Verse 5
The Israelites’ assumption of spiritual superiority over others disgusted the Lord (cf. Matthew 23). Rather than being a pleasing aroma in His nostrils, the smoke of their offerings repulsed Him. Their ceaseless sacrifices were a needless burning instead of pleasing acts of worship.
In this whole pericope, Isaiah was speaking in the Lord’s behalf about the Israelites who felt that their rituals of worship should have resulted in God’s blessing, or at least His responding to them when they prayed. They failed to appreciate that God dictates how people should worship Him because He is God. They felt that because they worshipped Him on their terms, He should respond as they demanded, even though they worshipped Him in unacceptable ways.
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