Latest / Teachings On This Day On FerventWord / On Apr 08, 2009: Jeremiah 9
Transcript
- Jeremiah chapter 9. Now, as we finished off last week in Jeremiah chapter 8, It wasn't the conclusion of the things that Jeremiah was saying. His thoughts still continue on. It was kind of mid-thought or halfway through the things that he was sharing when it ended at chapter 8. And so we're picking up where we left off last week. And last week, the thought that we ended with, the thing that kind of was upon my heart there at the end was, how we often neglect to consider what it does to God when we rebel against Him. You know, we often think about the consequences for ourselves. We often maybe consider what would happen to the people around us if we were to rebel, if we were to sin. But often we forget to include in our calculations of whether or not we should rebel against God or not. We forget to consider what our sin does to God. And we become very callous to it. And we think that it does not affect Him at all. And yet we understood there at the end of chapter 8 that our sin brought sorrow and sadness to the Lord. And it's tragic, as we continue in chapter 9, it's tragic to see the state of God's people, and it's even more tragic that there are many who are in this state today, and you and I perhaps have been in this state from time to time, or perhaps you are here in this place right now in the same way that the nation of Israel was. The nation of Israel, actually the nation of Judah, was they were in rebellion to God, but they were still going to church. They were still going to the temple. They were still participating in the sacrifices and going through the routine, and yet their lifestyle was completely contrary to God. And the rest of the week, the rest of the time, they were doing their own thing, living their own lives, and in intentionally, purposefully living a life of rebellion against God. And it's a very tragic state for them to be in. And so Jeremiah, he was in the middle of lamenting. He was saying, man, I'm hurt for the daughter of my people. I'm hurt. I'm in mourning. I'm astonished there at the end of chapter 8. And we continue that thought in chapter 9, verse 1. This is Jeremiah speaking. He says, God responds in verse 3, he says, And like their bow, they have bent their tongues for lies. They are not valiant for the truth on the earth, for they proceed from evil to evil, and they do not know me, says the Lord." Here's the real issue that we're dealing with tonight. God says, they do not know me. Here's the problem with the nation of Judah, God says. They don't know me. Now Jeremiah starts out and you can see that he's in deep mourning. He says, look, if only my eyes, well, if my head were waters and my eyes were a fountain of tears, I can't Cry enough, Jeremiah is saying. There's not enough tears for me to cry out. If only my head were waters and then I could cry proportionately to what is taking place and the tragedy that is happening among God's people. He says, man, if only I could get away from here. If only I had this lodging place and I could go out from them because they're treacherous. They're adulterers. Spiritually, they were adulterers. They were worshiping other gods. The place that God required and desired, the rightful place of God, was given to other things, to other gods that they worshiped. And so Jeremiah is torn up, he's weeping and that's why we often refer to Jeremiah as the weeping prophet. But he's the weeping prophet because he accurately represents God's heart. God's heart is broken over the state of his people. And so as Jeremiah is lamenting, as he's weeping, as he's crying out, God says, and like their bow, they've bent their tongues for life. He says, look, he adds on to what Jeremiah is saying. He finishes Jeremiah's sentence because this is also the state of God's heart that he is weeping. He is mourning over the state of his people. He says they're bent on evil. They're not valiant for the truth. That's a really powerful phrase, to be valiant for the truth. I think it's worthy of some meditation. Are you valiant for the truth? But God says, look, they're not valiant from the truth. They proceed from evil to evil. And then He sums it up saying, and they do not know Me, says the Lord. This is the real problem. They do not know God. To not know God is tragic, especially today. When you're God's people. To not know God is tragic. And it should bring us to the heart of God. To a state of mourning. A state of weeping. As we see God's people and yet they do not know God. The whole point of Christianity is about knowing God. And having a relationship with God. The whole point of man being created from the beginning was about knowing. Man knowing God and having a relationship with God. It's the whole point of our existence. And so it's a great tragedy. It's cause for weeping. It's cause for mourning and sorrow when God's people do not know Him. And it should cause us as well for our own selves not to be so callous about our state and our warm backslidden conditions when we're in that place. But we should understand that it's tragic when we are not walking with God. It's something that we'll continue to see the mourning and the weeping that goes on in Jeremiah chapter 9. It's something to be lamented greatly and severely. There's nothing worse. There's nothing