Baptist City Blog

One of the things that you will learn from being in the ministry as long as I have are the destructive patterns people take that lead to their demise. While reading the series of verses preceding the verse above, my mind began to think of so many people who followed the same pattern that Israel developed, which led to the destination of destruction. The pattern Israel followed that led the LORD to be angry with them and to remove them out of His sight should be a lesson to all to be sure that they are not walking the same path. There was a five step pattern they followed that resulted in the verse above.

First, they hardened their necks. They came to the point that nobody could tell them what to do. God sent prophets to warn them, but nobody could tell them what to do. When a person develops the mentality that nobody can tell them what to do, they have started down a pathway that will eventually lead to their demise. There has to be someone who can tell you what to do. You must never get to the point in your life when you reject everyone’s warning that you are wrong. A hardened neck is the first step of pride.

Second, they rejected God’s statutes He made with their fathers. Because nobody could tell them what to do, they also rejected the old paths their fathers walked because they wanted to make their own mark in history. When you come to a point when you despise the methods and teachings of the previous generation, you will most certainly choose a destructive path to follow. When you reject the old paths that the previous generation walked, you are rejecting the paths that God gave. Those paths were not created by previous generations, but they are paths they continued walking in like those before them.

Third, they followed vanity. Israel continued this destructive pattern by only being concerned with what made them look good. When Christianity becomes an outward show, and the concern becomes what others think of you, total compromise is sure to come. We are not to serve God to look good to man; we are to serve Him to please Him. You should only be concerned with how you look to God.

Fourth, Israel started conforming to society. Israel began copying the lifestyles of the heathen nations around them. You are spiritually bankrupt when culture and society dictate your morality and standards. It truly doesn't matter what society thinks of how you live; morality should only be defined by God’s Word. God’s Word has defined morality, and that definition will never change for any generation.

Fifth, Israel completely changed what they believed. Israel’s form of worship became heathenistic. When society dictates your morality, the only other step to take is to change what you believe. Many people changed their whole belief system because that is where this pattern leads.

You can say you will always believe what you presently believe, but this pattern has never been more wrong. Anyone who finds themselves in any of these steps will eventually change what they believe. Don't harden your neck to this devotional. Allow this warning to be the catalyst that causes you to go back to being and doing what God wants you to be and do.