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The Heart of Worship
This morning, as we examine Isaiah 1:10-20, we will see that the worship of God must be both full of faith as well as faith-ful for it to be accepted by God. That is, worship must believe that God is who He says He is, and worship must also live obedient lives in response to who God is.
There was a married couple who, just like millions throughout the country, went to a counselor’s office to get marital counseling. You see, they had been married for some time now, and long ago they had lost that “in love” feeling. That was to be expected as many had told them it would disappear. But now, things were worse. In moments of frustration and arguments, the husband let it slip that he questioned whether he even loved her at all. Those words had pierced the heart of the wife, and as they sat arguing in the counselor’s office, the husband defended himself, saying that even though he had questioned his love, he had consistently fulfilled his obligations to remember her every birthday, each of their anniversaries, and took her out on consistent dates—which was of course only partially true. In addition, he had done more than his fair share of house work—again only partially true—and he worked to pay the bills. He rattled these acts off as if it were a checklist that had been long established. But all the flowers, candy and dates were an insult to the wife who knew they were just part of a checklist to keep her ‘happy’ and to keep her from nagging him.
In addition, the husband had taken a dislike to his wife’s family—especially his mother-in-law, whose unending neediness and unwelcome visits had grown quite old. And also her drug-addicted cousin who was incessantly begging for money. But his wife still defended her family whom she loved and cared for.
But the reason they had come in to the counselor’s office was because the wife had caught her husband having a series of affairs. This of course was a fundamental violation of their vows. You know, the vow that says, “Forsaking all others,” and “for better, for worse, for richer, for poorer, in sickness and in health.” The husband had known he had violated his vows in his affair, but even more basic and overlooked is the fact that he had violated the very heart of his vow: “to love and to cherish.” Even while keeping his ‘checklist’ he was fundamentally violating their covenant. He had failed to love as he pledged. He had desecrated their marriage bed, and their relationship had been torn asunder.
And so at the advice of the counselor, the wife had given him an ultimatum: shape up, or ship out.
This is similar to the situation we find between Judah and the Lord as we come to Isaiah chapter 1. Please read with me:
10 Hear the word of the LORD, You rulers of Sodom; Give ear to the instruction of our God, You people of Gomorrah.
11 "What are your multiplied sacrifices to Me?" Says the LORD. "I have had enough of burnt offerings of rams And the fat of fed cattle; And I take no pleasure in the blood of bulls, lambs or goats.
12 "When you come to appear before Me, Who requires of you this trampling of My courts?
13 "Bring your worthless offerings no longer, Incense is an abomination to Me. New moon and sabbath, the calling of assemblies-- I cannot endure iniquity and the solemn assembly.
14 "I hate your new moon festivals and your appointed feasts, They have become a burden to Me; I am weary of bearing them.
15 "So when you spread out your hands in prayer, I will hide My eyes from you; Yes, even though you multiply prayers, I will not listen. Your hands are covered with blood.
16 "Wash yourselves, make yourselves clean; Remove the evil of your deeds from My sight. Cease to do evil,
17 Learn to do good; Seek justice, Reprove the ruthless, Defend the orphan, Plead for the widow.
18 "Come now, and let us reason together," Says the LORD, "Though your sins are as scarlet, They will be as white as snow; Though they are red like crimson, They will be like wool.
19 "If you consent and obey, You will eat the best of the land;
20 "But if you refuse and rebel, You will be devoured by the sword." Truly, the mouth of the LORD has spoken.” This is the Word of the Lord.
“Hear the Word of the Lord.” You will remember our sparring couple mentioned just a moment ago and how they had vows of marriage. Well, the people of Israel likewise had vows with the Lord. Listen to this vow—this Great Shama found in Deuteronomy 6:
“4 "Hear, O Israel! The LORD is our God, the LORD is alone our God!
5 "You shall love the LORD your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your might.
And then later in their vows:
13 "You shall fear onlythe LORD your God; and you shall worship Him and swear by His name.
14 "You shall not follow other gods, any of the gods of the peoples who surround you,
15 for the LORD your God in the midst of you is a jealous God; otherwise the anger of the LORD your God will be kindled against you, and He will wipe you off the face of the earth.”
