By Robert L. Olsen, Ph.D.
Assistant Professor of Christian Studies, University of Mobile
God Confronts
Isaiah 1:10–20
The Book of Isaiah is one of the most quoted and referenced books of the Old Testament in the New Testament. It also contains more references to the Messiah than any other book in the Old Testament.
Isaiah was a prophet for a long period of time in Judah, the Southern Kingdom (800s B.C. through the middle of the 700s B.C.). In fact, he was a prophet during the reigns of four kings of Judah.
Empty Rituals (10–15)
Isaiah begins prophesying at a time when the people of Israel were superficially religious. The leaders of Judah were guilty of performing sacrifices in ritual only, not internalizing the purpose of the sacrifices. As a whole, these events had become meaningless.
Instead of performing sacrifices as a way to show true sorrow for their sins, the people of Judah were following God’s law of sacrifice as a matter of course only. This practice was so detestable that Isaiah likens the people to those of Sodom and Gomorrah.
The problem these Israelites had is like many Christians today. They believed that just performing the sacrifice was what was required for forgiveness of sin. However, throughout the Bible, God indicates that the actual sacrifice is secondary to the condition of the one performing the sacrifice (see Hosea 6:6).
Sometimes Christians believe that by following the commandments of the Bible they are owed something, that God is obligated to do what they ask in prayer or to give them good things or good circumstances.
But this is not how God operates. Many religions around the world teach something to the effect that if you do what “a god” or “the gods” want, good things will happen. This is not how Christianity works.
True Followers (16–17)
Instead of following empty rituals, Isaiah shows that God wants the Israelites’ actions to match the desires of God. Sacrifices are not to be performed so that the Israelites may go about their business, doing whatever they please. Instead, a true believer, one who is truly seeking the Lord, will act in a way that matches God’s desires.
Modern Christians need to be careful of not falling into similar routines as the Israelites did. Going to church, reading the Bible daily and praying before meals are not to be done just to check a box to fill out a checklist of dos and don’ts. They are to be done with a heartfelt desire to please God and grow spiritually.
Repentance Required (18–20)
It is a wonderful thing that God does not love us based on what we can do for Him. If we had to perform a checklist of activities to be in God’s good graces, we would undoubtedly fail. As Romans 3:23 says, “For all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God.”
In many religions, a “god” has a balance sheet where he keeps track of how many good things versus bad things a person has done. The problem with these systems is who can tell what the balance sheet says? How does one know if he or she has done more good things than bad? It leads to ignorance of where the religious person stands before God, which leads to despair.
The good news about Christianity is God loves us even though we have sinned (Rom. 5:8). All that is required of the Christian is to repent and believe in Jesus. The Bible is clear that salvation is not found in external acts like animal sacrifice or baptism.
Salvation is found in belief in Jesus Christ, as Acts 16:31 affirms. This was true in both the Old Testament and New Testament. God forgives sins based upon repentance (1 John 1:9). And through repentance, Isaiah writes,
“Though your sins are scarlet they will be as white as snow; though they are crimson red, they will be like wool.”
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