A HORRIBLE HARVEST

“On the seventh day of the fifth month, which was the nineteenth year of Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon, Nebuzaradan, the commander of the guards, a servant of the king of Babylon, entered Jerusalem. He burned the Lord's temple, the king's palace, and all the houses of Jerusalem; he burned down all the great houses. The whole Chaldean army [with] the commander of the guards tore down the walls surrounding Jerusalem. Nebuzaradan, the commander of the guards, deported the rest of the people who were left in the city, the deserters who had defected to the king of Babylon, and the rest of the population.” (2 Kings 25:8-10 HCSB)

The law of the harvest states that we reap what we sow. Satan has a sack of sinful seed in abundant supply. But, be warned, the seed of sin yields a crop of hard ship and heartache. It is hell’s horrible harvest.

Why would we sow it? Sin allures us with the promise of pleasure, but instead transforms into a cruel taskmaster that brings pain.

Now, the results of sin are not always immediate. We reap later than we sow and more than we sow. Because some sin and seem to get by with it for a while, they are enticed to sin even more. But one day the bitter harvest ripens. In our text we see the horrible harvest that comes from sowing sinful seed.

We observe first that IT LEADS TO BONDAGE. That sin brings bondage is illustrated in the reign of Jehoiachin as described in 2 Kings 24:8-16.

We see that HE EMBRACES SIN.

“Jehoiachin was 18 years old when he became king and reigned three months in Jerusalem. His mother's name was Nehushta daughter of Elnathan, from Jerusalem. He did what was evil in the Lord's sight as his father had done.” (24:8-9).

Sin is seductive, but it can be resisted. God will make a way of escape, if we choose to take it. Jehoiachin’s father had set a bad example and the environment he lived in was godless. These were potent forces to overcome. Still, he had the power of choice which would have given him grace to overcome. Sadly, he chose to reject God’s precepts and surrender to vile passions.

HE EXPERIENCES SLAVERY.

“At that time the servants of Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon marched up to Jerusalem, and the city came under siege. Then King Nebuchadnezzar of Babylon came to the city while his servants were besieging it. Jehoiachin king of Judah, along with his mother, his servants, his commanders, and his officials, surrendered to the king of Babylon.” (24:10-12).

Sin promises freedom, but produces the exact opposite. It is not liberty, but chains that come when we choose our rebellious ways rather than God’s righteous will.

God will scourge the sinful. Nebuchadnezzar was God’s scourge. At least, Jehoiachin submitted to God’s discipline. There are those who continue to resist and must be dealt with more severely (as seen in his successor, King Zedekiah). Jehoiachin’s response will eventually lead to somewhat of a restoration, but he will never fully recover and know what might have been had he stayed true to God.

Further notice that HE EXTENDS SUFFERING.

“He also carried off from there all the treasures of the Lord's temple and the treasures of the king's palace, and he cut into pieces all the gold articles that Solomon king of Israel had made for the Lord's sanctuary, just as God had predicted. Then he deported all Jerusalem and all the commanders and all the fighting men, 10,000 captives, and all the craftsmen and metalsmiths. Except for the poorest people of the land, no one remained. Nebuchadnezzar deported Jehoiachin to Babylon. Also, he took the king's mother, the king's wives, his officials, and the leading men of the land into exile from Jerusalem to Babylon. The king of Babylon also brought captive into Babylon all 7,000 fighting men and 1,000 craftsmen and metalsmiths-all strong and fit for war.” (24:13-16).

Our sin affects others, like ripples from a stone dropped in a pond, extending outward and we know not how far. We reap more than we sow. It may be a bumper crop!

Sowing sinful seed not only leads to bondage, but IT LEADS TO BLINDNESS. King Zedekiah illustrates this blindness in 2 Kings 24:17-25:7.

We discover HIS OPPORTUNITY.

“Then the king of Babylon made Mattaniah, Jehoiachin's uncle, king in his place and changed his name to Zedekiah.” (24:17).

Zedekiah was placed in a position of influence. He had an opportunity to do right. But he did not. Opportunity is a wonderful thing, but is wasted if we do not seize it when it comes. For when it passes, it is gone—and maybe forever.

Opportunity was met with HIS OBSTINACY.

“Zedekiah was 21 years old when he became king and reigned 11 years in Jerusalem. His mother's name was Hamutal daughter of Jeremiah, from Libnah. Zedekiah did what was evil in the Lord's sight just as Jehoiakim had done. Because of the Lord's anger, it came to the point in Jerusalem and Judah that He finally banished them from His presence. Then, Zedekiah rebelled against the king of Babylon.

In the ninth year of Zedekiah's reign, on the tenth day of the tenth month, King Nebuchadnezzar of Babylon advanced against Jerusalem with his entire army. They laid siege to the city and built a siege wall against it all around.

The city was under siege until King Zedekiah's eleventh year.

By the ninth day of the [fourth] month the famine was so severe in the city that the people of the land had no food. Then the city was broken into, and all the warriors [fled] by night by way of the gate between the two walls near the king's garden, even though the Chaldeans surrounded the city. As the king made his way along the route to the Arabah, the Chaldean army pursued him and overtook him in the plains of Jericho. Zedekiah's entire army was scattered from him. The Chaldeans seized the king and brought him up to the king of Babylon at Riblah, and they passed sentence on him.

They slaughtered Zedekiah's sons before his eyes. Finally, the king of Babylon blinded Zedekiah, bound him in bronze [chains], and took him to Babylon. (24:18-25:7).

He rebelled against God’s authority by rejecting Heaven’s human representative, Nebuchadnezzar. We may not like our government leaders. We may not always agree with their policies, but unless they directly call us to disobey God, we are to obey the law, for government is ordained by God.

In Zedekiah, we learn some important principles. Sin in the heart is manifested in the life. God hedged him in and afflicted him, but instead of submitting, he ran. The results were tragic for his family was lost (25:7) and so was his vision. Defiance against God’s law leads to darkness and death. What a horrible harvest!

We have witnessed that when we sow sinful seed it leads to bondage, as Illustrated by Jehoiachin, and it leads to blindness as illustrated by Zedekiah.

But there is more—IT LEADS TO BROKENNESS. This is illustrated by the fall of Jerusalem in 2 Kings 25:8-30.

We find the city CONSUMED BY FIRE.

“On the seventh day of the fifth month, which was the nineteenth year of Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon, Nebuzaradan, the commander of the guards, a servant of the king of Babylon, entered Jerusalem. He burned the Lord's temple, the king's palace, and all the houses of Jerusalem; he burned down all the great houses.” (25:8-9).

Our God is a consuming fire. That’s what the Bible says. He burns up the chaff. He ignites the fruitless branches. What good are grapevines that bear no grapes?

Then they were CRUSHED BY FORCE.
“The whole Chaldean army [with] the commander of the guards tore down the walls surrounding Jerusalem. Nebuzaradan, the commander of the guards, deported the rest of the people who were left in the city, the deserters who had defected to the king of Babylon, and the rest of the population.

But the commander of the guards left some of the poorest of the land to be vinedressers and farmers.

Now the Chaldeans broke into pieces the bronze pillars of the Lord's temple, the water carts, and the bronze reservoir, which were in the Lord's temple, and carried the bronze to Babylon. They also took the pots, the shovels, the wick trimmers, the dishes, and all the bronze articles used in [temple] service. The commander of the guards took away the firepans and the sprinkling basins-whatever was gold or silver.

As for the two pillars, the one reservoir, and the water carts that Solomon had made for the Lord's temple, the weight of the bronze of all these articles was beyond measure.

One pillar was 27 feet tall and had a bronze capital on top of it. The capital, encircled by a grating and pomegranates of bronze, stood five feet high. The second pillar was the same, with its own grating.” (25:10-17)

They would not worship God, so the house of God was removed. They wanted paganism, so God would let them have their fill of it in Babylon. What they received was to be broken—crushed beneath the weight of their sin—a horrible harvest.

The Jews were CONQUERED BY FEAR.

“The commander of the guards also took away Seraiah the chief priest, Zephaniah the priest of the second rank, and the three doorkeepers. He took a court official who had been appointed over the warriors from the city; five trusted royal aides found in the city; the secretary of the commander of the army, who enlisted the people of the land for military duty; and 60 men from the common people who were found within the city. Nebuzaradan, the commander of the guards, took them and brought them to the king of Babylon at Riblah.

