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Let’s make God in our own image? How idol hands are the devil’s workshop (Isaiah 43:21–44:23)
In this study
What would Jesus do? Deal with your interpersonal problems before: ‘Heaven and I have an understanding’God after man’s own heartPattern for the New Covenant‘Who will set me free from the body of this death?’: Isaiah and Paul preach the gospel of the KingdomFall and rise of Israel: From cloud to calf to cloudYou didn’t give the tree ‘living water,’ so why are you worshipping it?
“The people whom I formed for Myself Will declare My praise. Yet you have not called on Me, O Jacob; But you have become weary of Me, O Israel. You have not brought to Me the sheep of your burnt offerings, Nor have you honored Me with your sacrifices. I have not burdened you with offerings, Nor wearied you with incense.” Isaiah 43:21–23 NASB
In this parallel passage to the Torah reading ויקרא Vayikra (“and He called,” Lev. 1:1–6:7), Isaiah was speaking here after the destruction Jerusalem and the holy Mishkan1 by the Babylonians. Isaiah was writing to a people who were far, far away from home. They were not able to bring any sort of offerings to God’s temple. What could they do? They were not able to bring any sort of offerings, but what could they do in this situation?
What the Babylonian exiles experienced is similar to what we read about in the The book of Hebrews, when the author says that “these are things which are fading away and are about to disappear” (Heb. 8:13). The Letter to the Hebrews was written in the mid- to late 60s A.D. What happened a few years after this letter was written? In A.D. 70, an oppressive power — this time, Rome — again came in and destroyed Jerusalem, and again destroyed the Temple.
The Jewish people who survived the Roman reconquest of Jerusalem and the destruction of the Temple had to ask themselves the same question the Babylonian exiles asked themselves: How do we worship God, bring offerings without the Temple?
Hebrews talks about the items and rituals of the Temple being “shadows” (Colossians 2:17; Hebrews 8:5; 10:1). Shadows of what?
So the people were sitting in exile — no Temple, no Tabernacle. Yet, the LORD asks through the prophet Isaiah, “Where are your offerings?”
At that point, God has basically given them a timeout in exile because of their lack of regard for other people and their Creator, Redeemer and Sustainer — their Rock. They don’t have to bring their offerings to the Temple anymore because they can’t physically go through the ceremonies related to the Mishkan to the temple anymore, but yet, they are still weary of God.
The same thing that happened in the hearts of the people leading up to the Babylonian exile and during the exile is the same thing that happened during the end of the Second Temple period. The hearts of the people were not engaged in what was going on in the Temple.
The “burden” of the Temple is no longer there, yet they were still tired of God. They still did not understand the purpose of the offerings. The sacrifices were not about the forgiveness of sins...
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By Hallel FellowshipIn this study
What would Jesus do? Deal with your interpersonal problems before: ‘Heaven and I have an understanding’God after man’s own heartPattern for the New Covenant‘Who will set me free from the body of this death?’: Isaiah and Paul preach the gospel of the KingdomFall and rise of Israel: From cloud to calf to cloudYou didn’t give the tree ‘living water,’ so why are you worshipping it?
“The people whom I formed for Myself Will declare My praise. Yet you have not called on Me, O Jacob; But you have become weary of Me, O Israel. You have not brought to Me the sheep of your burnt offerings, Nor have you honored Me with your sacrifices. I have not burdened you with offerings, Nor wearied you with incense.” Isaiah 43:21–23 NASB
In this parallel passage to the Torah reading ויקרא Vayikra (“and He called,” Lev. 1:1–6:7), Isaiah was speaking here after the destruction Jerusalem and the holy Mishkan1 by the Babylonians. Isaiah was writing to a people who were far, far away from home. They were not able to bring any sort of offerings to God’s temple. What could they do? They were not able to bring any sort of offerings, but what could they do in this situation?
What the Babylonian exiles experienced is similar to what we read about in the The book of Hebrews, when the author says that “these are things which are fading away and are about to disappear” (Heb. 8:13). The Letter to the Hebrews was written in the mid- to late 60s A.D. What happened a few years after this letter was written? In A.D. 70, an oppressive power — this time, Rome — again came in and destroyed Jerusalem, and again destroyed the Temple.
The Jewish people who survived the Roman reconquest of Jerusalem and the destruction of the Temple had to ask themselves the same question the Babylonian exiles asked themselves: How do we worship God, bring offerings without the Temple?
Hebrews talks about the items and rituals of the Temple being “shadows” (Colossians 2:17; Hebrews 8:5; 10:1). Shadows of what?
So the people were sitting in exile — no Temple, no Tabernacle. Yet, the LORD asks through the prophet Isaiah, “Where are your offerings?”
At that point, God has basically given them a timeout in exile because of their lack of regard for other people and their Creator, Redeemer and Sustainer — their Rock. They don’t have to bring their offerings to the Temple anymore because they can’t physically go through the ceremonies related to the Mishkan to the temple anymore, but yet, they are still weary of God.
The same thing that happened in the hearts of the people leading up to the Babylonian exile and during the exile is the same thing that happened during the end of the Second Temple period. The hearts of the people were not engaged in what was going on in the Temple.
The “burden” of the Temple is no longer there, yet they were still tired of God. They still did not understand the purpose of the offerings. The sacrifices were not about the forgiveness of sins...