Latest / Journey Elgin / Journey Through Scripture- Jeremiah 1-6
Transcript
- Phillip Thomas: It's great to see you today. Welcome to our journey through scripture. My name is Philip Thomas, pastor of journey here in Elgin. And today we're going to be looking at Jeremiah chapters one through six, Jeremiah chapters one through six. All right. So we are at that place. We kind of talked about, ⁓ where a couple of things are going on at once. One, ⁓ the Southern kingdom or Judah has already messed up to the point that they are going to be receiving a judgment from God. But yet King Josiah has come in and he is making major changes. He has a true heart change. He really desires to be faithful to God and to follow God and is going about making all kinds of changes, getting rid of all the pagan idols and things like that. ⁓ And God says through the prophetess Huldah, if you remember, said that, okay, the... the die is cast, if you will, ⁓ the nation is going to experience ⁓ a punishment from God and that they would be overtaken eventually, but that it would not happen during the time of King Josiah. So King Josiah is going through and making his changes. ⁓ This is when you have Jeremiah, the prophet Jeremiah come into the picture. Jeremiah, it's very difficult. to know the chronology of Jeremiah. It's kind of a little bit all over the place, but we know what happens during King Josiah's reign. So ⁓ Jeremiah, again, is basically telling the people, here's what's coming. Here's what's going to happen. There's really not even a call to repentance because the people have already chosen not to repent. Now, again, this wouldn't... wouldn't mean that everyone has chosen to live a life away from God, but overall they have. And Jeremiah is kind of an interesting ⁓ character in Scripture because basically he goes and he preaches and he preaches and he preaches, but no one ever really listens to him and it's not really going to make a difference. It's a tough thing. Some people call ⁓ Jeremiah the weeping prophet. ⁓ that he doesn't see any fruit really from what God has called him to do. In that, he doesn't see repentance. People do not respond in a positive way. In fact, people do not like him at all. You have Isaiah, who he wasn't liked by the kings because they didn't like what he said, but yet he was respected as a prophet. ⁓ And even the kings that didn't like him would still seek his advice because they knew he was a prophet. Well, for Jeremiah, the people just, the king and the people themselves just didn't really want to listen to what Jeremiah had to say because things were actually going okay. Things were, know, King Josiah, some of the things that he was doing were good things. ⁓ The nation of Assyria was crumbling. ⁓ which gave ⁓ more freedom to the kingdom of Judah. ⁓ And so things were going well. It appeared like things were going well. But again, morally and spiritually, the people had already turned their back on God and they were eventually going to experience ⁓ the results of that. So if you start in Jeremiah, again, we'll just go through the first six chapters today. ⁓ there in chapter one, it says, the words of Jeremiah, the son of Hilkiah, the priest who were in Anoth and the land of Benjamin, to whom the word of the Lord came in the days of Josiah, the son of Amnon, king of Judah, in the 13th year of his reign. It also came in the days of ⁓ Jehoiakim, the son of Josiah. So after Josiah dies, Jeremiah is still there. And he also, has a ministry and preaches after Babylon comes in and ⁓ wipes out ⁓ Jerusalem as well. The prophet is called, I think it's an important part to read, verse four, then the word of the Lord came to me saying, before I formed you in the womb, I knew you before you were born, I sanctified you, I ordained you a prophet to the nations. So God was specifically calling Jeremiah to this task. This was something that Jeremiah was made for. And there is definitely a connection there. Before I formed you in the womb, I knew you. I was just talking about God's sovereignty, how God is intimately involved in life. Before you were born, I sanctify you that God has created all of us with a purpose, that we are all, again, created in the image of God. Then I said, Lord God, behold, I cannot speak for I am a youth. So Jeremiah, kind of like Moses, kind of like many of the people, he didn't want to go speak, especially whenever he finds out what God wants him to speak. But he says, I'm too young. But the Lord said, do not say I'm a youth for you shall go to all to whom I send you and whatever I command you, you shall speak. Do not be afraid of their faces for I am with you to deliver you, says the Lord. So, you know, what an amazing ⁓ promise that he gives Jeremiah. And he acknowledged it's not going to be easy, right? By saying, not fear their faces means Jeremiah is going to be fearful that there's going to be difficult times. But God promises that, he says, for I am with you and will deliver you, says the Lord. Then the Lord put forth his hand and touched my mouth. And the Lord said to me, behold, I have put my words in your mouth. See, I have this day set over you. you over the nations and over the kingdoms, to root out and to pull down, to destroy and to throw down, to build and to plant." You know, God is a God who is both a God who will tear down and