The king of Babylon put them to death at Riblah in the land of Hamath. So Judah went into exile from its land.

Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon appointed Gedaliah son of Ahikam, son of Shaphan, over the rest of the people he left in the land of Judah. When all the commanders of the armies-they and their men-heard that the king of Babylon had appointed Gedaliah, they came to Gedaliah at Mizpah. [The commanders included] Ishmael son of Nethaniah, Johanan son of Kareah, Seraiah son of Tanhumeth the Netophathite, and Jaazaniah son of the Maacathite-they and their men.

Gedaliah swore an oath to them and their men, assuring them, "Don't be afraid of the servants of the Chaldeans. Live in the land and serve the king of Babylon, and it will go well for you."

In the seventh month, however, Ishmael son of Nethaniah, son of Elishama, of the royal family, came with 10 men and struck down Gedaliah, and he died. Also, [they killed] the Judeans and the Chaldeans who were with him at Mizpah.

Then all the people, from the youngest to the oldest, and the commanders of the army, left and went to Egypt, for they were afraid of the Chaldeans.” (25:18-26).

Fear put them to flight. Proverbs 28:1 says, “The wicked flee when no one is pursuing [them], but the righteous are as bold as a lion.”

On a brighter note, we see an illustration of being CHANGED BY FAITHFULNESS.

“On the twenty-seventh day of the twelfth month of the thirty-seventh year of the exile of Judah's King Jehoiachin, in the year Evil-merodach became king of Babylon, he pardoned King Jehoiachin of Judah [and released him] from prison. He spoke kindly to him and set his throne over the thrones of the kings who were with him in Babylon. So Jehoiachin changed his prison clothes, and he dined regularly in the presence of the king of Babylon for the rest of his life. As for his allowance, a regular allowance was given to him by the king, a portion for each day, for the rest of his life.” (25:27-30).

God was faithful to His covenant made to Abraham, Isaac, Jacob and David, even though King Jehoiachin had not been faithful to God. Jehoiachin receives mercy and that works a change in his life.

God is committed to mold his people one way or another. We are as clay in the Potter’s hands.

I have worked with pottery before, placing clay on the wheel. When the clay begins to be formed, if there is the slightest grit, the vessel being made will begin to come unraveled. What I had to do was remove the impurity and break down the clay so I might fashion it anew.

There is the need for brokenness in our lives to remove impurity. God as the Potter molds us by the pressure exerted from His hands through the circumstances we experience. Then, as a clay pot is fired in the kiln, so we are thrust into the fire—but not to destroy us. God is making us a vessel He can use to display His glory.

Here is a hopeful note, found in 2 Timothy 2:13, “if we are faithless, He remains faithful,
for He cannot deny Himself.” Then, we read, “Nevertheless, God's solid foundation stands firm, having this inscription:

The Lord knows those who are His, and
Everyone who names the name of the Lord
must turn away from unrighteousness.
Now in a large house there are not only gold and silver bowls, but also those of wood and clay, some for honorable use, some for dishonorable.

So if anyone purifies himself from anything dishonorable, he will be a special instrument, set apart, useful to the Master, prepared for every good work.” (2 Timothy 2:19-21)

MINISTRY MARATHON

“So they took Jeremiah and dropped him into the cistern of Malchiah the king's son, which was in the guard's courtyard, lowering Jeremiah with ropes. There was no water in the cistern, only mud, and Jeremiah sank in the mud.” (Jeremiah 38:6 HCSB)

Ministry is a marathon. It isn’t a sprint to the swiftest, but a grueling race of endurance to the strongest.

As Paul was coming to the conclusion of his marathon, he challenged the next runner who will take up the baton of truth—young Timothy—that he must run with endurance. He let him know that he can forget about being popular with the crowd, if he is going to be pleasing to Christ. The Apostle spoke from experience. Paul wrote of the marathon of his own ministry with vivid detail in a letter to the church at Corinth:

“But as God's ministers, we commend ourselves in everything: by great endurance, by afflictions, by hardship, by difficulties, by beatings, by imprisonments, by riots, by labors,
by sleepless nights, by times of hunger, by purity, by knowledge, by patience, by kindness, by the Holy Spirit, by sincere love, by the message of truth, by the power of God; through weapons of righteousness on the right hand and the left, through glory and dishonor, through slander and good report; as deceivers yet true; as unknown yet recognized; as dying and look—we live; as being disciplined yet not killed; as grieving yet always rejoicing; as poor yet enriching many; as having nothing yet possessing everything.” (2 Cor.6:4-10)

He knew the race would require great rigor, but in the end there would be glorious reward. The servant of the Lord must maintain that view, if he is to complete his race.

There will certainly be hardships that will test his endurance. That is the nature of a marathon. Jeremiah is a case study on this topic.

There was a CRITICAL ACCUSATION.

“Now Shephatiah son of Mattan, Gedaliah son of Pashhur, Jucal son of Shelemiah, and Pashhur son of Malchijah heard the words Jeremiah was speaking to all the people: ‘This is what the Lord says: “Whoever stays in this city will die by the sword, famine, and plague, but whoever surrenders to the Chaldeans will live. He will keep his life like the spoils [of war] and will live.”

This is what the Lord says: “This city will most certainly be handed over to the king of Babylon's army, and he will capture it.”’

The officials then said to the king, ‘This man ought to die, because he is weakening the morale of the warriors who remain in this city and of all the people by speaking to them in this way. This man is not seeking the well-being of this people, but disaster.’ King Zedekiah said, ‘Here he is; he's in your hands since the king can't do anything against you.’” (Jeremiah 38:1-5)

Jeremiah told the uncomfortable truth they did not want to hear—a message of judgment. He didn’t originate it; he only proclaimed it. If he would be faithful to God, he could not tell them what they desired to hear. Love demanded that he tell them what they needed to hear. That is not the path to popularity, but it is the pathway to persecution.

So, they basically accused the prophet of treason—and called for the death penalty. It sounds like what they did to Jesus, doesn’t it? Jesus said He was a King, and they branded him an enemy of the state. Pilate’s response paralleled that of Zedekiah—washing his hands of it—and letting the mob have its murderous way. Let justice be hanged on the cross of expedience. Remember, Jesus warned the servant is not greater than his Master. If He was so treated, we can expect no different. The marathon takes you up the Calvary Road.

There was a CRUEL CONDEMNATION.

“So they took Jeremiah and dropped him into the cistern of Malchiah the king's son, which was in the guard's courtyard, lowering Jeremiah with ropes. There was no water in the cistern, only mud, and Jeremiah sank in the mud.” (Jer.38:6)

They didn’t want to just kill him; they wanted him to suffer first. Picture this old prophet, in a dark hole, waste deep in cold mud, shivering—it was torture. He would not die quickly, but would wish to die every second that seemed like an eternity. Such is the hate of those who hate God. That is the rage against the preacher that is rooted in the rejection of the Word.

We have brothers and sisters who are being brutalized this very hour. In dark places in our world, they are incarcerated in horrid conditions. Torture is inflicted on them in an attempt to cause them to deny Christ. There is no mercy, just mockery—no sympathy, just scorn. The wicked cannot reach up to heaven and attack Christ, so they reach out and afflict His ambassadors. They can’t stop the message, so they silence the messengers. The word martyr literally means witness. We associate it with those who have died for their faith. That is because the price of witness may result in a death sentence—it has for many.

What if the finish line for our faith is in a cistern? What if our marathon takes us waist deep into mud? Will we still speak out? The spiritual depravity of our world today—should it continue on this steep decline—makes intense persecution seem likely.

There was a COMPASSIONATE INTERVENTION.

“But Ebed-melech, a Cushite court official employed in the king's palace, heard Jeremiah had been put into the cistern. While the king was sitting at the Benjamin Gate, Ebed-melech went from the king's palace and spoke to the king:

‘My lord the king, these men have been evil in all they have done to Jeremiah the prophet. They have dropped him into the cistern where he will die from hunger, because there is no more bread in the city.’