Here in Isaiah 1 verse 10, we have a call to an indictment—a court case—but the people are not called, “Israel,” but rather “rulers” and “people” of Sodom and Gomorrah. Isn’t it a bit of a low blow to call them what has become a symbol of the greatest wickedness the world had seen? If you look at the use of Sodom and Gomorrah by Isaiah, you will find that this name-calling is meant to suggest that Judah is in open, unrepentant and deliberate sin. And furthermore, Sodom and Gomorrah were judged, just as Judah would be.
Some of your Bibles might translate this as mine does, “Give ear to the instruction of our God.” This is certainly one way to translate it; but the word for ‘instruction’ is Torah, or Law, and in this context the people of Judah are being called back to the Law which the Lord had given to them to live by. They had failed. They had given worship to God that was neither full of faith, nor faith-ful.
The charges in this case begin with two rhetorical questions. The first question is in verse 11. The Lord asks: “What are your multiplied [or many] sacrifices to Me?” This phrase, “multiplied or many sacrifices” is used a few times in the Bible. When David in his old age celebrates and gives the kingship to his son Solomon, he offers “many” sacrifices. And then, when Solomon dedicated the Temple, in obedience to his call and the order of the Law, he offered too many sacrifices to count. So the offering of many sacrifices can be a good thing. But, on the other hand, when Adonijah tries to take the throne from Solomon, he is caught offering “many sacrifices” in I Kings 1. In 2 Chronicles 18, Ahab, offers “many sacrifices” before he listens to false prophets and spurns the counsel of the Lord which leads to his death.
So we see that when Israel offers sacrifices celebrating the Lord’s order in obedience, the sacrifices are accepted. However, when the sacrifices are given in order to justify the disruption of God’s order and plan, they are not accepted. And this is what we find here in Isaiah 1. The offering of many, or multiple sacrifices in disobedience is an attempt to buy the favor of God, even while usurping His authority. But God will not be bought.
You will also notice that in this verse, there are five offerings mentioned as sacrifices. There are burnt offerings of rams, the fat of fed cattle; the blood of bulls, lambs and goats. The number five is important to Old Testament sacrifice. In Leviticus 1 through 5, five different offerings are demanded. But why does this matter? The Lord is suggesting, in Isaiah, that even though they are keeping this aspect of the Law, they are not fulfilling the heart of the Law. You see, the offerings were not just a checklist to take care of, or a way to cover your bases like the husband mentioned before who completed his checklist. And also, the sacrifices were not merely ways of atoning for sin. The Levitical offerings were reminders to the people of God that their life and their possessions were not their own. All that the people of God are and have are for the Lord Himself.
So, when the Lord asks, “What are your multiplied sacrifices to Me?” the answer which is implied is that they are nothing because they are given outside of the heart of the Law, and in disobedience.
In verse 12, we come to the Lord’s second rhetorical question: “When you come to appear before Me, Who requires of you this trampling of My courts?” Appearing before the Lord in this verse points us to the three pilgrim festivals which the Law required all the people to quote, appear before the Lord. But in the 8th century, the people had missed the point of these as well, and the picture becomes a bit more clear in these verses as to what exactly has displeased the Lord.
There are three words which show the problem in verses 13 and 14: worthless offerings, abomination and iniquity. The term “worthless” is used twice in the Ten Commandments. The people are prohibited from using the Lord’s name “in vain,” and then later, they are prohibited from bearing a “false” witness. It may be better to understand this word’s primary meaning as false, rather than simply worthless. It is worthless because it is false. So, the prohibition to not use the name of the Lord in vain, or falsely is connected to the prohibition from worshipping other gods in the previous command. This is what we find in Isaiah: God’s displeasure with worshipping other gods. This is further confirmed by the second term, “abomination,” which is used throughout Isaiah in reference to idolatry and incorporating the evil customs of the nations. Just as the husband in our illustration had violated the very heart of his vows, the people of Judah had violated their most sacred vow: to love only the Lord and to love Him with all their heart, soul and might.
How is this connected to Sabbaths and feasts, though? The acceptance of the evil customs of the world was a rejection of the heart of the Sabbaths and the feasts. The Sabbath was, and is, meant to remind the people of their exclusive covenant with the God of creation. And the feasts were likewise instituted to gather all the people together to remember their Deliverer in the Passover; to purge themselves of impurities in the Feast of Unleavened Bread; and reflect on the covenant promises of the Lord in the Feast of Ingathering.
