Read Isaiah 66:1–4
Questions from the Scripture text: Whose speech is this (Isaiah 66:1a)? What is heaven to him (verse 1b)? What is earth (verse 1c)? What rhetorical questions does He ask in verse 1d–e? What is the implied answer? Why would even heaven, earth, and temple not be worthy gifts for Him (Isaiah 66:2a–c)? What are two characteristics of the one upon whom God does look with favor (verse 2d–e)? What is another (verse 2f)? In what manner have Israelites carried out the worship/religious commandments that God had given (Isaiah 66:3a–d)? To what are their “authorized” worship practices spiritually equivalent (verse 3e–f)? What had they chosen (verse 3e), and what does God now choose to begin upon them (Isaiah 66:4a)? What will He bring upon them (verse 4b)? Why—what had God done, and what didn’t they do (verse 4c–d)? What did they do (verse 4e)? What did they choose (verse 4f)?
When is worship offensive to God? Isaiah 66:1–4 looks forward to the first serial reading in morning public worship on the coming Lord’s Day. In these four verses of Holy Scripture, the Holy Spirit teaches us that any worship that man chooses for himself is offensive to the God Who should have been our choice.
Rejecting the idea of worship as bringing other things to God. This word from the Lord shows how ridiculous is the idea that God needs or desires anything from us. This applies to worship. Just like He didn’t need a temple (Isaiah 66:1d–e), or even heaven and earth (verse 1b–c), He doesn’t need reading, singing, praying, preaching, or hearing. We must not think of our worship or religion as something that God needs or wants from us (Isaiah 66:2a–c). As we recently learned throughout the book of Leviticus, the language of “offering” with respect to God is the language of drawing near. It isn’t other things that we are to bring to God, so much as we are to bring Him ourselves.
Coming to God as those who have nothing to offer. We owe God our whole self, but we are not a worthy gift to give Him. We have corrupted ourselves. He Himself is the ever-blessed God Who made us in His image—to know Him and make Him known, to be loved by Him and to love Him. But what we have done in Adam is to reject all of this and bankrupt ourselves spiritually. So, God looks with favor (Isaiah 66:2d) upon those who recognize this: they are poor; they have a contrite spirit; they don’t think they have anything worthy of bringing to God (verse 2e). Instead, they tremble at the words of the God Who is still willing to bring them near (verse 2f).
Oh, dear reader, do you not see this about the worship of God? He needs nothing, and we owe Him everything—but we are unable to give Him anything. And yet, for even such as we are, God has given a way of drawing near to Him! And not, ultimately, bulls, lambs, grain offerings, or incense, but Himself in His own dear Son, through faith worked by His almighty Spirit. How great is His grace in worship!
Rejecting worship that is according to our desires rather than his. Do we do the things in worship because we have chosen them or because God has? The worshiper in Isaiah 66:3a–d is doing actions that God has commanded for worship, but he’s doing them because they are his own choice (verse 3e). “Right” worship done because we like that worship, rather than because God does, is as bad as if we worshiped by the actions in the second part of each of those lines (slaying a man, breaking a dog’s neck, offering swine’s blood, blessing an idol). One sure way to know that we are guilty of this is if we are willing to add to God’s worship anything that feels worshipful to us, or that we enjoy, or that we think will provide some benefit, or for any other reason than that God has mercifully provided it as His authorized way for the poor in spirit to draw near to Him.
God’s rejection of those who choose their own worship. If we choose to worship in a way for any other reason than God’s delight in it (Isaiah 66:4f), we do evil before His eyes (verse 4e). God has called us to Himself and spoken to us (verse 4c–d). Worshiping our own way rejects His favorable call to draw near. Whether we come in a self-serving way, and He judges us by giving our delusion (verse 4a); or, whether we come in a legalistic way, as if God is an offended deity whom we must placate with presents (verse 4b); it is a visitation of punishment to be given over to false worship. How grievous it would be to have anything in worship other than God Himself!
How do you come to God with poverty of spirit and contrite spirit for worship? What do you want to do in worship and why? What do you hope to get out of worship?
Sample prayer: Lord, forgive us for bringing You worship as if You needed it from us. How merciful You are to bring sinners near to You through Christ! But still, we have valued worship according to what delights us, rather than choosing it because it has delighted You to bring us near in Christ. Here is Your greatest mercy to us, and yet it is a place where we have sinned greatly against You. O, forgive us! How thankful we are that You that You bring sinners near to You through Your Son and by Your Spirit! So cleanse us by Christ’s blood, and conform us to Him by the work of Your Spirit, we ask through Christ, AMEN!
Suggested songs: ARP51B “From My Sins, O Hide Your Face” or TPH163 “Open Now Thy Gates of Beauty”
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