Isaiah 43:22Meaning & Commentary from the Church Fathers

Accordingly, He declares, “I have not now called you Jacob.” This can be understood as “Not because you offer sacrifices has your name been honored;” that is, I have called you, you who did not tend oxen or offer sheep, lest you mistakenly believe that your deliverance was earned through your sacrifices. Instead, I extend honor through mercy and love, for you are lost in sin and have served the idols of Egypt. Grace is the gift of mercy, manifesting from love, and deliverance comes forth from this love. God asserts that the sheep of your burnt offerings do not belong to Him, nor are your sacrifices a means of glorifying Him; for how can something that is unaccepted and offered in vain glorify Me? I will not bind you to your offerings; rather, it is those who pursue goodness and accomplish virtuous deeds, who yield to My designs, and serve the sacred revelations, that can be said to work for the Almighty. Yet he who burns incense for the holy dwelling and offers oxen and sheep, but fails to perform the truly excellent, will not attain genuine glory, for he has not done anything worthy of Me. Therefore, true service to God is not found in ritual sacrifices, but in the voluntary submission to His will. Regarding what is pleasing to Me, He says, “I did not burden you in Lebanon, nor did you purchase incense for Me with silver, nor did you bring me the fruits of your labor.” This corresponds with the message from another prophet: “Gather your burnt offerings with your sacrifices and eat meat; for I did not speak to your ancestors, nor command them on the day when I brought them out of Egypt, about burnt offerings and sacrifices” (Jeremiah 7:21, 22). In another instance, the prophet Jeremiah remarked, “Why do you bring me incense from Sava, and cinnamon from a distant land? Your burnt offerings are not acceptable, nor are your sacrifices pleasing to Me” (Jeremiah 6:20). Additionally, through the Psalmist, it is written, “I will not accept bulls from your house, nor goats from your flocks” (Psalm 49:9). He consistently proclaims that such superficial offerings are rejected, guiding them away from mere symbols and towards justification through Christ, teaching them to embrace a Gospel-centered life, which alone can bring pleasure to God and true sanctity in worship. Indeed, He states, “God is Spirit, and those who worship Him must worship in spirit and truth” (John 4:24).

Regarding the sacrifices and the slaughtered sheep, as you might think, understand that these are not acceptable to Me, for they are trivial to Me and to idols. The Lord questions, Why do I require your numerous sacrifices? I am filled with the burnt offerings of sheep and the fat of lambs; I have no need for the blood of bulls and goats (Isaiah 1:11). For I, the Lord, have not sought anything burdensome from you, nor have I asked for offerings, incense, fragrant reeds, or differing types of ointments to delight in their aroma; rather, I desire obedience above mere sacrifice. This aligns with David’s words in the Psalms, “Sacrifice to God a broken spirit,” a contrite and humble heart—this is what He seeks and demands (Psalms 50:19). Yet you have continued to weigh Me down with your sins, and I have had to declare, “I am weary of bearing” (Isaiah 1:14), and I can no longer put up with you. Consequently, God declares through Hosea, “What shall I do for you, Ephraim? How can I protect you, O Israel? What will I hold onto? I will establish you as I did Adam and Seboim” (Hosea 11:8). Regarding the remark of the Seventy, “But in your sins I have defended you, and in your iniquities,” this may be linked to the previous assertion that God's defense of sinners is a laborious task and a source of weariness for Him.