So the king commanded Ebed-melech, the Cushite, ‘Take from here 30 men under your authority and pull Jeremiah the prophet up from the cistern before he dies.’ So Ebed-melech took the men under his authority and went to the king's palace to a place below the storehouse. From there he took old rags and worn-out clothes and lowered them by ropes to Jeremiah in the cistern. Ebed-melech the Cushite cried out to Jeremiah, ‘Place these old rags and clothes between your armpits and the ropes.’ Jeremiah did so, and they pulled him up with the ropes and lifted him out of the cistern, but he continued to stay in the guard's courtyard.” (Jer.38:7-13)

Life and death are in the hands of God. Pontius Pilate thought he was deciding the fate of Jesus. He wanted Jesus to give him a reason to spare Him.

“So Pilate said to Him, ‘You're not talking to me? Don't You know that I have the authority to release You and the authority to crucify You?’

‘You would have no authority over Me at all,’ Jesus answered him, ‘if it hadn't been given you from above.’” (John 19:10-11a)

The Lord still had more work for Jeremiah to do. We are immortal until our ministry is complete. Only God knows where the finish line of the marathon ends. He determines it. Jeremiah thought he was all alone, but the Lord had someone to stand with him.

God bless old Ebed-melech! The compassionate, courageous black man was in the right place, at the right time, with the right words. Then look how tenderly, he helps lift the old preacher out of the pit. The eunuch would be rewarded for his kindness.

“Now the word of the Lord had come to Jeremiah when he was confined in the guard's courtyard: ‘Go tell Ebed-melech the Cushite: This is what the Lord of Hosts, the God of Israel, says: I am about to fulfill My words for harm and not for good against this city. They will take place before your eyes on that day. But I will rescue you on that day’-- this is] the Lord's declaration—‘and you will not be handed over to the men you fear.
Indeed, I will certainly deliver you so that you do not fall by the sword. Because you have trusted in Me, you will keep your life like the spoils [of war].’ [This is] the Lord's declaration.” (Jer.39:15-18)

God marks down every good deed done for His servants. It is an investment with eternal dividends. Jesus promised:

“The one who welcomes you welcomes Me, and the one who welcomes Me welcomes Him who sent Me. Anyone who welcomes a prophet because he is a prophet will receive a prophet's reward. And anyone who welcomes a righteous person because he's righteous will receive a righteous person's reward.

And whoever gives just a cup of cold water to one of these little ones because he is a disciple—I assure you: He will never lose his reward!" (Matt.10:40-42)

Ministry can be tough. We may think of dropping out. I know I have—numerous times. But, God has always sent someone to lift me out of that darkness. When I was in a waterless well, someone placed a refreshing cup of water to my lips. So, I preach on! Thank you to all those who intercede for me with the King, and who intervene for me when I am attacked. You have made a difference in my life on earth and your compassion will make a difference in your life in eternity!

There was a CONTINUED REJECTION.

“King Zedekiah sent for Jeremiah the prophet and received him at the third entrance of the Lord's temple. The king said to Jeremiah, ‘I am going to ask you something; don't hide anything from me.’

Jeremiah replied to Zedekiah, ‘If I tell you, you will kill me, won't you? Besides, if I give you advice, you won't listen to me anyway.’” (Jer.38:14-15)

The king did not listen. Jeremiah told him to surrender and the city would not be burned, his household would be spared, but if not, there would be no escape. Zedekiah resisted the will of God, made a run for it—but did not escape. Judgment fell on Jerusalem.

The sinful heart of man is as stubborn as ever. Noah begged the people to flee to the refuge of the ark before the judgment descended. They mocked him—and drowned. Prophet after prophet was sent to warn Israel to repent and they beat them and butchered them—and Israel was carried into captivity. John the Baptist called for repentance and they cut his head off—but Herod is in hell today. Jesus took up the same message and they crucified Him—and Jerusalem was ravaged in AD 70 as the Lord predicted would happen if they rejected Him. So, the story goes. Men of God still cry out to flee the wrath to come. Their message is still that salvation is found in surrender to the will of God. Yet, man relies on his own wisdom. He follows his own twisted reason and seeks his own way of salvation. All he finds is judgment.

“At Riblah the king of Babylon slaughtered Zedekiah's sons before his eyes, and he [also] slaughtered all Judah's nobles. Then he blinded Zedekiah and put him in bronze chains to take him to Babylon. The Chaldeans next burned down the king's palace and the people's houses and tore down the walls of Jerusalem. Nebuzaradan, the commander of the guards, deported the rest of the people to Babylon-those who had remained in the city and those deserters who had defected to him along with the rest of the people who had remained.” (Jer.39:6-9)

Imagine—the last visual image forever burned into Zedekiah’s mind was the memory of his sons being killed. He would carry that horror for the rest of his days. One of the worst things about hell will be memory—to recall forever with regret what might have been had one listened to the preacher.

There was a COMFORTING LIBERATION.

“[Speaking] through Nebuzaradan, captain of the guard, King Nebuchadnezzar of Babylon gave orders concerning Jeremiah, saying: ‘Take him, look after him, and don't let any harm come to him; do for him whatever he says.’ Nebuzaradan, captain of the guard, Nebushazban the Rab-saris, Nergal-sharezer the Rab-mag, and all the captains of the king of Babylon had Jeremiah brought from the guard's courtyard and turned him over to Gedaliah son of Ahikam, son of Shaphan, to take him home. So he settled among [his own] people.” (Jer.39:11-14)

The pagans appreciated Jeremiah’s ministry more than the people of God did! I can verify this paradox. There have been a few occasions where sinners have attacked me, but the greatest hurts I have ever endured have been delivered by church people. The attack of the world is a frontal assault, when it comes, and can be anticipated. The knife in the back, through the treachery of those you considered friends, plunges in the deepest.

Jeremiah was nevertheless vindicated and liberated! He was free to pursue his ministry. God’s man acknowledged God’s hand. The Sovereign God was in control and moved even a heathen king’s heart to provide for his welfare. There is great freedom in knowing that God is in charge—whether we are in the darkness or in the daylight, safe at home or stuck in mud. Paul, in prison for preaching the Gospel said it this way,

“Now I want you to know, brothers, that what has happened to me has actually resulted in the advance of the gospel, so that it has become known throughout the whole imperial guard, and to everyone else, that my imprisonment is in [the cause of] Christ. Most of the brothers in the Lord have gained confidence from my imprisonment and dare even more to speak the message fearlessly. To be sure, some preach Christ out of envy and strife, but others out of good will. These do so out of love, knowing that I am appointed for the defense of the gospel; the others proclaim Christ out of rivalry, not sincerely, seeking to cause me anxiety in my imprisonment. What does it matter? Just that in every way, whether out of false motives or true, Christ is proclaimed. And in this I rejoice. Yes, and I will rejoice because I know this will lead to my deliverance through your prayers and help from the Spirit of Jesus Christ.

My eager expectation and hope is that I will not be ashamed about anything, but that now as always, with all boldness, Christ will be highly honored in my body, whether by life or by death.

For me, living is Christ and dying is gain. Now if I live on in the flesh, this means fruitful work for me; and I don't know which one I should choose. I am pressured by both. I have the desire to depart and be with Christ—which is far better—but to remain in the flesh is more necessary for you. Since I am persuaded of this, I know that I will remain and continue with all of you for your progress and joy in the faith, so that, because of me, your confidence may grow in Christ Jesus when I come to you again. Just one thing: Live your life in a manner worthy of the gospel of Christ. Then, whether I come and see you or am absent, I will hear about you that you are standing firm in one spirit, with one mind, working side by side for the faith [that comes from] the gospel, not being frightened in any way by your opponents. This is a sign of destruction for them, but of your deliverance-and this is from God. For it has been given to you on Christ's behalf not only to believe in Him, but also to suffer for Him, having the same struggle that you saw I had and now hear that I have.” (Philippians 1:12-30)

His hands were in fetters—yet his heart was utterly free! He finished his race with joy! So can you. Pray that I will…many have stumbled and fallen.

