"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.
When ye come to appear before me, who hath required this at your hand, to tread my courts?
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.
Your new moons and your appointed feasts my soul hateth: they are a trouble unto me; I am weary to bear them.
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.
Wash you, make you clean; put away the evil of your doings from before mine eyes; cease to do evil;
Learn to do well; seek judgment, relieve the oppressed, judge the fatherless, plead for the widow.
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."
Isaiah 1:11-18
This is a really good reminder that God doesn't ask us to worship for the sake of worship. Even in Old Testament times, it wasn't the sacrifices that were the point, but the symbolism of them, pointing towards Christ and teaching people to make God a priority and remember him in their lives. When we pray or do anything that the Lord asks, we can't do it just for show or just go through the motions... unless it is sincere and we are actually trying to do the right things, it doesn't do anyone any good.
What God really wants he explains in the last half of the selection. He wants us to repent and be clean, to learn to do good and not evil, to help people who are oppressed and suffering, paying particular attention to those that don't have anyone else to help them, like orphans and widows. He wants us to work with him to find a way forward together, accepting his love and guidance.
Today, let's not go through the motions of worship or the empty gestures of resentful sacrifice, but let's actually talk to God in our prayers and figure out how things are between us. There is no reason to pretend with God. He knows our hearts, and more importantly, he can help us even when we think that there is no help to be had. He's willing to take us as we are, if we are willing to give ourselves as we are and are willing to let him help us to change and to be better... not stepword wives, but our true and best selves with no resentment involved. He can change our hearts, and we can be who we truly want to be. If we will turn to him and talk it out, we can be perfectly clean.
When ye come to appear before me, who hath required this at your hand, to tread my courts?
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.
Your new moons and your appointed feasts my soul hateth: they are a trouble unto me; I am weary to bear them.
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.
Wash you, make you clean; put away the evil of your doings from before mine eyes; cease to do evil;
Learn to do well; seek judgment, relieve the oppressed, judge the fatherless, plead for the widow.
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."
Isaiah 1:11-18
This is a really good reminder that God doesn't ask us to worship for the sake of worship. Even in Old Testament times, it wasn't the sacrifices that were the point, but the symbolism of them, pointing towards Christ and teaching people to make God a priority and remember him in their lives. When we pray or do anything that the Lord asks, we can't do it just for show or just go through the motions... unless it is sincere and we are actually trying to do the right things, it doesn't do anyone any good.
What God really wants he explains in the last half of the selection. He wants us to repent and be clean, to learn to do good and not evil, to help people who are oppressed and suffering, paying particular attention to those that don't have anyone else to help them, like orphans and widows. He wants us to work with him to find a way forward together, accepting his love and guidance.
Today, let's not go through the motions of worship or the empty gestures of resentful sacrifice, but let's actually talk to God in our prayers and figure out how things are between us. There is no reason to pretend with God. He knows our hearts, and more importantly, he can help us even when we think that there is no help to be had. He's willing to take us as we are, if we are willing to give ourselves as we are and are willing to let him help us to change and to be better... not stepword wives, but our true and best selves with no resentment involved. He can change our hearts, and we can be who we truly want to be. If we will turn to him and talk it out, we can be perfectly clean.
No comments:
Post a Comment