When I accepted the Lord, and when I came to faith in the Messiah, the first thing that I remember that really shocked me was when I read the first chapter of the book of Isaiah. In fact, I had not even read a single verse in the New Testament when I came to faith in Yeshua, who, by the way, was in my eyes all throughout the book of Isaiah.
So I came to Isaiah 1, and I heard this, “Hear the word of the Lord, you rulers of Sodom; give ear the law of our God, you people of Gomorrah.” That was how God described Israel at that time, just like Sodom. And then look what He said. “To what purpose is the multitudes of your sacrifices to Me, says the Lord. I had enough of burnt offerings of rams and that fat of fed cattle. I do not delight in the blood of bulls or the lambs or goats when you come to appear before Me, who has required this from your hands to trample my courts.” God said, “I’m not interested in religion. I don't need all of these sacrifices and all of those things when your heart is not right.” He said, “Bring no more futile sacrifices. Incense is an abomination to me. The new moons, the sabbaths, and the calling of the assemblies – I cannot endure iniquity and the sacred meetings.” And look what He said. “Your new moons and your appointed feasts, my soul hates.”
When I read that I nearly fell off my chair. I mean, God is telling the people of Israel that the Rosh Chodesh as we say in Hebrew – the New Moon – and the festivals – the Moadim, Chagim – all these things that we read in the scriptures, especially in Leviticus 23, that He appointed them to celebrate, He hates those things? It is true. He hates when we only act on automatic pilot, and we do stuff, we do religion. He hates it. He said, “I’m not interested in all of this.”
It seems as though some have the perception that the Old Testament was for the Jews and the New Testament for the church. The content may indicate that by volume, but the truth is both Testaments are for everyone.
We can know that because you can find Jesus through either Testament for He is the Savior of the world! The Jews need Him, the Gentiles need Him, and the church, which is comprised of Jews and Gentiles, is because of Him.
John 5:38-40
But you do not have His word abiding in you, because whom He sent, Him you do not believe. You search the Scriptures, for in them you think you have eternal life; and these are they which testify of Me. But you are not willing to come to Me that you may have life.
Jesus had just healed a man who had an infirmity for 38 years. He told the man to take up his bed and walk, and he did. The Jews confronted him and said, “It’s the Sabbath! You’re not supposed to carry your bed.” Having told the Jews it was Jesus who had healed him, the Jews sought to kill Jesus because He violated their manmade religious requirements.
Yes, it was the Sabbath. Yes, God had said to do no customary work on the Sabbath. But He never said the things the Jews had added to God’s word regarding the Sabbath.
Isaiah 1:13-14
Bring no more futile sacrifices; incense is an abomination to Me. The New Moons, the Sabbaths, and the calling of assemblies— I cannot endure iniquity and the sacred meeting. Your New Moons and your appointed feasts My soul hates; they are a trouble to Me, I am weary of bearing them.
This is what religion does. It take the beauty of a relationship and exalts rituals above it, and God hates it.
God sent His Son into the world as the Holy One of Israel, the Lamb of God, Emmanuel, so that something never experienced since the garden of Eden could be possible, That is that people could have a personal, tangible relationship with God. They could walk and talk with Him, touch Him, and break bread with Him. But instead of enjoying the beauty of that relationship, they sought to kill Him over their religion.
As Christians we need to make sure that our relationship is with Him and not our manmade denominational traditions and associations. A relationship with us is what He came to bring and we must not do what the Jews had done by preferring religion over a relationship with the true and living God!
Even so, come quickly Lord Jesus