Mom making idols, a son starting his own religion, a priest just going along for the ride.
Micah's thinking is clear: "If I do the right religious things, God will bless me." So he keeps upgrading his system. First, make an idol, build a shrine, then hire a Levite to handle all the "religious" stuff.
Micah says, "Now I know the Lord will bless me…" Really Micah? You've violated God's commands and warped true worship. But he is confinement that he is going to be blessed now.
Wrong. When faith becomes transactional, you're not pursuing God; you're trying to control your outcomes and having the benefits of God without submitting to Him.
Welcome to the 21st century. After decades of pastoring, I can say with confidence that many have tried again and again to manipulate God.
Years ago, an older gentleman came to speak to me about faith, specifically about the Baptism in the Holy Spirit, evidenced by speaking in other tongues. He wasn't against it; he couldn't seem to receive it. He was very angry with God about this. He had been to church after church, revival after revival, fruitless in His quest for decades.
I asked him if I could pray for him, and he said, "Sure." As he stood in front of me, he stiffened up like a 2 x 4 and clenched his fists tight and his jaw shut. I asked him what he was doing, and he told me that if God wanted him to speak in tongues, then He would have to do - he wasn't going to help. Well, there's the problem. I didn't pray for him, which ticked him off, but I wasn't going to waste anyone's time.
You cannot manipulate God to do what you want, when you want it.
This gentleman has a serious trust problem with God. I pointed that out to him and told him that when he forgave God for whatever he was angry about, I believed he would be baptized in the Holy Spirit.
I am using one of the worst examples I can think of. But week after week, I see people doing the same thing and fussing with God rather than trusting in Him. Working their religious "system" and calling themselves blessed rather than obeying Him and being blessed.
What are you doing?
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