No Longer Enemies

Romans 5:6-11

In the movies we sometimes see the hero give his life for the woman that he loves, or a mother sacrificing herself for the lives of her children.  Fortunately in real life this doesn’t need to happen that often, but many people would not hesitate to sacrifice themselves for those that they love, such as their children.  However, do we ever see someone voluntarily step up to die in the place of a convicted criminal, particularly one whose crime was against them personally?  I don’t recall ever hearing of that happening.  Oh yes, there is one time that I know of.  That is what happened when the Lord Jesus died on the Cross for us, His enemies.  This is what the Apostle Paul writes about in our Scripture today from the Book of Romans.

As our Scripture passage begins, Paul gives four descriptions of people who are lost and unsaved.  First they are “without strength” (vs. 6).  This isn’t speaking of physical strength, for as we know, many unsaved are physically fit and strong.  It is speaking of being spiritually powerless.  They are unable to save themselves from eternal damnation, unable to reform themselves from their sinful ways, and unable to come to God on their own.  Next, they are “ungodly” (vs. 6).  They aren’t good, morally decent people, or even just neutral.  God calls the unsaved ungodly.  Third, they are “sinners” (vs. 8).  The Bible doesn’t describe the unsaved as just merely people who have made some mistakes, but as those who have violated God’s Laws.  Lastly, they are described as God’s “enemies” (vs. 10).  Before becoming saved, they are not God’s friends just waiting to be invited in.  They are hostile rebels.  Humanity is not basically good.  We are radically fallen creatures.  Salvation is not God helping good people become better.  It is God rescuing His enemies.

In the first half of our Scripture passage we see Paul contrasting human love with divine love (vs. 6-8).  As mentioned at the start, I described how sometimes someone may die for someone they love.  Occasionally we might see someone die for a “righteous” or “good” person, if they were admirable or noble enough.  However, in contrast, we see God’s love for mankind when His Son, Jesus, died for us while we were ungodly, sinful, and hostile against Him. The Cross is the greatest proof of the unchanging demonstration  of God’s love.  This is not a sentimental love.  It is sacrificial, holy, and rooted in what Jesus did on the Cross.

In the second half of our Scripture passage Paul describes salvation in three stages (vs. 9-10).  First, we are justified by Jesus’ Blood (vs. 9).  Jesus Christ’s shed Blood satisfied God’s just judgment against sin.  This is substitutionary atonement - the sinless Jesus dying in place of the sinner, atoning for their sins.  Jesus died for us, in our place, bearing the wrath we deserved.  It is not by any “good” works that we earn salvation, it is only through accepting His death on the Cross on our behalf.  Next we are “saved from wrath” (vs. 9).  People don’t like to think of God’s wrath, preferring to think of Him as only a loving God, but His wrath is real and it is righteous.  However, if we have accepted Jesus as our Savior, we will never face it because Jesus bore that wrath in our place on the Cross.  Because of this, those who are believers are reconciled to God (vs. 10).  The hostility between us and God is removed and the relationship is restored.

First, Christ died for us when we were His enemies.  Then when we accept Him as our Savior, personally accepting what He did on our behalf, then we are reconciled to God, and we shall be saved by His life.  Because God did the harder thing, saving us when we were His enemies, He will certainly do the easier thing, keeping us saved and protected now that we are His children.  Our relationship with God is no longer based on fear, but is based on His love for us (vs. 11).

“Saved by His life” refers to Jesus’ resurrected, ongoing, intercessory life (vs. 10).  Because Jesus lives, our salvation is secure!  Our justification is permanent.  We cannot lose it, nor will it ever run out or expire.  Our reconciliation will never be undone.  Contrary to what some may teach, our salvation is eternally secure.

Perhaps you feel unloved in life, that no one genuinely cares about or loves you.  Maybe you feel that you could never be good enough to deserve anyone’s love, especially that of God.  Here we see that God has thought of you as being so special that He sent His only Son to die for your sins.  He did this while you and I were still sinners.  He didn’t wait for us to “clean up”.  We never need to question God’s love.  The Cross is the final answer.  Our salvation is secure, as Christ’s living intercession guarantees it.  For those who have come to Jesus in repentance, we are no longer enemies, but are now friends with God.

