A while ago I was on a tube in
Now maybe you just had to be there, or maybe it’s just me, but I was incredibly dismayed by that. Not so much the revelation that people are unfaithful to their wives (the depressing truth today is that it is no longer a revelation when it happens), but rather that our society has come to see it as such a normal occurrence, to such an extent that advertisers are able to use it as a marketing tool.
Over the past year or so I have been thinking about faithfulness in relation to my own relationship with God. Last summer I spent a lot of time reading through the Old Testament and one of the greatest impressions I got from it was the resolute faithfulness of God. Time and time He continued to fulfil his promise to
I find it very easy to look down at the Israelites and wonder how they were so unfaithful however in doing so I unconsciously raise myself up as being better than them. But is this really right? Weren’t the Israelites a golden calf worshipping people? Didn’t they whine and complain when God provided them with Manna in the desert? Didn’t they always just take on the culture, deities and lifestyles of those around them? They were totally awful. I’m not like that.
In Isaiah 1 God says this to the Israelites:
‘The children I raised and cared for have turned against me. Even the animals - the donkey and the ox - know their owner and appreciate his care, but not my people
I’m not like that. I go to church and love the worship there. At home I read my Bible and pray. I’m not like them.
‘I am sick of your sacrifices,’ says the Lord. ‘Don't bring me any more burnt offerings! I don't want the fat from your rams or other animals. I don't want to see the blood from your offerings of bulls and rams and goats. Why do you keep parading through my courts with your worthless sacrifices? The incense you bring me is a stench in my nostrils! Your celebrations of the new moon and the Sabbath day, and your special days for fasting - even your most pious meetings - are all sinful and false. I want nothing more to do with them. I hate all your festivals and sacrifices. I cannot stand the sight of them! From now on, when you lift up your hands in prayer, I will refuse to look. Even though you offer many prayers, I will not listen. For your hands are covered with the blood of your innocent victims.’ (v11 – 15)
Oh, they did that stuff too. Maybe I’m not so different after all.
Through Isaiah God made it clear that being faithful to Him did not equate to simply going through the religious motions of the law. The Israelites brought sacrifices to the God, they had meetings and celebrations in God’s honour. They fasted and had deeply ‘pious’ religious meetings. They even stretched their hands out when they sang and prayed! Surely they must be pleasing God!
No, they were still unfaithful. God’s accusation in verse 3 was still true.
So what then is the faithfulness God desires?
God is a God who seeks to rebuke but then build up. He continues:
‘Wash yourselves and be clean! Let me no longer see your evil deeds. Give up your wicked ways. Learn to do good. Seek justice. Help the oppressed. Defend the orphan. Fight for the rights of widows’ (v16 – 17)
What is God saying? I believe He was, and is still, saying precisely what He said in Jesus said many years later:
‘ “You must love the Lord your God with all your heart, all your soul, and all your mind.” This is the first and greatest commandment. A second is equally important: “Love your neighbour as yourself.” All the other commandments and all the demands of the prophets are based on these two commandments.’ (Matthew 22.37 – 40)
While the Israelites were obeying the law by letter, true obedience to God came from the heart, and from the heart comes a lifestyle; a lifestyle that more than anything impacts those around you.
Through Isaiah God asked of the Israelites to seek justice, help the oppressed, defend the orphan and fight for widows. This is not an exhaustive list but rather indications of the lifestyle.
As I reflected on this I came to realise that it makes perfect sense. To show you what I mean allow let me paint you a picture.
****************
A wife sits at home with the dinner on the table. It’s been there an hour. He’s late home again and with no word of warning. He arrives home gone
‘Where’ve you been?’
‘Oh I’m sorry love, I was held up at work. Won’t do it again.’
‘That’s ok, come sit down and we can talk about that thing’
‘I can’t. I said I’d meet the boys at the pub. I told you that’
‘Oh I know but we were supposed to talk together’
‘I know I know, sorry, got to run. Kiss kiss’
Week later. Wife at restaurant. No show from husband. 40mins late. Phone call.
‘I’m so sorry love, I had to rush off to airport. Work had an emergency and need me to fly to
‘But it’s our anniversary, we had this planned for a week’
‘I know, but you know, work came up. I’ve sent you a gift. I’m so sorry’
Week further on. Husband comes home with flowers.
‘Hi love, here I bought you these’
‘Thank you darling. They’re beautiful’
‘I thought we could get a movie tonight’
‘Oh I would love to but an old friend is in town, I said I’d meet him for a coffee’
‘But-’
‘Well I bought you flowers didn’t I?’
*********
The idea is this; the husband may have got the letter of the relationship right, but he had totally missed the spirit and a true faithfulness to his wife. He apologised, he sent her gifts in celebration, he bought her flowers, he told her where he was going. He did all the important things, the things that could’ve been spelt out to him before the marriage begun, yet he missed what she really wanted. He did not live a lifestyle that loved and was faithful to her.
It’s the same with God. Yes the law was important, vital, to the Israelites’ relationship with Him but it was designed to be part of a lifestyle of faithfulness to Him. Faithfulness that extended through each of their lives and that influenced those around them.
The same message is critical for us to grasp today. God is not looking for one-off shows of supposed love.
If in Church we sing and clap and raise our hands when the music is playing and everyone around us is doing the same, but fail to raise our hands for Jesus through our lifestyle then it is not what God is after. It’s not that He doesn’t want our impassioned praise and songs, for sure He does, but on it’s own it’s like the husband’s token flowers.
If we make all these promises to God at home about our prayer life and then fail to deliver when life really happens then it is not what God is after. It’s not that He doesn’t want our prayer plans and promises, for sure He does, but on it’s own it’s like the husband and his best intentions.
If in home group we enjoy reading His Word and commit to continuing reading through it at home but then give up as soon as something different grabs our attention then it is not what God is after. It’s not that He doesn’t want our enthusiasm and Bible reading, for sure He does, but on it’s own it’s like the husband and his displaced anniversary plans.
What God is after is these things embedded into a life of faithfulness to Him; faithfulness in the workplace, faithfulness among our friends, faithfulness when no one is looking, faithfulness to those in need.
Unless we see that this is what God truly wants from us and strive to live that out then we, like the Israelites, run the risk of missing the point entirely in doing so unknowingly turning our backs on Him.
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