ISAIAH
Ch. 1:13b-15

Isaiah 1:13b-15

quote:

" ... New moon and sabbath, the calling of assemblies -- I cannot endure iniquity and the solemn assembly. 14 I hate your new moon festivals and your appointed feasts, They have become a burden to Me. I am weary of bearing them. 15 So when you spread out your hands in prayer, I will hide My eyes from you, Yes, even though you multiply prayers, I will not listen. Your hands are covered with blood."

"The calling of assemblies" – Is God removing theses feasts and festivals from their worship? Does He really hate the feasts and festivals and the solemn assemblies which were meant to be a special time of communion with the Lord? The key to unmasking the answer to these questions is found in the meaning and purpose of the feasts and festivals. Another key is found in verse 13, "I cannot endure iniquity and the solemn assembly". Iniquity and the solemn assembly do not belong together! Judah's refusal to turn from her iniquity was the very antithesis of the meaning found in the holy convocation.

The Hebrew word for the Lord's appointed feasts is "ha mo'edim". These were the Lord's appointed special dates, times and place to meet with Israel to commemorate the wonderful works He had done for them in the past. They were to keep these in the forefront of their memory to remind them of who their God is. In addition, they were also a prophetic picture of what was to come.

Leviticus 23:2
"Speak to the sons of Israel, and say to them, 'The LORD's appointed times which you shall proclaim as holy convocations -- My appointed times are these:"

Included in this list in Leviticus chapter 23 is the Sabbath, the Passover, the Feast of Unleavened Bread, Shav'uot (Pentecost), Yom Teruah (Blowing of the trumpets), Yom Kippur (the Day of Atonement) and the Feast of Tabernacles, also known as the Feast of Booths, Sukkot or the Ingathering.

Note that in chapter 23 verse 2 of Leviticus, the Lord calls these "My appointed times", but in Isaiah chapter 1 verse 14, they are called "your appointed feasts". They no longer resembled the feasts and festivals of the Lord, as Judah was observing them in their own way. God was saying, they are no longer "mine", but "yours". It is a knowledge of these convocations that brings us to the understanding that Judah's worship was only a sham! How could they truly observe the Sabbath, a day set apart as holy to honor the Lord, when their actions did nothing but dishonor Him? How could they truly observe Yom Kippur, the Day of Atonement, when they had no intention of repenting? They sought the Lord for relief from His punishment meant to bring them back to Him, but rather than turn to a Holy God, they tenaciously held on to their sin.

To add grievance to grievance, God says their hands were covered with blood. Evidently violent crimes were a part of their inhumane treatment of others. The Lord became so burdened with their sin and empty homage that He ultimately refused to listen to their prayers.

God really loved Judah and His heart was to restore her, but sin had so corrupted both Judah's behavior and distorted their worship to the point He could not accept it. In terms of our own worship –- Have we tainted the worship of God with our own ways? Have we trampled His courts by seeking to enter His gates with impure hearts? King David expresses the need for a pure heart in worship in --

Psalm 24:3-4a
"Who may ascend into the hill of the LORD? And who may stand in His holy place? 4 He who has clean hands and a pure heart,"

The term worship comes from the Hebrew word "shachah", meaning to bow down or to prostrate oneself. The true worshiper in Hebrew terminology does not stand on his feet, but is driven to fall on his face when he catches a glimpse of the Holy One he is worshiping. Both Ezekiel (Ezekiel 1:28) and John (Revelation 1:17) fell on their faces when overtaken by the glory of the Lord. While I do not believe we have a mandate to bow low or prostrate ourselves with our face to the floor, God is saying that our natural body position reflects the condition of our heart in worship, as "when I lift up my hands" (Psalm 28:2). Another Hebrew word translated worship is "abad", meaning to serve. How we conduct our lives in service to the Lord is also worship. Worship as expressed in the Greek language is the word "proskuneo", meaning to bow down or to do reverence to. "Kuneo" itself, means to kiss, so it could be said that worship is a "kiss" toward God. True worship always has the element of reverence with the attitude -- to You I give my heart, my life and I will do whatever you ask.

This message has been edited. Last edited by: Elianna,