“Is not this the fast that I choose: to loose the bonds of wickedness, to undo the straps of the yoke, to let the oppressed go free, and to break every yoke?”
– Isaiah 58:6, ESV
The 58th chapter of Isaiah deals with fasting, along with observance of the Lord’s ordinances and the keeping of His Sabbath. In this chapter, God reveals to us what He thinks our fasts should look like.
To Loose The Bonds Of Wickedness
There are times where our flesh gets the better of us. When you got saved your spirit was recreated in Christ. You were made a new creature (II Corinthians 5:17). But you still had the same carnal mind and body you’ve always had.
Your mind needs to be changed and renewed according to the Word of God (Romans 12:2), but your body won’t be changed until the resurrection (I Corinthians 15:42-57). That means we have to deal with our body and all of its fleshly appetites until then.
Your body will go as far as you let it. It will try to get away with whatever you let it get away with. Fasting is a way to put your flesh under, to force it to submit to the rulership of your spirit. Through fasting, we can be loosed from the wickedness of our flesh.
To Break Every Yoke
A yoke was a piece of wood they put on an ox’s back to pull a plow across a field. If it was made well it would fit the ox just right and he’d be very productive. If it wasn’t, it would chaff the ox’s neck and be extremely uncomfortable.
The Bible uses that as a metaphor to illustrate the effects of sin, where the uncomfortable “yoke” represents spiritual bondage and oppression. The Bible says the anointing of the Holy Spirit destroys the yoke of Satanic bondage (Isaiah 10:27).
Fasting is not only a way to put down the flesh, but by placing your spirit in ascendancy you also create an opportunity for the anointing of the Holy Spirit to impact your life. The anointing will break the bondage of every yoke that’s restricting you and holding you back from going deeper into the things of God.
About the Author
Michael Dorsey is a credentialed minister in the Church of God and very actively involved in ministry at Riverside Community Church. He is a graduate of Rhema Bible Training Center.
Michael and his wife, Katherine, live in Aberdeen, MD with their two children, Robbie and Kirsten. He views the internet as a method to reach people on a massive scale, a tool for outreach to the true seeker, a way to build up and strengthen new believers, and a resource to train Christians for effective service.
You can read more articles by Michael on his website, Threads Unraveled.
