Never rejected always refined

Isaiah begins this passage with the Hebrew word simu, which means “Listen up!” God has important things to say. Israel called themselves by the name Israel, and they were proud to be from Jerusalem. They even practiced the religious rituals, but the title was in name only, and their rituals fell flat. The NET Bible says that they confessed God but “not in truth and not in righteousness.” They were like Ferdinand Waldo Demara. They pretended to be who they were not. This is an important reminder: Our actions do not make us believers, yet they are evidence that we follow Jesus.