Weary of Our Worship

“But, Jacob, you have not called on me, because, Israel, you have become weary of me. You have not brought me your sheep for burnt offerings or honored me with your sacrifices. I have not burdened you with offerings or wearied you with incense. You have not bought me aromatic cane with silver, or satisfied me with the fat of your sacrifices. But you have burdened me with your sins; you have wearied me with your iniquities. “I am the one, I sweep away your transgressions for my own sake and remember your sins no more. Remind me. Let’s argue the case together. Recount the facts, so that you may be vindicated. Your first father sinned, and your mediators have rebelled against me. So I defiled the officers of the sanctuary, and set Jacob apart for destruction and Israel for scorn. And now listen, Jacob my servant, Israel whom I have chosen. This is the word of the Lord your Maker, the one who formed you from the womb: He will help you. Do not fear, Jacob my servant, Jeshurun whom I have chosen. For I will pour water on the thirsty land and streams on the dry ground; I will pour out my Spirit on your descendants and my blessing on your offspring. They will sprout among the grass like poplars by flowing streams. This one will say, ‘I am the Lord’s’; another will use the name of Jacob; still another will write on his hand, ‘The Lord’s,’ and take on the name of Israel.” (Isaiah‬ ‭43:22 – 44‬:‭‭5‬ ‭CSB‬‬)

Day after day, week after week, year after year… it seems like there’s never an end to it. I could be talking about several different things with that description, couldn’t I? When you get into a pattern like that, it can become wearisome. But is that true for everything? It can certainly be true of work, school, and even of worship when it has become ritualistic or meaningless. In fact, it can even be said of life when it becomes empty and devoid of purpose and meaning. But would you say it of something you enjoy or love doing? Would you say it of someone you love deeply?

This is really where things sit with Isaiah and the people of God. This can easily be seen in the opening verses of our focal passage if you simply place more emphasis on the word “me”. For example: “But, Jacob, you have not called on ME, because, Israel, you have become weary of ME. You have not brought ME your sheep for burnt offerings or honored ME with your sacrifices.” If you read those verses without the added emphasis, it sounds as if they have simply stopped worshiping altogether. But there’s no known time in their history when this happened, other than during the exile when the sacrificial worship could not be performed. 

However, most scholars agree the prophet is not referencing the time when they were simply unable to perform these worship practices. Rather, he is referencing a time when they could worship, but had no desire to do so. They had grown weary of worship, weary of honoring God, weary of presenting sacrifices for their sin. Their continued worship actions and sacrifices had become nothing more than a wearisome duty, performed day after day, week after week, year after year completely devoid of purpose, meaning and love for God.

God responds, “I have not burdened you with offerings or wearied you with incense.” God has not placed upon us worship demands and expectations that are onerous or burdensome. In fact, God has specifically made provision in the law for those who could have been burdened by such demands. God allowed for sacrifices that were less financially demanding if the worshiper was poor (see Lev. 5:7 and Luke 2:21-24). God intends for worship to be just costly or demanding enough to be demonstrative of our love and commitment to Him and our need for cleansing without being onerous and burdensome.

So, the people were not bringing their sacrifices out of need, gratitude or even love for God but only out of religious duty. But actions performed as religious duty are often done with the intent of placing obligations, expectations and even demands upon God. We often do this in our worship. We perform our religious duty, but just so God will be obligated to forgive our sin, answer our prayer or pour out a blessing upon us. Notice, verse 24 indicates that the people did not bring extravagant sacrifices out of love (aromatic cane with silver) and they even failed to bring the “fat” that was specifically reserved for God. All they brought to Him was their sin and they wearied Him with their iniquities.

We do the same thing to God. We think that thinking religious thoughts, keeping a family Bible on a table in our homes, attending church once or twice a year, putting a few dollars in the offering plate or supporting some worthwhile charity or mission offering is enough to obligate God to forgive our sin. People show up for church on Christmas Eve or Easter Sunday and toss a $20 in the offering as if that’s all that’s needed to offset a year’s worth of sin. You know the idea, do just enough good to obligate God to reward us with the blessing of heaven instead of the punishment of hell.

Will that do it? Let’s see…

God responds, “I am the one, I sweep away your transgressions for my own sake and remember your sins no more.” Religious ritual, bloody animal sacrifices, pungent incense, chanted words, repetitive prayers, perfectly performed worship songs and even the most eloquent, well prepared sermons are insufficient to remove our guilt and satisfy the demands of sin. The only one who can sweep away our transgression and cleanse our sin is HIM! He’s under no obligation to respond to our religious actions and righteous efforts with forgiveness. He says, “I sweep away your transgressions for MY own sake.” If we are cleansed and forgiven, it is only and always because of His grace, His unimaginable love for us and for His own sake – not yours.

