Leviticus 26:14-20: a reflection

14“‘But if you will not listen to me, and will not do all these commandments, 15and if you shall reject my statutes, and if your soul abhors my ordinances, so that you will not do all my commandments, but break my covenant, 16I also will do this to you: I will appoint terror over you, even consumption and fever, that shall consume the eyes, and make the soul to pine away. You will sow your seed in vain, for your enemies will eat it. 17I will set my face against you, and you will be struck before your enemies. Those who hate you will rule over you; and you will flee when no one pursues you. 18“‘If you in spite of these things will not listen to me, then I will chastise you seven times more for your sins. 19I will break the pride of your power, and I will make your sky like iron, and your soil like bronze. 20Your strength will be spent in vain; for your land won’t yield its increase, neither will the trees of the land yield their fruit.

This passage sets out the sober consequences of persistently refusing to listen to God. If the people will not listen, God warns, hardship will come; and if they still will not listen, the discipline will intensify, seven times over. And one phrase captures the futility of resisting God: your strength will be spent in vain. Those who set themselves against God, refusing to listen, will find their strength poured out for nothing, their efforts fruitless, striving against the God who cannot be resisted to any good end.

Notice the phrase: your strength will be spent in vain. To resist God, to refuse persistently to listen to him, is not only sin but futility; the strength poured into resisting him is spent for nothing, achieving nothing good. God cannot be successfully resisted; those who set themselves against him spend their strength in vain, laboring against the One who governs all. And the discipline that follows persistent refusal escalates, God's severe mercy pressing harder to turn the stubborn back before it is too late.

That warning about the futility of resisting God is worth heeding. We can set ourselves against God, refusing persistently to listen to him, resisting his call and his commands; but such resistance is spent in vain, achieving nothing good, laboring against the God who cannot be resisted to any good end. And it invites the escalating discipline meant to turn us back. Do not spend your strength resisting God, refusing persistently to listen to him; it is futile, strength spent in vain, and it invites the discipline that presses harder the longer we resist. Rather than pouring your strength into resisting God, turn and listen to him before the discipline must escalate to turn you back. The strength spent resisting God is spent in vain; better to yield and listen now than to labor fruitlessly against him, spending your strength for nothing and inviting the harder discipline that persistent refusal brings.

Lord, this passage sets out the sober consequences of persistently refusing to listen to you, hardship escalating seven times over, and one phrase captures the futility of resisting you: your strength will be spent in vain. Help me heed that warning. I can set myself against you, refusing persistently to listen, resisting your call and your commands; but such resistance is spent in vain, achieving nothing good, laboring against you, who cannot be resisted to any good end. And it invites the escalating discipline meant to turn me back. Keep me from spending my strength resisting you, refusing persistently to listen; it is futile, strength spent in vain, and it invites the discipline that presses harder the longer I resist. Rather than pouring my strength into resisting you, help me turn and listen to you before the discipline must escalate to turn me back. The strength spent resisting you is spent in vain; better to yield and listen now than to labor fruitlessly against you, spending my strength for nothing. Help me yield and listen to you now, Lord, rather than resisting you in vain.