The message of Isaiah chapter 1 is seriously relevant to the modern church. It’s a message on the necessity of repentance. How we must serve our God in truth.
The Israelites were going through the motions but they weren’t worshipping God in
SPIRIT AND TRUTH.
The overall theme is that God desires our hearts above our rituals. If we don’t love God with all of our heart, then our rituals are empty.
As you read these verses, please notice what God says is necessary in order for him to wash you white as snow:
Isaiah 1:11-20 King James Version:
11 To what purpose is the multitude of your sacrifices unto me? saith the Lord: I am full of the burnt offerings of rams, and the fat of fed beasts; and I delight not in the blood of bullocks, or of lambs, or of he goats.
12 When ye come to appear before me, who hath required this at your hand, to tread my courts?
13 Bring no more vain oblations; incense is an abomination unto me; the new moons and sabbaths, the calling of assemblies, I cannot away with; it is iniquity, even the solemn meeting.
14 Your new moons and your appointed feasts my soul hateth: they are a trouble unto me; I am weary to bear them.
15 And when ye spread forth your hands, I will hide mine eyes from you: yea, when ye make many prayers, I will not hear: your hands are full of blood.
16 Wash you, make you clean; put away the evil of your doings from before mine eyes; cease to do evil;
17 Learn to do well; seek judgment, relieve the oppressed, judge the fatherless, plead for the widow.
18 Come now, and let us reason together, saith the Lord: though your sins be as scarlet, they shall be as white as snow; though they be red like crimson, they shall be as wool.
19 If ye be willing and obedient, ye shall eat the good of the land:
20 But if ye refuse and rebel, ye shall be devoured with the sword: for the mouth of the Lord hath spoken it.
Israel’s Turn Away From God
Israel had turned away from God. They were practicing the rituals, festivals, and even praying a lot. However, they were full of sin and evil deeds. They did not love God. We cannot hide our behavior from God. Our rituals are meaningless and empty without purity in heart towards God.
Notice what God says. “Put away the evil of your doings”….”Cease to do evil”…..”Learn to do well.”
This is the part that the human must do. The human must make a choice-to do a 180 and turn from their evils. God can’t force us to turn from evil.
What’s the result if someone turns from their evils?
God will take their sins that are as red as crimson and make them as WHITE AS SNOW.
We serve a merciful God. All you have to do is acknowledge your mistakes, turn to him and there is a fountain of everlasting forgiveness. God doesn’t say you have to go offer these sacrifices, do these works, etc. No, turn to him and get yourself back on the wagon you fell off of.
He will then take it all away as if it wasn’t there. How awesome is that!!!
These verses are there before Jesus came down and was crucified. The book of Isaiah is from around 745BC. God is showing his consistent nature here- MERCY
Let’s look at God’s nature even more:
“And when ye spread forth your hands, I will hide mine eyes from you: yea, when ye make many prayers, I will not hear: your hands are full of blood.”
In other words, you cannot live a life of evil and expect God to hear your prayers. It says that Israel was so far gone that he would not even HEAR their prayers much less answer them.
It’s a mistake to believe you will have the ears of God while committing atrocities
Here it plainly tells us, you can even visually extend your hands towards him, pretending you are worshipping him with your body and he will HIDE HIS EYES if you are full of evil deeds.
As Christians, we must take care not live a life of complacency.
It is not always the case of course, but maybe if our prayers aren’t answered, we should take inventory and make sure we are not committing atrocities against God?
What rituals are we going through to worship God? Do we do these while walking as Christ walked? Doing all we can to follow his commandments of Love?
Let’s go to God with our hearts. Let us not be like the Israelites in the day of Isaiah the prophet. Let us turn from our evils and sincerely worship our Lord. As Jesus said, we must worship God in SPIRIT and TRUTH.