Lip-service; or, the peril of losing the heart out of our piety.
There was a time when Israel rendered heart-service to God. There was a life in the Mosaic system. Taking a figure from the sacrifice which Noah offered as consecrating a regenerate earth unto God, there was "a savor of a sweet smell" to rise up to God. The reproach of Isaiah is that the sacrifice was left, but the savor was gone; the husk was left, but the kernel was gone; the form was left, the heart was gone; the voice still spoke, but it had no message to deliver. "They draw near with lip, but heart is far away." And still, whensoever personal piety is failing, men fall back on some past experiences, or else they exaggerate the mere formalities of religious worship and ordinance. Ages of strong faith are very independent of forms. Ages of failing faith always exaggerate forms, If we have little heart for obedience, we put in its place much bowing and kneeling and offering—as if God could not see very deep, and would be taken by appearances (see 1 Samuel 16:7).
I. LIE-SERVICE IS THE REQUIREMENT or GOD. "Whoso offereth praise glorifieth me," saith the Lord. Hoses expresses a right feeling when he leads the people to say, "So will we render the calves of our lips" (Hosea 14:2). To worship God is to make our approaches to him, and to present our adorations to him; it is to draw nigh to him as those that have business with him, with an intention therein to honor him. This we are to do with our mouth and with our lips in speaking of him and in speaking to him. And, if the heart be full of his love and fear, out of the abundance of that heart the mouth will speak. It should be carefully pointed out that the modern neglect of meetings for worship, praise, and prayer is as sad a sign of failing heart-love for God as is the exaggeration of formal rites and ceremonies. It must be plainly and forcibly urged that God calls for due expression of our piety; he asks for "life-service."
II. LIP-SERVICE ONLY IS AN OFFENCE UNTO GOD. Because it is worthless. God the Spirit cannot be satisfied with things; he asks for spirit, for emotion, affection, thankfulness, and trust. "Voice and nothing else" must be mockery to him who can only heed a voice when the heart speaks by means of it. We call that false, in relation to ourselves, which is warm expression of affection for us when there is no heart-love; and such falseness is an offence. And Isaiah tells the rulers that the secret of their falseness is that they have taken to ordering their daily conduct by "the precepts of men," and did not want to obey the Law of God; so they gave him words in place of works.—R.T.