Before we look at that verse, let’s read Isaiah 66:1-2, “Thus says the LORD: ‘Heaven is My throne, and earth is My footstool. Where is the house that you will build Me? And where is the place of My rest? For all those things My hand has made, and all those things exist,’ says the LORD. ‘But on this one will I look: on him who is poor and of a contrite spirit, and who trembles at My word’” (NKJV). God is writing to His earthly people Israel who, at the time of this writing, were in a sad spiritual state and needed to REPENT. They were ignorant of their spiritual condition and thought that by going through “religious observances” they could please the Lord. The Lord informs them here that it was not a “physical house on earth” that He would be pleased to dwell in UNLESS those who built it were “poor and of a contrite spirit, and who trembles at My word.” In other words, God wants a people who are humble and with a holy reverence desire to obey His holy Word. Such was Solomon when he built the first temple in Jerusalem, for listen to his words on the day he dedicated the temple: “But will God indeed dwell on the earth? Behold, heaven and the heavens cannot contain You. How much less this temple which I have built” (1 Kings 8:27). Because of Solomon’s heart being right, God was pleased to dwell in that house, and He gladly accepted their many sacrifices and offerings (1 Kings 8:1-11, 54-66).

Israel was in such a sad spiritual state they truly believed their “sacrifices and offerings” would be accepted by God and He would bless them for doing this. In verses 3-4 God exposes their RELIGIOUS HYPOCRISY with a scathing rebuke: “He who kills a bull is as if he slays a man; He who sacrifices a lamb, as if he breaks a dog’s neck; He who offers a grain offering, as if he offers swine’s blood; He who burns incense, as if he blesses an idol. Just as they have chosen their own ways, and their soul delights in their abominations, So will I choose their delusions, and bring their fears on them; Because, when I called, no one answered, When I spoke they did not hear: But they did evil before My eyes and chose that in which I do not delight.” Again, God wanted those who would worship Him to be HUMBLE and to “tremble at His word,” yet they worshiped Him with evil hearts. They were guilty of “choosing their own ways” instead of “God’s way” and their sacrifices and offerings were an ABOMINATION to the Lord. He would NOT ACCEPT THEM; instead, He would judge them for refusing to “hear His word when He spoke to them.” These verses recall the words of King David who had sinned and then repented of his evil ways: “For You do not desire sacrifice, or else I would give it; You do not delight in burnt offering. The sacrifices of God are a BROKEN SPIRIT, a broken and CONTRITE HEART. These, O God, You will not despise” (Psalm 51:16-17). David learned, through repenting of his sins, that God “looks on the HEART” and He will only be pleased in our “outward worship” if it comes from a “humble, God-fearing heart.”

Is there a lesson for us today, dear fellow-believer? There surely is. God hates a “hypocritical heart” where we go through “religious forms of worship” while refusing to obey God’s word with a “broken and contrite heart that trembles at His word.” Most of Christendom today are guilty of this. The Apostle Paul wrote of this in his last epistle with these words, “But I know this, that in the last days perilous times will come: For men will be lovers of themselves, lovers of money….lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God, HAVING A FORM OF GODLINESS BUT DENYING ITS POWER” (2 Timothy 3:1-2, 4), Paul was describing professing Christians who have no love for God but love for SELF, MONEY, and PLEASURE, yet they go through “religious forms” where they believe they are worshiping God, all the while denying “the POWER of His Word and the POWER of the Holy Spirit.” Even true believers can be influenced by this if we take our eyes off of God the Father and our Lord Jesus Christ, Who alone deserve to be LOVED and WORSHIPED according to His Word (see John 14:21, 23 with John 4:23-24).  (DO)  (696.3)