Come With Thanksgiving and Praise

Psalm 100

If you had been invited to Buckingham Palace with a small group of people to personally meet King Charles, would you go with a sour look on your face, grumbling and complaining?  Would you go looking bored, acting like you would rather be anywhere else?  And would you be dressed in your casual, lounge around the house clothes?  Not likely!  As you would be approaching the palace, before you even entered, you would make sure that everything was just right, smile, gracious words prepared.  How is it then, that when we are actually invited into the royal courts of Someone who is infinitely greater than any king on earth, we often come in a grousing manner? Our psalm for this morning speaks of the way we ought to present ourselves when coming into the Lord’s presence.  Let’s take a look.

Though written by an unknown author, Psalm 100 is one of the more well-known psalms, being a part of many different churches' liturgies.  It is a universal call to joyful worship.  It speaks of the character of God - His sovereignty as Creator, His covenant relationship with His people, and His unchanging goodness, mercy, and truth.  The writer calls upon God’s people to come into His presence with both joyful worship (vs. 1-3) and thankful worship (vs. 4-5).  We have reason to be joyful because God made us, and we are His people and sheep.  We have reason to be thankful because God is good, merciful, and His truth will endure forever.

As our psalm opens, the author instructs us to make a joyful noise to the Lord, to bring Him joyful worship (vs. 1).  This isn’t a suggestion, it is a command.  Worship of Yahweh is not optional, and is a proper response to His rule over all creation.  Next we are instructed to serve Yahweh with gladness and singing (vs. 2).  We serve Him by our worship, by ministering to others, and by being obedient to His Word.  True worship should not be a cold ritual.  He has spoken in His Word many times over that He does not want worship that is merely formal, but instead should be heartfelt (Isaiah 29:13).

Verse 3 is the theological center of our psalm, as it speaks three truths.  The first is that it is God who has made us.  He is our Creator and we are the creatures.  This verse refutes the claims of both atheism and evolution.  Man did not evolve from some one-celled creature in a murky swamp.  He was created by a loving God.  Worship begins when we acknowledge this and His absolute authority.  The second truth in this verse is that we are Yahweh’s people.  He owns us both by creation and by covenant, the New Covenant we have through Jesus.  Lastly, we see that we are the sheep of His pasture.  God is our Shepherd and we are His dependent sheep.  This verse anticipates Jesus as the Good Shepherd.  As a Good Shepherd He cares for us, giving us guidance and protection.

Our psalm now shifts from looking at who God is to how we should respond to Him (vs. 4).  Our psalmist instructs us that when we enter Yahweh’s gates and divine royal court, we should come with thanksgiving and praise.  Complaining and ingratitude is incompatible with worship (Philippians 2:14).  Praising God is the first step towards entering His presence.  If we are going to see His glory, thanksgiving is the door that will lead us into God’s throne room.

When we give thanks to God, it shouldn’t just be a mere “thank you”, but instead where we can’t say enough about the Lord and what He does for us.  Blessing His Name shows honor and homage to God, recognizing His Name as higher than any other name.  We affirm His power and goodness, and commit ourselves to joining His cause.

Verse 5 tells us some of the reasons why God deserves our worship.  One is that He is a good God.  He is morally perfect and benevolent, and His goodness is the foundation of our trust.  God also has everlasting mercy.  It is unending, and not dependent on human merit.  This points forward to the cross, where mercy is fully revealed.  Then we see God’s enduring truth.  His Word is eternally reliable and His promises never expire.  God is absolutely perfect and holy, which means that He alone is the standard of all righteousness.  Since the expression of the Father’s goodness is revealed in His actions, all that He does is just and right because He cannot violate His own nature.

Satan wants us to believe that God is distant, angry, and a wrathful judge, waiting for us to make a mistake so that He can clobber us.  However, God is the ultimate expression of love itself.  As we learn through this psalm, God is good, and His mercy will go on forever.  