INDESTRUCTIBLE

“After the king had burned the scroll with the words Baruch had written at Jeremiah's dictation, the word of the Lord came to Jeremiah: ‘Take another scroll, and once again write on it the very words that were on the original scroll that Jehoiakim king of Judah burned.’” (Jeremiah 36:27-28 HCSB)

From the dawn of time, there has been an attack by the Serpent and his minions on the Word of God. He hates it, for it is the sword that will slay his nefarious schemes. It has ever been the weapon in the believer’s arsenal for which Satan had no defense.

So, in that pristine place called Eden, the seductive suggestion was made to create doubt about the Word of God. To Eve, a forked tongue asked, “Did God really say, 'You can't eat from any tree in the garden'?" (Genesis 3:1). From doubt, the Devil proceeded to denial, “’No! You will not die,’ the serpent said to the woman. ‘In fact, God knows that when you eat it your eyes will be opened and you will be like God, knowing good and evil.’” (Gen.3:4-5). So, she reasoned it looks good, surely tastes good, and the results will be good—and this led her from doubt, to denial, to disobedience—and death. One day, Adam and Eve’s bodies would decompose in the earth from which they had been formed, but the Word of God would endure.

That is not the last time the Word of God has been assailed. Skeptics have denied it, tyrants—both secular and ecclesiastical—have sought to destroy it or hide it. Cults and false religions have twisted it and contradicted it. For thousands and thousands of years, it has been the perpetual target of the Dragon’s fire, but still the Word of God endures.

In our text, we see the son of the Serpent on the throne in Jerusalem—a king named Jehoiakim. This dirty despot was confronted with a message of judgment, and his response was to seek to destroy the Word of God by burning it in the fire. He might burn the scroll, but he could not destroy the truth. It is invincible!

Centuries before, another man, named David, sat on the throne, and this is what he declared, “Lord, Your word is forever; it is firmly fixed in heaven.” (Psalm 119:89 HCSB). The Word of God is indestructible.

It endures because of its INSPIRATION BY GOD.

“In the fourth year of Jehoiakim son of Josiah, king of Judah, this word came to Jeremiah from the Lord: ‘Take a scroll, and write on it all the words I have spoken to you concerning Israel, Judah, and all the nations from the time I [first] spoke to you during Josiah's reign until today.’” (Jeremiah 36:1-2)

God was its source, though Jeremiah would be the spokesman and Baruch the scribe. It would not be the vision of a man, but the veracity of the Master who would inspire the writing of the Word—a God incapable of error, either of being mistaken, because He is omniscient or of being deceptive, because He is righteous. That Word proceeded from the halls of heaven, into the heart of the prophet and was documented flawlessly by the hand of the scribe. That is the Word we have today—it endures.

It endures because of its INTENTION FROM GOD.

“Perhaps when the house of Judah hears about all the disaster I am planning to bring on them, each one of them will turn from his evil way. Then I will forgive their wrongdoing and their sin." (Jeremiah 36:3)

There is a transforming power in that Word. The Bible can do what no other Book can do. It is like a spiritual x-ray that exposes our heart’s true condition. It is the seed of eternal life that can penetrate the soil of our soul and produce the fruit of salvation. It is bread to sustain the believer in his pilgrimage. That Word is a light in the darkness, a comfort for the hurting, a staff to guide, a rod to correct, a fire to warm, a hammer to break, a sword that overcomes…and so much more! All we must do is hear it and heed it, and it will change us forever. That is God’s intent.

But, if we refuse to believe it that does not change the truth, but neither does that truth change us. The Word offered as a document of pardon for those who repent, likewise becomes a decree of punishment for those who rebel. Jehoiakim chose to burn the Scripture, rather than bow to it. God set before him life or death…and he foolishly picked the latter.

“Therefore, this is what the Lord says concerning Jehoiakim king of Judah: He will have no one to sit on David's throne, and his corpse will be thrown out [to be exposed] to the heat of day and the frost of night.

I will punish him, his descendants, and his officers for their wrongdoing. I will bring on them, on the residents of Jerusalem, and on the men of Judah all the disaster, which I warned them about but they did not listen." (Jeremiah 36:30-31)

It endures because of its IMMUTABILITY THROUGH GOD.

“Then Jeremiah took another scroll and gave it to Baruch son of Neriah, the scribe, and he wrote on it at Jeremiah's dictation all the words of the scroll that Jehoiakim, Judah's king, had burned in the fire. And many other words like them were added.” (Jeremiah 36:32)

The Word of God is as unchangeable as the God of the Word. Let the king burn a copy, and another copy is given. Jesus said, “the Scripture cannot be broken…” (John 10:35b). It is immutable—it does not change. It is invincible—it cannot be conquered. It is indestructible!

There was a popular bumper sticker of days gone by that read, “God said it, I believe it, that settles it.” It sounds good at first, but on deeper reflection is not quite right. A better way would be, “God said it, that settles it, whether you believe it or not!” Whether we believe or disbelieve certainly changes the nature of its result, but since it is immutable, it does not change the nature of its content whatsoever.

This story in Jeremiah underscores the truth of a prophet who preceded him, “The grass withers, the flowers fade, but the word of our God remains forever." (Isaiah 40:8)

In a day when that Word was hidden from the common people, buried under layers of church tradition, obscured by a language none but priests understood, the very ones who should have been guardians of the truth, perverted it for their own carnal purposes. Yet, God raised up Martin Luther to preach that Word and it was unleashed and unconquerable. Once more tyrants—neither king nor pope, could stop the force of truth.

“And though this world, with devils filled,
should threaten to undo us,
we will not fear, for God hath willed
his truth to triumph through us.
The Prince of Darkness grim,
we tremble not for him;
his rage we can endure,
for lo, his doom is sure;
one little word shall fell him.

That word above all earthly powers,
no thanks to them, abideth;
the Spirit and the gifts are ours,
thru him who with us sideth.
Let goods and kindred go,
this mortal life also;
the body they may kill;
God's truth abideth still;
his kingdom is forever.” (Martin Luther)

IN THE WORLD, BUT NOT OF IT

“This is what the Lord of Hosts, the God of Israel, says to all the exiles I deported from Jerusalem to Babylon…” (Jeremiah 29:4 HCSB)

Michele Bachmann is a member of Congress. She ran unsuccessfully for the Republican nomination to be the party’s candidate for President. The Congresswoman from Minnesota is a staunch conservative and vocal in her support for conservative principles. No one runs for office without having every detail of their life dredged up. So, it recently came to light that she held duel citizenship. Though she has since renounced it, Rep. Bachmann was a Swiss citizen, as well as a citizen of the U.S.A. When she married husband Marcus in 1978, he was a Swiss citizen and at the time this meant she was granted automatic citizenship in Switzerland, and so for 34 years she had been a citizen of two nations.

This is true of all who acknowledge Jesus Christ as Lord. They are citizens of two kingdoms. I am an American citizen by virtue of my natural birth, but I am a citizen of the Kingdom of God, because of my second birth. Peter put it this way,

“Dear friends, I urge you as strangers and temporary residents to abstain from fleshly desires that war against you.

Conduct yourselves honorably among the Gentiles, so that in a case where they speak against you as those who do what is evil, they will, by observing your good works, glorify God on the day of visitation. Submit to every human authority because of the Lord, whether to the Emperor as the supreme authority or to governors as those sent out by him to punish those who do what is evil and to praise those who do what is good. For it is God's will that you silence the ignorance of foolish people by doing good. As God's slaves, [live] as free people, but don't use your freedom as a way to conceal evil.

Honor everyone. Love the brotherhood. Fear God. Honor the Emperor.” (1 Peter 2:11-17 HCSB)

The Apostle told the saints who were scattered in various places throughout the ancient world that wherever they were, they had responsibility to be a good citizen and honor that human authority. They were to never forget, however, that their ultimate allegiance was pledged to the King of kings. In fact, being a good citizen on earth, was commanded because they were citizens of eternity!

Jesus, put it this way—we are in the world, but not of it (see John 17:6-19). That is a great challenge, because these kingdoms can come into conflict. The values of this world system and those of the kingdom of God are often opposed—so how do we live? What does it mean to be in the world, but not of it?

We have been given an object lesson in the exiled Jews who dwelt in Babylon. Jeremiah writes to them and encourages them in being good citizens in Babylon, while living among the pagan populace as Jews. His instructions to those who were in Babylon, but not of Babylon provide broad spiritual principles that can aid us—those in the world, but not of it.

