1 Thus says the Lord: a“Heaven is My throne, And earth is My footstool. Where is the house that you will build Me? And where is the place of My rest?
2 For all those things My hand has made, And all those things exist,” Says the Lord. a“But on this one will I look: bOn himwhois poor and of a contrite spirit, And who trembles at My word.
3 “Hea who kills a bull isasif he slays a man; He who sacrifices a lamb, asif he bbreaks a dog’s neck; He who offers a grain offering, asifheoffers swine’s blood; He who burns incense, asif he blesses an idol. Just as they have chosen their own ways, And their soul delights in their abominations,
4 So will I choose their delusions, And bring their fears on them; aBecause, when I called, no one answered, When I spoke they did not hear; But they did evil before My eyes, And chose that in which I do not delight.”
The Lord Vindicates Zion
5 Hear the word of the Lord, You who tremble at His word: “Your brethren who ahated you, Who cast you out for My name’s sake, said, b‘Let the Lord be glorified, That cwe may see your joy.’ But they shall be ashamed.”
6 The sound of noise from the city! A voice from the temple! The voice of the Lord, Who fully repays His enemies!
7 “Before she was in labor, she gave birth; Before her pain came, She delivered a male child.
8 Who has heard such a thing? Who has seen such things? Shall the earth be made to give birth in one day? Or shall a nation be born at once? For as soon as Zion was in labor, She gave birth to her children.
God wants us to worship Him directly—not through an idol. When we set up an idol, we are in fact sacrificing to one or more demons! God wants us to worship Him humbly rather than the way the world worships idols. It is degrading to worship an idol. Conversely, God calls us into His own spiritual presence to worship Him directly. Whenever we stop short of our face-to-face relationship and worship of our sovereign God by placing a visible entity before Him, we break the second commandment. God looks to those who worship Him in humility and respectful fear and despises those who choose their own ways.
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