True Worship Vindicated

Isaiah 66:1-13 

1 Thus says the LORD:
"Heaven is My throne,
And earth is My footstool.
Where is the house that you will build Me?
And where is the place of My rest?

2 For all those things My hand has made,
And all those things exist,"
Says the LORD.
"But on this one will I look:
On him who is poor and of a contrite spirit,
And who trembles at My word.

3 "He who kills a bull is as if he slays a man;
He who sacrifices a lamb, as if he breaks a dog's neck;
He who offers a grain offering, as if he offers swine's blood;
He who burns incense, as if he blesses an idol.

Just as they have chosen their own ways,
And their soul delights in their abominations,
4 So will I choose their delusions,
And bring their fears on them;
Because, when I called, no one answered,
When I spoke they did not hear;
But they did evil before My eyes,
And chose that in which I do not delight."

5 Hear the word of the LORD,
You who tremble at His word:
"Your brethren who hated you,
Who cast you out for My name's sake, said,
Let the LORD be glorified,
That we may see your joy.'
But they shall be ashamed."

6 The sound of noise from the city!
A voice from the temple!
The voice of the LORD,
Who fully repays His enemies!

7 "Before she was in labor, she gave birth;
Before her pain came,
She delivered a male child.
8 Who has heard such a thing?
Who has seen such things?
Shall the earth be made to give birth in one day?
Or shall a nation be born at once?
For as soon as Zion was in labor,
She gave birth to her children.

9 Shall I bring to the time of birth, and not cause delivery?" says the LORD.
"Shall I who cause delivery shut up the womb?" says your God.

10 "Rejoice with Jerusalem,
And be glad with her, all you who love her;
Rejoice for joy with her, all you who mourn for her;
11 That you may feed and be satisfied
With the consolation of her bosom,
That you may drink deeply and be delighted
With the abundance of her glory."

12 For thus says the LORD:
"Behold, I will extend peace to her like a river,
And the glory of the Gentiles like a flowing stream.

Then you shall feed;
On her sides shall you be carried,
And be dandled on her knees.

13 As one whom his mother comforts,
So I will comfort you;
And you shall be comforted in Jerusalem."

God does not look at how magnificent and proper our house of worship is, but He is concerned about true worship from a heart that is broken in humility and fearful in awe at all His word.  Israel built a marvelous temple according to His word as planned, but they relied on the form over the function of the place according to God’s intent of a place to meet with Him and find atonement for their sins.  Their worship became rituals that no longer honored the LORD as they became out of place and idolatrous.  May we not allow our worship to take place outside our hearts and end up being entombed in the place of our intended worship as we consider these things.  God’s people chose their own way and He chose to harden their hearts which had already left Him.  They were left with their own fears and delusions of false worship because they lest their hearts out of the true worship desired by the God who called them to Himself and not to their own delusions which were in opposition to His word.  He stopped listening to them when they served other gods and idols of self as they willing sinned doing evil more and more.  The command given through Isaiah as God’s word to all His people remains unchanged, that we hear the word of the LORD and tremble before Him in true worship (Psalm 2:11, Philippians 2:12) as we aim to serve Him in spirit and truth and not in mere form and ritual to glorify God and find true joy in that sincere worship from the heart.  All others find only shame.  Like Israel, some from within the temple walls will find our sincere worship which disregards the form of the fashion and building offensive to disrupt their comfortable worship according to their own expectations and manmade rules, and they will even try to cast us out.  But God preserves the faithful who are truly set on His name’s sake and rejoice in giving Him glory in that true worship, for we know that all answer to Him and find reward or loss in the end from Him.  The picture of the nation of Israel born out of the worship on Mount Zion reminds us of the male Child to come (Revelation 12:5, 13, 17) out of that nation for the world to worship in spirit and truth (John 4:23-24) and glorify God in Him.  We should likewise rejoice and be satisfied in our consolation (Luke 2:25, Philippians 2:1, Hebrews 6:18) in the grace of Christ which allows us to worship truly and with great joy as intended for Israel as God’s people.  Peace with Gods is possible only in true worship through Jesus Christ our Lord and the glory due Him is through worship of all chosen and called out to worship from every nation in addition to and through the first one chosen as our channel of redemption, Israel.  We who worship in truth find comfort as His children and are vindicated no matter the opposition of manmade traditions we face from without and within (2 Corinthians 7:5) the walls of our sanctuaries.  We are and shall be eternally comforted who glorify and worship our God according to His word.