destroy, but He's also a God who builds and plants. And that is what Jeremiah, his ministry covers that time frame where the people of God are being torn down. Jerusalem will be torn down, but then they will return and they will begin to build and to plant again. says, Moreover, the word of the Lord came to me saying, Jeremiah, what do you see? I said, I see a branch of an almond tree. And the Lord said, You have seen well, for I'm ready to perform my word. It says, then the Lord said in verse 14, out of the north calamity shall break forth. on all the inhabitants of the land. For behold, I am calling all the families of the kingdoms of the north," says the Lord. They shall come, and each one set his throne at the entrance of the gates of Jerusalem. And it says, verse 16, I will utter my judgments against them concerning all their wickedness, because they have forsaken me, burned incense to other gods, and worshiped the works of their own hands. Therefore, prepare yourself and arise and speak to them all I command you. Do not be dismayed before their faces. lest I dismay you before them. For behold, I have made you this day a fortified city and an iron pillar." So this is neat. This is what he's saying to Jeremiah. I have made you a fortified city and iron pillar, a bronze walls against the whole land, against the kings of Judah, against his princes, against his priest, and against the people of the land. They will fight against you, but they shall not prevail against you, for I am with you, says the Lord, to deliver you. ⁓ God is really reassuring Jeremiah because he knows his message is not going to be popular. People, they're not going to want to hear that the judgment that is coming. They would just rather enjoy life the way that it's going ⁓ at the present time. So then chapter 2, really 2 through 6 is kind of one of the case against Israel, just over and over again how Israel has ⁓ gone against what God desires. So I encourage you to read that. There's definitely things that jump out. It Thus says the Lord, I remember you, the kindness of your youth, the love of your betrothed. When you went after me in the wilderness, in the land not sown, Israel was holiness to the Lord. ⁓ And so he's talking about how Israel is his people, and he remembers that, and his heart is broken. It says, the word of the Lord, O house of Jacob, the families of the house of Israel. Thus says the Lord, verse 5, What injustice have your fathers found in me, that they have gone far from me, have followed idols, and have become idolaters? So God is saying, what have I done for you to search after other gods? And that's an important question for us. Why would it ever be worth it for us to go against God and to seek other gods? That's what the people are now experiencing. Verse 8 says, I thought that's an interesting line, pursuing things that may appear to be profitable, but they are not. They actually lead to death and destruction. Verse 13 says, for my people have committed two evils. They have forsaken me, the fountain of living waters, and hewn themselves cisterns, broken cisterns that can hold no water. Now, what is this saying? So it's saying one, they have forsaken God. God is the one, He is the fountain of living water. He provides the imageries, He's providing ⁓ fresh water that's flowing from a fountain, right? So it's not stagnant. It is water that is there to be used, that is fresh, that is clean. But yet the people have chosen to make their own gods, right? They have followed their own ways. They've made their own cisterns. Cisterns collected water. They collected runoff water. And there'd be, you know, kind of lower spots where the nasty stuff would settle and you would be able to use the water above that. But it wasn't very clean. was... It relied on rain runoff and things like that. So yes, it was usable, but it would become stagnant and it would become very gross and could become disgusting. And on top of that, not only have they exchanged the fountain of the living water that's provided by God, but they've exchanged that for cisterns that are broken. So those cisterns don't even hold water very well. And kind of the image here again is, that they had God, a way of worshiping God, and instead they chose to worship their own way. So they created their own gods, thinking that the water would be just as good, but it is not, and it is actually stagnant and disgusting. So you continue to go on, verse chapter two. ⁓ Again, these are talking about the things that Judah has done. As a thief is ashamed when he is found out, so is the house of Israel ashamed. They and their kings and their princes and priests and their prophets saying to a tree, you are my father to a stone, you gave birth to me." That's again, what are other pagan gods made out of, trees and stones, things that are created. For they have turned their backs to me and not their face. So they still will look towards God, kind of give him a nod. but they are following someone else. They are not following God. But in the time of their trouble, they will say, and save us. But where are your gods that you have made for yourselves? Let them arise. If they can save you in the time of your trouble, for according to the number of your cities are your gods, ⁓ Judah. So they say, and Judah, you've created your own gods. turn