worse than for God's people to not know God. There's nothing worse than that. It's the whole point of the cross. It's the whole point of Jesus Christ coming upon this earth. It's the whole point of our existence, to know God. And so Jeremiah is weeping. He's lamenting. God joins him because their hearts are united as they see the state of the nation of Judah. God continues on in verse 4. He says, Through deceit, notice what God says, they refuse to know me, says the Lord. They refuse to know me. Again, this is about having relationship with God. And the nation of Judah, they're going through the outward motions, they're going through the rituals, they're doing the sacrifices, but they do not know God. And through deceit, they refuse to know God. And so God says, watch out. Take heed to the people around you. God's bringing to their attention, listen, you guys are living in scary conditions. You need to watch out for your neighbor, for your brother, because, well, the state of people who do not know God is, well, those are not people that you want to have around you. They supplant, they slander, they deceive, they lie, they continue and commit iniquity, they sin against God. If a person is willing to compromise in their relationship with God, the most important relationship, don't think that your relationship with them is secure. Oh, they're willing to rebel against God, but they will never hurt me or they will never harm me. God says, look, you need to watch out. You're around people that do not know me. You're around people that refuse to know me. They are capable of anything. They will steal rightful position, your rightful position. They will slander you behind your back. They'll deceive you to your face. They've trained their tongues to speak lies and they weary themselves. They wear themselves out. They work really hard at committing iniquity. So God says, take heed, watch out, be aware. It's a dangerous place to be. God says, your dwelling place is in the midst of deceit. This is where you live. And through deceit, they refuse to know me. It's deceitful what they're doing. Because they're, well, like we looked at in James, right? They're deceiving themselves. They're going through the motions. They're going through the religious practices. But through deceit, they refuse to know me. Faking relationship with God is refusing to know God. Faking relationship with God is refusing to know God. If we're faking it, if it's just an outward show, if it's just about the appearance, it's us refusing to have a real relationship with God. And so God is torn up over this. And so it says in verse 7, Therefore, thus says the Lord of hosts, Behold, I will refine them and try them. For how shall I deal with the daughter of my people? Their tongue is an arrow shot out. It speaks deceit. One speaks peaceably to his neighbor with his mouth, but in his heart he lies in wait. Shall I not punish them for these things, says the Lord? Shall I not avenge myself on a nation, on such a nation as this? God, as he's continuing to regarding the nation of Judah, he says, look, this is why, this is what brought me to this point. Behold, pay attention. I'm going to refine them. I'm going to try them. I'm going to bring some tests into their life. And he asked the question, how shall I deal with the daughter of my people? He's saying, look, this is what I'm going to do. What do you suggest? Are you suggesting that I'm not doing the right thing God is asking? He says, look at what they're doing. With their tongue, they speak well and they speak peaceably with their neighbor. But in their hearts, they're plotting a trap. They're setting an ambush. They're lying in wait. They're putting on the show. They're talking peaceably with their neighbor and saying good things and wonderful things and pleasant things. But in their heart, they're planning on, they're plotting, how can I get this? How can I get the upper hand? How can I... Take this from them. They're lying in wait, setting an ambush. They're talking with their co-workers and they're speaking peaceably and wonderfully and then with the boss they're saying, oh man, this guy does a terrible job and I could do it much better. They're setting an ambush. They're trying to connive and cheat and work their way, but they're putting on the nice face. God says, so what am I supposed to do? This is the way that they are. What should I do with them? In verse 9, he says, shall I not punish them for these things? It's a rhetorical question, of course, because the answer is yes. It's just, it's right, it's what God must do and we can look and understand and say, yes. God says, shall I not avenge myself on a nation such as this? God, in this place, he's forced to deal with his people, but he's not excited about it. And it's something we see often in the scriptures that God's not like so anxious and joyful over bringing these tests and these purification times into their life and purging them and refining them and bringing trouble in their midst and bringing punishment and consequences. He's not seeking for an excuse to do that. He's demonstrating that he's forced into this position by the stubbornness of the people and their rebellion against him. God is forced to deal with his people in this way. It's tragic that they do not know him. It's undesirable for him. He's not wanting to test them