Isaiah 66:3Meaning & Commentary from the Church Fathers

"They have chosen their own ways and their abominations that their soul has desired. I will choose their punishments and will repay them for their sins: for I have called them, but they did not listen to Me; they have committed evil in My sight and have chosen that which they should not." Once more, He offers justification and elucidates why Israel was rejected, despite being called His firstborn and considered His inheritance. He states that they have chosen their own ways, and their abominations which their souls desired. By using the term "election," He indicates that they have made flawed judgments in essential matters; instead, they have called good evil, recognized darkness as light, light as darkness, bitter as sweet, and sweet as bitter. Indeed, although they could have embraced the finest virtues through the teachings of the Gospel and had the chance to forsake a sinful existence in favor of fulfilling their duties, they preferred their own paths, which ran counter to the sacred laws—the snares of death that would lead them to the depths of hell. He also recalls their former sins, for they were once idolaters and worshipers of abominations.

Following the destruction of the earthly altar and temple, which were constructed by human hands, Jewish sacrifices have rightfully ceased, lest they claim ignorance of the truth that God cannot be confined to a single location. Instead, in a designated space for sacrifice, we ought to offer to God the offerings outlined by the law. Thus, the one who resides in heaven, indeed the Creator of all, claims He has no earthly temple, choosing instead to accept one who embodies humility, rest, and reverence for His words, as reflected in the Apostle’s statement: ‘You are the temple of God, and the Holy Spirit dwells in you. If anyone defiles the temple of God, God will destroy him. The temple of God is holy, which you are’ (1 Corinthians 3:16-17). Therefore, the Lord gazes upon those who are humble, peaceful, and tremble in acknowledgment of His words. This can be perceived in the sense of what is foretold beneath the earth: it quakes and hesitates when divine judgment is near (Psalm 75:9-10). The inhabitants of the earth, metaphorically referred to as the earth itself, recognizing God’s judgment, strive to turn away from wicked deeds, finding rest in their homes within the eternal Sabbath to avoid the burdens of sin—unlike the builders of the tower who foolishly abandoned the light of truth that had shone upon them. They ignored the admonition given to Cain, ‘You have sinned, be silent’ (Gen. 4:7), instead adhering to Solomon’s wisdom (Gen. 33): ‘He who hears God will dwell in safety and shall be free from the fear of all evil.’ The humble, poor, and broken in spirit are the ones praised in scripture: Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven (Matthew 5:3). Moreover, it is also written: Blessed is he who understands the plight of the poor and the needy (Ps. 40:1). Additionally, The Spirit of the Lord is upon Me, for He has anointed Me to proclaim good news to the poor (Isaiah 61:1). The subsequent interpretation in the vulgate does not equate the lawless with the Hebrew text; rather, it simply indicates that one who slaughters an ox resembles a murderer, which is reiterated elsewhere: I desire mercy, not sacrifice, and the knowledge of God rather than burnt offerings (Hos. 6:6). Malachi writes: ‘These actions I hate; you cover My altar with tears, yet is it worth My while to regard your offering and accept it positively from your hands?’ (Malachi 2:13). Let the Jews understand that God seeks not sacrifices but the spirit behind them. The one who slaughters small livestock is said to be akin to one who kills a dog. Therefore, it is written by Moses: ‘Do not let the sacrifice of a harlot be valued less than the price of a dog in the house of your God’ (Deuteronomy 23:18). The parallel drawn between the dog and the harlot is fitting, as both are driven by base desires. It is also important to observe that it does not state, ‘He who quenches a ram is like one who quenches a dog,’ but instead declares, like one who kills a dog. This expression pertains not to sacrifices but to acts that are unacceptable in their destruction. One who offers a gift or sacrifice is like him who presents swine’s blood, which the law forbids (Lev. 11; Deut. 14)—such are the offerings of the Jews. Additionally, one who brings incense is akin to the blasphemer or an idolater. One might also understand this: following My Son’s humble and gentle entry, riding on a donkey, I desire no flesh, I disdain the sacrifices and offerings of the Jews—I reject the shadows of the law because the substance of the gospel is pleasing to Me. If it stands that, after receiving the light of the gospel, the former forms of worship remain shrouded in obscurity, how shall Jewish believers respond who presume they can safely present physical sacrifices?