John Calvin Commentary Isaiah 1:13

"Bring no more vain oblations; incense is an abomination unto me; new moon and sabbath, the calling of assemblies,- I cannot away with iniquity and the solemn meeting." — Isaiah 1:13 (ASV)

Bring no more vain oblations. This is a useful admonition for restraining the irregular desires of those who stubbornly persist in meaningless and hypocritical worship, so that, warned by God, they might finally repent if they are willing to listen to any advice. But from this we learn how hard it is to shake the false confidence of hypocrites once they have become hardened, since they cannot even endure hearing God plainly warn them not to continue wasting their efforts in such foolish practices.

Incense is an abomination to one. To press them more closely, he goes further and declares that such worship is not only unprofitable, but even that he detests and abhors it; and justly so, because the profanation of God's worship, in which his name is falsely employed, is not free from sacrilege.

For just as nothing is dearer to God than his own glory, so there is nothing he more strongly detests than for it to be infringed by any kind of corruptions. This occurs when any sort of meaningless service is substituted for true worship.

The meaning of this passage has been mistaken by some, who have thought that the Prophet speaks of the repeal of the law. That, however, is not his object; rather, he recalls the people of his time to the right way of observing ceremonies and shows for what design and purpose they were instituted.

For since the beginning of the world, the worship of God was spiritual. The diversity between our worship and that which prevailed under the Old Testament related to people, not to God. In God there is no change (James 1:17), but he accommodates himself to the weakness of people.

That system of worship, therefore, was suitable for the Jews, just as preparatory training is needed for children. He now describes for what purpose they were instituted and what is the right way of observing ceremonies.