and put them through or allow the sufferings and consequences for them to experience those things. But God says, look, what else can I do? This is how they are. This is who they are. This is what they're like. They forced me into this position. Now, there is a better way. God says in Isaiah 48 verse 10, He tells them, Hey, I've refined you, but not as silver. I've tested you in the furnace of affliction. Now, if we... put God in this position by rebelling against Him and refusing to return and putting on the face and, you know, by deceit, faking our relationship but refusing to know God, God will still seek to get our attention. He'll still seek to get us to repentance, to get us back into right relationship with Him because He loves us too much to let us go. He's not going to just let us go and say, well, forget about it. They're not trying hard enough. No, He'll try harder. He'll... Work to get our attention. He'll work to bring us to the realization so that we can turn and repent. And so, He refines. Not as silver, but sometimes He tests in the furnace of affliction. Now, we need to be careful to not then assume that every affliction is a testing because of sin. But, when there is sin in our hearts and in our lives, when there is issues that God needs to deal with, very often He will use the furnace of affliction. The furnace of affliction. But there's a better way. There's a better way than the furnace of affliction. There's a better way. You don't have to put God in that position. In Psalm chapter 32, God is speaking. He says, look, I want to lead you and I want to guide you. I want to lead you with my eye. Now, how gentle is that? You know, God just kind of looks in the direction He wants you to go and then you can go in it. That's gentle, right? It's not even like taking your hand and pulling you. It's just like saying, hey, go that way. We have the opportunity to respond to God just when He looks in the direction, when He speaks to us, we can respond. God goes on in Psalm 32 to say, Don't be like the horse or like the mule, which have no understanding, which must be harnessed with bit and bridle, else they will not come near you. God says, look, I want you to come near me. I want you to get to know me. I want right relationship with you. Don't be like the horse or the mule where you have to strap their face in, put this thing in their mouth and grab hold of it and yank on it and pull it so that they come near you. Don't be like that, God says. There's a better way. Listen, I want to lead you. I'm going to speak to you. I want to guide you and guide you with my eye. I want to be gentle and I want to give you the direction that you need to go and it does not have to be that I'm forcing you or that I'm putting this furnace of affliction in your life so that you're able to then draw near to me. God says, look, you can respond to my voice. You can respond to my leading. You can respond to my prompting. Here the nation of Judah is forcing God. Because He loves them too much to just let them go. He's going to refine them. The furnace of affliction. The nation of Babylon is going to come and conquer and level the place. They're going to be taken away captive. Many are going to be put to death in the battle. Many are going to starve to death in the siege that leads up to it. It's going to be devastating. It's going to be tragic and horrible. There's a better way. There's a better way. It's a reminder for us to respond to God when He speaks to your heart. When the Spirit is ministering to you, when God seeks to give you instruction, respond, listen, because He wants you to know Him. Verse 10, we find the beginnings of the consequences for the rebellion. He says, I will take up a weeping and a wailing for the mountains and for the dwelling places of the wilderness, a lamentation. Because they are burned up so that no one can pass through. Nor can men hear the voice of the cattle. Both the birds of the heavens and the beasts have fled. They are gone. I will make Jerusalem a heap of ruins, a den of jackals. I will make the cities of Judah desolate without an inhabitant. Here God says, this is going to be devastating. Jerusalem is going to be deserted. And it's going to be absolutely destroyed. Look at the wording here. Weeping and wailing and lamentation. There's this great mourning that is going on over the state of God's people and the result, the consequences, the effect of that state in their hearts and in their lives. We are too comfortable with sin. with sinful conditions, with sinful hearts, with sinful lifestyles. I will take up a weeping and a wailing for the mountains. Look at the devastating effects of sin. Again, it is tragic to not know God, to not be in right relationship with God. It's tragic. It's a tragedy that should not take place. the result is going to be that it is deserted and destroyed. Now, bring that forward. Fast forward that to Jesus when John chapter 10 verse 10, He says that, Hey, I've come, the thief comes to steal, kill and destroy. Deliver us from the evil one, we pray to the Lord, right? But I have come that they may have life and life more abundant. Abundant life, overflowing life, overwhelming life. is what Jesus came to provide. Don't forget that life without Christ is miserable and empty. God, for the nation of Judah, He set it up, He established it, that they