The Israelites appeared to have set up a model religious community. They loved the worship of the solemn assembly and delighted to sit under the reading and teaching of God’s laws. On the day of a fast they humbled themselves in sackcloth and ashes. Yet the Lord was angry with them (Deut. 9:8)!
They failed to appreciate the wider implications of their spiritual instruction, looking after their own interests but disregarding the needs of others. Their display of enthusiasm for God was nothing more than hollow ritualism. The condemning evidence of their sinful neglect was apparent. The poor, the hungry, and the afflicted among them still remained oppressed and unassisted! True religion is more than a love for right doctrine and correct worship (James 1:27). Next to our faith in the Lord, first aid to our neighbor evidences spiritual reality.
Gems From My Reading