Isaiah 66:3-4

Isaiah 66:3-4

[3] He that killeth  an ox  is as if he slew  a man;  he that sacrificeth  a lamb,  a dog's  neck;  he that offereth  an oblation,  as if he offered swine's  blood;  he that burneth  incense,  as if he blessed  an idol.  Yea, they have chosen  their own ways,  and their soul  delighteth  in their abominations.  [4] I also will choose  their delusions,  and will bring  their fears  upon them; because when I called,  none did answer;  when I spake,  they did not hear:  but they did  evil  before mine eyes,  and chose  that in which I delighted  not.

What does Isaiah 66:3-4 Mean?

Contextual Meaning

The person who relies on ritual to satisfy God is repulsive to Him. The Lord regards the slaying of sacrifices by such a person as no better than murder. There is no difference to Him between the sacrifice of an acceptable lamb or an unclean dog when a person relies on ritual. A grain offering can be as abominable to Him as offering a swine"s blood. Burning incense with such an attitude is just pagan worship (cf. Isaiah 43:23-24; Jeremiah 7:21-22; Amos 5:21-25; Micah 6:6-8; Malachi 1:10; Matthew 23:27).
"The most sacred exercises of true God-given religion are like the worst of sins when they are divorced from humility of spirit." [1]
Such worshippers chose to worship God as they pleased rather than as He pleased, so He would deal with them as He pleased, not as they pleased. He would do this because they proved unresponsive to His words and insensitive to His desires.