Here are some:

GOD’S WORD IS OUR GUIDE.

“This is the text of the letter that Jeremiah the prophet sent from Jerusalem to the rest of the elders of the exiles, the priests, the prophets, and all the people Nebuchadnezzar had deported from Jerusalem to Babylon….This is what the Lord of Hosts, the God of Israel, says to all the exiles I deported from Jerusalem to Babylon:” (Jer.29:1,4)

Jeremiah wasn’t offering suggestions, he was giving commandments. The words he wrote were given by God, and so became God’s authoritative guide for the Jews living under Babylon’s law. They needed to honor the laws of Babylon, insofar as those laws did not contradict the laws of God. Ultimate authority rested in the demands of Yahweh, and not the whims of human government. The same Apostle—Peter—whose writing conveyed God’s expectations that we be law-abiding citizens who respected the government of this world, also once faced human rulers that demanded he cease preaching the Gospel. In that case, the old fisherman replied, “We must obey God rather than men.” (Acts 5:29)

REMEMBER WHO YOU ARE.

Jeremiah writes to, “the exiles” (v.1). Although they were living in Babylon, they were not to live like those of Babylon. Continually, they were to be reminded that they were God’s chosen people—and behave like it.

If we aren’t careful, we will be assimilated into the culture we live in. It is a powerful force. Paul warns us to be transformed by the Word or we will be conformed to the world (read Romans 12:2). I will be shaped by a renewed mind—a Biblical perspective that builds convictions within—that will enable me to resist the pressure without, of an antichristian world, seeking to press me into its mold—to impose its way of thinking and thus direct my conduct.

The great challenge is to remember who we are—that we are to be a holy people, even though living among heathen people. You cannot make a difference in your world, unless you are different from your world.

UNDERSTAND THE WAY THIS WORLD OPERATES

“Build houses and live [in them]. Plant gardens and eat their produce. 6 Take wives and have sons and daughters. Take wives for your sons and give your daughters to men [in marriage] so that they may bear sons and daughters. Multiply there; do not decrease.”

Although we are destined for heaven, for now we must dwell in this world. In a proper sense, we are to understand the way the world operates and in doing so function according to its ways unless they contradict God’s Word. Getting married, having children, providing for our family by seeking a good job, building a house, planting a garden and so forth are part of living in this world. Understanding principles of finance and seeking to prosper accordingly aren’t wicked, but wise.

There is a line we must not cross—love for the world, covetousness which is idolatry, a preoccupation of the material and neglect of the eternal. That is the danger of being assimilated into the world, but neither are we to withdraw and become absent from the world. God doesn’t want us to take a vow of poverty and go hole up in a monastery.

Jesus told this fascinating story,

“He also said to the disciples: ‘There was a rich man who received an accusation that his manager was squandering his possessions.

So he called the manager in and asked, “What is this I hear about you? Give an account of your management, because you can no longer be [my] manager.” ‘Then the manager said to himself, “What should I do, since my master is taking the management away from me? I'm not strong enough to dig; I'm ashamed to beg.

I know what I'll do so that when I'm removed from management, people will welcome me into their homes.”

‘So he summoned each one of his master's debtors. “How much do you owe my master?” he asked the first one.

‘”A hundred measures of olive oil,” he said. ‘”Take your invoice,” he told him, “sit down quickly, and write 50.” ‘Next he asked another, “How much do you owe?” ‘”A hundred measures of wheat,” he said. ‘”Take your invoice,” he told him, “and write 80.”

‘The master praised the unrighteous manager because he had acted astutely. For the sons of this age are more astute than the sons of light [in dealing] with their own people. And I tell you, make friends for yourselves by means of the unrighteous money so that when it fails, they may welcome you into eternal dwellings. Whoever is faithful in very little is also faithful in much, and whoever is unrighteous in very little is also unrighteous in much. So if you have not been faithful with the unrighteous money, who will trust you with what is genuine? And if you have not been faithful with what belongs to someone else, who will give you what is your own?

No household slave can be the slave of two masters, since either he will hate one and love the other, or he will be devoted to one and despise the other. You can't be slaves to both God and money.’” (Luke 16:1-13 HCSB)

It was not the way the scoundrel acted that Jesus is commending to us, but having the wisdom that servant displayed which is to help us as we live in the world, yet not of it—to be, “as shrewd as serpents and as harmless as doves.” (Matt.10:16).

BRIGHTEN THE CORNER WHERE YOU ARE

“Seek the welfare of the city I have deported you to. Pray to the Lord on its behalf, for when it has prosperity, you will prosper." (Jeremiah 29:7 HCSB)

There was an old gospel song years ago we used to hear,

“Do not wait until some deed of greatness you may do,
Do not wait to shed your light afar,
To the many duties ever near you now be true,
Brighten the corner where you are.

Brighten the corner where you are!
Brighten the corner where you are!
Someone far from harbor you may guide across the bar;
Brighten the corner where you are!” (Ina Ogdon)

Man was placed in God’s world to tend His garden for Him. Now, because of sin, that garden is filled with thorns, and paradise has given way to the jungle. But while we are in this world, God wants us to remind those around us that a brighter Day is coming, and to draw them to the light. We may not be able to do more than have a little plot where we push back the wilderness, but for the glory of God, let us do that!

Jesus has placed us as light in the darkness. He has called us to be salt. On our job, in our school, about our neighborhood, in the government, the arts and sciences, media and education—our influence is to permeate all of society. That is why we are here still—in the world to represent another world, like ambassadors sent to a foreign land.

INTERCEDE FOR YOUR NATION

“Pray to the Lord on its behalf, for when it has prosperity, you will prosper.” (Jeremiah 29:7b HCSB)

The New Testament tells us to pray for our nation—to plead for God’s forgiveness and favor.

“First of all, then, I urge that petitions, prayers, intercessions, and thanksgivings be made for everyone, for kings and all those who are in authority, so that we may lead a tranquil and quiet life in all godliness and dignity. This is good, and it pleases God our Savior, who wants everyone to be saved and to come to the knowledge of the truth.” (1 Timothy 2:1-4 HCSB)

We project the power of the Eternal Kingdom into the earthly kingdoms when we pray. We break down barriers to the Gospel, even in lands that have been closed to its witness in the past. The spiritual climate of our own country can be elevated as we pray for our own nation, enabling us to have the freedom to practice our faith without persecution. When our nation prospers, we can enjoy the blessings bestowed. If the country degenerates, we, and those we love, are adversely affected.

GUARD AGAINST FALSE TEACHING

“For this is what the Lord of Hosts, the God of Israel, says: ‘Don't let your prophets who are among you and your diviners deceive you, and don't listen to the dreams you elicit from them, for they are prophesying falsely to you in My name. I have not sent them.’ [This is] the Lord's declaration.” (Jeremiah 29:8-9 HCSB)

The Jews were going to be immersed in a culture of corruption. They had to be conversant with their culture—there was to be no isolation from the sin-sick. They had to guard against the contamination from their culture—there was to be no infection by the sin-sick. They were to offer conversion to their culture—they were to be inoculated against sin-sickness. Doctors are around germs continually, but how else can they help anyone? So, we have the Gospel cure, and must be among the sin-sick or we can’t bring spiritual healing from the terminal infection in man’s bloodstream. But, if the doctor is sick, how can he help others?

This is why we can’t allow the virus of heresy to penetrate our spiritual immune system. We have to immunize ourselves with truth and constantly fortify it with sound doctrine—to memorize and meditate on the Word.

Everyday, we are constantly bombarded with the world’s propaganda. The Deceiver is probing for a weakness, where he may enter. Wash frequently! Consider Psalm 119:9-11 and Ephesians 5:26.

LIVE IN HOPE OF HOME

“For this is what the Lord says: ‘When 70 years for Babylon are complete, I will attend to you and will confirm My promise concerning you to restore you to this place. For I know the plans I have for you’-[this is] the Lord's declaration-‘plans for [your] welfare, not for disaster, to give you a future and a hope. You will call to Me and come and pray to Me, and I will listen to you. You will seek Me and find Me when you search for Me with all your heart.

