Isaiah 1:10-20: The religious situation

So, yesterday Isaiah surveyed the state of the nation. Today he turns his attention to the state of their worship. It looks sumptuous, but it is so totally missing the point.

He imagines what God would say, having been in receipt of a pretty hefty number of animal sacrifices over the years.

Enough already! I don't want any more dead bulls! I've got enough blinking dead bulls to last me from here to eternity. I never wanted them anyway. It wasn't the animals I wanted, it was you - it was your hearts. And what have you done? You've nearly bankrupted yourselves piling up all these sacrifices because you thought it would let you off having to have a genuine relationship with me. 

You thought that if you gave me a sacrifice every now and then you could do what you pleased the rest of the time. I'm sick of your sacrifices and your festivals and your bogus prayers. You think I can't see the blood on your hands?

Start caring for the oppressed, the orphan and the widow. Then I'll be impressed. Stop doing evil, learn to do good. Then I'll listen.

Is it shocking, hearing God basically telling people to stop worshipping him? It's certainly not what we expect.

I thought you wanted all this, God? We worship God in all sorts of different ways, but whether it's with sacrifices or ritual, or music or silence or anything else - it makes no difference if our heart isn't in it.

God would rather listen to out of tune singing from a tone deaf 90 year old with laryngitis, than the best worship band singing the edgiest song that's just been written, with smoke machines, lights and sound systems, or the best robed choir on the planet ... so long as the 90 year old put his heart into it. After all, God's got more angel choirs than he could possibly want, he's got things on his playlist you couldn't possibly imagine. Our worship can't compete with that. But we think if we make it sound nice enough, or make it cost enough, then that will do.

Come on, says God, let's sit down and talk about this. I can make you clean. It doesn't matter how dirty you are. Don't cover it up with those fancy robes, come and let me wash you. I'll show you the real meaning of the words "Power Shower."