God's 'main thing'

For I did not speak to your fathers, or command them in the day that I brought them out of the land of Egypt, concerning burnt offerings or sacrifices.
But this is what I commanded them, saying, ‘Obey My voice, and I will be your God, and you shall be My people. And walk in all the ways that I have commanded you, that it may be well with you.’
Jeremiah 7:22-23

This is an excerpt from a sobering indictment laid against the people of Israel in Jeremiah 7.  God is addressing a problem in which the backslidden nation continued to observe the temple ordinances and the sacrifices He had commanded through Moses, while also actively participating in idol worship, and just about every immoral act there is (see verses 8-11). They were doing some of the 'right' things so they believed they were okay no matter what else they did. Actually, they were flagrantly neglecting the main thing that God requires of His people: wholehearted obedience.

God did not commend them for continuing to make sacrifices and serve in the temple 'despite the other stuff' they had made a habit of doing. He charged them, that they had not obeyed Him nor walked in His ways. Partial obedience is disobedience. Because they had long chosen to "follow the counsel and dictates of their evil hearts"(vs. 24), when confronted, these deceived, self-deceived, and hard-hearted people, actually had no conviction of their sins. In fact, even before the indictment was laid against them through the prophet's message, God told Jeremiah that the people were not going to obey or answer. That's how 'far gone' their hearts were turned against God.

A Christian's lifestyle is not a matter of merely upholding some level of Christian observances and traditions, 'bible talk', or fond feelings towards Christ. For those who are His own, it is a matter of obeying Him wholeheartedly. Just as with these Israelites, many times there is an ongoing and telling mixture of profane things in the lifestyle and habits of those who profess faith in Jesus. Many times our 'sacrifices' are empty because in our hearts we lack the main things: obedience and the fear of the Lord. God's commands call us to a relationship with Him based on wholehearted obedience. This is the only proof of our love for Him. We cannot have God and love the world or the things of the world. No amount of 'sacrifices' of Christian ordinances will make up for what we lack. He knows those who are His.

Obedience is a choice, but His commands are not burdensome! Consider that the rewards of obedience are eternal. He promises our security, our peace, eternal life and above all, the surpassing pleasure of knowing Him - not just knowing about Him. Let's not allow our hearts to be hardened by the deceitfulness of sin. Obedience is better than sacrifice. As someone has said, the main thing is to keep the main thing, the main thing. Obedience is God's main thing.