Land Purchase, Slaves, Sin, and Empty Religion

It never ceases to amaze me how the Bible, ancient as it is, regularly speaks to me contemporary situation!

As of the day I am writing this, I have been involved in the potential purchase of a piece of land.  While there is no direct correlation of what God told the Jews to my own situation, today's reading still deals with the purchase of land.  

Unrelated to my current situation however is the LORD's address of the Israelite community regarding slavery.  While God made it very clear He did not intend for Israelites ever to be slaves, He still acknowledged the possibility of such an event and gave specific instructions for that situation.  However, God clearly permitted the ownership of slaves, by Israelites, of non-Israelite slaves, and gave specific instruction for that circumstance.

Moving on, another point that was clearly made was about punishment for sin among the people.  God was very clear that He would bring increasing hardship on Israel matching their degree of disobedience.  I see God's mercy and grace in this!  I see Jesus in this!

Along this thought, one thing that really spoke to me today was in Leviticus 26.31:

I will make your cities desolate and destroy your places of pagan worship.  I will take no pleasure in your offerings that should be a pleasing aroma to me.

This passage follows the worst-case scenario of Israel's insistence to continue sinning even after God's punishment incrementally increases to the level of their disobedience.  What stood out to me was that God said He would take no pleasure in their offerings.  This implicates that in that condition, the Israelites were still "religious" in making offerings - they were still going through the motions of having relationship with God but without substance!  God help us today to heed the warning that it is very possible that we go to church regularly and still be in stark disobedience to God!

Father, thank You for these random thoughts!  Help me to see whatever contemporary application the prescribed OYCB reading for today has upon my life today!