The Contempted

For from the rising of the sun even unto the going down of the same my name shall be great among the Gentiles; and in every place incense shall be offered unto my name, and a pure offering: for my name shall be great among the heathen, saith the LORD of hosts.

12 But ye have profaned it, in that ye say, The table of the LORD is polluted; and the fruit thereof, even his meat, is contemptible.

13 Ye said also, Behold, what a weariness is it! and ye have snuffed at it, saith the LORD of hosts; and ye brought that which was torn, and the lame, and the sick; thus ye brought an offering: should I accept this of your hand? saith the LORD.

Just maybe you have heard in times gone by before how our God has desired mercy and not sacrifice. Nor do the sacrifices of the wicked please him who sits on the throne high and lifted up having reign forever and ever. My friends, once you catch sight of this nothing will be the same ever again. That is why the pure offering spoken of here is so important. It is not for nothing then that our God has said to come out from among those who commit wickedness. Think of it a little bit like this. Once you have heard the whole of the tale then you too will understand even such as this. Sometimes you have to tell a story in order to better understand all the days that pass as a tale told. Jeremiah 11:16-19 speaks of the light dawned among us, even of a certain tree once pertaining to the Gentiles and Jewish people. Yet our God has spoken all the same. There was a false altar then, you see, that was once the light of all the earth. On that false altar, came the priests of the people to offer such sacrifice, even themselves. But it was not to God that they did such, no. Rather it was upon the altar of the bodies, their lives. Much as the false priests of old which once served Baal, these too brought fire by much trial, cuttings, and afflictions of the soul. It was to no profit see, this false fire which came before even the altar of our God. See, at no time has Christ had fellowship with Belial, nor yet the sons thereof. How then can it be said what a weariness it is in the service of our God. Much as the serpent of old found, it is only weariness when all else is given up. So too, his table is hardly polluted except some strange things were spread upon it. Then after all this has been done, you mean to tell me the sick, the weak, and the lame have now to come before the Lord. Sure, our God is merciful and gracious, slow to anger and longsuffering, not willing that any should perish. It is in his very nature, my friends. It's just who he is. But then, who are we to put the Lord to such a test as this. Note the distress these false priests and prophets of themselves have caused. His name is hardly a curse, as some would think. Yet what is this having gone on here, in which Christ is spread across the table. It speaks of fellowship with his own body and blood. But of this disorder, has he no part nor cause therein for it neither began nor ended with him. Notice something here in the silence that follows. It is simply this. As sure and certain as the sun will rise, so too will there be found reason to praise his name. It's more than a just cause, but a sure and certain thing even the turning around of the cup of the Lord. It is to our benefit, his blood and his body is it my friends, the ultimate cure. How good then is he to take whomsoever will that come washing all as white as snow. So then do the ages to come, every place where altar or just cause is found, be made to praise. What sort of God is this, that causes more than just the winds and sea to hear him and obey. Look at this picture with me now, if you will. If you won't, that's fine too. Just know that in all this our God still is even now working out all things for our good and his ultimate glory. It's who he is, my friends. See it now, this offering and even the peoples themselves washed pure in the glory. There's hope for the weary and the helpless then, isn't there? More than that, is there room in the house and an offering yet to be found in the house of the Lord.