could have relationship with Him, that they could have abundant life. But look how their life turned out. Desolate and destroyed. Life without Christ is miserable and empty. It's a tragedy to not know God. to not be in a right relationship with God. You know, sometimes Christians come to the point where they consider walking away. And often, a person who's in that situation, they're willing to even express that. I'm not really sure that I want to continue on with the Lord. I'm not sure that it's worth it. Sometimes we wrestle with those same thoughts in our own hearts. Is it worth it to follow God? Because we forget that life without Christ, this is it. It's desolate and destroyed. Jesus said, hey, I've come to give you an abundant life. Life overflowing. Joyful life and peace. I've come to give you my life. Everlasting life. Life without Christ is miserable. It's empty. The person is considering walking away. They think they've counted the cost. They think they've got it all figured out. Well, yeah, I can walk away, but this is going to bring me more happiness. This is going to fulfill me and satisfy me even more than what a relationship with God can. But they're deceived. Life without Christ is miserable and empty. The cost of not walking with God is far greater than we can imagine. And to turn away from Him... to allow our sinful lifestyles to take us away from Him, to allow our decisions and choices to remove us from a relationship with Him, or to pull us back or hold us back or slow us down. It takes us from an abundant life that Jesus came to give us to now, it's deserted, it's destroyed, it's empty, it's barrenness without inhabitant. Empty life. Verse 12. Who is the wise man who may understand this? Jeremiah here speaks clearly. You can kind of see Jeremiah and God kind of going back and forth and having this conversation. Jeremiah says, who understands this? Who is wise? Who has the Lord revealed this to? Why this place is like this? Why this land is going to be desolate? How did they come to this point? What has caused this great desolation? This great devastation? What has caused this? And God responds and explains what has caused it in verse 13. He says, Behold, I will feed them, this people, with wormwood and give them water of gall to drink. I will scatter them also among the Gentiles, whom neither they nor their fathers have known. And I will send a sword after them until I have consumed them. God says, I'll tell you what caused this. I'll tell you why this is happening to them. Because they've forsaken my law, which I've set before them. They've forsaken. They've turned from my word. The things I gave to them, the instruction that I gave to them, they've turned from that. That's strike one. Then he says, they've not obeyed my voice, nor walked according to it. Strike two. They've disobeyed God. They've neglected the word of God and they've disobeyed. They've rebelled against God. Strike number three. But they've walked according to the dictates of their own hearts. So in place of walking according to what God has said, they put their own hearts in that place. And they said, no, what I want to do is better. And what I feel like doing is better. And my choices are better. And I'm going to walk and live the life that I want to live. And they've chosen that over the life that God has called them to live. They're walking according to the dictates or could also be translated the stubbornness of their own hearts. They're insisting on my way. It's got to be what I want. I want the life that I want and that's what I'm going to live. And not even God can tell me otherwise. And they've gone after these Baals. They've worshipped these other gods themselves. Instead of the King of Kings and Lord of Lords. This is why. This is the problem. They do not know God. They've neglected His Word. They've refused to obey. They've instead chosen their own way. Chosen to do what they want to do. And so God says, look, that's why I'm going to give this people bitterness. Wormwood. The water of gall. It's these bitter foods. These bitter drinks. Wormwood. They're going to experience great bitterness and I'm going to scatter them. They're going to be dispersed. They're going to be completely consumed by the consequences. You can't outrun them. You can't escape. You're going to experience the effects of sin. God is telling the people. Therefore, he says, because of their state, there's going to be bitterness. You're going to be scattered and you're going to be consumed. To not know God is tragic. to not be in right relationship with God is a tragedy. It's cause for mourning and weeping, lamenting and wailing. It's a terrible place to be. As I was reading my devotional times this last week, this portion in Deuteronomy chapter 19 really stood out to me. And I was reminded of it as I looked at Jeremiah chapter 9 because in Deuteronomy 19 verses 19 and 20, God is talking about the person who has heard the word that was delivered, heard the instruction that God gave. And he's talking about the person who is disobeying that instruction. And so it says, when he, that is this person who is disobeying, when he hears the word of this curse, and then he blesses himself in his heart saying, I shall have peace even though I follow the dictates of my heart. As though the drunkard could be included with the sober. The Lord