Albert Barnes Commentary Isaiah 58:2

"Yet they seek me daily, and delight to know my ways: as a nation that did righteousness, and forsook not the ordinance of their God, they ask of me righteous judgments; they delight to draw near unto God." — Isaiah 58:2 (ASV)

Yet they seek me daily - The whole description here is appropriate to the character of formalists and hypocrites; and the idea is that public worship by sacrifice was celebrated daily in the temple and was not discontinued. It is also not improbable that they kept up the regular daily service in their dwellings.

And delight to know my ways - Probably this means they profess to delight to know the ways of God; that is, his commands, truths, and requirements. A hypocrite has no real delight in the service of God, or in his truth, but it is true at the same time that there may be a great deal of professed interest in religion.

There may be a great deal of busy and bustling concern about the order of religious services, the external organization of the church, the ranks of the clergy, and the claims of a liturgy. There may be much pleasure in theological discussion, in the metaphysics of theology, and in the defense of what is deemed orthodoxy. There may also be much pleasure in the mere music of devotion, in the voice of a preacher, and in the power of his arguments.

And there may be much pleasure in the advancement of the denomination to which we are attached; the conversion of people not from sin, but from a side opposite to us; and not to holiness and to God, but to our party and denomination.

True delight in religion is in religion itself; in the service of God as such, and because it is holy. It is not mere pleasure in creeds, and liturgies, and theological discussions, and in the triumph of our cause, nor even in the triumph of Christianity as a mere party measure; but it is delight in God as he is, in his holy service, and in his truth.

As a nation that did righteousness - As a people would do who really loved the ways of righteousness.

They ask of me the ordinances of justice - Their priests and prophets consult about the laws and institutions of religion, as if they were really afraid of violating the divine commands. While they are full of oppression, strife, and wickedness, they are scrupulously careful about violating any of the commands pertaining to the rites of religion. These same people were later so conscientious that they did not dare to enter Pilate’s judgment hall, so that they would not disqualify themselves from partaking of the Passover, even while they were planning the death of their own Messiah and were actively engaged in a plot to secure his crucifixion! (John 19:28). It is often the case that hypocrites are most scrupulous and conscientious about forms precisely when they are planning some act of enormous guilt and accomplishing some scheme of deep depravity.

They take delight in approaching to God - There is a pleasure that even a hypocrite has in the services of religion, and we should not conclude that we are truly pious simply because we find pleasure in prayer and praise. Our pleasure may arise from many other sources than proper views of God or his truth, or from evidence that we are his friends.