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. [Leviticus 26.31]
Regardless how one looks at this statement in Leviticus 26, it is not good.
God said he would take no pleasure in ...offerings. Does this mean offerings to Him (Almighty God) or does it mean offerings they are making to other god's that should be to Almighty God?
It almost seems, in the context of the verse itself, because "places of pagan worship" were mentioned, that God's meaning would be that He cannot take pleasure in worship that is not directed to Him but is directed to pagan idols, etc.
It could also mean that the people's offerings were directed to both God and idols and therefore God would not share His glory with any other and therefore not accept their offerings to Him.
Again, either way, God is not tolerant of His people looking to, and worshiping, anyone or anything but Him.
The thing is, the people were evidently worshiping - just not purely God. In other words, the people were religious, but their religion was not necessarily devotion to Almighty God alone.
I wonder what lesson there might be for us today in this? God help us! Religion does not 'cut it.'
Father, help me to understand in my own life any and every area that I am not making You my first priority. Forgive me for looking to anything or anyone else but You.
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