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Isaiah 1

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Verses 2-6, “Hear, O heavens, and give ear, O earth! For the Lord has spoken: “I have nourished and brought up children, And they have rebelled against Me; The ox knows its owner And the donkey its master’s crib; But Israel does not know, My people do not consider.” Alas, sinful nation, A people laden with iniquity, A brood of evildoers, Children who are corrupters! They have forsaken the Lord, They have provoked to anger The Holy One of Israel, They have turned away backward. Why should you be stricken again? You will revolt more and more. The whole head is sick, And the whole heart faints. From the sole of the foot even to the head, There is no soundness in it, But wounds and bruises and putrefying sores; They have not been closed or bound up, Or soothed with ointment.”

The Jews were like rebellious children to God. Even though He had raised them up and delivered the from their enemies, they turned their backs on Him. Just like a stubborn animal is not useful for physical work, a stiff-necked Christian is not useful for God's spiritual work. Besides, people should be smarter than animals, with sound reasoning ability.  In His mercy, He afflicted the Jews to get their attention, but they rebelled even more. They had no awareness that they were in need of healing, even though their wounds ran from head to toe. They thought they were all set, but were heading for destruction. Proverbs 14:12, “There is a way that  seems right to a man, But its end is the way of death.”  Proverbs 14:14, “The backslider in heart will be filled with his own ways, But a good man will be satisfied from above.”

Verses 10-20, “Hear the word of the Lord, You rulers of Sodom; Give ear to the law of our God, You people of Gomorrah: “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. “When you come to appear before Me, Who has required this from your hand, To trample My courts? 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. Your New Moons and your appointed feasts My soul hates; They are a trouble to Me, I am weary of bearing them. 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. “Wash yourselves, make yourselves clean; Put away the evil of your doings from before My eyes. Cease to do evil, Learn to do good; Seek justice, Rebuke the oppressor; Defend the fatherless, Plead for the widow. “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. If you are willing and obedient, You shall eat the good of the land; But if you refuse and rebel, You shall be devoured by the sword”; For the mouth of the Lord has spoken.”

God was actually so sick of their sacrifices that He told them to stop bringing them. Although they were going through the motions of religious rituals, their hearts were far from God and He was not pleased. Remember His words to Saul through the prophet Samuel. I Samuel 15:22‭-‬23, “So Samuel said: 'Has the Lord  as great delight in burnt offerings and sacrifices, As in obeying the voice of the Lord? Behold, to obey is better than sacrifice, And to heed than the fat of rams. For rebellion is  as the sin of witchcraft, And stubbornness is as iniquity and idolatry. Because you have rejected the word of the Lord, He also has rejected you from being king.' ”   Before we bring our gifts to God, whether worship or tithes, or coming to Him in prayer; we must first be sure that our hearts are in the right place. God does not have to accept our sacrifices on our terms, because HE is God. 

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