09.24.2017 – Old Testament: Isa 1.12–15
To read the Bible in a year, read Isaiah 1–3 on September 24, In the year of our Lord 2017
By Don Ruhl
Israel gave little thought to entering into the presence of God for worship during the days of Isaiah the prophet, for although they assembled to worship God, they also lived lives of sin with no thought of repenting of those sins. Therefore, the Lord spoke these harsh words to Israel about His disdain for their worship,
“When you come to appear before Me,
Who has required this from your hand,
To trample My courts?
Bring no more futile sacrifices;
Incense is an abomination to Me.
The New Moons, the Sabbaths, and the calling of assemblies—
I cannot endure iniquity and the sacred meeting.
Your New Moons and your appointed feasts
My soul hates;
They are a trouble to Me,
I am weary of bearing them.
When you spread out your hands,
I will hide My eyes from you;
Even though you make many prayers,
I will not hear.
Your hands are full of blood.”
(Isaiah 1.12–15)
It was not as though the Lord just wanted them to continue in sin and not to worship Him; truly, He wanted them to repent and to worship Him. However, He wanted them to know of their hypocrisy. God saw their double lives and it turned Him off.
Questions:
- How does your life and worship look to God?
- Why should you worship God?