Lessons From Proverbs 14

Proverbs 14:11-30

Today we will take a look at a portion of the Book of Proverbs, several verses in the middle of the 14th chapter.  The Book of Proverbs is a collection of wise sayings, most attributed to King Solomon, which show us how to live a godly and successful life.  It emphasizes that obedience to God and making moral choices leads to blessings, while disobedience and foolishness leads to ruin.   Today’s portion of this book of wisdom contrasts the way of the righteous and the wicked in everyday life - in home, speech, emotions, work, relationships, and spiritual discernment.  It shows that righteousness produces stability, wisdom, and life, while wickedness produces instability, deception, and death.  Let’s take a look at a few of the verses in this portion of Scripture.

In verse 11 we read that “the house of the wicked will be overthrown, but the tent of the upright will flourish.”  Two types of dwellings are mentioned.  A house is more permanent, stronger, and more secure than a tent, which is usually temporary and fragile.  However, God says the house of the wicked will be overthrown, while the tents of the righteous will flourish.  God overturns the apparent stability of the wicked, but blesses the humble, even if their earthly circumstances seem small.  We don’t need to envy the wicked who appear to prosper, as their end will one day be doom.

Verse 12 tells us that though we may think that the way we are going in life is right, but it may lead us to eternal destruction.  Our human intuition is not always right, as it has been corrupted by sin (Jeremiah 17:9).  The choices we make for the way of our life, our lifestyle, may seem good to us, and may even get the applause of the world, but it will lead to death, both spiritual, moral, and ultimately eternal.  Human reason is not a safe guide apart from the Bible.  There are many well-meaning, intelligent people traveling on a collision course with death, yet they are totally unaware of their destiny.  Jesus came on a “seek and save” mission to help those who are lost find the right way to God.  We need to test every path we take by the Word of God, not by feelings or cultural norms.

In verse 14 we read of the backslider.  A backslider in the Scriptures is someone who has turned away from their faith and regresses back into their old way of life.  Backsliding begins in the heart long before it ever shows in outward behavior.  It is real, dangerous, and spiritually costly for them.  However true righteousness will produce inward satisfaction from God.

Next we will contrast between the wise man and the foolish or simple man (vs. 15-18).  The simple or foolish person believes everything that they hear (vs. 15).  They are gullible and undiscerning.  However the wise considers well all that goes on around them.  They are careful, thoughtful, and base everything they accept by God’s Word.  We also see that the wise man fears and departs from evil (vs. 16).  Having a proper fear or respect for the Lord will produce a separation from sin.  However the fool, who does not consider God in their life, is reckless, self-assured, and spiritually blind.  They are also quick-tempered, which leads to folly (vs. 17).  Hasty anger leads to foolish actions.  All that the simple or foolish one will inherit is more foolishness (vs. 18).  That will be their life’s outcome.  However the wise are crowned with knowledge and honor from God.

A little further on we see the contrast between one with compassion versus one with cruelty (vs. 20-21).  All too often in this world the poor are hated, while people tend to gravitate towards the wealthy and influential.  However, this is not God’s way.  Compassion is a mark of a righteous believer and follower of the Lord Jesus.  Mercy on the poor and downtrodden will bring God’s blessing.  We read in the Book of James that showing favoritism to the wealthy at the expense of the poor is sin (James 2:1-13).

Next we read of the fruit or results of those who seek after God’s wisdom (vs. 24-25).  Wisdom produces visible fruit, such as honor, stability, and influence.  In contrast the foolish bring forth more folly, shame, and instability.  A true witness for the Lord will deliver souls.  He will lead others to find Him, bringing their soul to salvation.  In contrast, the deceitful or wicked will speak lies, particularly in spiritual matters.  Our words have eternal consequences.

Having a proper fear or reverence for the Lord will bring confidence and security (vs. 26-27).  It also has a generational impact, blessing one's children.  It will protect us from the snares of death.  This segment closes with another reminder of the importance of being slow to anger, and how foolish a quick temper is (vs. 29), and how healthy it is when our heart is peaceful and content, but being envious of others will rot our bones (vs. 30).

As we seek to apply these verses for our lives today, we learn how important it is to evaluate our ways, our lifestyle, by Scripture, and not by our feelings or that of the world.  We must guard our heart from backsliding, and practice discernment in our life.  Be slow to anger and quick to show mercy,  Let us cultivate the fear of the Lord as our foundation in life, and seek a peaceful, contented heart through trust in Jesus.

