worship (Ex. 4:23; 7:16) to entail a life of total obedience (Deut. 10:12; Josh. 24:14). It was intended to be a matter of a total commitment to God, done gladly and willingly (1 Chr. 28:9; Ps. 100:2). This was what the LORD would bless. In contrast, what was ‘futile’ lacked substance and was worthless (compare the ‘dreams that are false’, Zech. 10:2). Contrary to what they had been taught, they had concluded that serving God was the road to ruin and disaster because it was all a sham and brought
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