THE WORSHIP BANDIT / LESS WORSHIP

Exodus 5:9 KJV (WS)

Let there more work be laid upon the men, that they may labour therein; and let them not regard vain words.

When Moses and Aaron came to Pharaoh to request that the Israelites be permitted to go three days journey into the wilderness to worship God, Pharaoh refused to let Israel go and worship.

Instead, like Satan, he did two things to hinder the Israelites from worshiping God.

He filled their schedule and faulted the Scriptures.

Satan is still doing that today to keep people away from worshiping God.

FIRST—FILLED THEIR SCHEDULE

“Let there more work be laid upon the men, that they may labor therein.”

To keep the Israelites so busy they could not worship or even think about worship, Pharaoh ordered longer hours of labor.

One of the things he did was require the Israelite slaves to get their own straw for the bricks they were making, but they were still to make the same number of bricks.

This would add to the hours of work for the Israelites and cause them to not be able to worship or even think about worship.

Times have not changed.

Many folk skip church to get in some overtime work on Sundays.

Furthermore, Satan also has seen to it that entertainment fills the hours of a person so they do not have time to participate in or ponder worship.

As an example, Sunday has become sports’ day and the professionals and colleges and even the high schools and AAU sports’ teams have games on Sunday which takes people out of church and away form the worship of God.

But if you are going to worship God, you will have to give worship some priority in your life.

You may have to sacrifice some overtime pay to worship and you may have to cease attending games as a spectator or participating in games that interfere with your church schedule.

This will not go over well with those in charge of the games but it will go over well with God.

The author had to make this decision to put the Lord first, in High School, the Navy and even at a Christian College in his sports participation.

He found little sympathy for his decisions except from the Lord.

Matthew 6:33 is still in the Book!

Matthew 6:33 KJV (WS)

But seek ye first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you.

SECOND—FAULTED THE SCRIPTURES

“Let them not regard vain words.”

Pharaoh mocked the words of God and called them “vain words.”

The request to worship was founded on a “Thus said the LORD”

Exodus 5:1 KJV (WS)

And afterward Moses and Aaron went in, and told Pharaoh, Thus saith the Lord God of Israel, Let my people go, that they may hold a feast unto me in the wilderness.

Many mock the Scripture as nothing but “vain words,” for if the Scripture is nothing but “vain words,” then why heed the Scriptures and worship God?

But the Scriptures are not “vain words.”

They are valuable words, in fact, the most valuable words we have.

The attack on the Scripture is great today. It is all an attempt to discredit the Scriptures so man will not follow them and build his life upon them.

But if you do not build your life upon the Scriptures, what do you build them upon?

There is nothing so reliable and valuable as the Scriptures. Let the world mock and call them “vain words,” but they are still valuable words.