How God Really Feels

The vision of Isaiah continued to pinpoint why God was done dealing with Judah. He recognized that God could wipe them off the face of the earth like He did with Sodom and Gomorrah, and that it was the mercy of God that had left them the small remnant which remained. Then God addressed that small remnant as the people of Sodom and Gomorrah, for they had become them in practice. 

‘Hear the word of YHWH, you rulers of Sodom. Give ear to the instruction of our God, you people of Gomorrah. ‘What are your multiplied sacrifices to me?’ says YHWH. ‘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. When you come to appear before me, who requires of you the trampling of my courts? 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. I hate your men moon festivals and your appointed feasts, they have become a burden to me and I am weary of bearing them.’

Those words spoken by Isaiah to the people as they gathered told them how God really felt about their practices. YHWH was not impressed by multiplied services, feasts, and sacrifices. There was a greater issue at play than just their outward following of religious rituals. Just showing up and offering incense or the blood of sacrifices was never going to be enough to satisfy what God had been telling the people to do for hundreds of years.

Then God exposed the bigger issue: ‘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 innocent blood.’ Here in these words, God showed why He was tired of their religiosity - the people were as sinful as Sodom and Gomorrah! Their hands were covered in innocent blood. There would never be enough blood of a sacrifice to cover that if they refused to turn from their wicked ways.  His people thought they could openly sin and then come to the Temple to offer a sacrifice to cover that sin, then go right back out and keep engaging in that sin. Their offerings were being refused by God because their hearts were unrepentant and far from Him.

So God showed them the better way. ‘Wash yourselves, make yourselves clean; remove the evil of your deeds from my sight. Cease to do evil, learn to do good. Seek justice, deprive the ruthless, defend the orphan, plead for the widow. Come now, let us reason together,’ says YHWH, ‘Though your sins be as scarlet, they will be white as snow; though they be red as crimson, they will be like wool. If you consent and obey, you will eat the best of the land. But if you refuse and rebel, you will be devoured by the sword.’ Truly the mouth of YHWH has spoken.

The message of repentance has always been shared by the true prophets of God. God had seen the sin of Judah and He was calling for His people to turn from their wicked ways. It was not the sacrifices that cleansed them from sin, but rather true repentance and faith in YHWH that could truly cleanse them from within. They did not need the outward adherence to religious rituals, they needed broken and contrite hearts that listened to and obeyed their God. If they removed the evil from among them, and obeyed the Word of God, then they would find forgiveness of sins. 

All throughout the Old Testament, Israel is being reminded of the blessing and curses they agreed to in their covenant with God. If they obeyed, they would be blessed richly. In this passage, God tells them they would eat the best of the land if they simply obeyed Him. If they refused and rebelled, calamity would come in the form of the sword of their enemies. They would be consumed. Judgment is coming, the only way to miss it is to repent, turn from their sins, and trust and obey God. 

The same is true for us today. God is not impressed by how many times you show up for church or how many you give. If you check off the box of religious service and then go right back out to your wicked ways, God sees the blood on your hands. And like He did for Israel, He is calling on you to repent and turn from your sins so that you can be cleansed and forgiven. Repent while there is yet time.