present in their midst, filling them with light.  The passage concludes with the image of a faithful people rebuilding and restoring their ancient ruins, making once-desolate city streets safe and secure again.  It is like the sound of children’s laughter returning again to a place that once knew only war or genocide.  This is the call of God upon God’s people: to offer food to the hungry, to liberate the oppressed, to uphold the rights and dignity of all people, to rebuild the ancient ruins for the glory of God.  

BY CHRIS LIU BEERS, PROGRAM ASSOCIATE

NC COUNCIL OF CHURCHES