I will be found by you’-[this is] the Lord's declaration-‘and I will restore your fortunes and gather you from all the nations and places where I banished you’-[this is] the Lord's declaration. ‘I will restore you to the place I deported you from.’" (Jeremiah 29:10-13 HCSB)

They were in Babylon. They would be there for a while—but it wasn’t home. One day their hopes would be fulfilled and they would go to their real home. Times would be tough in that heathen place, but the tough times would not last. In fact, God had a loving purpose to discipline them in that idolatrous place, to fully deliver them from an idolatrous passion. They were there because they rejected Him, and worshipped false gods. The Jews would get their fill of it in Babylon, and be broken from that evil bent forever. When the chastisement accomplished God’s purpose, the promise of going home would be attained. Living with that expectation would help keep them going on days when they would feel like giving up.

It still does today. We follow the footprints of the pioneers of faith, like Abraham, Isaac and Jacob.

“By faith Abraham, when he was called, obeyed and went out to a place he was going to receive as an inheritance. He went out, not knowing where he was going. By faith he stayed as a foreigner in the land of promise, living in tents with Isaac and Jacob, co-heirs of the same promise.” (Hebrews 11:8-10 HCSB)

This is how we live in the world, but not of the world

A DANGEROUS JOB

“The priests, the prophets, and all the people heard Jeremiah speaking these words in the temple of the Lord. He finished the address the Lord had commanded him to deliver to all the people. Then the priests, the prophets, and all the people took hold of him, yelling, ‘You must surely die!’” (Jeremiah 26:7-8 HCSB)

Perhaps you have seen Discovery Channel’s reality television series, “Most Dangerous Jobs.” These vocations can be hazardous to your health! A list of the top ten most deadly lines of work are:

1) Commercial Fisherman
2) Logger
3) Airplane Pilot
4) Farmer and Rancher
5) Mining Machine Operator
6) Roofer
7) Sanitation Worker
8) Truck Driver and Deliveryman
9) Industrial Machine Repairman
10) Police Officer

There was another dangerous job in ancient Israel—being a prophet! Few wanted to hear them, many were upset by them, often they suffered and not a few were slaughtered.

People did not line up to apply for that job. There were no volunteers, just those who were drafted. God had to call you. He put His Word in your mouth. To stand and speak for God might be deadly. The burden of the ministry of the Word was heavy indeed, and not just because of audience reaction. The prophet knew that, ultimately, if he got the message wrong, it carried grave consequences for the congregation who followed him down a path to destruction and the messenger would answer to the Master for his disobedience and the consequent blood on his hands.

Being a preacher today can be dangerous, also. Just ask Pastor Youcef Nadarkhani, currently with a death sentence hanging over him, imposed by the Islamic government of Iran. His crime is labeled, “apostasy against Islam” due to His preaching of Christ. There have been many men of God who walked into a pulpit a messenger for God and were carried out a martyr for God.

It is dangerous work.

No wonder the late evangelist, Vance Havner, once branded the church today, “A non-prophet organization.” Though the price of preaching the Gospel in America today is not as costly as for some dear servants of God in other lands, it is seldom profitable and sometimes painful business.

Over thirty five years ago, I sensed God calling me to preach, and after some period of wrestling with knowing His will for me, finally gained the conviction I needed to announce that call to the church. Joyfully, I surrendered on Homecoming Sunday during the invitation time. Afterward, we did what good Baptists often do—eat! There were numerous encouraging commendations from church members for me and expressions of prayers to be offered for my wife and me as we pursued ministry.

I basked in the glow of surrender and the “atta boy” pats on the back—until my pastor, Raymond Shumpert, and his wife sat down after the meal with us—and rained on our parade! They were thankful for our obedience to God, but wanted to warn us that this path would be steep, rocky and filled with rejection and disappointment. My wife, Marilyn and I listened respectfully, but did not appreciate it particularly, and afterwards dismissed it quickly.

That was our naïveté!

They were right.

I will never forget my Homiletics Professor, Dr. Kenneth Ridings, verbally slapping a roomful of young preachers by announcing to us on the first day, “If you can do something besides preach, you need to do it!” He actually extended an invitation to get up and leave the room! Nobody did—but many of those seated either never became pastors or started and have since dropped out. Of those who heard him make that shocking statement, I can only think of two of us who remain in vocational ministry today. Granted, a couple of classmates have retired and a few others have died, but a large number have been lost to the attrition due to the difficulty of the task.

Don’t get me wrong. There are blessings abundant in serving Christ. It is incredible grace that He would choose to use a wretch like me. I have rewards here and look forward to those hereafter. But, faithfulness to stand against evil and speak up for righteousness will grind you down, break your heart, make you weary and get you wounded. It is a yoke of iron you wear around your neck. It is only going to become heavier unless the course of our country changes profoundly.

Jeremiah experienced it first-hand. How he suffered at the hands of those he loved! He was marked by grief—and it could have been avoided, if he had just looked at caller I.D. when God called, and refused to answer.

Not really. There is a worse fate than being a preacher, and that is being defiant to God who calls us! Dr. Ridings, went on to say, after a significant pause, “But if you can’t do anything besides preach, then preach!”

I can’t do anything else. It isn’t that I am incapable of doing something else, but that another line of work would be a fist shaken in the face of God, ingratitude to the sacrifice of Christ, an affront to all those who have faithfully stood in the pulpit and faithfully proclaimed the Gospel across the ages and still do today.

Had we asked Jeremiah in his era, if he enjoyed being God’s messenger, he would have looked at us like that was the stupidest question he had ever heard. But, if we could enter heaven today and ask him about his ministry, he would shout, “Glory to God! I am so grateful I could suffer for His name!”

There is a price for preaching now. There will be a wonderful payday someday!

Years ago, I heard Dr. W.A. Criswell, tell a story about a missionary couple who devoted themselves to serving Christ in Africa.

They were worn down physically, financially struggling and emotionally drained after years of faithful service in sharing Christ, now retiring and returning to America. It so happened, that President Theodore Roosevelt was on the same ship. He had been to Africa on a big game hunt. As the ship docked in New York City’s harbor, the reporters were there to take pictures and document his exploits, crowds cheered and bands played as the President arrived from his safari.

Nobody was there to greet the missionaries. They shuffled off the ship in obscurity—no fanfare—dragging one battered old trunk behind them—their life’s possessions. They would not reside in the White House, but a dingy little apartment. That night, the man sat, sulking. Growing more bitter by the moment, he complained to his wife, “Here we have served the Lord faithfully. We have sacrificed so much. The President has just gone hunting and look how he is recognized. Nobody noticed us. No one cares. We come home and it doesn’t matter.” His wife was kind, yet firm in telling him, “Your heart is not right. You need to get alone with God and talk to Him.”

The old Gospel veteran did. He told God, “Look, the President comes home and see the reception he received! We have served you and we come home and see how we are rewarded!” Then the Lord spoke to his heart, “But, you’re not home, yet!”

Another Professor of mine at Fruitland Baptist Bible Institute used to bless my heart. His name was Walter W. Willingham and Dr. Willingham would sing in chapel,

“Oft times the day seems long,
Our trials hard to bear;
We’re tempted to complain,
To murmur and despair.
But Christ will soon appear
To catch His bride away;
All tears forever over,
In God’s eternal day.

It will be worth it all when we see Jesus;
Life’s trials will seem so small when we see Christ.
One glimpse of His dear face all sorrow will erase,
So bravely run the race till we see Christ.” (Esther K. Rusthoi)

[Exactly 36 years ago, on August 15, 1976, I preached my first sermon at Victory Baptist Church, Asheville, N.C., only a week after announcing my call to preach]

SINFUL SHEPHERDS

“’Woe to the shepherds who destroy and scatter the sheep of My pasture!’ [This is] the Lord's declaration.” (Jeremiah 23:1 HCSB)

We have heard the expression, “Wolves in sheep’s clothing.” There are people who join the church and outwardly align with God’s flock, but inwardly they are beasts Satan sets in the church to destroy. If you have been in church as long as I have been, you have met some of these.

There is a greater danger to the flock, however—wolves in shepherd’s clothing! If the shepherds are devouring the very sheep they are meant to deliver, what hope is there for the flock?

