Isaiah 1:10-20
10 Hear the word of the LORD,
You rulers of Sodom;
Give ear to the law of our God,
You people of Gomorrah:
11 "To what purpose is the multitude of your sacrifices to Me?"
Says the LORD.
"I have had enough of burnt offerings of rams
And the fat of fed cattle.
I do not delight in the blood of bulls,
Or of lambs or goats.
12 "When you come to appear before Me,
Who has required this from your hand,
To trample My courts?
13 Bring no more futile sacrifices;
Incense is an abomination to Me.
The New Moons, the Sabbaths, and the calling of assemblies—
I cannot endure iniquity and the sacred meeting.
14 Your New Moons and your appointed feasts
My soul hates;
They are a trouble to Me,
I am weary of bearing them.
15 When you spread out your hands,
I will hide My eyes from you;
Even though you make many prayers,
I will not hear.
Your hands are full of blood.
16 "Wash yourselves, make yourselves clean;
Put away the evil of your doings from before My eyes.
Cease to do evil,
17 Learn to do good;
Seek justice,
Rebuke the oppressor;
Defend the fatherless,
Plead for the widow.
18 "Come now, and let us reason together,"
Says the LORD,
"Though your sins are like scarlet,
They shall be as white as snow;
Though they are red like crimson,
They shall be as wool.
19 If you are willing and obedient,
You shall eat the good of the land;
20 But if you refuse and rebel,
You shall be devoured by the sword";
For the mouth of the LORD has spoken.
The opening of Isaiah’s prophecies continues with harsh warnings for those who make ritual sacrifices but do not live accordingly. The people of God sinned continually by perverting justice while calling themselves righteous for observing religious days and burning incense at token sacrifices while inwardly they were dead, just as Jesus reminded their descendants later (Matthew 23:27). They called assemblies and went through meaningless motions, just as some now continue to meet in churches and perform elaborate and ornate displays as if to prove they are righteous and acceptable to the Lord. He wants the heart in worship, not the show of pomp and circumstance, whether of ornate vestiture and ceremonial relics, or of pompous words of man’s reasoning and pyrotechnics instead of giving the meaning of God’s word to live by (Nehemiah 8:8). God calls us to worship in spirit and truth, not in such outward displays and compromising storytelling. Israel forgot these things and made it all about the outward show instead of the inner worship of true obedience by submissive hearts and faithful outworking of works in humility and to honor God above their own image before others. May we learn from these things (Romans 15:4, 1 Corinthians 10:6, 11). Otherwise we may do as these here in being guilty of the blood of others and have our prayers left unanswered by God who will not hear from insincere hearts and lips. We are called as they were to put away evil pursuits of thought and actions and learn to do good instead, such as seeking justice and not partiality (James 2:1, 4-5) and personally defending the helpless widows and orphans (James 1:27) instead of mistreating and exploiting them. This is righteous justice, not politicking for show and self importance in pride. If we listen and reason with God according to His word, He will wash us of our sins to take away the blood of our guilt by His Son’s blood who died to keep us from shedding our own blood, and He will make us white in the purity of His righteousness. If we trust and obey by leaning on His work alone and follow Him afterwards, then we also will eat the good of the land by grace instead of being devoured by the sword of our own sin doing us in. He requires true mercy and humble trust in our willing obedience and not sacrifices of show to impress others and anger God in the process as God’s people had done in Isaiah’s time. May we avoid futile sacrifices and instead sow humbly willing hearts of worship, while truly learning from these examples of scripture!
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