Isaiah 66:1-6--The Humble and Contrite in Spirit

Isaiah 66:1-6
English Standard Version

The Humble and Contrite in Spirit
66 Thus says the LORD:
“Heaven is my throne,
    and the earth is my footstool;
what is the house that you would build for me,
    and what is the place of my rest?
2 All these things my hand has made,
    and so all these things came to be,
declares the LORD.
But this is the one to whom I will look:
    he who is humble and contrite in spirit
    and trembles at my word.

3 “He who slaughters an ox is like one who kills a man;
    he who sacrifices a lamb, like one who breaks a dog's neck;
he who presents a grain offering, like one who offers pig's blood;
    he who makes a memorial offering of frankincense, like one who blesses an idol.
These have chosen their own ways,
    and their soul delights in their abominations;
4 I also will choose harsh treatment for them
    and bring their fears upon them,
because when I called, no one answered,
    when I spoke, they did not listen;
but they did what was evil in my eyes
    and chose that in which I did not delight.”

5 Hear the word of the LORD,
    you who tremble at his word:
“Your brothers who hate you
    and cast you out for my name's sake
have said, ‘Let the LORD be glorified,
    that we may see your joy’;
    but it is they who shall be put to shame.

6 “The sound of an uproar from the city!
    A sound from the temple!
The sound of the LORD,
    rendering recompense to his enemies!

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We've almost reached the end of the book of Isaiah (we're in its final chapter).  It is by far the largest book of the Bible outside of the book of Psalms (which is more an anthology of five "books").  The book of Isaiah has some of messages of sin and judgment that we expect from an Old Testament prophet, but it also speaks much of redemption and atonement for sin that would provided by a Suffering Servant--a picture of Messiah that many missed.  He would come to save His people from their sins.

We start off this chapter with a reminder of the words that the LORD spoke to David regarding the building of the Temple (right before the LORD proclaimed the Davidic Covenant to David).  He reminds the people that He is not like a pagan  god that lives in temples made by the hands of men, and their sacrifices and offerings that they are bringing to His holy altar might as well be the offerings offered to the false gods--dogs and pigs and other unclean animals that would defile the LORD's altar.  Why does the LORD say this?  Because the people have pride in their hearts.  They do not approach His altar with a broken and contrite heart.  The LORD has dealt harshly with them because they would not listen to His words of warning, so they will be broken by His acts of discipline and judgment.  Hopefully they will start to choose what is righteous instead of what is evil.

Though the religious leaders pretended to cast out the wicked, the LORD knows they are just as wicked and they themselves should be cast out.  They too do not listen to the Word of the LORD and the people are living just like their leaders--in rebellion towards God and His Word.  These leaders believe they are safe because of their position, but the LORD says they should be afraid of His coming discipline and judgement.  When the time comes for the LORD to make war with His enemies, there will be some Jews that He will war against (and there will be some Gentiles that belong to Him that He will not war against).  It is not simply a mater of ethnic genocide as people think, it is a matter of holy and just God having to deal with sin and rebellion before it gets to the point of Genesis 6 when every thought and intention of every man was always evil all the time.  The closer we get to God allowing us to get to that point again, the closer we know we are to the final judgment of the wicked when the LORD will once again pour out His plagues on the wicked and will destroy the world by fire.