14 ‘ But if you do not obey Me and do not carry out all these commandments, 15 if, instead, you reject My statutes, and if your soul abhors My ordinances so as not to carry out all My commandments, {and} so break My covenant, 16 I, in turn, will do this to you: I will appoint over you a sudden terror, consumption and fever …17 ‘I will set My face against you so that you will be struck down before your enemies…18 ‘If also after these things you do not obey Me, then I will punish you seven times more for your sins. 19 ‘I will also break down your pride of power; I will also make your sky like iron and your earth like bronze. 20 ‘ Your strength will be spent uselessly, for your land will not yield its produce and the trees of the land will not yield their fruit. 21 ‘If then, you act with hostility against Me and are unwilling to obey Me, I will increase the plague on you seven times according to your sins. 22 ‘ I will let loose among you the beasts of the field… 23 ‘ And if by these things you are not turned to Me, but act with hostility against Me, 24 then I will act with hostility against you; and I, even I, will strike you seven times for your sins. 25 ‘I will also bring upon you a sword which will execute vengeance for the covenant …I will send pestilence among you, so that you shall be delivered into enemy hands….

27 ‘Yet if in spite of this you do not obey Me, but act with hostility against Me, 28 then I will act with wrathful hostility against you, and I, even I, will punish you seven times for your sins…. 30 ‘I then will destroy your high places, and cut down your incense altars, and heap your remains on the remains of your idols, for My soul shall abhor you. 31 ‘I will lay waste your cities as well and will make your sanctuaries desolate, and I will not smell your soothing aromas.

• God expects His people to fulfill the terms of the New Covenant.
• God will punish Old/First Covenant religionists .
• In verse 31, God says that he will not smell the soothing aromas of His people. Soothing aromas are symbolic of prayer.
• God will not hear the prayers of those who are not New Covenant disciples who follow his spiritual laws.

42 ” And the LORD said to me, ‘Say to them, “Do not go up nor fight, for I am not among you; otherwise you will be defeated before your enemies.'” 43 “So I spoke to you, but you would not listen. Instead you rebelled against the command of the LORD, and acted presumptuously and went up into the hill country. 44 ” The Amorites who lived in that hill country came out against you and chased you as bees do, and crushed you from Seir to Hormah. 45 “Then you returned and wept before the LORD; but the LORD did not listen to your voice nor give ear to you.

4 So all the elders of Israel gathered together and came to Samuel at Ramah. 5 They said to him, “You are old, and your sons do not follow your ways; now appoint a king to lead us, such as all the other nations have.”

JOB 35:9-15  he Message

9 “When times get bad, people cry out for help. They cry for relief from being kicked around, 10 But never give God a thought when things go well, when God puts spontaneous songs in their hearts, 11 When God sets out the entire creation as a science classroom, using birds and beasts to teach wisdom. 12 People are arrogantly indifferent to God – until, of course, they’re in trouble, and then God is indifferent to them. 13 There’s nothing behind such prayers except panic; the Almighty pays them no mind. 14 So why would he notice you just because you say you’re tired of waiting to be heard, 15 Or waiting for him to get good and angry and do something about the world’s problems?

• God does not answer religious people who are proud and arrogant.
• He is not fooled by our cries for help.
• He refuses to listen to or answer pleas, which are vain and empty.
• Because of our pride, God does not listen when we say that we are waiting for Him to show His righteous judgment for a cause we have put before Him.

9 “Men cry out under a load of oppression; they plead for relief from the arm of the powerful. 10 But no one says, ‘Where is God my Maker, who gives songs in the night, 11 who teaches more to us than to the beasts of the earth and makes us wiser than the birds of the air?’ 12 He does not answer when men cry out because of the arrogance of the wicked. 13 Indeed, God does not listen to their empty plea; the Almighty pays no attention to it. 14 How much less, then, will he listen when you say that you do not see him, that your case is before him and you must wait for him, 15 and further, that his anger never punishes and he does not take the least notice of wickedness.

• God does not answer religious people who are proud and arrogant.
• He is not fooled by our cries for help.
• He refuses to listen to or answer pleas, which are vain and empty.
• Because of our pride, God does not listen when we say that we are waiting for Him to show His righteous judgment for a cause we have put before Him.

3 Who may ascend into the hill of the LORD? And who may stand in His holy place? 4 He who has clean hands and a pure heart, Who has not lifted up his soul to falsehood And has not sworn deceitfully. 5 He shall receive a blessing from the God of his salvation.

16 But to the wicked God says, “What right have you to tell of My statutes And to take My covenant in your mouth? 17 “For you hate discipline, And you cast My words behind you.

