God Hides

Pastor Bill Farrow

Isaiah 1:15

15  When you spread out your hands,
I will hide My eyes from you;
Even though you make many prayers,
I will not hear.
Your hands are full of blood.

Ye spread forth your hands - This is an expression denoting the act of supplication. When we ask for help, we naturally stretch out our hands, as if to receive it. The expression therefore is equivalent to ‘when ye pray, or implore mercy.’ (Compare Exo. 9:29; 17:11-12; 1 Kings 8:22).  This refers to a deliberate act of the will on the part of the humans of which Isaiah is speaking.  They choose to pray, albeit in an unacceptable fashion, and God chooses not to hear them!  How often today we hear of the idea that God will receive worship as long as it is earnestly meant and genuinely offered.  This verse (and many others, however, makes it clear that this is not necessarily so!

I will hide mine eyes … - That is, I will not attend to, or regard your supplications. The Chaldee paraphrase is, ‘When your priests expand their hands to pray for you.’  Not only can we see that their own prayers will not be effective, but the intercession of the Priests would not be effective either.  The entire religious system, when it is not based Biblically, ultimately fails and falls down when the need for it is the greatest.  It cannot deliver when the chips are down.  Only true, Biblical religion can both satisfy emotionally, and be effectual spiritually.

Your hands … - This is given as a reason why he would not hear. The expression full of blood, denotes crime and guilt of a high order - as, in murder, the hands would be dripping in blood, and as the stain on the hands would be proof of guilt. It is probably a figurative expression, not meaning literally that they were murderers, but that they were given to injustice; to the oppression of the poor, the widow, etc. The sentiment is, that because they indulged in sin, and came, even in their prayers, with a determination still to indulge it, God would not hear them. The same sentiment is elsewhere expressed; (Ps. 66:18: ‘If I regard iniquity in my heart, the Lord will not hear me;’ Prov. 28:9: ‘He that turneth away his ear from hearing the law, even his prayer shall be abomination;’ Jer. 16:10-12; Zech. 7:11-12; Prov. 1:28-29). This is the reason why the prayers of sinners are not heard - But the truth is abundantly taught in the Scriptures, that if sinners will forsake their sins, the greatness of their iniquity is no obstacle to forgiveness; (Isa. 1:18; Matt. 11:28; Luke 16:11-24).