Worship
But in vain do they worship me,.... In the
Hebrew text it is, "their fear towards me": which is rightly
expressed here by "worship"; for the fear of God often intends the
whole worship of God, both external and internal: here it only signifies external
worship, which these men only attended to. They prayed in the synagogues, read,
and, in their way, expounded the books of Moses, and the prophets, to the
people, diligently observed the rituals of the ceremonial law, brought their
offerings and sacrifices to the temple, and neglected nothing appertaining to
the outward service of it; and yet it was all "in vain", and to no
purpose; since the heart was wanting, no grace there, they acted from wrong
principles, and with wrong views; their worship was merely outward, formal, and
customary; and besides, they added doctrines and traditions of their own
inventing and devising. The phrase, "in vain", is not in the text in
Isaiah: some have thought that it was not originally in Matthew, but inserted
by some other hand, to make the sense more complete.
Grotius thinks there was a various reading, which is followed by the
Septuagint, and the evangelist; and that instead of "and is", it was
the same with "in vain": but there is no need to suppose either of
these: Christ, who made this citation, either added it himself for the clearer
illustration of the passage, and as being entirely agreeable to the sense of
it, and which it required, for the true understanding of it; or he might have
in his view another passage of the same prophet, speaking of the same people,
and upon the same subject, Isaiah 1:11and from thence
take the phrase, and, for explanation sake, join it to the passage here. It
follows,
teaching
for doctrines the commandments of men; that is, teaching the people to observe
the traditions of the elders, the decrees and determinations of the doctors, as
if they were doctrines delivered by God himself; or, instead of the doctrines
contained in the Bible, which lay neglected by them, they obtruded on them the
orders, and injunctions of men. In the text in Isaiah, are only these words,
"taught by the precept of men": and which relate to their fear and
worship of God; and which is here interpreted of their teachers teaching them
it, and that explained of the commandments of men; as if, instead of
"taught", it had been read, "teaching". The Jews have no
reason to quarrel with this construction and sense, since their Targum
paraphrases it thus; "and their fear before me is, , according to the
commandment of men that teach": and a noted commentator (c) of their's has
this remark on the text, "their fear towards me is" not with a
perfect heart, but "by the commandment , of the men that teach them".
John 4:23-24 But the hour cometh, and now is, when the true worshippers shall
worship the Father in spirit and in truth: for the Father seeketh such to
worship him. 24God is a Spirit: and they that worship him
must worship him in spirit and in truth.
Jesus spoke these words and, it was said and
spoken in the book Isaiah
Matthew 15:9 But in vain they do worship me, teaching for doctrines the commandments of men.
Isaiah 29:13 Wherefore the Lord said, Forasmuch as this people
draw near me with their mouth, and with their lips
do honour me, but have removed their heart far from me, and their fear toward
me is taught by the precept of men:
Fruits of our lips in praise
Hebrews 13:15 By him therefore let us offer the sacrifice
of praise to God continually, that is, the fruit of our lips giving thanks to his name.
Worship the Lord with true fear and
cleave to him
Deuteronomy 10:20 Thou shalt fear the LORD thy God; him shalt thou serve, and to him
shalt thou cleave, and swear by his name.
Written by
Pastor Rolando Ramos
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