©Michael Player
Chapter 6:9-16 (ESV) - The voice of the Lord cries to the city—
and it is sound wisdom to fear your name:
“Hear of the rod and of him who appointed it!
Can I forget any longer the treasures of wickedness in the house of the wicked,
and the scant measure that is accursed?
Shall I acquit the man with wicked scales
and with a bag of deceitful weights?
Your rich men are full of violence;
your inhabitants speak lies,
and their tongue is deceitful in their mouth.
Therefore I strike you with a grievous blow,
making you desolate because of your sins.
You shall eat, but not be satisfied,
and there shall be hunger within you;
you shall put away, but not preserve,
and what you preserve I will give to the sword.
You shall sow, but not reap;
you shall tread olives, but not anoint yourselves with oil;
you shall tread grapes, but not drink wine.
For you have kept the statutes of Omri,
and all the works of the house of Ahab;
and you have walked in their counsels,
that I may make you a desolation, and your inhabitants a hissing;
so you shall bear the scorn of my people.”
Question to consider: What is the point of religion?
In case you have been led to believe otherwise, religion is not a bad thing, and it is not the opposite of faithfulness. Religion is the outward expression of worship that connects us with our Creator. Religion is a beautiful thing when it is driven by a heart that loves God and desires to walk with Him. However, it can become ugly and empty when disconnected from faith.
Those in Jerusalem who were receiving the LORD’s indictment were religious hypocrites (play actors). They honored the LORD with their lips and sacrifices, but their hearts were far from Him. When they were confronted with this, their response was one of bitterness, for they thought the LORD was calling for them to do more to appease Him like some evil taskmaster. Instead, the LORD only desired a bride who truly loved Him.
Our expression of love toward God is in our desire to know and keep His word and let it so fill our hearts that it is made manifest in what we think and do. It fills our homes, our work, our society. The LORD’s questions in today’s passage expose their hardness of heart. The merchants used dishonest weights and measures. The wealthy used violence and oppression against their neighbor. The people continuously deceived themselves and others. In the midst of openly practicing these things, they gave their sacrifices and kept the Sabbath and gave their tithes thinking that the LORD would be appeased with their "worship" acts.
Instead, the LORD would give them over to their enemies and let the city become desolate. Prophets like Jeremiah who came along at the time of this desolation would encourage the faithful remnant to seek refuge in Babylonian captivity. Everyone else would simply be given over to the things they desired over God. They’d eat but not be satisfied. Their savings would sour like leftover manna. They’d sow their fields and tend their vineyards without being able to enjoy the fruits of their labor because the LORD would simply give them over to the gods they had chosen over Him.
Dear heavenly Father, thank You for Your faithfulness to us even though we continuously fall short of Your glory. May Your Holy Spirit continue to mold in us a heart of worship that loves Your ways and desires to grow closer to You and teach our neighbor to do the same. We look forward to the day when there is no more sin and death, and we can enjoy You forever. Amen.