Matthew - Tax Collector Turned Disciple

Matthew 9:9-13

Today’s Scripture tells the account of a man, a highly successful man, busy in his office making a rather prosperous living.  However he was a social outcast by all the “good” people in town.  They did not like the way he made his living.  He wasn’t involved in any illegal business, but it was one that they considered wrong, even evil, as it was collaborating with the enemy of the people.  Because of this he didn’t have any friends from the “respectable” people in town, and thus his only friends were other social outcasts. He had very little thought for God in his life, one reason being that he was not welcomed into the local places of worship.   However that was all to change one day for this man named Matthew.

As our Scripture opens, we read about Matthew, who was a tax collector.  Now, even today, most people might not be too fond of a tax collector, as no one enjoys giving them business.  However, for the people of Israel at the time of Jesus it was more than that.  As a conquered nation the taxes that were collected were for the Roman empire.  Devout Jews hated the Romans, and looked at tax collectors as collaborators with the enemy.  Another reason they disliked them was that the Romans gave them a rather free hand in collecting taxes.  They didn’t care how much money the tax collector got from the people, or even how they got it, as long as they got their set amount.  Thus tax collectors often extorted more money, keeping the extra that they could get.  In conversations, the words “tax collector” was frequently lumped together with “prostitutes” and other “sinners”.  One morning, however, everything was going to change for Matthew.

On one particular day, Jesus came by the tax collector booth of Matthew.  Tax collectors in Roman days would often have their tables set up on a main intersection in town, or sometimes at the city gates, where they would collect the taxes from all who passed by.  As Jesus came by that day, He called for Matthew to come and follow Him (vs. 9).  Matthew undoubtedly knew who Jesus was.  He had probably heard people in the village talk about Him and what He taught.  Perhaps he had even once or twice stood at the fringes of the crowds gathered when Jesus spoke.  Yet he had never felt that Jesus would want anything to do with him.  He was a tax collector, a sinner, an outcast.  But now He did. He asked Matthew to come and join Him!

Later Matthew invited Jesus to eat at his house, where he invited those who were his friends to come and hear what Jesus had to say to them, so that they, too, might come to know Him as their Savior, as well (vs. 10).  However, what was the reaction of the Pharisees, the “religious” folks, to that?  They criticized Jesus, saying that He was associating with the wrong crowd, the “sinners” of the village! (vs. 11).

Jesus had one response to the self-righteous Pharisees (vs. 11-12).  Who needs the doctor, the sick or the well?  He said that He came not for those who consider themselves righteous, but for those who know they are sinners, to call them to repentance.  Jesus quoted Hosea 6:6, saying that God desires mercy shown by His people, not sacrifices that have no meaning.

Jesus did not come to affirm the self-righteous, but to save those who know they are spiritually sick.  We see here the emptiness of the self-righteous religious person, and instead see the grace of God towards repentant sinners.  Jesus came to redeem the outcasts, those who “proper” society has shunned.

As we see in the life of Matthew, in the life of other sinners that Jesus called, He came and called them while in their sinful life, but He didn’t leave them there.  He called them to repentance and out of their sins.  Also, Jesus did not participate in their sin.  He brought the light of the Gospel into their darkness.  God does not want someone who comes to Him for salvation to remain in their sinful lifestyle.  He calls us out of that.  If they remain, then there was no true repentance nor genuine salvation.

The Pharisees saw Matthew and other sinners as unclean.  Jesus saw them as lost sheep.  Self-righteousness blinds people to their own need of salvation.  Matthew knew that he was a sinner and needed the Savior.  The self-righteous think they are “good enough” for God, though no one is, and they don’t see their need for Him.  Conviction of sin is essential for salvation.  No one is saved who does not first see their need.

Jesus intentionally seeks those whom society has rejected.  The Gospel is for the broken, the guilty, and the ashamed.  Are you one of those, one whom the “good” people have rejected?  Then Jesus comes to call you.  Are you one whom others would say is a “good” person?  You need the Savior just as much!  Don’t let self-righteous pride keep you from turning to Him!  Jesus shows the nature of God’s everlasting love when He seeks out those who have been rejected by society.  Jesus came to change people, and calls them to follow Him.

Who Should We Trust and Believe?

