332. Monday after Eleventh Sunday after Trinity.
Lord, teach us to worship thee
in spirit and in truth. Amen.
Isaiah 1, 10-15. Hear the word of the Lord, ye rulers of Sodom; give ear unto the law of our God, ye people of Gomorrah: To what purpose is the multitude of your sacrifices unto me? saith the Lord: I am full of the burnt offerings of rams, and the fat of fed beasts; and I delight not in the blood of bullocks, or of lambs, or of he goats. When ye come to appear before me, who hath required this at your hand, to tread my courts? Bring no more vain oblations: incense is an abomination unto me; the new moons and sabbaths, the calling of assemblies, I cannot away with: it is iniquity, even the solemn meeting. Your new moons and your appointed feasts my soul hateth: they are a trouble unto me; I am weary to bear them. And when ye spread forth your hands, I will hide mine eyes from you; yea, when ye make many prayers, I will not hear: your hands are full of blood.
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Do not neglect the word of God, as many do; but use it at home and in the church, and pray and sing to the Lord. He who despises the word of God has no weapon against the devil. He who neglects divine service and the Holy Supper, and ceases to read his Bible every day, will find that his spiritual life wastes away and dies. He who does not daily call upon the name of the Lord, pray, praise, and give thanks, will be overwhelmed and ruined by the cares and riches of this world. — But “God is a spirit; and they that worship him must worship him in spirit and in truth.”
1. Your worship of God is not only useless, but wicked and abominable, if you lead a wicked life, and serve the devil. Did the Lord delight, think you, in the sacrifices and the burnt offerings of the rulers of Sodom and the people of Gomorrah? To him your donations and your hymns of praise are vain oblations and an abominable incense. He who is a Sunday saint, but is at other times evil, angry, bitter, and covetous; let him hear the word of the Lord: “It is iniquity, even the solemn meeting!” He who is strict in the observance of sabbaths and festivals, and seldom, if ever, neglects a religious meeting, but who struts about in complacent self-sufficiency, and despises others; let him hear the words of the Lord: “Your new moons and your appointed feasts my soul hateth; they are a trouble unto me; I am weary to bear them. When ye come to appear before me, who hath required this at your hand, to tread my courts?” Let us not bring unto the Lord the offering of Cain! Hate is murder; and it is a terrible thing to clasp bloody hands together in prayer to the Holy One in heaven!
2. When you read and hear the word of God, and when you pray, see that you stand in a devotional spirit before the Lord your God. “Keep thy foot when thou goest to the house of God, and be more ready to hear, than to give the sacrifice of fools.” Strive earnestly to give your whole mind to it when you are in the congregation of the brethren, and when you pray in your own chamber. People do not present themselves unwashed and unkempt before princes. Put on your best attire when you go to meet your God; that is to say, collect your thoughts, ponder the importance of the matter, attune your soul to a solemn mood, and forget the whole world. And when you hear the word of God, or when you speak with him, do not let your heart go wandering hither and thither; it would be in the highest degree discourteous and offensive, if you should, when admitted to an audience with an earthly ruler, look about you and speak to others while he addressed you. The Lord never fails to be present when we meet together to hear his word, or when we read and pray in the secrecy of our chamber. “Put off thy shoes from off thy feet; for the place whereon thou standest is holy ground.” By the grace of God you shall succeed in concentrating your thoughts and feelings on him when you stand before his face; then the observance of divine worship is a blessed thing, and the Bible and prayer become pearls of great price.
3. Do not on any account join a church for the purpose of making a good appearance before God and man, nor in order to deserve the reward of godliness; nothing else is as detestable as hypocrisy and self-righteousness. Use the means of grace for the edification of your soul. This we all sorely need.
Lord, give us piety, humility, a devotional spirit, and eager hunger and thirst after the spiritual power of the word. Amen.*
Savior, if of Zion’s city
I, through grace, a member am,
Let the world deride or pity,
I will glory in thy name.
Fading is the worldling’s pleasure,
All his boasted pomp and show;
Solid joys and lasting treasure
None but Zion’s children know.
[TLH 469 (listen here); alt., LSB 648 (listen here)]
* Here the head of the family says a short morning or evening prayer in his own words, and closes with the Lord’s Prayer and the Benediction. This is to be done every day. If the stanzas are not sung, they may be read in their proper place before the impromptu petition and the Lord’s Prayer.