"Come now, and let us reason together," saith the Lord, "though your sins be as scarlet, they shall be as white as snow; though they be red like crimson, they shall be as wool. If ye be willing and obedient, ye shall eat the good of the land, but if ye refuse and rebel, ye shall be devoured with the sword: for the mouth of the Lord hath spoken it." (Isaiah 1:18-20)
In the scriptures, we discover how very much the Lord our God loves us -- to have come in the form of a man (clothed in sin-prone flesh and yet perfect and without sin) so that we might have abundant, everlasting life in Him. To have willingly become our Saviour. (I Timothy 3:16; Isaiah 9:6) In fact, He tore the veil from top to bottom, from heaven to earth so that we could be set free from the entanglements and bondage of this world to remain in His presence. He shed His precious holy blood on a tree -- taking upon Himself the curse of our transgressions -- so that our sins could be forgiven. Isaiah prophesied of the time when our sins would no longer scarlet, but white as snow. As wool.
And if we are obedient in loving the Lord with all our heart, soul, mind and strength, extending His love to those around us, the scripture declares that we shall also eat the good of the land, for the Lord hath spoken it. (Deuteronomy 6:4; Mark 12:29-31)
But instead, what are we doing? According to the Lord, we are substituting praising Him with every breath we take in favour of vain [ceremonious] oblations, and these, as the Lord shares through Isaiah are troubling. [fyi - the Merriam-Webster dictionary defines oblation as "the act of making a religious offering; specifically, capitalized: the act of offering the eucharistic elements to God; something offered in worship or devotion : a holy gift offered usually at an altar or shrine."] For the record, so are the new moons and sabbaths, the calling of assemblies and our appointed feasts.
The Lord through Isaiah saith:
"When ye come to appear before Me, who hath required this at your hand, to tread My courts? Bring no more vain oblations; incense is an abomination unto Me; the new moons and sabbaths, the calling of assemblies, I cannot - away with; it is iniquity, even the solemn meeting. your new moons and your appointed feasts My soul hates: they are a trouble unto Me; I am weary to bear them. And when ye spread forth your hands, I will hide Mine eyes from you: yea, when ye make many prayers, I will not hear: your hands are full of blood.
[The Lord continues, encouraging us instead to] wash you, make you clean; put away the evil of your doings from before Mine eyes; cease to do evil; Learn to do well; seek judgment, relieve the oppressed, judge the fatherless, plead for the widow." (Isaiah 1:12-20)
It is in this context that the Lord invites us to come unto Him and to reason together. To taste and see the His goodness and grace and mercy toward His people. Not through ordinances and sacraments offered at modern day religious alters but rather to take hold of Him directly, in a personal relationship -- seeking our Lord God and Saviour Jesus the Christ -- the Bread of Life.
As Jesus said, "Verily, verily, I say unto you, Moses gave you not that bread from heaven; but My Father giveth you the true bread from heaven. For the bread of God is He which comes down from heaven, and gives life unto the world."
In the same dialogue, Jesus tells His disciples -- "I AM the Bread of Life! he that cometh to Me shall never hunger; and he that believes on Me shall never thirst." (John 6:35)
And as we now know from the totality of the scriptures, this same Jesus whom we have crucified is now the King of kings and Lord of lords, both Lord and Christ, Alpha and Omega, the first and the last, the beginning and the ending. And thankfully for us, He is still inviting us to partake in His kingdom for time everlasting.
Stand in the offering plate.
In the scriptures, we discover how very much the Lord our God loves us -- to have come in the form of a man (clothed in sin-prone flesh and yet perfect and without sin) so that we might have abundant, everlasting life in Him. To have willingly become our Saviour. (I Timothy 3:16; Isaiah 9:6) In fact, He tore the veil from top to bottom, from heaven to earth so that we could be set free from the entanglements and bondage of this world to remain in His presence. He shed His precious holy blood on a tree -- taking upon Himself the curse of our transgressions -- so that our sins could be forgiven. Isaiah prophesied of the time when our sins would no longer scarlet, but white as snow. As wool.
And if we are obedient in loving the Lord with all our heart, soul, mind and strength, extending His love to those around us, the scripture declares that we shall also eat the good of the land, for the Lord hath spoken it. (Deuteronomy 6:4; Mark 12:29-31)
But instead, what are we doing? According to the Lord, we are substituting praising Him with every breath we take in favour of vain [ceremonious] oblations, and these, as the Lord shares through Isaiah are troubling. [fyi - the Merriam-Webster dictionary defines oblation as "the act of making a religious offering; specifically, capitalized: the act of offering the eucharistic elements to God; something offered in worship or devotion : a holy gift offered usually at an altar or shrine."] For the record, so are the new moons and sabbaths, the calling of assemblies and our appointed feasts.
The Lord through Isaiah saith:
"When ye come to appear before Me, who hath required this at your hand, to tread My courts? Bring no more vain oblations; incense is an abomination unto Me; the new moons and sabbaths, the calling of assemblies, I cannot - away with; it is iniquity, even the solemn meeting. your new moons and your appointed feasts My soul hates: they are a trouble unto Me; I am weary to bear them. And when ye spread forth your hands, I will hide Mine eyes from you: yea, when ye make many prayers, I will not hear: your hands are full of blood.
[The Lord continues, encouraging us instead to] wash you, make you clean; put away the evil of your doings from before Mine eyes; cease to do evil; Learn to do well; seek judgment, relieve the oppressed, judge the fatherless, plead for the widow." (Isaiah 1:12-20)
It is in this context that the Lord invites us to come unto Him and to reason together. To taste and see the His goodness and grace and mercy toward His people. Not through ordinances and sacraments offered at modern day religious alters but rather to take hold of Him directly, in a personal relationship -- seeking our Lord God and Saviour Jesus the Christ -- the Bread of Life.
As Jesus said, "Verily, verily, I say unto you, Moses gave you not that bread from heaven; but My Father giveth you the true bread from heaven. For the bread of God is He which comes down from heaven, and gives life unto the world."
In the same dialogue, Jesus tells His disciples -- "I AM the Bread of Life! he that cometh to Me shall never hunger; and he that believes on Me shall never thirst." (John 6:35)
And as we now know from the totality of the scriptures, this same Jesus whom we have crucified is now the King of kings and Lord of lords, both Lord and Christ, Alpha and Omega, the first and the last, the beginning and the ending. And thankfully for us, He is still inviting us to partake in His kingdom for time everlasting.
Stand in the offering plate.
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