God was calling out His people in their hypocrisy of their twice a year fast. The ritualistic religious act had shamefully digressed, motived now only by self-interest rather than the desire to please God… their showy ceremony just a performance with no change in the attitude of their heart. Hosea 6:6 is very clear about this, “I desire mercy, not sacrifice, and acknowledgement of God rather than burnt offerings.” Or as Joel 2:12-14 points out, God wants us to rend our hearts and not our clothes…desiring true repentance not legalism. A few verses later in Zechariah, Chapter 7, God then explicitly tells His people what He requires of them…” This is what the Lord Almighty says: Administer true justice; show mercy and compassion to one another. Do not oppress the widow or the fatherless, the alien or the poor. In your hearts do not think evil of each other.” (Zechariah 7:9-10)
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