If you do away with the yoke of oppression, with the pointing finger and malicious talk,
and if you spend yourselves in behalf of the hungry and satisfy the needs of the oppressed, then your light will rise in the darkness, and your night will become like the noonday.
The Lord will guide you always; he will satisfy your needs in a sun-scorched land and will strengthen your frame. You will be like a well-watered garden, like a spring whose waters never fail.
Your people will rebuild the ancient ruins and will raise up the age-old foundations; you will be called Repairer of Broken Walls, Restorer of Streets with Dwellings.

Isaiah 58:8b-12

Desire is the key to self-discipline.  If you want something, you are motivated to obtain it.

Consider the promises.

God will always guide you.  He will meet all your needs, even when in dry places.  You will never be in darkness–even in your darkest moments, it will be like noon day.  You will be well-watered, prospering in everything.  And, you will restore the things that had gone before, that have fallen, and been destroyed.  That which was from generations past, you will rebuild.

If that is the promise, what is God requiring?  The removal of the yoke.  The removal of the pointing of the finger.  An end to bad speech.  And, instead, to assist those who are oppressed, and to spend yourself on behalf of the hungry. If this is the requirement for that, shouldn’t we be devoted to it?

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It was for freedom that Christ set us free; therefore keep standing firm and do not be subject again to a yoke of slavery.

Galatians 5:1 NASB

Slavery comes in all forms.  And, sometimes, they are the most well-seeming ones.  But, first, let us study freedom.

But do not be called Rabbi; for One is your Teacher, and you are all brothers. Do not call anyone on earth your father; for One is your Father, He who is in heaven. Do not be called leaders; for One is your Leader, that is, Christ. But the greatest among you shall be your servant. Whoever exalts himself shall be humbled; and whoever humbles himself shall be exalted.

Matthew 23:8-12 NASB

Freedom looks like being free.  And, with that freedom comes responsibility.  No one can be free unless he chooses to subject himself to some form of self-restraint.  Any man would quickly ruin himself if he only chose what seemed right in the moment.

But, God gave us freedom to free us from the law of sin, so that we might obey the law of life and liberty in Christ Jesus (Romans 8:2).

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And the LORD said unto Cain, Why art thou wroth? and why is thy countenance fallen? If thou doest well, shalt thou not be accepted? and if thou doest not well, sin lieth at the door. And unto thee shall be his desire, and thou shalt rule over him. And Cain talked with Abel his brother: and it came to pass, when they were in the field, that Cain rose up against Abel his brother, and slew him.

Genesis 4:6-8

The first appearance of a man experiencing rejection in the Bible was in Genesis 3.  When the eyes of the couple were opened, they knew that they were naked.  They knew that the state that they were in was insufficient, and they suffered shame.  This was the first rejection.

Shortly after, their son Cain experienced similar rejection.  His offering was not accepted as a way to seek God, and so he was angry and his face downcast.

In both of these cases, the conditions of the rejection were the men’s relationship with God.  In the first, the man lost his fellowship with God, in the second, the other man failed to regain it through an inappropriate offering.

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And Adam knew Eve his wife; and she conceived, and bare Cain, and said, I have gotten a man from the LORD.And she again bare his brother Abel. And Abel was a keeper of sheep, but Cain was a tiller of the ground. And in process of time it came to pass, that Cain brought of the fruit of the ground an offering unto the LORD. And Abel, he also brought of the firstlings of his flock and of the fat thereof. And the LORD had respect unto Abel and to his offering: But unto Cain and to his offering he had not respect. And Cain was very wroth, and his countenance fell. And the LORD said unto Cain, Why art thou wroth? and why is thy countenance fallen? If thou doest well, shalt thou not be accepted? and if thou doest not well, sin lieth at the door. And unto thee shall be his desire, and thou shalt rule over him.

Genesis 4:1-7

Hebrews 11:4 tells us that it was by faith that Abel offered a better offering than Cain.

Cain’s offering was not regarded by the Lord, as it is written, without blood there is no remission of sins (Hebrews 9:22).  It required blood, in which the Lord said the life of a thing was, in order to atone for the sin of another.  And, it was through the eyes of faith that Abel could perceive this.  And, for whatever reason, Cain’s lack of faith, or lack of using his faith, was his failure to see.

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