Jeremiah 7:1-34

We are usually very adept at convincing ourselves of our own righteousness.  We can easily rationalize our sins so they do not look like sins to us anymore.  This dangerous practice will lead us down a road of deception and destruction.  Jeremiah is called to show Judah the fallacy of their thinking.  Unfortunately, his message fell on deaf ears.  It is a hard thing to admit that we are wrong, but it is impossible to enter into a right relationship with God apart from the recognition of our own sinfulness.  If we think we can continue in sin and still experience the blessings of God because we go to church; we are only kidding ourselves.

JUDAH WAS DELUSIONAL IN THEIR RELIGIOSITY: Jeremiah is called to stand at the gate of the temple and deliver this powerful message.  The instructions were very clear: repent and obey the Lord and you will be able to stay in the land.  God offers multiple opportunities to repent and submit.  He promises to reward us for obedience but even still multitudes of people continue to follow their own standards.  The people had deluded themselves into believing that because of their name and the importance of the temple they would never be destroyed.  God reminds them of the destruction of the temple in Shiloh.  No amount of empty religiosity will preserve us from the wrath of God upon sin.  Repentance and worshipful faith in Him is the only means by which men can escape from the wrath of the Lord.  Deliverance does not come through rituals but through a heart submissive and responsive to the Lord.  Since the people would not respond to God’s instructions; God has decided to deliver them to destruction.


JUDAH WAS DEFIANT IN THEIR REBELLIOUSNESS: God goes so far as to tell Jeremiah not to even bother praying for the people.  They have given themselves completely over to idolatry and God will not tolerate their defiance.  They make offerings to an idol called the Queen of Heaven.  This defiant rebelliousness will soon result in the discipline of the Lord.  God is not pleased with their polluted sacrifice or impressed with their self-righteous attitudes.  Jeremiah will warn them over and over again but God assures Him that they will not even hear him, much less repent and obey the Word of the Lord.  Judah has become undisciplined and unresponsive to the Word of God.  The result of this defiance and rebelliousness will be a banquet for the vultures of that region.  They have followed the pagan practices to the point that the Word of God is no longer heard or thought to be interesting.  God will put this rebellion down and will exercise His wrath on any who seek to defy His authority.  We must recognize the reality of and prepare for the consequences of sin and the glories of heaven.

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Isaiah 54:1-17

Hope is a wonderful blessing from God, without which we would be vulnerable to all kinds of destructive tendencies in our lives.  Today’s society is marked by depression, anger, fear, anxiety and self-righteousness, in large part, because of the sense of hopelessness that prevails in our culture.  Isaiah writes to a people who are about to be taken into captivity because of their sin.  God knows that they will feel rejected, threatened and hopeless so He reveals His future plans for the nation in order to give them hope in the midst of the coming trial.  Hope is the expectation of good based upon the promises of God.  Many times when our lives are marked by the sins mentioned above it is because we have forgotten or failed to focus upon the promises of God’s Word. THE PROMISE OF GOD: From the very first day that God revealed His plan for the nation of Israel, He promised numerous descendants.  God chose Abraham, not because he was more righteous than a...
Read more

2 Timothy 1:3-7

I thank God   whom I serve, as did my ancestors,   with a clear conscience, as I remember you   constantly in my prayers night and day.    As I remember your tears,   I long to see you, that I may be filled with joy.    I am reminded of   your sincere faith, a faith that dwelt first in your grandmother Lois and   your mother Eunice and now, I am sure, dwells in you as well.    For this reason I remind you   to fan into flame the gift of God, which is in you through the laying on of my hands, for God gave us   a spirit not of fear but   of power and love and self-control. It is easy for us to forget many important things especially in the face of difficulty or danger.  Paul is in prison and Timothy is facing difficult times in ministry so there are important reminders that Paul wants to make sure that Timothy understands.  God has given us everything we need to face the difficulties He allows i...
Read more

2 Timothy 1:8-14

Therefore   do not be ashamed of   the testimony about our Lord, nor of   me his prisoner, but   share in suffering for the gospel by the power of God,   who saved us and   called us to a holy calling,   not because of our works but because of   his own purpose and grace, which he gave us in Christ Jesus   before the ages began, and which now has   been manifested through   the appearing of our Savior Christ Jesus,   who abolished death and   brought life and   immortality to light through the gospel, for which I was appointed a preacher and apostle and teacher, which is why I suffer as I do. But   I am not ashamed, for   I know whom I have believed, and I am convinced that he is able to guard until   that day   what has been entrusted to me.  Follow   the pattern of   the sound words   that you have heard from me, in   the faith and love that are in Christ Jesus. ...
Read more