Wrong Payment

God did much for the people of Israel. They did not exist until God formed them as a nation. He brought them through the years of the patriarchs when their continuation as a nation hung by a thread. He prospered and multiplied them through the provision of Egypt. He miraculously delivered them from slavery. He led them and provided for them through the wilderness. He expelled heathen nations before them. He made a mighty and prosperous nation out of a periodically barren and desert land. He repeatedly delivered them in battle against tremendous odds. He sent them rain and other blessings. He claimed them as His special people.

How did Israel respond to this attention and devotion of God? The response varied among individuals and changed corporately over time. Some loved and served God, but Israel reached the point of rejecting God as a nation. Isaiah 43:22-24 recounts this sad result:

"Yet you have not called on Me, O Jacob; but you have become weary of Me, O Israel. You have not brought to Me the sheep of your burnt offerings, nor have you honored Me with your sacrifices. ... You have bought Me not sweet cane with money, nor have you filled Me with the fat of your sacrifices; rather you have burdened Me with your sins, you have wearied Me with your iniquities."

Israel stopped talking to God, stopped depending on Him. They became tired of Him and cast Him off as an empty ritual. They stopped bringing Him offerings and gifts. Instead of these good things, or even mere neutrality, Israel began giving God negative responses. All they gave Him were sins and iniquities to the point that He tired of such responses.

Christians have likewise been greatly blessed by God. He designed and carried out a plan of redemption long before they existed. He sent a Savior, who at great cost provided for their salvation. He inspired the Bible to instruct them about Himself and His salvation. He preserved that Word through millennia and allowed it to be translated into common languages. He ordained messengers to proclaim His truth. His Spirit brought conviction. He took those who believed and made them His beloved children when they were previously His enemies. He brought them from the kingdom of darkness to the kingdom of light. He showered them with blessings: provisions, answered prayer, guidance, wisdom, fellow believers, faithful pastors, good churches, mentors, resources, and much more.

Do Christians today respond better than Israel did? Again, the response differs among individuals and can vary over time. Many Christians have followed faithfully and have given God their devoted service. Others have walked completely away, turning their backs on the One they once claimed to love. Many others fall somewhere in the middle; they claim to love and follow God, but their actions are much like those of Israel.

Sadly, some Christians have stopped talking to God. They have stopped depending on God. Personal pursuit of God, church attendance, and service for God have become old; Christianity has become an empty ritual. These Christians stop bringing God gifts - no more devoted service, only grudging tithes but nothing beyond, or perhaps only occasional giving toward a special project. They stop fellowshipping with other believers, stop sharing in one another's lives. Indeed, beyond an absence of proper and good gifts, and beyond mere neutrality, their only "gifts" to God are rebellion, resistance, and opposition. They owe God everything, but give Him only sorrow and grief through obstinate pursuit of worldliness and reckless acceptance of sin.

Why was it so easy for Israel to fall into this condition? Why is it so common for Christians to follow this routine? The answer is found in the heart. "This people draw near with their words and honor Me with their lip service, but they remove their hearts far from Me, and their reverence for Me consists of tradition learned by rote" (Isaiah 29:13). When following of God is mere mimicry or conformity, it will fail. Christianity cannot be a cultural or family tradition; it must be a personal and individual commitment. Those who are merely following family practices or traditional expectations will not endure.

The answer is also found in remembering. Psalm 78 addresses this problem in Israel's history. Asaph recounts how God had done so much for Israel, but how they rebelled against Him. Asaph challenges new generations to "not forget the works of God" (v. 7). He tells that the previous generations who rebelled "forgot His deeds" (v. 11). "They did not remember His power" (v. 42). Only when they temporarily "remembered that God was their Rock" (v. 35) did they follow Him for a short time. In general, however, they forgot what He had done and they therefore turned away from Him.

It is important for Christians to remember their salvation. The Lord's Supper (Communion) is designed to help in this necessary reminder. Additionally, Christians must deliberately take note of God's good gifts - His daily provision, His answers to prayer, His blessings. They need to regularly recognize and thank God for His goodness.

Those who truly know God in their hearts and who regularly remember what He has done for them will not fall into the trap of giving God the wrong payment - rebellion, sin, and worldliness - in place of the payment He deserves - worship, service, and obedience.

Christians who properly recognize God's good and gracious work will never get tired of God; rather, they will say with the psalmist, "What shall I render to the LORD for all His benefits toward me?" (Psalm 116:12). The answer will certainly not be burdening sins or wearying iniquities; instead, their lives will be characterized by offerings, sacrifices, and sweet cane.