From Isaiah 1: 1 The vision that Isaiah son of Amoz saw regarding Judah and Jerusalem during the times of the kings of Judah: Uzziah, Jotham, Ahaz, and Hezekiah. 10 "Listen to my Message, you Sodom-schooled leaders. Receive God's revelation, you Gomorrah-schooled people. 11 "Why this frenzy of sacrifices?" God's asking. "Don't you think I've had my fill of burnt sacrifices, rams and plump grain-fed calves? Don't you think I've had my fill of blood from bulls, lambs, and goats? 12 When you come before me, who ever gave you the idea of acting like this, Running here and there, doing this and that - all this sheer commotion in the place provided for worship? 13 "Quit your worship charades. I can't stand your trivial religious games: Monthly conferences, weekly Sabbaths, special meetings - meetings, meetings, meetings - I can't stand one more! 14 Meetings for this, meetings for that. I hate them! You've worn me out! I'm sick of your religion, religion, religion, while you go right on sinning. 15 When you put on your next prayer-performance, I'll be looking the other way. No matter how long or loud or often you pray, I'll not be listening. And do you know why? Because you've been tearing people to pieces, and your hands are bloody. 16 Go home and wash up. Clean up your act. Sweep your lives clean of your evildoings so I don't have to look at them any longer. Say no to wrong. 17 Learn to do good. Work for justice. Help the down-and-out. Stand up for the homeless. Go to bat for the defenseless. Let's Argue This Out 18 "Come. Sit down. Let's argue this out." This is God's Message: "If your sins are blood-red, they'll be snow-white. If they're red like crimson, they'll be like wool. 19 If you'll willingly obey, you'll feast like kings. 20 But if you're willful and stubborn, you'll die like dogs." That's right. God says so. Those Who Walk Out on God
Isaiah had a tough job. My daughter and I discussed the role of a prophet and how difficult it was to say Yes to God first, then God to say, "Here's what you need to say." Oh.
The message was not a popular one, nor are prophetic messages usually so, but they're powerful and they're true. And truth hurts. Here God is speaking to a people that has alienated themselves from God and sought to make things right with religious activities. I chose The Messiah Version of the Bible to get a better understanding of the urgency of the message God is sharing with His people. The truth is God desires our love and our service as a result of that love. God is not impressed with sacrifices and the blood that flows as a result of those sacrifices. God does not like "worship charades" or "trivial religious games." God doesn't keep track of the number of "Monthly conferences, weekly Sabbaths, special meetings - meetings, meetings, meetings," and God says, in this version, "I can't stand one more!" What good does religion do if we continue to sin? If our hearts are not in love with God, our actions will give us away as being in love only with ourselves. God desires a life, a full life surrendered to Him, not to rituals or habits. God desires prayers from the heart not out of performance manuals. And even if we pray loudly, God will not listen, for God knows our heart. What God did know about Israel was that the religious people were among those "tearing people to pieces" and who had bloody hands. What God is saying is this, "Learn to do good. Work for justice. Help the down-and-out. Stand up for the homeless. Go to bat for the defenseless." Those who do surrender to God will receive the fullness of life in God. Those who do not, will miss out on everything.
PRAYER: Loving God, let me not miss out. Help me to come into the fullness of life as I seek to help those who need to know You living in me. In Christ Jesus I pray, amen.
Have a great and blessed day in the Lord!
Eradio Valverde
