Isaiah 1:16-20 – God’s call to right living

 Worship is truly a lifestyle. The truth is this: like the people of Judah, we too could put up a charade and offer to God hollow worship devoid of reverential fear. We need to come to grips with the truth that God values obedience more than sacrifices. Undeniably, true worship is about living out the Word of God in our everyday living. That was where the people of Judah had failed. Like the people of Sodom and Gomorrah, they were prideful, arrogant, careless, had no regard for the poor and needy, yet exploitative. A lifestyle lack of justice and fairness and compassion contradicts the character of people who claimed to have a relationship with God. 

Verses 16-17 tell us that God is gracious. He prefers mercy to judgment, so He called out for repentance. This is the obvious way to return to God. These verses show us the two clear steps of repentance. Firstly, there must be the clearing and removal of the evil of deeds done before the eyes of God. Secondly, there must be an active step in putting things right before God. The call was for the people to take corrective steps to cease from evil and do what is good and to make compassion and justice the way of one’s dealing. When these are put in place, worship will be glorious.

God incentivised the call to repentance by issuing an invitation. He was asking the people of Judah to come clean with Him as He stretched out His hand of grace toward them. Note that the requirement of God is not illogical. When His people do their part, He will do His. No matter how badly one had strayed, the hand of God is still stretching out in grace to us in mercy. He prefers restoration to judgment. With God, we never need to second guess His intention. He only has the best intention for us. All God expected of His people was their openness, willingness, and responsiveness. The blessing of God in our life is only a decision away. When we choose willingly to align our relationship with Him, He only has good things installed for us. When we willingly repent, He will forgive freely and we will enjoy the best of blessings. If we refuse to accept His offer, hardship and destruction await. A blessed or a miserable life will be ours by choice.

“If you consent and obey,

You will eat the best of the land;

“But if you refuse and rebel,

You will be devoured by the sword.”

 His words remain the same to us today! Blessing or hardship, the decision is ours to make!