The spiritual leaders of Israel had become such a force for evil in the days of Jeremiah. Priests, prophets and princes were leading the nation into the slaughterhouse of sin.

God was angry! The Lord is Shepherd to His people. Each lamb was precious to Him. It was His flock. His purpose was to place spiritual shepherds among them, who would represent Him—that would feed them the Word of God and lead them in paths of righteousness. But the priests who were to teach them the truth of God’s law, had no moral restraint and were leading the nation into rebellion. The prophets that ought to have spoken God’s message, had proclaimed lies in God’s name. The princes who should have ruled in righteousness were bringing Judah into judgment.

Such are present in church life today. Heirs to their hellish work abound in pulpits throughout America.

We rightfully decry the carnal state of many church members who have turned from God, but we cannot overlook that the low spiritual state of the church has much to do with the sinful shepherds, and not just the sheep.

The false shepherd has their own self-interest as their chief concern. The model of a good shepherd is a love for the sheep that is so great he is willing to bleed and even die to save them. Jesus—in the tenth chapter of John’s Gospel—so portrayed Himself. But, sinful shepherds scatter the sheep rather than shield them. They destroy instead of deliver. These wolves in shepherd’s clothing do not attend to the sheep’s need, but abuse the flock to attend to the shepherd’s greed.

Jeremiah was a notable exception. His heart was not driven with zeal for his own lusts, but had a heart that beat in rhythm with the heart of God. He was grieved over this godlessness.

“ Concerning the prophets:

My heart is broken within me, and all my bones tremble. I have become like a drunkard, like a man overcome by wine, because of the Lord, because of His holy words. For the land is full of adulterers; the land mourns because of the curse, and the grazing lands in the wilderness have dried up. Their way of life has become evil, and their power is not rightly used because both prophet and priest are ungodly, even in My house I have found their evil. [This is] the Lord's declaration.” (Jeremiah 23:9-11 HCSB)

God would judge these false shepherds severely—as He did with Sodom and Gomorrah (Jer.23:12-15). They were engaging in such immoral filth that a Holy God would pour out His wrath on them.

It was bad enough that they were engaging in such evil, but due to their influence they had inspired the flock to follow in the same wicked way. “They commit adultery and walk in lies. They strengthen the hands of evildoers, and none turns his back on evil.” (Jer.23:14b)

The stream of compromised words flowed from a contaminated well. Carnal desire inspired corrupt declarations. They did not call for repentance, confronting the impurity of the people, for they were engaging in the same. You may be sure when a preacher dilutes the truth to make it palatable for congregational consumers, it is because he doesn’t want to feel uncomfortable in his own defiled heart. You would not expect to hear a call to true holiness from a man whose life is given to licentiousness.

It is easier for a preacher to proclaim psycho-babble and self-help theories, than to disturb the slumber of those in the pews who are comfortable with their carnality.

“This is what the Lord of Hosts says: ‘Do not listen to the words of the prophets who prophesy to you. They are making you worthless. They speak visions from their own minds, not from the Lord's mouth.

They keep on saying to those who despise Me, “The Lord has said: You will have peace.” They have said to everyone who follows the stubbornness of his heart, 'No harm will come to you.’” (Jeremiah 23:16-17 HCSB)

We hear a lot about visions and dreams today—just as the profusion of such proclamations in ancient Jerusalem. Preachers are encouraged to have a vision, and to dream big dreams—and rightly so. There is a place for inspired leadership that inspires the laity to be all God wants them to be and do all He calls them to do.

The danger however is in the source, course and force of the dreams and visions. In the prophet Jeremiah’s time, the source of the vision was not the Sovereign God’s Word, but the sinful shepherds’ perverse minds. The course of fulfilling their dream was not using God’s methods, but those of a pagan world. If Baal is good enough for our neighbor, it should be good enough for us was the thought. The force of their ambition was not the power of God, but the arm of the flesh. Such shepherds did not lead the sheep in love, but drove the sheep in fury—for ultimately the sheep were just means to an end anyway. There are not a few celebrity pastors who have attained wealth and recognition at the cost of a compromised message, corrupt methodology and carnal goals.

That isn’t to say that all pastors who have noteriety and lead large churches are false shepherds. Some are so blessed with fruitfulness because they have been faithful to both live in submission to and faithfully preach the Word without fear or favor.

Neither can we look at other churches that are shrinking, where the sheep are abandoning the place in droves, and conclude this is the result of a false shepherd in the pulpit. Sometimes, they are leaving because they are not sheep, but goats who have butted heads with the shepherd and when they could not get their way sought more favorable pastures. Just as there are sinful shepherds who fleece the flock, there are members who stubbornly resist or stray away despite all the shepherd can do. Jeremiah would know. In general, the people hated his sermons.

At the moment, only God knows, but time will reveal the case. It is hard to judge a man’s heart. We want to believe our spiritual shepherd has the flock’s care as his own concern. Our reluctance to accuse a pastor of being unfaithful to his calling is understandable, as Scripture calls us to submit to authority.

So, if we have concerns about our leader, what are we to do? How can we know if there is a problem?

Watch and pray. God can deal with it in His time.

“The Lord's anger will not turn back until He has completely fulfilled the purposes of His heart. In time to come you will understand it clearly.” (Jeremiah 23:20 HCSB)

Some things will await the Day of Judgment to be manifest.

Listen carefully—not to only a few sermons. Every pastor has a bad day. But overall, is the shepherd feeding the Word of God? Does he declare the whole counsel of God, including the call to repentance? Does he compromise in order not to upset those who put the currency in his pocket—more concerned for temporal treasure than eternal reward?

“I did not send these prophets, yet they ran [with a message]. I did not speak to them, yet they prophesied.

If they had really stood in My council, they would have enabled My people to hear My words and would have turned them back from their evil ways
and their evil deeds.” (Jeremiah 23:21-22 HCSB)

The ultimate test is whether the message from the pastor’s lips and the manner of the pastor’s life is true to the plumb line of Scripture. If you follow his instruction will it bring you closer to God or lead you astray? If you walk in the footsteps of his morals will they take you in God’s will or in the world’s way?

"’I have heard what the prophets who prophesy a lie in My name have said, “I had a dream! I had a dream!” How long will this continue in the minds of the prophets prophesying lies, prophets of the deceit of their own minds? Through their dreams that they tell one another, they plan to cause My people to forget My name as their fathers forgot My name through Baal worship. The prophet who has [only] a dream should recount the dream, but the one who has My word should speak My word truthfully, for what is straw [compared] to grain?’--[this is] the Lord's declaration. ‘Is not My word like fire’--[this is] the Lord's declaration-‘and like a hammer that pulverizes rock? Therefore, take note! I am against the prophets’-the Lord's declaration-‘who steal My words from each other. I am against the prophets’-the Lord's declaration-‘who use their own tongues to make a declaration.

I am against those who prophesy false dreams’-the Lord's declaration-‘telling them and leading My people astray with their falsehoods and their boasting. It was not I who sent or commanded them, and they are of no benefit at all to these people’-[this is] the Lord's declaration.” (Jeremiah 23:25-32 HCSB)

The word of God has power—power like a fire to melt a heart of ice, power like a hammer to break a heart of stone! This is the true shepherd’s hope. The most barren field can become fruitful in time. The shepherd is responsible to the flock to lead them, feed them, even bleed for them as one accountable to God, but he is not responsible for them—each one must decide how to respond to the Word, and whether the shepherd has been good or bad, each of us will give an account of himself to God.

BACKSLIDING: ITS CAUSE, CURSE AND CURE

[This is a message I delivered yesterday, which God honored and stirred the hearts of a number of our people. As I share it through this medium, I trust it will reinforce what God said to you, if you were present to hear it, or will reach your heart and touch it, if you are encountering this sermon for the first time.]

“This is what the Lord says:

The man who trusts in mankind, who makes [human] flesh his strength and turns his heart from the Lord is cursed. He will be like a juniper in the Arabah;
he cannot see when good comes but dwells in the parched places in the wilderness, in a salt land where no one lives. The man who trusts in the Lord,
whose confidence indeed is the Lord, is blessed.

