Daily Devotions
Isaiah
"You have wearied Me with your iniquities"
Text: Isaiah 43:24
THE SAD FAILURE OF ISRAEL
Despite all that God had taught Israel, the nation did not respond appropriately. Though the LORD had done so much for His people, they did not offer worship in any significant manner.
“But you have not called upon Me, O Jacob;
And you have been weary of Me, O Israel.
You have not brought Me the sheep for your burnt offerings,
Nor have you honoured Me with your sacrifices.
I have not caused you to serve with grain offerings,
Nor wearied you with incense.
You have bought Me no sweet cane with money,
Nor have you satisfied Me with the fat of your sacrifices;
But you have burdened Me with your sins,
You have wearied Me with your iniquities.”
Isaiah 43:22-24
1. What Israel had failed to do.
a) The nation had not called upon God.
b) The people had grown weary of the LORD.
2. With reference to Worship.
a) To offer the LORD sacrifices would have expressed honour.
b) But the people had not brought to the LORD:
i) Burnt offerings of sheep.
ii) They had no heart to offer to God meaningful offerings from the heart.
3. Teachings concerning offerings to God.
a) Grain offerings when the harvest is done.
b) Properly-made Incense which represents prayer to God.
c) But these seemed to be too troublesome to Israel.
4. Special offerings.
a) Sweet cane was needed for the making of incense.
i) This was costly.
ii) Many were not prepared to spend money to get the sweet cane
to make good incense.
b) The fat of the sacrifices.
i) This was reserved for the LORD.
ii) It would mean that the people would have to specially care for
the sheep/goat/ cattle.
iii) But this seemed too bothersome to the people.
5. What the people did.
a) Thus, they burdened God with their sins.
b) They wearied Him with their iniquitous attitude towards worship.
c) To offer worship the way the people did was truly intolerable.
d) Their heart was not in their worship at all!