But it was specifically in the Feast of Weeks where the people of God were to acknowledge the Lord’s provision, and as a result, to make provisions for the poor. In verse 13, we are told that the Lord cannot endure “iniquity” and a solemn assembly. This word, “iniquity” suggests that the people had been making decisions which took advantage of the poor and needy. You see, God loves the poor and the needy. When we neglect the poor and needy, we neglect those the Lord loves—and indeed we are told, we neglect God Himself.
The people had missed the very heart of the festivals—and indeed worship in general. So when the Lord asks, “Who requires this trampling of My courts?” The answer comes out loud and clear: NOT ME! The Lord hates worship that is done in disobedience. The Lord hates worship done falsely by double-minded worshippers. And the Lord hates worship by those who exploit the weak and needy. Stated positively, the Lord requires worship that is done in faithful obedience. The Lord requires worship that is in complete faith that He alone is God. And He requires worship that makes provision for those He cares for—the poor and needy.
Let me say this again: the Lord requires worship that is done in faithful obedience. The Lord requires worship that is in complete faith that He alone is God. And He requires worship that makes provision for the poor and needy.
But this is not the worship we find in our passage. And the result is terrifying. Read with me in verse 15: “So when you spread out your hands in prayer, I will hide My eyes from you; Yes, even though you multiply prayers, I will not listen.”
When Moses spread out his hands to the Lord in Exodus 9, the plagues on Egypt ceased. When Solomon spread out his hands to the Lord in worship at the dedication of the Temple in I Kings 8, the Lord blessed him and the people with His palpable presence. But when the hands of false worshippers are lifted up, the Lord sees that their hands are full of blood. He sees their wicked deeds and their oppressions and as a result, He will not relent from judgment, and the Lord will not honor them with His sweet presence.
So, if false worship does not stop judgment or increase fellowship with the Lord, then their offerings are indeed worthless. As a result, we find in verses 16 and 17 a call to repent. Here we have nine rapid-fire commands. Look at the first four commands with me in verse 16. “Wash yourselves, make yourselves clean; Remove the evil of your deeds from My sight. Cease to do evil.” You don’t need the Hebrew here to get the picture. The Lord is calling out: STOP!!! Wash your ritual impurities! Clean your hands from your moral failings! Remove your idolatries! Stop oppressing people!
But not only are the people called on to stop. They are called on to act. Look at verse 17: “Learn to do good; Seek justice, Reprove the ruthless, Defend the orphan, Plead for the widow.” God and His Law are fundamentally concerned with having goodness and justice for all. And God’s Law made provisions for enacting goodness, for finding justice, for straightening out the impurities in the people’s midst, and for caring for the orphans and the widows and other needy people in the community. But all these things require diligent and bold action which flies in the face of our selfish, sinful human nature. This is why the poor and needy need advocates to plead their case.
We see in these verses, that repentance is twofold. Stop your evil deeds—often called the sins of co-mmission. And do or practice the things which have been neglected—the sins of o-mission.
And now we come to some of the most beloved words of Scripture: “Come now, and let us reason together," Says the LORD, "Though your sins are as scarlet, They will be as white as snow; Though they are red like crimson, They will be like wool.” I want to suggest to you, that though we read these verses in light of God’s mercy, for the Rulers and people of Sodom and Gomorrah, these words are quite frightening.
The Lord has laid out His case against Judah. They have fundamentally violated the covenant. Now, the Lord is calling them to “come.” The Hebrew here is more forceful than just, “reason together.” The idea is that the Lord and Judah must settle the dispute, or come to a judgment in this case.
And then we have this word, “Though” used twice. This same Hebrew word is translated “If” in the very next verse, and it may fit better as “if” in verse 18. I want to suggest to you, that the Lord is saying something like this: “If your sins continue to be as scarlet, I will make them white as snow.” And “If they are blaringly red like crimson, they will become like wool.” The image here, is of a purifying judgment for the unrepentant. There is a choice, and the covenant language is still in effect. “If you consent and obey, You will eat the best of the land; But if you refuse and rebel, You will be devoured [or eaten] by the sword.” The choice is clear. Just as the husband in our illustration had a choice, so also, Judah had a choice: Shape up, or ship out!