would not spare him. For then the anger of the Lord and his jealousy would burn against that man, and every curse that is written in this book will settle on him, and the Lord would blot out his name from under heaven. You see, we're too comfortable with sin. And often, you and I have had the same attitude. I shall have peace even though I follow the dictates of my heart. everything's going to be fine. This is, you know, what in the New Testament we'd say, oh, it's grace. You know, God forgives me and I ask for forgiveness and that's, you know, it's grace. I'm covered by grace and there's no problem. I can continue to do these things or I can live in these ways. That's what this person is saying. I shall have peace. He continues to disobey, but he blesses himself in his heart. He says, oh, I'm so blessed. I'm so happy. I'm going to have peace. Even though I'm doing what I want to do, I'm following the dictates of my heart and I'm disobeying God. Oh, I'm so blessed. Things are going to be fine. And God says, as though the sober or the drunkard could be included with the sober. No. Those who rebel against God and those who walk with Him, there's a difference. And yet there's many who deceive themselves and think, hey, I'm going to be okay. Everything's going to be okay because... Well, the temple's here in our midst. Or I said a prayer. Or I go to church. Or I do this. The outward things they're considering are more important. And they're saying, even though I follow the dictates of my own heart, even though I'm just doing what I want to do, even though I'm ignoring God and I know it's wrong, but I just can't and I was raised this way and all the other things that we come up with, even though all these things, I'm going to be blessed. God says, look, that person will not be spared. That person will not be spared. Do not deceive yourself. Don't be deceived. God cannot be mocked. He cannot, He will not, it will not happen. You cannot choose to live in sin and experience what God has for you. You cannot choose to live in sin and escape the consequences. God cannot be mocked, Galatians 6, 7 tells us. It cannot happen. It is impossible. If you sow to the flesh, you'll reap corruption. It's a law. It will happen in every case, in every instance. Without fail, you sow to the flesh, you'll reap corruption. This was the state of the nation of Judah. They refused to know God through deceit. They continued to put on the show. They practiced it. But in their heart and in their lives, they were in rebellion against God. They were sowing to the flesh. And now it's time for them to reap destruction. God cannot be mocked. And so it continues on, verse 17. Thus says the Lord of hosts. Verse 2. Yet hear the word of the Lord, O women, and let your ear receive the word of His mouth. Teach your daughters wailing and everyone her neighbor a lamentation. For death has come through our windows, has entered our palaces to kill off the children no longer to be outside and the young men no longer on the streets. Speak, thus says the Lord. That is what's being said here. He says, look, call for the mourners. In those days, they would have professional mourners. Even still, some cultures do this. They would have professionals who come and would make this great lamentation, this great sound of weeping, these great mournings, so that it would stir up within the people there the emotions and it would cause the weeping to come forth. So he says, call for them. Why? Well, because the destruction is great. People are dying. Lives are being lost. Young, old, there's great destruction and devastation. And there's not going to be anyone left. He says, no one shall gather them at the end. Great mourning, great lamentation. Why? Because to not know God is tragic. It's tragic. You know, it's not just that, well, you know, we're Christians and there's some people that believe other things. Just kind of light and fluffy little idea thought there that, you know, maybe they're not right with God. It's tragic. It's tragic. The effects of sin are devastating. The eternal state of one who does not know God is worse than we can imagine. The judgment of hell is beyond our comprehension. It's a tragedy for people to not know God. It's even worse for God's people to put on the show, to put on the outward, to go through the motions, yet deceitfully they refuse to know God. Verse 23, Thus says the Lord... Let not the wise man glory in his wisdom. Let not the mighty man glory in his might. Let not the rich man glory in his riches. But let him who glories glory in this, that he understands, and notice this, that he understands and knows me, that I am the Lord, exercising loving kindness, judgment, and righteousness in the earth. For in these I delight, says the Lord. What do you delight in? God says, here's what needs to happen. Don't delight in your wisdom. Don't be all excited about and proud of, you know, what is it that brings you such great joy? What are you glorying in your life? Are you glorying in riches? Probably not right now, huh? Glory in your wisdom. Glory in your might and your strength and what you've provided for yourself and the education that you've established for yourself, the career that you've made for yourself. He says, look, don't glory in those things. Here, I'll tell you what to glory in. This you can boast about. This is