Romans 4:13-18

Have you ever placed your trust in someone or something, only to be let down?  The person who promised to do something for you was a no-show, they didn’t come through with their promise.  The product that you bought for a significant sum did not live up to the promises in the advertisement, and was a waste of your money.  Many things and people we put our faith in end up being a disappointment.  It is important that our faith is placed in the correct thing.  Faith and trust wrongly placed can get us in trouble, but placed in the right thing or right person will bring rewards.  In our Scripture today from the Book of Romans we read of someone who did have faith, faith rightly placed in One who could be believed and trusted, and how that faith was rewarded.

As the Apostle Paul traveled throughout the Mediterranean world bringing the Gospel, he often would be confronted with false doctrines and teachings being spread throughout the early Church.  One of those was that one was justified, or saved, by keeping the Old Testament Law and by the good works that they did.  Paul sought to correct this false teaching, and he used the example of the Patriarch Abraham, one who was justified by his faith, not by keeping the Law or by any works that he did.

As we read in the Book of Genesis, God called Abraham from his original home and family to journey to the land that He promised him.  God proceeded to promise the very elderly Abraham and his equally elderly wife Sarah a son, and descendants that would be more numerous than the stars in the heavens.  Both the patriarch and his wife were long, long past child-bearing age, yet Abraham believed God and trusted His promise.  He was justified by his faith.  The promise that Abraham would be heir of the world did not come through his keeping of the law (vs. 13).  He lived over 400 years before the Law of Moses was even given.  God’s promise and Abraham’s belief in that promise was given even before He issued the rite of circumcision.  It was Abraham’s faith, his belief that if God said He would do something, that He would do it regardless of how unbelievable it might seem, and not through any works that he did.

Paul further explains that if God’s promises were given, if Abraham’s inheritance was through keeping of the Old Testament law, then faith is meaningless (vs. 14).  The Law demands perfect obedience, which no one can meet (Romans 3:23; James 2:10).  If that was the basis for justification and salvation, no one could ever meet that standard and be saved.  Any system that mixes works with faith destroys grace.  Salvation cannot be earned, supplemented, or secured by human effort.  The Law reveals that we are all sinners and deserve God’s wrath, not His blessing (vs. 15).  It cannot save.  It can only expose our need for salvation.

Our Scripture continues by stating that the promise of God comes by faith (vs. 16).  It is by grace, not by works, and is guaranteed, “sure to all the seed” or descendants of Abraham.   Who are the “seed”?  They are the Jewish people who believe and the Gentile people who believe.  In other words, to all who believe, like Abraham did.  The seed is not through ethnicity, but through believing God’s promises, having faith like Abraham did.  Grace and faith go together.  Works and grace are mutually exclusive (Romans 11:6).  God designed salvation so that He alone gets the glory.  If we received salvation through the works that we did, we would be inclined to go through eternity bragging about how great we are, not how great God is!

God called Abraham the “father of many nations”, and yet at this time he was childless and a very elderly man (vs. 17).  However, as Abraham believed, and as Paul stated here, God is the One who can revive the body of one who was as good as dead, at least as far as fathering a child was concerned.  God calls those things which are not as though they were.  God speaks with absolute authority.  His promises are as good as fulfilled the moment He gives them.  He calls into being things that were not.  He speaks, and things that didn’t exist suddenly do. Only God has that power.  We don’t, and neither do others.  Other people may say things to us to make us doubt God’s promises.  We need to forget them and focus on what God has said, which is the only important thing.

All too often we focus our attention on our circumstances, resting our belief, even our faith, on what they indicate.  Instead, we need to rest our faith on God’s character, not on our circumstances.  Abraham believed because God said it, and that settled it.  Abraham believed God’s promise even when it seemed impossible (vs. 18).  He was 100, his wife 90, both long past childbearing age.  Yet he believed God would give him a son.  Biblical faith is not wishful thinking.  It is trusting God’s Word despite human impossibility.  True faith looks beyond circumstances to the God who cannot lie.

The object of our trust is important.  Faith in a worthless cure, a risky business, or an unreliable person will do us no good.  Merely having faith will not save us.  Our faith must be placed in Jesus Christ.  Let us have saving faith just as Abraham did, a faith that trusts in God’s Word and rests in His power. A faith that perseveres despite all surrounding circumstances.  We can know for certainty that God’s promises are sure and true.  They rest on grace, not on anything that we do.  They depend on His power, which is omnipotent.  And God’s promises are guaranteed because they are rooted in His unchanging character.