your face to me so you still will call upon my name at times, but you're not following me. You're following other gods. You've turned your back to me, so you're following someone else." ⁓ And ⁓ he says, why don't you call on them? Call on those gods. Chapter 3, you know, that talks about how Israel is shameless. There's a call to repentance. It says, have you seen what backsliding Israel has done? She has gone up on every high mountain and under every green tree. and played the harlot. It says, yet for all her treacherous sister Judah has not turned to me with her whole heart, but in pretense, says the Lord. Let's see. And it continues on. We go to the chapter four. If you want to return, ⁓ Israel, says the Lord, return to me. If you will put away your abominations out of my sight, then you shall not be moved. You shall swear the Lord lives in truth, in judgment, and in righteousness. The nation shall bless themselves in Him, and in Him they shall glory. For thus says the Lord to the men of Judah and Jerusalem, break up your fallow ground, do not sow among thorns, circumcise yourselves to the Lord. Take away the foreskins of your heart, you men of Judah and inhabitants of Jerusalem, lest my fury come forth like fire and burn, so that no one can quench it because of the evil of your doings." So, a kind of reminder of what happened in Israel and encouraging Judah to change, but yet they will not. Continuing on, verse 22, For my people are foolish, they have not known me, they are silly children, they have no understanding, they are wise to do evil, but to do good they have no knowledge. I beheld the earth and indeed it was without form and void. It continues on, I beheld and indeed there was no man and all the birds of the heavens had fled. know, so kind of God recognizing, you back to whatever he created. And now those whom he has called, whom he has trusted, have rebelled against him. And he's now saying things are going to be wiped out and we're going to start over in a sense. ⁓ Chapter 5 verse 3, I love this one, says, ⁓ Lord, are not your eyes on the truth? You have stricken them, but they have not grieved. you have consumed them, but they have refused to receive correction. They have made their faces harder than rock. They have refused to return." Right? So God has been giving them the truth, but the people have ⁓ not grieved. They have made excuses and rationalized what they have done. And now they have refused to receive correction. They have refused to return. So verse 18, says, in those days, says the Lord, I will not make a complete end of you. And it will be when you say, Why does the Lord our God do all these things to us? Then you shall answer them, just as you have forsaken me and served for foreign gods in your land, so you shall serve aliens in a land that is not yours." So there's always this idea of a remnant, that there will be those who remember, those who remain faithful. verse 30 and 31, an astonishing and horrible thing has been committed in the land. The prophets prophesy falsely, the priests rule by their own power, and my people love to have it so. But what will you do in the end? So, and then chapter 6 talks about the impending invasion from the north, that it will be Babylon that will come and wipe out ⁓ the people. I love verse 16, says, or ⁓ actually verse it says, because from the least of them, even to the greatest of them, everyone is given to covetousness. And from the prophet, even to the priest, everyone deals falsely. They have also healed the hurt of my people slightly, saying, peace, when there is no peace. So they're saying things are fine, but things are not fine. It says, were they ashamed when they had committed abomination? Were they ashamed when they had committed abomination? No. They were not at all ashamed, nor did they know how to blush. Therefore, they shall fall among those who fall. At the time I punish them, they shall be cast down," says the Lord. You know, it is important that we do at least acknowledge that there are certain acts and sinful lifestyles that we should be ashamed of and actions that we take that we should be ashamed of when we sin against God. We should be ashamed of that. We shouldn't just affirm and say, ⁓ you know what, that's just an appropriate way to live. ⁓ We need to recognize there is a way that we live that honors God and there is a way that dishonors God. And then he says, stand in the ways and see and ask for the old paths where the good way is and walk in it. Then you will find rest for your souls. But they said, we will not walk in it. It's an interesting wording there. Go back to the way that you know, the way that God has showed you in the past. It is still the best way. But the people are saying, no, we're going a different way. We're not going to walk that way. That's something for us to think about. What are the ways that we are going to walk and the ways that we are going to live? I encourage you to think about that and walk in the old ways, the ways that have been laid out. by God to us through His Word. All right, we're going to stop there. I encourage you to read the book of Nahum, chapters 1 through 3. Also, 2 Kings 23, 2 Chronicles 35 and 36, and then Jeremiah 22. So that's the book of Nahum, 2 Kings 23, 2 Chronicles 35 through 36, and Jeremiah 22. All right, we will see you...