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Surely there are many lessons which we can learn from the actions and subsequent punishments of Israel and Judah. With them, it was a nation. Today, with us, it is a individual walk with the Lord. The statement of the Lord, They have not cried unto me with their heart, could be a spiritual condition which would be applied to the present generation. Hos. 7:14 The Lord has established the measure with which we should seek Him.
He is not afar off, but is nigh unto all who will call upon His name. He has promised that the person seeking Him with all of their heart will find Him. Jer. 29:13 The Lord had said to them that He would be inaccessible to them, until they were willing to acknowledge their wrong doing, and would seek His face earnestly. Hos. 5:15.
The Lord looked upon them as a people who approached Him with their mouths. They used words, multiplied words, empty words of praise and adoration. Their lips gave high sounding utterances of honor to Him, while all the time their hearts were far from Him. Isa. 29:13 They treated the Lord like the Lord told Ezekiel about the attitude of the people toward him. They talked about him in their houses. Mockingly, they invite others to come and hear what the prophet had to say. When they gathered before him they came as the people of the Lord to hear his words but had no intention of following his instructions. They mouthed an abundance of love but their hearts were filled with greed and unjust gain. To them, Ezekiel was as one who could sing a beautiful song, beautifully, and could play well on an instrument for entertainment. However they had no intention of putting to practice the teaching which they had heard. When his prophecies were fulfilled, then and only then would they awaken and realize that a prophet had truly been among them. Eze. 33:30-33.
Israel’s nights were troublesome their sleep was disturbed. Their nights spent in crying out loudly, were not for the help of the Lord. Their hearts were not turned toward the Lord. Though they howled, or wailed upon their beds, they did not call out unto the Lord with their whole heart. Their assemblies were for food and drink. They were continuously rebellious against the Lord. For certain, the way of the transgressor is the hard, the most difficult way. A comprehension of the Word of the Lord will bring forth favor for that individual who seeks the knowledge of the Lord.
Prov. 13:15 It is amazing that the devil has been able to hoodwink mankind into believing that serving the Lord is the hard way to live. The most difficult way is to try to live in this world without the Lord. The unsaved have no right to seek the help of the Lord. Yet, when cornered and in utter despair, they will pray. He is not duty bound to respond to their cry. The Word plainly states that He does not hear the prayer of sinners. John 9:31 Ah yes, one prayer He does hear and that is a prayer of repentance.