The Divine Courtroom

Psalm 50

Having to stand before a judge in a serious court case would be a stressful and nerve-wracking situation.  Fortunately I have never had to do that, but I’ve watched enough legal dramas on TV, along with occasional bits of Court TV to know that is not someplace you want to be.  Our Scripture today, Psalm 50, brings us into a divine courtroom where God Himself appears as the Judge.  Let’s look into our Scripture to see who is being brought before this court, and what the charges are.

Psalm 50 was one of twelve psalms written by Asaph, who was a Levite appointed by King David as one of the chief musicians for the Temple.  As Asaph records, God has summoned His people to judgment, as there are two types of people He has major issues with.  The first is the formalist (vs. 7-15), who show outward religion without any heart devotion.  They may be believers, but their worship has become merely going through the motions.  The second is the hypocrite (vs. 16-21), ones who pretend religious faith, but live a life of wickedness outside the church.  We will see the difference between the things we do that truly honor God, and the things we do which are a thinly disguised attempt to impress Him with our own righteousness.

As court comes to session, the Lord God summons both heaven and earth to be witnesses for Him (vs. 4).  He is not silent (vs. 3).  He speaks with authority.  As St. Peter later recorded, judgment begins with God’s people, and those who claim to be (I Peter 4:17).  He holds His covenant people accountable first.  God’s holiness is not optional.  His people are accountable to His revealed Word.  Worship is not a matter of personal preference, but of divine command.

First, the Lord rebukes those who go through empty ceremonies and worship, but their heart is not in the rituals they are performing (vs. 7-15).  They may be genuine believers whose faith has now become just going through the motions, or they may be someone who is only pretending genuine faith.  God rejects rituals if there is no relationship with Him to go with it.  Unlike the false pagan gods, Yahweh does not need sacrifices for sustenance (vs. 12).  External religious activity means nothing without a heart of gratitude and obedience.  God desires genuine worship, not mechanical performance.

Instead of going through rituals which have lost any real meaning, God wants our thanksgiving, obedience, and our trust in Him during trouble (vs. 14-15).  God has limitless resources (vs. 10).  When we have worries or anxieties, we need to focus on Him, as He will provide for whatever we need.  Troubles will undoubtedly come in our life.  However, we do not need to despair, for God is with us to help and strengthen us.  Verse 15 does not read “call once”.  The Bible teaches us to pray without ceasing (I Thessalonians 5:17).  Sometimes God delays His answers so that we will keep on crying to Him, and build our reliance completely on His mercy.

Next, God condemns the hypocrite (vs. 16-21).  These are people who recite God’s statutes, quote the Bible, and say other “religious sounding” words, they profess to know Him and have a relationship with Him, yet they live in open sin.  Some of the sins they take part in include theft, adultery, slander, deceit, and complicity with evil.  One would think that we would not see these sorts in church, but they are there, including even among Christian leaders.

God exposes their fatal assumption that He approves because He is like them (vs. 21).  This is the root of religious hypocrisy - the remaking of God in our own image.  God’s moral law is absolute.  Professing believers who live in unrepentant sin will face severe judgment.  He sees the heart and the life of everyone.  Profession of faith without holiness, without any fruit, is self-deception, and is condemned.  Your private life must match your public profession.

Two paths are presented here (vs. 22-23).  There is the path of destruction.  To those who forget God, He will “tear” them in judgment with no one to deliver.  Then there is the path of salvation.  God promises to show His salvation to those who offer Him praise and order their lives aright.  Salvation is by grace, but true salvation produces a transformed life.  God expects His people to walk in holiness, gratitude, and obedience.  True worship must be both doctrinally sound and heart-engaged.

As the Divine Judge brings the gavel down with His judgment, and His divine courtroom is adjourned, where do each of us stand?  Are we part of those who are just going through the rituals, but our hearts are far away?  Are we a religious-acting hypocrite who wants to look religious to the world, but our life is steeped in sin?  Or are we one whose heart belongs to the Lord, and we are living a spiritually fruitful and obedient life for Him?  One day each of us will stand before our Divine Judge, and His judgment will be given.  Let’s be sure that we have His Son, the Lord Jesus, as our Advocate, and that because of Him, it will be in our favor.

