The past several weeks in our Sunday School class we have been discussing the "hole" in the Gospel (Study Guide). The study urges followers of Christ to look beyond a gospel reduced to a personal transaction for the afterlife—a gospel, it says, with a hole in it—and passionately calls for Christians not just to proclaim the good news, but to be the good news to a world in desperate need. (I'll be writing another entry about the overall challenge and how God is working on me in this area). However, somehow early on during the study I personally stumbled across Isaiah chapter 1. I honestly cannot recall why I read that chapter, but I did. The whole passage is excellent but I focused on verses 11-20. Every Sunday during the lesson I was pulled back to those verses and read them through multiple times. Here is what those verses say:
11 “What makes you think I want all your sacrifices?”
says the LORD.
“I am sick of your burnt offerings of rams
and the fat of fattened cattle.
I get no pleasure from the blood
of bulls and lambs and goats.
12 When you come to worship me,
who asked you to parade through my courts with all your ceremony?
13 Stop bringing me your meaningless gifts;
the incense of your offerings disgusts me!
As for your celebrations of the new moon and the Sabbath
and your special days for fasting—
they are all sinful and false.
I want no more of your pious meetings.
14 I hate your new moon celebrations and your annual festivals.
They are a burden to me. I cannot stand them!
15 When you lift up your hands in prayer, I will not look.
Though you offer many prayers, I will not listen,
for your hands are covered with the blood of innocent victims.
16 Wash yourselves and be clean!
Get your sins out of my sight.
Give up your evil ways.
17 Learn to do good.
Seek justice.
Help the oppressed.
Defend the cause of orphans.
Fight for the rights of widows.
18 “Come now, let’s settle this,”
says the LORD.
“Though your sins are like scarlet,
I will make them as white as snow.
Though they are red like crimson,
I will make them as white as wool.
19 If you will only obey me,
you will have plenty to eat.
20 But if you turn away and refuse to listen,
you will be devoured by the sword of your enemies.
I, the LORD, have spoken!”
What amazing insight into the character of God and his priorities. This is what he said to his special chosen people, the Israelites! His love for them was exceedingly clear, yet he chose to speak these harsh truths to them through his prophet Isaiah. Although this message was directly intended for Judah, the principles we can learn from this message are invaluable.
So often we think we are focused on the right things. Sometimes it's a subconscious focus. Church attendance, tithes, offerings, traditions, etc. If asked we would probably give the correct responses, but after further inspection our lives might reflect a different answer. Similarily the Israelites adhered to every piece of the law, in fact they even went above and beyond in many cases.... BUT God says that their hands were covered with the blood of innocent victims!!!! Even in a society that often lacks moral integrity it is recognized that shedding the of blood of innocent victimes is repulsive. I imagine this message was hard to swallow for the Israelites.
When reading these verses over and over again I couldn't help but hear God's voice challenging me in the same way. It is hard to swallow the fact that although much of my life has been dedicated to serving God that I might have the blood of innocent victims on my hand. I should change my word choice from "might have" to "I do have". In my life it's a fact that I have had opportunities to literally save lives and have not done so. I probably chalked it up to the fact that I was already doing things for God. I was working hard for a good salary and giving a good chunk of that to the church. I was coordinating the children's ministry at my church. I was telling people that I would pray for them when they were sick. It was easy to plead ignorance and look the other way. Many of those activities could be good things... but my hands were still covered with the blood of innocent victims!!! Repulsive to say the least.
Anyway, I don't have a ton more to add right now, but this is just a little insight into a clear challenge to me from God. Now I need to be a doer of the word and pay attention to the Spirit's working in my life.
Thank goodness for verse 18...
"Come now, let’s settle this,”
says the LORD.
“Though your sins are like scarlet,
I will make them as white as snow.
Though they are red like crimson,
I will make them as white as wool."
My paraphrase based on some of my thoughts (some things changed, some things not):
“What makes you think I want all your money, your church ministries, your programs, your ceremonies, and your traditions?” says the LORD.
Stop bringing me your meaningless gifts; frankly, they disgust me!
You pay extra attention to me on your "Christian Holidays" such as Christmas and Easter.
The way you celebrate is sinful and false.
I want no more of your pious meetings.
I hate these things! They are a burden to me and I cannot stand them!
When you lift up your hands in prayer, I will not look. Though you offer many prayers, I will not listen,
...for your hands are covered with the blood of innocent victims!!!
Instead...
Wash yourselves and be clean! Get your sins out of my sight. Give up your evil ways.
Learn to do good.
Seek justice.
Help the oppressed.
Defend the cause of orphans.
Fight for the rights of widows.
AND don't say you didn't have the opportunity. The opportunities are laid out before you every day of your life!
“Come now, let’s settle this,” says the LORD.
“Though your sins are like scarlet, I will make them as white as snow.
Though they are red like crimson, I will make them as white as wool.
If you will only obey me, you will have plenty to eat.
But if you turn away and refuse to listen, you will be destroyed by those that you are assuming I'll protect you from."
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