What am I offering?

"Bring your worthless offerings to me no longer." Isaiah 1:13

All the things listed in verses 11-15 are things God asked of His people. He specifically prescribed the sacrifices and the offerings that He here calls worthless, an abomination and a burden.  What changed?

Leviticus describes in detail all the sacrifices and ceremonies God laid out for His people as part of the old covenant.  I think a clue to what the people of Isaiah's time missed can be found in Lev. 16:31, following the instructions for the day of atonement:  "It is to be a sabbath of solemn rest for you, that you may humble your souls."

I think it is possible that the people were just going through the motions.  Maybe they were the Pharisees of that day.  They were bringing offerings, sacrificing animals, burning incense, celebrating the feasts, but their hearts were not in it.  Their souls were not humble.

What is that today?  Where am I going through the motions, but my heart is not in it? Sunday mornings, worship, tithes, offerings, teaching, serving and prayer are all GOOD things, but Psalm 51:17 reminds us what comes FIRST.  "The sacrifices of God are a broken spirit; a broken and contrite heart"

One of the things the book of Isaiah shouts loudly to me is that God's heart is for the hearts of His people.  His warnings plead with His people to look to the state of their hearts.  Am I too focused on WHAT I'm doing or WHAT I'm offering?  Have I forgotten that He wants my heart?