PINIMAGERight now I am reading through the books of the prophets in the Old Testament. I just finished reading the book of Jeremiah, and today I began chapter one of Ezekiel.
God commissions both Jeremiah and Ezekiel and others to give His message to the people of Israel and Judah – God’s chosen people. The warning was continually “Repent! Turn back to Me, and I will show you abundant mercy.” But can you guess how they respond?
Just this morning in The Bible Handbook I read the setting for Ezekiel’s ministry. It said,
At this point in Israel’s story, the people and their leaders were obstinate, hard-hearted, and disobedient. They continually broke the covenant that God had formed with them by worshiping false gods and ignoring the Law of Moses.
Because of this, God used the surrounding nations as tools for discipline, God gave His people chance after chance to repent, sending prophets to them with messages of warning and pouring mercy over them often. But they refused to return to the covenant their fathers had made with the Lord. God’s patience was exhausted, and He used the surrounding nations to execute justice on His people. They were taken from their land in a series of sieges and forced to dwell in Babylon.
The Bible Handbook, The Daily Grace Co.
In their arrogance and sinfulness, Israel’s response was to ignore the warnings God sent them. For this reason, God brought about a season of exile.
Exile – the state of being barred from one’s native country.
In other words, God removed them from their “familiar.” He made them uncomfortable and placed them under the harsh rule of Babylon. But THIS was an act of mercy for a people who otherwise would be without hope, deserving of judgment.
In parenting terms, I guess I would call this a grand demonstration of “tough love.”
Jeremiah explained that when Babylon laid siege on Israel, God’s instruction was for Israel to willingly go into exile, and He would be with them. But Israel didn’t like the message or accept it.
Ironically in chapter forty-three of Jeremiah, the people who did not listen are desperate, so they ask Jeremiah to consult the Lord on what they should do. Their inquiry included a plan of their own. They had decided to attempt an escape to Egypt. Then they sought out Jeremiah and asked him to go to the Lord on their behalf.
Here’s how it went down:
And (all the people who managed to avoid capture and remain in the land) said to Jeremiah the prophet, “Let our plea for mercy come before you, and pray to the Lord your God for us, for all this remnant— because we are left with but a few, as your eyes see us— that the Lord your God may show us the way we should go, and the thing that we should do.” Jeremiah, the prophet, said to them, “I have heard you. Behold, I will pray to the Lord your God according to your request, and whatever the Lord answers you I will tell you. I will keep nothing back from you.” Then they said to Jeremiah, “May the Lord be a true and faithful witness against us if we do not act according to all the word with which the Lord your God sends you to us. Whether it is good or bad, we will obey the voice of the Lord our God to whom we are sending you, that it may be well with us when we obey the voice of the Lord our God.”
Jeremiah 42:2-6 ESV (emphasis mine)
Sounds like they are ready to hear from God and obey, right? The only problem is that they are consulting God on something for which He has already given clear instruction.
Have you ever done that?
Jeremiah, comes back with God’s response, “If you don’t obey and go with your people into exile God’s protection will not be upon you in your endeavors. If you carry out your own plan, you will surely die.”
Now, this was not good news. But Israel could still obey God’s plan and enter exile as He commanded. What was their response?
When Jeremiah finished speaking to all the people all these words of the Lord their God, with which the Lord their God had sent him to them, Azariah the son of Hoshaiah and Johanan the son of Kareah and all the insolent men said to Jeremiah, “You are telling a lie. The Lord our God did not send you to say, ‘Do not go to Egypt to live there,”
Jeremiah 43:1-2 ESV
In other words, “We don’t like your answer, so we reject it.”
It doesn’t seem to have dawned on them that the rebellion God is addressing by sending them into exile is still strong as ever in their hearts.
And they came into the land of Egypt, for they did not obey the voice of the Lord. And they arrived at Tahpanhes.
Jeremiah 43:7 ESV
Surprisingly there are quite a few accounts of the people of God demanding their own way and then asking false prophets to speak to God on their behalf in hopes of affirming their rebellion. These “so-called prophets” were happy to tell Israel what they wanted to hear. But believing their lies would cost Israel their lives.
Rebellion is a proud cancer that has plagued “God’s people” throughout history. Even in the New Testament and in the church today, we see people praying to God, all the while calling the shots on whether or not they will obey – consulting God but not bowing to Him.
The New Testament writers warn believers repeatedly to beware of false prophets, beware of idolatry, and beware of disobedience to God’s Word. Was this really necessary – to continually warn the people? Is it necessary today?
For the time is coming when people will not endure sound teaching, but having itching ears they will accumulate for themselves teachers to suit their own passions,
2 Timothy 4:3-4
Why do you call me ‘Lord, Lord,’ and not do what I tell you?
Luke 6:46
The other day during my quiet time, I came across the verse Psalm 80:4
“O Lord God of hosts, how long will you be angry with your people’s prayers?”
Psalm 80:4 ESV
I sat thinking about it for a bit. How long will You be angry with your people’s prayers?
