Jehovah Hates Hypocritical Worship

7, 8. How does Jehovah view formal worship by religious hypocrites?

⁷ As Isaiah contemplates his contemporaries, he is well aware that few have the disposition that Jehovah seeks in his worshipers. For this reason, apostate Jerusalem deserves her impending judgment. Note how Jehovah views worship taking place in her: “The one slaughtering the bull is as one striking down a man. The one sacrificing the sheep is as one breaking the neck of a dog. The one offering up a gift​—the blood of a pig! The one presenting a memorial of frankincense is as one saying a blessing with uncanny words. They are also the ones that have chosen their own ways, and in their disgusting things their very soul has taken a delight.”​—Isaiah 66:3.

⁸ These words remind us of Jehovah’s words recorded in the first chapter of Isaiah. Jehovah there told his wayward people that their formal acts of worship not only failed to please him but actually caused his righteous anger to intensify because the worshipers were hypocritical. (Isaiah 1:11-17) Similarly, Jehovah now likens their offerings to heinous crimes. Their sacrificing a costly bull would no more appease Jehovah than would their murdering a human! Other sacrifices are likened to the offering up of a dog or a pig, animals that are unclean under the Mosaic Law and certainly unfit for sacrifice. (Leviticus 11:7, 27) Does Jehovah allow such religious hypocrisy to go unpunished?

9. How have most Jews responded to reminders from Jehovah through Isaiah, and what will be the inevitable result?

⁹ Jehovah now says: “I myself, in turn, shall choose ways of ill-treating them; and the things frightful to them I shall bring upon them; for the reason that I called, but there was no one answering; I spoke, but there were none that listened; and they kept on doing what was bad in my eyes, and the thing in which I took no delight they chose.” (Isaiah 66:4) Isaiah is no doubt able to utter these words with heartfelt conviction. For many years he has been Jehovah’s instrument, ‘calling’ and ‘speaking’ to His people. The prophet knows all too well that, by and large, no one has been listening. Because they have kept on doing bad, retribution is inevitable. Jehovah will indeed choose their punishment and bring frightful events upon his apostate people.

11. (a) What adds to the sin of the apostates in Isaiah’s day? (b) In what sense do Isaiah’s contemporaries exclude faithful ones ‘by reason of God’s name’?

¹¹ Isaiah continues: “Hear the word of Jehovah, you men who are trembling at his word: ‘Your brothers that are hating you, that are excluding you by reason of my name, said, “May Jehovah be glorified!” He must also appear with rejoicing on your part, and they are the ones that will be put to shame.’” (Isaiah 66:5) Isaiah’s “brothers,” his own countrymen, bear the God-given responsibility of representing Jehovah God and submitting to his sovereignty. Their sin in failing to do so is grave indeed. But what adds to their sin is that they hate men who are faithful and humble, such as Isaiah. These apostates hate and exclude the faithful because these represent Jehovah God truthfully. In that sense the exclusion is made ‘by reason of God’s name.’ At the same time, these false servants of Jehovah claim to represent him, piously using such religious-sounding phrases as “May Jehovah be glorified!”a