| Someone seems to have interrupted Isaiah as he was speaking the first words of this chapter. Perhaps they said, 'Look at all the costly sacrifices and worship going on. You have no right to talk like that.' Isaiah's reply is tremendous. He speaks on behalf of God. 'What is the use of all the sacrifices? Ourward show without true faith only makes things worse. Your worship is nothing but hypocrisy.' The Amplified version puts this passage very well. 'To what purpose is the multitude of your sacrifices to Me [unless they are the offerings of your heart], says the Lord; I have had enough of burnt offerings of rams, and the fat of fed beasts [without obedience], and I do not delight in the blood of bulls I or Iambs or he-goats [without righteousness].' God hates hypocrisy. Christ spoke more against it than against anything else. God will not accept the worship of insincere hearts. If worship and prayer doesn't come from the heart, God doesn't want it. In verse 18 two strong words describe sin. It is spoken of as I being red like crimson or scarlet. Red is the hardest colour to remove. No earthly power can take away sin, but God has provided a way through Christ. The first step in the removal of the barrier of sin is repentance (v. 16-17). Can we cleanse ourselves? No, but we must be willing for God to do it. The first step then is to show our sorrow for sin and to ask for forgiveness. God then moves towards us with all his love and with the cleansing that he alone can give. Notice the double promise. Snow covers everything-so does the forgiveness of God. Wool is washed and so made white again. So God deals in these two ways with the heart that has turned towards him. Remember, this is the promise of God. It is as great a promise as 1 John 1:9 - 'If we confess our sins he is faithful and just to forgive us our sin and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness'. | 
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