Isaiah 1:1-20

v3. The ox knows his master, the donkey his owner's manager, but ISrael does not know, my people do not understand.
Even brute animals know who they serve, but how come people don't? Or they do, but are stubborn and choose not to acknowledge their master.

v7. Your country is desolate, your cities burned with fire; your fields are being stripped by foreigners right before you, laid waste as when overthrown by strangers.
Hmm, kinda sounds like church right now. We're all in chaos, sin has overtaken everything.

v11. "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."
I'm kinda drawing a parallel to King Saul when he disobeyed GOd's orders to kill the Amalekites, and instead sent burnt sacrificial offerings to God. same as now. God doesn't want meaningless sacrificial offerings from us. We have to give him ourselves. we need to give up our bodies as living sacrifices.

v13. Stop bringing meaningless offerings! Your incense is detestable to me.
see above.

v15-16. When you spread out your hands in prayer, I will hide my eyes from you; even if you offer many prayers, I will not listen. Your hands are full of blood; wash and make yourselves clean. Take your evil deeds out of my sight! Stop doing wrong, learn to do right!
I can't even imagine what it'd be like if God was so disgusted with me, that He just stopped listening to my prayers. what if He just turned his face away? When i was a baby, my mom would find me awake at night crying just because my dad slept with his back towards me. He didn't mean to do it, he was just sleeping comfortably! but this- what if my heavenly Dad deliberately turned away because i was too dirty. bad. sinful.


Godislove.