They turned an otherwise wonderful inheritance into an evil inheritance. This implies that a wonderful inheritance can be turned into an evil inheritance. Many preachers are not emphasizing this and that is why a lot of Christians are narrow and shallow. These preachers present grace as is it is a licence to sin. Meanwhile, the Apostle of grace says, “Shall we continue in sin, that grace may abound? God forbid. How shall we that are dead to sin live any longer therein?” Rom. 6:1-2.
What God is saying here, in essence, is this – I have a wonderful inheritance for you but see what you have done. In the exercise of your will, you have inadvertently converted a wonderful inheritance into an evil inheritance.
Verse 10-11, “Look around you and see if you can find another nation anywhere that has traded in its old gods for new ones – even though their gods are nothing. Send to the west to the island of Cyprus; send to the east to the deserts of Kedar. See if anyone there has ever heard so strange a thing as this. And yet my people have given up their glorious God for silly idols!” Who did the exchange? God’s chosen people, of course.
Verse 12 & 18, “The heavens are shocked at such a thing and shrink back in horror and dismay. What have you gained by your alliances with Egypt and with Assyria?” What do you gain by aligning with people that God abhor? What have you gained by your evil association? There is pain in love. When the object of your love is not measuring up and is going the wrong way, naturally, you will be pained.
2 Cor. 5:13-14, “Are we insane to say such things about ourselves? If so, it is to bring glory to God. And if we are in our right minds, it is for your benefit. Whatever we do, it is certainly not for our won profit, but because Christ’s love controls us now. Since we believe that Christ died for all of us, we should also believe that we have died to old life we used to live.” How many people are ready to bury the old man? Being in Christ means being comprehensively immersed in Christ, not partially, not selectively or even ninety percent. Some people have their fingers in Christ and they proclaim that they are in Christ. If that be the case, where is the head? Since Christ died for all, we are no longer expected to live for self. This is the point of departure. If he is not the Lord in all, he is not the Lord at all. You want to run your old life; go to Church only on Sunday morning and then declare that all things are become new when deep down in your heart you know that old things are still there. How many people have dealt with their pre-conversion predisposition? How much of your old man have you crucified? As long as there is an old man, you are carrying an evil inheritance.