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Verse 1-3 sound so
good. The people seem to be agreeing to
return to God. But my commentary calls
it false repentance. “To begin with, their concern was for healing and not for cleansing … Furthermore, the people of
Israel thought that the remedy would work quickly
… Expecting a quick fix is one of the marks of an unrepentant heart that doesn’t want to pay the price for deep
cleansing. There is a third evidence of
their shallowness: they saw forgiveness
and restoration as a mechanical thing
that was guaranteed and not as a relational matter that involved getting right
with God … This is formula religion,
like getting a candy bar out of a vending machine … The Christian life is a
relationship with God, and relationships aren’t based on cut-and-dried
formulas.”
They’re about to have to reap what they had sown, and their
false repentance would catch up to them.
Father, I thank You for the hurt I feel when I sin against
You, for it is evidence of Your Holy Spirit working within me, helping me to
understand that I’ve been unfaithful.
Please help me to understand that true repentance is vital.
You can see false repentance a mile away. Help me to want cleansing, no matter how long
it takes, and give me the patience to wait on You to carry it out in me. Don’t let me presume on Your grace and mercy,
either. Help me to obey so I won’t have
to ask for forgiveness.
Your Brother In Christ,
Gary Ford
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