“The ox knows its master, the donkey its owner’s manger, but Israel does not know, my people do not understand. Woe to the sinful nation, a people whose guilt is great, a brood of evildoers, children given to corruption! They have forsaken the Lord; they have spurned the Holy One of Israel…Stop bringing meaningless offerings! Your incense is detestable to me. New Moons, Sabbaths and convocations— I cannot bear your worthless assemblies. Your New Moon feasts and your appointed festivals I hate with all my being.
They have become a burden to me; I am weary of bearing them. When you spread out your hands in prayer, I hide my eyes from you; even when you offer many prayers, I am not listening. 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; seek justice. Defend the oppressed. Take up the cause of the fatherless; plead the case of the widow.” Isaiah 1:3,4-13-17
The Jewish prophet Isaiah gave a very important message for Israel in the past that is still very beneficial for us as believers to learn from today. In this passage it highlights how ironic it was that animals knew their owners while Israel, the professed people of God, didn’t actually know their own God. That is puzzling. At first, we might assume that is because the people in question were not religious anymore and stopped attending services as they should during that time period. But as the scripture goes on it is very clear that isn’t the case. Sabbaths and festivals were being acknowledged but God was not. Which brings up a very important question. How do you know if you know God?
WelI, I would start by questioning how do the animals know their owner? In my mind the answer is in the time spent. Animals notice who cares for them and who invests the most time. But as believers I would say it is very easy to confuse attending services with spending time with God. It should be the related, but it really isn’t interchangeable. We can engage in religious practices while not truly letting God into our heart to confront our own evil, greed, and selfishness. We can sing songs and pray while not really acknowledging the authority of God in regard to how we should live or trusting in God to care for us. Religious practices can be good, but those cannot replace approaching God in the right spirit of humility. When your character is such as to disregard the suffering of others you can know you are not close to the God of love. If your religious practices led to arrogance rather than care for others you need to step back and really question if you are worshiping God or yourself. Make sure you know who really owns your life. God or yourself.
