Studying the book of Hosea has reaffirmed the biblical reality that outward actions and rote repetition earns no ‘brownie points’ with God. In fact, the contrary is true. God vehemently despises hypocritical worship—let’s call it for what it really is. Heartless worship is hypocritical worship. And that’s precisely what the book of Hosea condemns.
To be sure, Hosea chastises Israel for their harlotries and chasing ravenously after pagan gods. But when their harlotries are combined with the outward worship of Yahweh, Yahweh declares his hostile hatred of this syncretism.
I’m studying Hosea 8-9 this week and God’s Word confronted me anew with the simple truth that I must ask myself before I preach: “Is my worship before Almighty Yahweh genuine?” If so, praise God! If not, I had better do some repenting!
But Israel didn’t repent. They didn’t confess. They didn’t change. They didn’t return to Yahweh. They continued to rebel and run after fake gods and nonexisting deities. So should we bear this truth in mind. Let us not attempt to worship God while focusing on fake gods and nonexisting deities. Don’t go to church and outwardly worship God when your heart is focused on football or thinking about lunch or contemplating the work week. Pray and ask God to strengthen you and give you the ability (which he will give) to worship him genuinely from the heart. This is the kind of worship that God accepts. If one's heart is properly oriented, then I presume that proper actions and corporate worship will inevitably follow. Therefore, I say it again, worship with your heart, not your actions.
Does the Bible really say that the righteous will rejoice at God's vengeance upon the wicked? Yes, it does. First of all, the Bible no where advocates or condones people rejoicing over the downfall of the enemy because of personal vengeance . All vengeance must be left to the LORD (Deut 32 and Rom 12). Nevertheless, when the Christian has a God-centered perspective, it is absolutely reasonable—yes, required—that believers rejoice at the destruction of the wicked. (Again, this is not personal vengeance or gloating that the wicked are finally cast into hell.) But in my sermon last night I provided seven reasons why the righteous will rejoice at the judgment of the wicked: 1. God commands it (Rev 19:1-10) In a mysterious way, God commands believers to rejoice because His judgments are poured out upon the wicked. Just read Revelation 19:1 (which immediately follows Rev 17-18 and the cataclysmic destruction of Babylon, the false religious system and the false political system durin
Yesterday I read Pink's classic work again in preparation for my sermon on Psalm 47 this week at Church. God is good and He truly is the Sovereign King.
Quotes from A. W. Pink, The Sovereignty of God . Revised edition. Reprint, 1928. Carlisle , PA : Banner of Truth Trust, 1998.
“From every pulpit in the land it needs to be thundered forth that God still lives, that God still observes, that God still reigns.” (p.15).
“Learn then this basic truth, that the Creator is absolute Sovereign, executing His own will, performing His own pleasure, and considering naught but His own glory. “The Lord hath made all things FOR HIMSELF. (Prov 16:4). And had He not a perfect right to do so? Since God is God, who dare challenge His prerogative? To murmur against Him is rank rebellion. To question His ways is to impugn His wisdom. To criticize Him is sin of the deepest dye. Have we forgotten who He is?” (p.30). “Because God governs inanimate matter… when we complain about
The Upright of Heart as a Metaphor for Integrity Psalm 11.2 says that the wicked seek to destroy those who are “upright in heart” ( לְיִשְׁרֵי־לֵב). The LXX renders the Hebrew phrase as: τοὺς εὐθεῖς τῇ καρδίᾳ (“the straight ones [=upright] of heart”). The Aramaic Targum renders the phrase in its oft-expanded way: תקיני לתריצי לבא (“the firm stability of the upright ones in heart”). Why is this language used to speak about integrity? Why does this describe the godly? I want to offer a few observations concerning this phrase. 1. This phrase refers to the godly person being one who is unbending and standing straight up for the Lord and for His Word. The Hebrew root for “upright” (יָשָׁר) speaks of that which is straight and right. So then, the person who is upright in heart is one who is straight in his life, straight in his course, unbending in his convictions, unswerving in his conduct. Joshua was told not to turn away from the Law of God either to the right or the left (Josh 1.7;