Let that settle in, for a moment. That’s humbling and sobering, at the same time. But He continues, “Remind me. Let’s argue the case together. Recount the facts, so that you may be vindicated.” Come before me with the evidence and facts of your innocence. Show me why I should accept your worship and forgive your transgressions. He then goes on by reminding them of their continual history of sin and rebellion against Him. Even their worship leaders and attempts at biblical worship are defiled by sin. 

This will be hard to hear, but we need to hear it: Anyone who thinks they deserve heaven on their own merit has proven that they don’t. Scripture states emphatically that all of us are sinners and none of us are righteous. That may leave you with little hope… 

But then God speaks! “LISTEN, Jacob my servant, Israel whom I have chosen. This is the WORD of the LORD your Maker, the one who formed you from the womb: HE will help you!” He? Who is going to help and what is he going to help us do? We’re unable to do this on our own, so the LORD is going to help us! He’s going to help us become HIS people. We don’t deserve it and we can’t do it ourselves, so He’s going to do this for us and in us. He goes on, “Do not fear, Jacob (scoundrel) my servant, Jeshurun (righteous or upright one) whom I have chosen.” God takes a scoundrel and turns him into a righteous and upright person. 

But just how does God do this? How does He turn a scoundrel into a righteous and upright man? Well, He tells us: “For I will pour water on a thirsty land and streams on the dry ground; I will pour out my Spirit on your descendants and my blessing on your offspring.” God takes parched, dry and barren souls and pours out His Spirit upon them and they “sprout among the grass like poplars by flowing streams.”

There’s a massive difference between someone who performs religious rituals and self-righteous deeds in order to obligate God on their behalf and those who feel obligated to worship God because of His great love for us and His mercy shown to us. The greatest commandment in scripture is the call to love God with all of one’s heart, soul, mind and body. But God hasn’t called us to love Him without a reason to do so. He has shown His love for us through the redemption He has made possible in Christ:

“For God loved the world in this way: He gave his one and only Son, so that everyone who believes in him will not perish but have eternal life. For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but to save the world through him.” (John‬ ‭3‬:‭16‬-‭17‬ ‭CSB‬‬ https://bible.com/bible/1713/jhn.3.16-17.CSB)

Why would anyone reject His love? Why would they turn away from His offer of redemption? Because they don’t believe they need it. They don’t need Jesus because God is obligated to love them and reward them for their “goodness”, they deserve it! They don’t need God’s mercy, they don’t need God’s forgiveness because they’ve done nothing worthy of judgment and condemnation. They believe in their own goodness, their own righteousness. They have no need of Christ’s sacrifice and imparted righteousness. 

That’s precisely why so many of God’s people had grown weary of Him, of His worship and of the never ending sacrifices. They weren’t convinced of their own unrighteousness and need for God’s mercy, cleansing, and forgiveness. They thought they didn’t need redemption because they had brought the required sacrifices. God was obligated to love them, forgive their sin, to reward them with His blessings. They deserved it! 

We live in the midst of a similar culture. Our world certainly doesn’t see itself as “sinners in need of saving.” Oh, there are certainly some who need a LOT of help, but not me. I’m a pretty good guy. If there’s anyone on this planet that deserves God’s love, it’s me! When you approach belief in God like that, worship quickly becomes drudgery and a burden. Why should I worship God, He should be grateful He has someone Iike me on His team.

But when we recognize, admit and repent of our sin then God pours out His Spirit on the dry, barren, parched and thirsty soil of our soul and writes on our hand, “The LORD’s.” You see, there’s a difference between what we do in and for ourselves and what God does in and for us. Our repairs, our improvements, our goodness is shallow and temporary. It simply can’t achieve God’s purpose in our lives. But His work goes to the very depths of our soul and changes us from the inside out. His repairs, His improvements, His goodness and righteousness that He pours upon us and into us goes down to the depths of our being and is eternal. It can’t help but achieve God’s holy and eternal purpose in us and in our lives. 

So, let me end by asking if your worship is wearying you, is it burdensome to you? If it is, then it is nothing more than an attempt to make God obligated to you and is not an expression of love for Him. God wants you to know Him, to experience His love for you and to transform your worship into an expression of your love for Him. Worship that is not burdensome, but joyful. 

How can that happen? By recognizing your need of Him and His love for you. When worship flows from obligation, it will always be a burden. But when worship flows out of gratitude and love, it will never be a burden and you will never grow weary of offering it to Him.

Which one describes you and your worship?