what you should be excited about. This should be the most exciting thing of your life. That you understand and that you know me. Our relationship with God should be the most exciting thing of our life. We should, instead of coming up and saying, come, check out this new car that I got. Or come and look at what I did or look at what I've accomplished. Or, you know, framing our accomplishments on the wall. Come and see God. But the Lord has shown me. We should be far more excited about our relationship with God and knowing God in that He cares enough about us to speak to us and relate to us and share with us and minister to us. That should be the most exciting thing of our life. It's tragic to not know God. On the opposite side of that, it's the best thing in the world to know God. To have a relationship with Him, to be right with Him, that's exciting. That's worthy of boasting. That's worthy of glory. Man, this is exciting that God would have relationship with me, that God would speak to me and show me. You know, we have times to minister to one another on Wednesday evenings. Man, this is your time to glory. Look what God showed me. Look what God spoke to me the other day. Go tell someone. Glory in this. Look, God speaks to us. He works in our lives. He directs us. He cares enough to give us specific instruction. Hey, man, I just want to share with you. Look what God spoke to me. Look how God is leading me. Look what God is doing. Look what God has said. Look how much God cares for me. Glory in this, God says, that you understand me and that you know me. He says that I, the Lord, I exercise loving kindness. And in the next one, judgment. Now we think, well, how could a God of love, you know, all those things, right? He's the perfect balance. He exercises loving kindness and He exercises judgment. It's why we need to know Him. That's why we need to be in right relationship with Him. Because He exercises loving kindness, but He also executes judgment. God cannot be mocked. But there's the easy way, remember? Don't be like the horse and mule. Respond to God. Draw near to Him and He will draw near to you. Seek the Lord. Get to know God. That's why Jesus died. That's what this weekend is all about. The opportunity for us to have relationship with God. God says, and these things I delight. These are my delight. You should glory in this, that you know me. He ends the chapter saying in verse 25, Behold, the days are coming, says the Lord, that I will punish all who are circumcised with the uncircumcised. Egypt, Judah, Edom, the people of Ammon, Moab, and all who are the farthest corners who dwell in the wilderness. For all these nations are uncircumcised and all the house of Israel are uncircumcised in the heart. God says, look, it's coming very quickly. I'm going to punish them just like the rest of the uncircumcised nations. Now, circumcision was the sign that God gave to the nation as a symbol that, hey, we are God's people. We're set apart for Him and we're walking in the covenant. And so the people of God, they were continuing on in sin and they were saying, look, we're circumcised. We're okay. It's okay because we're God's people. Look, we're circumcised. Look, we have the temple. They were trusting in their religion. They were trusting in their rituals. They were trusting in and things that would not spare them or save them. God says, look, the days are coming. Those who are circumcised are going to be judged just like all the other nations. Egypt and Judah and Edom and Ammon and Moab and all who are there. They're going to be, because they're uncircumcised in heart. They're uncircumcised in heart. Their hearts are far from God. They do not know God. And you and I can pretend to be Christians. I've done it. Pretend, you know, be here, put on the smile. We can pretend. We can do the outward show. We can deceive ourselves and trick ourselves and continue to sin, continue to live in rebellion against God. We can do it. All of us, we're capable of it. But God cannot be mocked. He's incapable of being mocked. We will reap what we sow. So let's sow to the Spirit. Let's sow to the Spirit. The worship team is going to come up right now and give us an opportunity to sow to the Spirit. Let's worship God. Let's rejoice. Let's glory. Let's get excited about you and I. We have the opportunity right now to worship God. We have the opportunity right now that if we confess our sin, He's faithful and just to forgive us and cleanse us of all unrighteousness. We have the opportunity to get right with God. Let's rejoice and glory that you and I this evening, we can get to know God. We can draw close to God. We can worship God. And He can speak to us and work in our midst. Let's rejoice in that. And so they're going to lead us in worship. And I challenge you, I encourage you, glory in that. It's not just a ho-hum, you know, another time of worship, another song. This is a great opportunity, guys. Right now, it's the best moment of our lives. We get to spend it in the presence of God. Glory in this. Let's spend time worshiping God, drawing close to Him and surrendering to Him our hearts. Let's worship the Lord together. We pray you have been blessed by this Bible teaching. The power of God to change a life is found in the daily reading of His Word. Visit ferventword.com to find more teachings and Bible study resources.