33They worshiped the LORD, but they also served their own gods in accordance with the customs of the nations from which they had been brought.
This chapter summarizes the process that Israel took as they walked away from a relationship with the Lord. The final step of that process is outlined in this verse. The words “but they also” says it all. The LORD is holy. We cannot mix worship of Him with anything or anyone else. He is exclusive not inclusive. We live in an era of inclusivity. We want everyone to feel accepted just as they are. We don’t want to impose our beliefs on anyone. That seems to be the worst offense of all. To get branded narrow-minded or bigoted is the death nail in our culture. But this kind of open-mindedness is exactly what got Israel in trouble. They wanted to accommodate everyone, so they accepted practices that dishonored the Lord into their worship practices and into their lives. Serving Jesus wholeheartedly means that we must reject many things. We can’t mix being a Believer with things associated with a non-disciplined life. We can’t have out of control finances and stay the course with Christ. The finances will pull us away from our devotion to Him. We can’t allow our physical sexual desires to rule us, or they will end up ruining our relationships, and maybe killing us. We can’t allow an undisciplined mouth to have control of what we say, or we will end up dishonoring our testimony. I could go on, but you get the point. We must serve Him and Him alone. This is hard! It was hard back then, and it is hard today. Join me as I struggle to be wholehearted in my pursuit of Christ.
The Arnold Journey 