Sin of Hypocrisy

“The Lord says: "These people come near to me with their mouth and honor me with their lips, but their hearts are far from me. Their worship of me is made up only of rules taught by men” (Isaiah 29:13).

                We go near to God with our mouth and honor Him with our lips.  But our hearts are far from God.  Although our lips resemble God, our hearts resemble the world.  Our hearts are “full of silver and gold,” “full of horses,” “full of superstitions” and “full of idols” (Isa. 2:6-8).  We clasp hands with pagans (v.6).  As a result, our hearts are filled with the worldly things.  Nevertheless, we are still going up to church every Sunday and praise and worship God with the multitude of our sacrifices (1:11).  Although the multitude of our sacrifices are meaningless offerings to God and we are worshiping God with the detestable things (v.13).  In fact, our worship to God is made up only of rules taught by men (29:13).  In a word, we are committing a sin of hypocrisy against our holy God.

                The reason why we are committing the sin of hypocrisy is because we do not have “the wisdom of the wise” (v.14).  Because we do not have the wisdom, we do not truly fear God (v.13).  And because we do not truly fear God, we do not truly hate evil (Prov. 8:13).  What kind of evil that we do not hate?  It is “pride and arrogance, evil behavior and perverse speech” (v.13).  In fact, we “go to great depths to hide their (our) plans from the Lord” (Isa. 29:15).  We do our work in darkness and think, “Who sees us?  Who will know?” (v.15). Now we are turning things upside down, “as if the potter were thought to be like the clay” (v.16).  Now we, as God’s creatures, are denying our creator God (v.16).  Now we are saying that God knows nothing (v.16).  Why are we committing such sin against God?  It is because we do not know how to read (v.12).  It is because we cannot read “this whole vision” that is sealed in a scroll (v.11).  As a result, we are “unrestrained” (Prov. 29:18).  We are drunk from sinning (Isa. 29:9).  That’s why we are not listening to God’s warning of judgment.  And it is because we do not trust Him (v.9).  Although we are hearing God’s warning of judgment, we are hesitating to take heed.  That’s why we are enjoying the thoughts of disbelief.  We blinded ourselves and became sightless (v.9).  We do not see approaching judgment of God.  What should we do?

As I hold on to the promise word of God, Isaiah 29:18-24.

James Kim