“Clean Up our act” Isaiah 1:1-20
1. God expects not meaningless sacrifice (The ritual stuff) but sacrifice that are meaningful (sincerity)
• 11 “The multitude of your sacrifices— what are they to me?” says the LORD. “I have more than enough of burnt offerings, of rams and the fat of fattened animals; I have no pleasure
in the blood of bulls and lambs and goats. 13 Stop bringing meaningless offerings!
• God talks negatively about their worthless assemblies I cannot bear your worthless assemblies.
• God hides His eyes from their prayers 15 When you spread out your hands in prayer,
I hide my eyes from you; even when you offer many prayers, I am not listening.
2. Their actions are compared to being like the wicked cities that were destroyed by fire
• Israel is compared to Sodom and Gomorrah,
• They are empty of doing good, empty of seeking justice, empty of rescuing the oppressed vs 16-17 stop doing wrong.17 Learn to do right; seek justice. Defend the oppressed.[a]Take up the cause of the fatherless plead the case of the widow.
3. God says, “You need to clean up your act” 16 Wash and make yourselves clean. Take evil deeds out of my sight;
• God is tired uncleanliness . “I cannot endure … my soul hates … I am weary … I hide my eyes from you … a burden to me … I am weary … I will not listen” (vv. 14-15).
• Is God happy with the spirit of our day? Our pride-fullness, our emptiness of compassion, our emptiness of care and concern for others, our emptiness of the fire of God living in us.
• Does it not grieve the heart of God to see that brothers and sisters can no longer dwell in unity (see Psalm 133:1), or live without “selfish ambition or conceit, but in humility regard others as better” than themselves? (Philippians 2:3).
4. God tells the Israelite how to clean up our act
• God says, “Stop doing bad things”. “Cease to do evil,” God says. Stop being ritual and be sincere. “Remove the evil of your doings before my eyes,”
• God then says, “Start doing good things”. “Learn to do good,” To learn to be a teachable
• God also says, Take the side of the Powerless Throw out a lifeline to those sinking in the waves of oppression and advocate for orphans and widows.
5. God tells Israel “Let’s fix your situation” 18 “Come now, let us settle the matter,” Let’s fix it
• Although we have blood on our hands, this stain can be removed. “Though your sins are like scarlet, they shall be as white as snow ;though they are red as crimson, they shall be like wool.
• God fixes us by cleaning out the impurity and giving us life of Godly type living
• God fixes us by getting rid of ritual-ness and living sacrificial live in the word, live in worship, live sanctified, Live pure, Live Holy, Live wise, live faithful, Live as that new creature
• 19 If you are willing and obedient, Let us be willing to be separate, be spotless, be filled with goodness, grounded in love
• Let’s clean up like the Hebrew writer says, I am one of those clouds of witnesses who has lay aside the weight of sin, and I am going to run with endurance the race of faith and I am looking to Jesus as the author of my faith.
