God was speaking to a group of people who were outwardly very religious. They engaged in the ceremonies of religion because they thought in this way to earn the favor of God. But the Lord informed them that He was highly displeased with their course of action—He hated the observance of their appointed feasts, He rejected their worship, and resented their hypocritical pretense. They were actually defying God by refusing to walk in His ways, and no cloak of religious formalism could cover their sins.