I want to suggest to you, though, that even though to the original audience, these words were more a warning of impending judgment than words of mercy this “if” becomes a “though” in light of the atoning work of Jesus Christ for us. We are told in Isaiah chapter 53, that the discipline and correction which we deserved fell upon our Savior in order to bring us into a peaceful relationship with God. He is the payment for sin for those who put their faith and trust in Him. We are made white, in the blood of the lamb. The “if,” becomes a “though, yours sins were as scarlet, I have made them white as snow.” Thanks be to God.
But in this light, what does this passage have to say to us as believers in Jesus Christ on the other side of judgment?
There are several applications for us as believers in Jesus Christ. It can be summed up by saying that we are called on to worship with lives which are both faithful and full of faith. Turn in your Bibles to Hebrews chapter 10 where we will be looking for the rest of our time. We will be looking quickly at chapters 10-13.
First, our worship must be done in absolute obedience to God. In other words, it must be faithful. We must be very careful to keep ourselves from trying to buy God’s favor through going to church, giving offerings, having great devotional lives or any other work, even though these are good things. In Hebrews chapter 10, the author brings together sacrifice and obedience, just as we find in other Old Testament passages. But now, Jesus, through His perfect obedience perfects the offerings and sacrifices, and now it is through the blood of Jesus Christ that we are empowered to live lives of obedience—this is that “living sacrifice” which Romans 12 talks about. We are to live faithful, and obedient lives which is our spiritual service of worship. We don’t buy God’s favor by doing many good deeds. We respond to God’s favor by living lives of obedience. We will all fail in our obedience, but we must continue to strive after complete obedience in all aspects of our lives.
Second, we must worship God being full of faith. Hebrews 11:6 tells us that, “without faith, it is impossible to please God. For He who comes to God, must believe that He is, for He is a rewarder of those who diligently seek Him.” The Law required the Old Testament community to come to appear before the Lord during the feasts. Now, Hebrews 10:19 and following tells us, because of the purifying blood of Christ, we can draw near to the very presence of God. But still, we are called on to hold fast the confession of our hope without wavering, for He who promised is faithful.” We will be tempted at times to cast aside our faith. We will be tempted and pressured in our society of multiple religions, to incorporate other faiths into our own worship. But “Hold fast the confession of our hope without wavering!” Remember Hebrews 10:29 and following, that the person who utterly rejects the Gospel tramples under foot the Son of God and can expect a terrifying judgment.
Third, gather together in sacred assembly with other believers for the purpose of encouragement in faith and in doing good. Look at Hebrews 10:24-25: “and let us consider how to stimulate one another to love and good deeds, not forsaking our own assembling together, as is the habit of some, but encouraging one another; and all the more as you see the day drawing near.” Remember the command, as well as the reason for gathering together in the fellowship of the Church.
And finally, care for the weak, the hurting, the oppressed. Hebrews 13:6 warns us: “do not neglect doing good and sharing, for with such sacrifices God is pleased.” “Show hospitality to stangers…remember the prisoners…and those who are ill-treated.” And Jesus in Matthew 25 also tells us that insofar as we care for the needy, we care for the Lord Himself. And insofar as we neglect the needy, we neglect the Lord Himself. For some, this will be evidence of those who do not truly know the Lord. So repent from your mistreatment of the poor and needy. And reorient your life to care for those whom God Himself loves.
You may want to know, in honor of the late Paul Harvey, the rest of the story of our married couple. The husband was sadly unrepentant, and so was asked to leave the house with the wife’s hope that he would be restored. After several months of the husband living on his own on that hide-a-bed with the bar placed right in the middle of his back, paying for two homes, and realizing that his mistress was really not that into him—he was not the first, and he would not be the last to fall victim to her deceitful schemes—he had some time to consider his fundamental misdeeds, and he later returned to restore his marriage.
And as you may know from your knowledge of biblical history, so also Judah chose to live in its sin and to reject the counsel of the Most High God. But the gods of the nations really were not that into them either. The Lord cast them into exile in Babylon to purify them from their idolatries and corruption, that they might bring glory to their God—the God of the nations.
Will you be one who rejects the warnings that the Lord has given you this morning? Will you wait for His loving and restorative, yet fierce discipline? Or will you receive His grace this morning to repent and change your ways? We will all fall short of perfection, which is why we trust in the forgiving work of Christ. But we are called on to live lives which are set apart from the world through the power of the blood of Christ. We are all called on to live faithful lives, being full of faith as we surrender our lives as a complete sacrifice in order to bring great glory to our God. Amen.