18 If I regard wickedness in my heart, The Lord will not hear;

PROVERBS 1:23-31                             New American Standard

22 “How long, O naive ones, will you love being simple-minded? And scoffers delight themselves in scoffing And fools hate knowledge? 23 “Turn to my reproof, Behold, I will pour out my spirit on you; I will make my words known to you. 24 “Because I called and you refused, I stretched out my hand and no one paid attention; 25 And you neglected all my counsel And did not want my reproof; 26 I will also laugh at your calamity; I will mock when your dread comes, 27 When your dread comes like a storm And your calamity comes like a whirlwind, When distress and anguish come upon you. 28 “Then they will call on me, but I will not answer; They will seek me diligently but they will not find me, 29 Because they hated knowledge And did not choose the fear of the LORD. 30 “They would not accept my counsel, They spurned all my reproof. 31 “So they shall eat of the fruit of their own way And be satiated with their own devices. 32 “For the waywardness of the naive will kill them, And the complacency of fools will destroy them. 33 “But he who listens to me shall live securely And will be at ease from the dread of evil.”

• When we reject His spiritual laws (i.e. counsel).
• When we fail to repent when we hear His rebuke.
• When we refuse His call to come out of religion.
• When we love human knowledge but hate spiritual knowledge.
• When we don’t fear the Lord.
• When we reject His hand extended to rescue us and choose to continue in our rebellion.

29 The LORD is far from the wicked, But He hears the prayer of the righteous.

13 He who shuts his ear to the cry of the poor Will also cry himself and not be answered.

PROVERBS 28:9

9 He who turns away his ear from listening to the law, Even his prayer is an abomination. New American Standard

9 If a person will not listen to Torah, even his prayer is an abomination. Complete Jewish Bible

11 ” What are your multiplied sacrifices to Me?” Says the LORD. “I have had enough of burnt offerings of rams And the fat of fed cattle; And I take no pleasure in the blood of bulls, lambs or goats. 12 “When you come to appear before Me, Who requires of you this trampling of My courts? 13 “Bring your worthless offerings no longer, Incense is an abomination to Me. New moon and Sabbath, the calling of assemblies– I cannot endure iniquity and the solemn assembly. 14 “I hate your new moon {festivals} and your appointed feasts, They have become a burden to Me; I am weary of bearing {them.} 15 “So when you spread out your hands {in prayer,} I will hide My eyes from you; Yes, even though you multiply prayers, I will not listen. Your hands are covered with blood; 16 wash and make yourselves clean. Take your evil deeds out of my sight! Stop doing wrong, 17 learn to do right! Seek justice, encourage the oppressed. Defend the cause of the fatherless, plead the case of the widow.

• Our sacrifices and worship are for show and not from the heart.
• If we have not confessed and repented of practicing the sin of religion.
• When we observe religious traditions and rituals.
• When our prayers are not accompanied by our efforts to bring justice to people enslaved to religion.

1 Behold, the LORD’S hand is not so short That it cannot save; Nor is His ear so dull That it cannot hear. 2 But your iniquities have made a separation between you and your God, And your sins have hidden {His} face from you so that He does not hear. 3 For your hands are defiled with blood And your fingers with iniquity; Your lips have spoken falsehood, Your tongue mutters wickedness

• Practice of the sin of religion separates us from God.
• The sin of religion has hidden His face from us so He will not hear.

1 I am the man who has seen affliction Because of the rod of His wrath. 2 He has driven me and made me walk In darkness and not in light. 3 Surely against me He has turned His hand Repeatedly all the day. 4 He has caused my flesh and my skin to waste away, He has broken my bones. 5 He has besieged and encompassed me with bitterness and hardship. 6 In dark places He has made me dwell, Like those who have long been dead. 7 He has walled me in so that I cannot go out; He has made my chain heavy. 8 Even when I cry out and call for help, He shuts out my prayer. 9 He has blocked my ways with hewn stone; He has made my paths crooked. 10 He is to me like a bear lying in wait, {Like} a lion in secret places. 11 He has turned aside my ways and torn me to pieces; He has made me desolate

37 Who is there who speaks and it comes to pass, Unless the Lord has commanded {it?} 38 {Is it} not from the mouth of the Most High That both good and ill go forth? 39 Why should {any} living mortal, or {any} man, Offer complaint in view of his sins? 40 Let us examine and probe our ways, And let us return to the LORD. 41 We lift up our heart and hands Toward God in heaven; 42 We have transgressed and rebelled, You have not pardoned. 43 You have covered {Yourself} with anger And pursued us; You have slain {and} have not spared. 44 You have covered Yourself with a cloud So that no prayer can pass through. 45 {You have made us mere} offscouring and refuse In the midst of the peoples. New American Standard

37 Who do you think “spoke and it happened”? It’s the Master who gives such orders. 38 Doesn’t the High God speak everything, good things and hard things alike, into being? 39 And why would anyone gifted with life complain when punished for sin? 40 Let’s take a good look at the way we’re living and reorder our lives under God. 41 Let’s lift our hearts and hands at one and the same time, praying to God in heaven: 42 “We’ve been contrary and willful, and you haven’t forgiven. 43 “You lost your temper with us, holding nothing back. You chased us and cut us down without mercy. 44 You wrapped yourself in thick blankets of clouds so no prayers could get through. The Message

7 You husbands in the same way, live with your wives in an understanding way, as with someone weaker, since she is a woman; and show her honor as a fellow heir of the grace of life, so that your prayers will not be hindered.