I wrote in my journal. “What would cause God to be angry with my prayers? Isn’t prayer always a good thing? Prayer pleases God, right?” I mean, when I find myself in trouble, I call out to Him. Isn’t that what He wants?”
Then I remembered my Bible reading from the past few weeks regarding the rebellious hearts of God’s people and their arrogant prayers. God pointed out that not only is consistency in prayer important, but purity of heart is an essential aspect of God-glorifying prayer.
Are your prayers pleasing to God?
Let’s look at what God says in His Word about our prayers. Here are a few examples of prayer that grieves God:
You ask and do not receive, because you ask amiss, that you may spend it on your pleasures
James 4:3
Because I [Wisdom] have called and you refused, I have stretched out my hand and no one regarded, Because you disdained all my counsel, And would have none of my rebuke…. Then they will call on me, but I will not answer; They will seek me diligently, but they will not find me.
Proverbs 1:24-25, 28
One who turns away his ear from hearing the law, even his prayer is an abomination.
Proverbs 28:9
If you and I choose to ignore God’s instruction (found in the Bible) regarding prayer, righteousness, obedience, truth, we are in rebellion, and our prayers anger/grieve Him. God resists (opposes, as in battle) the proud but gives grace to the humble. James 4:6
It’s common to rush into prayer with a list of items forgetting that prayer is a conversation with God. Then, when God doesn’t give us what we desire, we can become angry at Him. All the while, we never reflect on our own hearts before Him or prepare our hearts to meet with Him. If we are out of fellowship with God and ignoring His Word, we are deceived in thinking our prayers are heard.
17 I cried to him with my mouth,
and high praise was on my tongue.
18 If I had cherished iniquity in my heart,
the Lord would not have listened.
19 But truly God has listened;
he has attended to the voice of my prayer.
Psalm 66:17-19
Sunday was busy from sunup to sundown, and Mark and I were hurrying to the church for the 6:30 prayer gathering we always enjoy. But this Sunday, I hadn’t spent much time considering my thoughts and feelings. You know how sometimes you wake up in a funk and can’t seem to shake it as the day goes on? Not only could I not shake it, but it was also gaining momentum. I didn’t like how I felt, and, disappointed with myself, I wondered how God couldn’t also be disappointed in me.
We arrived at the church early, and I sat down in a chair. I felt like I had a big tangled ball of feelings and attitudes that I needed to sort out. I recalled the verse about prayers that anger God. I thought to myself, “I am in no condition to be praying right now.” I had only a couple of minutes before we would begin to consider what I should do. Finally, in the few moments I still had, I decided to pour it all out before the Lord and confess my sin.
“God, I feel I am in no place to pray right now. I don’t want to offer prayers that anger or grieve You. I don’t want to put on a show for the others who will join us tonight. I know some of my attitudes today, and even my words did not please You. I don’t want to rush into Your presence, approaching an Eternal King in His throne room, with prayers that reflect an undisciplined, complaintive heart. I confess I need You. I repent. Please forgive and help me.”
Mark had already begun reading a passage of scripture, and I wondered if my prayer had enough time “to take.” I know that’s silly. But, wouldn’t you know, God in His mercy forgave me and stirred in me a heart to pour out intercessory prayer there along with my brothers and sisters. Thus, He showered me with immediate grace.
How about you? Are you in rebellion to God and His Word?
“Tammy, that’s a strong word.”
But if you are knowingly ignoring a command of God in your life or refusing to humble yourself before Him, no matter what you call it, your prayers are hindered.
The sacrifice of the wicked is an abomination to the LORD, but the prayer of the upright is acceptable to him.
Proverbs 15:8
Let us examine our hearts and remove rebellion far from us. Then, as we approach God the next time we go to prayer, let us begin as the psalmist prayed:
23Search me, O God, and know my heart!
Try me and know my thoughts!
24 And see if there be any grievous way in me,
and lead me in the way everlasting!
Psalm 139:23-24
And then let’s allow God to do what only He can do in us, making our hearts fertile soil for prayer and communion with Him.
Have mercy on me, O God, according to your steadfast love; according to your abundant mercy blot out my transgressions.
Psalm 51:1-12
2 Wash me thoroughly from my iniquity, and cleanse me from my sin!
3 For I know my transgressions, and my sin is ever before me.
4 Against you, you only, have I sinned and done what is evil in your sight, so that you may be justified in your words and blameless in your judgment.
5 Behold, I was brought forth in iniquity, and in sin did my mother conceive me.
6Behold, you delight in truth in the inward being, and you teach me wisdom in the secret heart.
7Purge me with hyssop, and I shall be clean; wash me, and I shall be whiter than snow.
8 Let me hear joy and gladness; let the bones that you have broken rejoice.
9 Hide your face from my sins, and blot out all my iniquities.
10 Create in me a clean heart, O God, and renew a right spirit within me.
11 Cast me not away from your presence, and take not your Holy Spirit from me.
12 Restore to me the joy of your salvation, and uphold me with a willing spirit.
Let us be people of prayer, and let us lift prayers to God in which He delights.
“This is the one to whom I will look: he who is humble and contrite (remorseful, repentant) in spirit and trembles at my word.” Isaiah 66:2
