After referring to their offerings as meaningless, the Lord says, "New Moons, Sabbaths and convocations---I cannot bear your worthless assemblies. Your New Moon feasts and your appointed festivals I hate with all My being. They have become a burden to Me; I am weary of bearing them." (Isaiah 1:13b-14)
As we discussed yesterday, the Lord had commanded the people to observe the Sabbath and to observe several religious holidays throughout the year. But the Lord intended them to observe these occasions in the right spirit. If it was the Sabbath, then they were to abstain from working to attend religious services, to meditate upon the word of God, and to commune with God in prayer. If it was a harvest festival, they were to offer the firstfruits of the harvest to the Lord in thankfulness for supplying their needs. If it was an occasion for atoning for sin, they were to bring their sacrifice in an attitude of repentance and humility, admitting they had transgressed the laws of a holy God and being grateful that (although the penalty of sin is death) He allowed animal sacrifices in place of human bloodshed. But since so many of the people are not observing these holy occasions in the right spirit, their rituals are meaningless to the Lord and He is sick of watching them going through the motions.
Have you ever known anyone who says a lot of flattering words without meaning them? Perhaps it was a co-worker who was always fawning over the boss while talking about the boss behind his or her back. Isn't it annoying to watch them sucking up to the boss, knowing you'll hear them saying ugly things about the boss later? Or perhaps there's someone in your life who you know can't stand you (either because you've discerned it in spite of their pretense to like you or because you've heard what they've said about you to others) but to your face they are always being complimentary. Isn't it sickening? Wouldn't you rather they just didn't talk to you at all instead of putting on a false front? That's how the Lord feels about the people who are putting on a show of bringing offerings to Him while having no real relationship with Him in their hearts. He sees right through their hypocrisy.
Because He sees their hypocrisy, the only prayer He wants to hear and respond to is a prayer of repentance, so He says, "When you spread out your hands in prayer, I hide My eyes from you; even when you offer many prayers, I am not listening." (Isaiah 1:15a) The Lord Jesus spoke out against hypocrites who loved to make loud and long public prayers to be seen of others but who, in their private lives, were living against the Lord's laws by mistreating their fellow man. He said that those who were living in such sin, but who "for a show make lengthy prayers", would be "punished most severely". (Mark 12:38-40)
What needs to be done in order to get their prayers heard? They must repent and turn away from their unrighteous lifestyles. "Your hands are full of blood! Wash and make yourselves clean. Take your evil deeds out of My sight; stop doing wrong. Learn to do right; seek justice. Defend the oppressed. Take up the cause of the fatherless; plead the case of the widow." (Isaiah 1:15b-17) Is the Lord saying they can be saved by works? Is He saying they can do enough good deeds to erase their evil deeds? Absolutely not, for He is the only source of righteousness; salvation is by faith in Him and not by performing human works. The only thing they can do to help themselves is to repent and ask for His mercy and forgiveness, in faith believing that He exists and that He can redeem them from their sins. He is the One who does the work of imputing righteousness to them, which He makes very clear in the verses we conclude with today.
"'Come now, let us settle the matter,' says the Lord. 'Though your sins are like scarlet, they shall be as white as snow; though they are red as crimson, they shall be like wool. If you are willing and obedient, you will eat the good things of the land; but if you resist and rebel, you will be devoured by the sword.' For the mouth of the Lord has spoken." (Isaiah 1:18-20) To use modern slang term, He's offering them a deal. He says, "Here's what I will do for you. If you repent, I will accept your repentance. Though your sins are many, it will be as if you never sinned. I will impute My righteousness to you in return for your faith and repentance. I will also protect your nation from falling to an enemy nation. But if you continue to reject Me, I will allow calamity to occur. Which choice sounds better to you? You can have forgiveness and an abundant life in your own land or you can remain in sin---that can never satisfy you---or you can experience defeat and captivity. It's your choice."
The Lord makes the same merciful offer to every person on earth. We can repent, ask for forgiveness, and accept Him as our Lord and Savior. Or we can persist in rebellion, living a life on earth that doesn't satisfy the deepest longings of our souls, and spend eternity separated from His good and loving presence.
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