How easy it is to forget the One who is the source of all our blessings.

Part 1

God is good!  He is always a good God.  As we think about Him, our Creator and His providence in the maintaining of His creation so that we, sinful mankind, may live on His earth, we are amazed at His faithfulness to people who do not listen to, nor walk with Him.  In our verses for today, we can see how God loved and cared for His people, Israel.  Even in their sin, He remained faithful to His promises and to His people.  He is gracious and full of mercy!

“But this people hath a revolting and a rebellious heart;”
Once again Israel was not walking with her God.  Two issues God had with His people:

1.  They were revolting.  That is, they had moved away from their God.

“The heart, or will of the Jews was first ‘revolting,’ literally a will that ‘drew back’ from God, because it disliked His service…”1 (Barnes).

“They are all grievous revolters, walking with slanders: they are brass and iron; they are all corrupters,” (Jeremiah 6:28).

2.  Israel was rebellious.  She was stubborn and defied her God!

“…secondly it was ‘rebellious,’ a will that actively resisted Him,”2 (Barnes).

This was nothing new for Israel.

“As keepers of a field, are they against her round about; because she hath been rebellious against me, saith the LORD,” (Jeremiah 4:17).

“They are revolted and gone.”
God, her faithful God, said that Israel was gone from Him.  She was apostate, in that Israel had seen the truth of the Word of God first hand, but she rejected it and turned away and left her God.  How sad!

Believers, be careful with the things of God, lest they become wearisome to you and you forget your God.

Even God’s “little” gifts are essential.  Let’s talk more about them tomorrow.

1.  Albert Barnes, Albert Barnes’ Notes on the Bible, the electronic version in eSword.
2.  Barnes, ibid.