A Certain Humility

Bulletin

Dan Peters
03/10/24 - Attitude

A Certain Humility

“Heaven is My throne and the earth is My footstool.
Where then is a house you could build for Me?
And where is a place that I may rest?
For My hand made all these things,
Thus all these things came into being,” declares the LORD.
But to this one I will look,
To him who is humble and contrite of spirit, and who trembles at My word.” (Isa. 66:1-2).
So God is not looking just for a humble and contrite person, but one who is humble towards God himself. Isaiah will finish the description of what it means to “tremble” at God’s word.
God rejected these worshipers, which is a bit shocking because these worshipers seem to be worshipping correctly. They seem to be worshiping as God prescribed by Moses.

   THE LAWFUL, BUT MEANINGLESS
“But he who kills an ox is like one who slays a man;
He who sacrifices a lamb is like the one who breaks a dog’s neck; He who offers a grain offering is like one who offers swine’s blood;   He who   burns incense is like the one who blesses an idol. As they have chosen their own ways, And their soul delights in their abominations, So I will choose their punishments And will bring on them what they dread”(v.3-4a).
If Isaiah stopped right here, we would be puzzled because the ox, lamb, grain offering, and incense are all commanded by God in the book of Leviticus. So God wants something more than correct worship. Isaiah had touched on this same idea earlier (Isaiah 1:10-16).
Isaiah now goes on to say,
   “Because I called, but no one answered;
   I spoke, but they did not listen.
   And they did evil in My sight
   And chose that in which I did not delight.” (v. 4b).
True worship doesn’t allow one to live ungodly, doing “evil in My sight”. This is like Samuel saying, “Behold, to obey is better than sacrifice.”(1Sam. 15:22). The humble and contrite man is trembling to the point of obeying God’s words. Jesus was the most humble and contrite, and he trembled before going to the cross. In the garden he trembled. He said to them, “My soul is deeply grieved, to the point of death; remain here and keep watch with Me.” (Matt. 26:38). He trembled and then obeyed. “He humbled Himself by becoming obedient to the point of death, even death on a cross.” (Phil. 2:8). If my humility doesn’t lead me to obey, it’s the wrong kind of humility. But obey how much? The cross. The cross. The cross. Oh, Help us Lord.
                                                                                                 Daniel Peters