#219 Wherewith

10 Then the Lord said: “I am making a covenant with you. Before all your people I will do wonders never before done in any nation in all the world. The people you live among will see how awesome is the work that I, the Lord, will do for you. 11 Obey what I command you today. I will drive out before you the Amorites, Canaanites, Hittites, Perizzites, Hivites and Jebusites. 12 Be careful not to make a treaty with those who live in the land where you are going, or they will be a snare among you. 13 Break down their altars, smash their sacred stones and cut down their Asherah poles.[a] 14 Do not worship any other god,for the Lord, whose name is Jealous, is a jealous God.

15 “Be careful not to make a treaty with those who live in the land; for when they prostitute themselves to their gods and sacrifice to them, they will invite you and you will eat their sacrifices. 16 And when you choose some of their daughters as wives for your sons and those daughters prostitute themselves to their gods, they will lead your sons to do the same.

17 “Do not make any idols. Exodus 34: 10-17

Forsaking all others. Just like the vow or agreement I have heard at so many weddings, so is the demand of a jealous God. We cannot worship God in truth if we have set any one or thing before Him. We cannot logically proceed down the path of truth if we have tried to make our own image. Even if we say it is an image of Him, He does not so descend. Why God continues to show this people mercy, and not let loose the full extent of His wrath towards sin, it is a mystery. Yes, God is love, merciful, Holy and righteous, but when we carry out the question to the fullest extent of our sight, we find a people of no inherent good. They are depraved like all of mankind. They have been set apart by God's own design and to His good pleasure. 

2 Do not be conformed to this world,[a] but be transformed by the renewal of your mind, that by testing you may discern what is the will of God, what is good and acceptable and perfect. Roman 12:2 ESV

The law does not empower men to change. Israel would prove, time and time again, how easy it was to return to the mindset of death and idolatry. They could not resist to be as those around them, those seemingly free, unrestrained by the laws and mandates of God. The demand often heard in this day is that the church be handed over to the culture, and it is with much pomp, emotion and politically correct good intention, that we submit and return to the shackles of such misguidance. 

19 If you were of the world, the world would love you as its own; but because you are not of the world, but I chose you out of the world, therefore the world hates you. John 15:19