When Discipline is Necessary

Hosea 5:15 - 6:6

Some people have the mistaken belief that God is a cruel and mean deity, out to cause pain and misery in people’s lives.  They might feel this way because of some tragedies or difficult times that they have faced in life.  Perhaps they feel that God has stepped away from hearing their prayers and no longer cares about them.  Our Scripture for today answers this thought.

Today’s Old Testament reading comes from the Prophet Hosea.  He preached and ministered to the people of the Northern Kingdom of Israel between approximately 753 and 722 BC.  Ever since Israel had broken away from the Southern Kingdom of Judah in 930 BC, Israel had been steeped in pagan worship.  Hosea preached during a time of idolatry and Baal worship, of the country trusting in political alliances instead of trusting in God, of moral corruption, and of superficial religious observance.  Yahweh spoke to the people through His prophet, addressing this national spiritual condition.

As our Scripture opens, the Lord says to the people of Israel that He is returning to His place, meaning that He is withdrawing His protective presence (vs. 5:15).  He is not abandoning the people, but doing this as a discipline to them for their continual idolatry and wickedness.  His purpose is not to bring destruction upon them, but instead to draw them to repentance and back to worship of Him alone.  When God brings discipline upon His people, it is not because He enjoys punishment, but instead it is for the purpose of restoration (Hebrews 12:5-11).

Discipline will often hurt, but that pain is for our good, not out of cruelty.  God doesn’t want to cause pain for no reason if He could avoid it (Lamentations 3:33).   Think of a doctor who must prescribe a treatment that is uncomfortable, or even a bit painful, but the end result is to bring healing.  When someone’s shoulder is out of joint, it is very painful to pop it back into place, but it must be done.  The nation was like that dislocated shoulder, and God needed to treat it.

The people of Israel responded by saying they would return to the Lord (vs. 1-3).  At first glance, this might look like genuine repentance, but as we see throughout the rest of the Book of Hosea, it was very shallow and superficial.  They were treating repentance like a formula.  They assumed that God would quickly fix everything, even though there was no real change in their heart.  What they really wanted was relief from all discipline, not a restoration of their relationship with God.  They thought that if they just repeated the right words to Him, all would be well.  However, God is not a vending machine. He responds to genuine repentance, not just ritualistic words.  This is the case with many today.  They desire God’s blessings in their life, but they do not want to surrender their sins.  This is not Biblical repentance.

As we continue with our Scripture, God exposes their shallow devotion (vs. 4).  Their “good” behavior was just momentary.  It was inconsistent, and basically evaporated like a cloud in the morning, there one moment and gone the next.  Emotional repentance that fades quickly is not true, genuine repentance.

God had sent the Northern Kingdom many prophets before, the great prophet Elijah being one of them, and He would continue to send them more.  Their message and words would cut them, bringing the pain that should bring healing (vs 5).  The prophets' words were to confront, expose sin, and call the people to repentance.  However Israel ignored all of them.  This shows us that God is patient and just, and always warns the people before He brings judgment.

Our Scripture passage ends with the heart of this passage (vs. 6).  God desired His people to have mercy on others, and have a true knowledge of Him, a relational and obedient knowledge.  He rejects people going through religious rituals without having obedience to His Word.  He rejects their sacrifices if there is no submission to Him, and their worship if there is no relationship or desire to live their lives for Him.  Jesus would later quote this verse several times in His dealings with the Pharisees (Matthew 9:13; 12:7).

The prophets spoke clearly, yet Israel ignored them.  How about us today?  We have God’s Word in the Bible.  Are we ignoring His message to us through Scriptures?  Is our devotion as fleeting as a cloud, short-lived, emotion-driven, and inconsistent?  God desires steadfastness, and a heart that prioritizes obedience over empty religious activity.  As this passage teaches us, let us have genuine repentance, consistent devotion, and heart-level obedience.  And if God does see fit to bring discipline when necessary, instead of resisting or resenting it, let it draw us closer to Him.