He will be like a tree planted by water: it sends its roots out toward a stream,
it doesn't fear when heat comes, and its foliage remains green. It will not worry in a year of drought or cease producing fruit.” (Jeremiah 17:5-8 HCSB)

Backsliding was once a familiar term in church circles. It was formerly a frequent topic of sermons. Yet, it is a term rarely heard and a topic scarcely addressed today. That is not because backsliding is no longer a great problem, but precisely because it is!

So many church members are afflicted with this spiritual condition that preachers don’t want to run the risk of upsetting a significant segment of the congregation. The refusal of the preacher to address this vital subject for fear of reprisal means that the preachers themselves are backsliders!

Backsliding is a Biblical truth. I cannot be faithful to my call to preach the whole counsel of God, if I ignore this subject. Although the word itself isn’t found in our text, the condition is clearly described, especially in this phrase contained in v.5, “turns his heart from the Lord.” Backsliding is to turn your back on God and depart from His will.

What causes this? Why is it so bad? What can we do about it? These are questions we seek to answer.

First, notice THE CAUSE OF BACKSLIDING.

“This is what the Lord says:

The man who trusts in mankind, who makes [human] flesh his strength and turns his heart from the Lord is cursed.” (v.5)

Picture your soul as a ship. It is in a rushing river with a strong current that would ever pull you down stream. There is a waterfall, and to plunge over it is to be shattered on the jagged rocks below the steep plunge. All that keeps you from destruction are three anchors. These three great anchors for our souls, that will keep us in fellowship with God, are the three virtues Paul enumerates in his epistles: faith, hope and love. Without these anchors, we will drift from God, and if we continue, the current will carry us to catastrophe. This is backsliding.

We begin to drift when WE ABANDON OUR FAITH IN GOD.

In verse seven, we are told that one who is blessed is, “The man who trusts in the Lord” set in contrast to the one who is cursed, “The man who trusts in mankind…” (v.5a) We have a choice to trust in man or the Master. When we trust in man’s ways, man’s work, man’s wealth—we have abandoned our faith in God. It is possible to profess we believe in God, but then behave as if God doesn’t exist.

We loose our spiritual moorings when WE ABANDON OUR HOPE IN GOD.

Again we see a contrast between two polar opposites:

One, “who makes [human] flesh his strength” (v.5b) and one, “whose confidence indeed is the Lord…” (v.7b). The former is a man or woman who is cursed as a backslider and the latter is a person who is blessed as a faithful man or woman.

We can put our hope in the arm of flesh or the power of God. When we focus on human ingenuity and institutions, we will never know heavenly intervention. If our hope is fixed on the temporal, then we have set aside our hope in the eternal. One looks at short-term benefit and cares little for long-term consequences, while the other pays a short-term price, for lasting reward.

Ultimately, we will weigh the heaviest anchor, when we ABANDON OUR LOVE FOR GOD.

This is the cursed man, who “turns his heart from the Lord.” (v.5c)

Jeremiah was speaking to a nation guilty of spiritual adultery. They had taken to false gods. We may give our heart to another. Scripture warns of the love of pleasure, self and the world—an unholy trinity that will seduce us from the Holy Trinity.

Infidelity doesn’t happen overnight. We marry, go on a honeymoon, and all seems well. Then, we get caught up in the activities of life, the demands of raising children and fail to fuel the fire of romance—and somewhere along the way the fire goes out. It is then, that someone begins to look in the direction of some other lover to warm them.

God has called us into an intimate love relationship with Him, but if we begin to neglect it, we can little by little lose the passion for Him and fall into the arms of temptation.

Remember the church at Ephesus?

What a church it was! Here is a list of some of their pastors: Paul, Timothy, and John! They were fed the Word of God! It was a church so stable in faith, steadfast in hope and strong in love. Reading the epistle, Paul penned to them, is to note how God was working in them and through them. But, only a few decades later, at the close of the first century, the aged Apostle John sounds a warning. It comes from the lips of Christ Himself. To this demonstrably active and doctrinally astute church, Jesus says, “But I have this against you: You have abandoned the love [you had] at first. Remember then how far you have fallen; repent, and do the works you did at first. Otherwise, I will come to you and remove your lampstand from its place—unless you repent.” (Revelation 2:4-5 HCSB)

That’s backsliding! Our heart is turned from the Lord.

Next we consider THE CURSE OF BACKSLIDING.

“The man who trusts in mankind, who makes [human] flesh his strength and turns his heart from the Lord is cursed. He will be like a juniper in the Arabah;
he cannot see when good comes but dwells in the parched places in the wilderness, in a salt land where no one lives.” (v.5-6)

The curse of backsliding is DIMINISHED POTENTIALITY.

Again, there is a stark contrast between the cursed man and the blessed man. The cursed man has a diminished potentiality, “He will be like a juniper in the Arabah”—just a scruffy little bush—while the blessed man has a developed potential, “He will be like a tree planted by water.” That’s what the loss of faith does. All things are possible to him who believes. You can reach the potential God has purposed for your life when you rely on Him, but to rest in your own aptitude and ability is to reduce your capacity. Some of us will never be what we might have been. We regress rather than progress in faith, and that is backsliding.

The curse of backsliding is also known in DIVERTED PROSPERITY.

On the one hand, there is the cursed man, “he cannot see when good comes” (v.6b) and on the other, we have the blessed man, “it sends its roots out toward a stream, it doesn't fear when heat comes…” (v.8b).

We could have been blessed even in a time of barrenness, but the backslider is barren even in a time of blessedness. That’s what the loss of hope does. When our hope is in God, we see possibilities in every problem, but those whose hope is in man see problems in every possibility. Don’t miss out on God’s blessing He intends for you.

The curse of backsliding further brings DEPARTED PRODUCTIVITY.

One who, “dwells in the parched places in the wilderness, in a salt land where no one lives.” (v.6c) is the backslider, while the blessed man, “its foliage remains green. It will not worry in a year of drought or cease producing fruit.” (v.8c)

We could have been fruitful, but become sterile. This is what the loss of love will do. We can go through the motions, use the right vocabulary, yet
have no impact for God.

It is possible to be a faithless, faltering, fruitless preacher, Sunday School teacher, choir member—whatever. Outwardly, there is the appearance of devotion to God, but inwardly, there is no heart for Him. We are like the Pharisees, Jesus condemned for drawing near to God with their lips, yet having hearts far from Him. It is a tree infested with insects—an appearance of strength, but hollow in its core—one day to fall and be exposed.

Thankfully, that doesn’t have to happen. There is THE CURE OF BACKSLIDING.

“The man who trusts in the Lord, whose confidence indeed is the Lord, is blessed.

He will be like a tree planted by water: it sends its roots out toward a stream,
it doesn't fear when heat comes, and its foliage remains green. It will not worry in a year of drought or cease producing fruit.” (v.7-8)

Dr. Jesus has the cure! He is the Great Physician. He heals the sin-sick soul.

Consider THE ROOT OF REPENTANCE.

“The man who trusts in the Lord, whose confidence indeed is the Lord, is blessed.” (v.7)

The cure for backsliding is rooted in faith, hope and love. We stop the deadly drift downstream, when we put down these anchors again. Repentance means there is renewed love, restored hope and reclaimed faith in God. As we made a choice to turn from God, we can decide to return to Him!

The root of repentance, leads to THE FRUIT OF FAITH.

“He will be like a tree planted by water: it sends its roots out toward a stream,
it doesn't fear when heat comes, and its foliage remains green. It will not worry in a year of drought or cease producing fruit.” (v.8)

We are planted in the soil of God’s promises, drawing up the living water of the Spirit. We are green and growing. Our branches spread out to bless others—giving them shade and a place to hide in times of distress. Faithfulness and fruitfulness mark us. This is the fruit of the Spirit—the connection with the Divine life indwelling us. Paul put it like this, “But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faith, gentleness, self-control.” (Galatians 5:22-23a HCSB). By bearing this fruit in abundance, we glorify God.

Is your faith fading and failing? You need to firm it up by returning to the Lord. Has your hope yielded to despair? In Christ alone our hope is found. Has love grown cold?

An old farmer and his aged wife were riding down a dusty road in their battered pick-up truck. His weathered hands grip the steering wheel as he drives in silence. She sits by the opposite door, her wrinkled face gazing out the window, and then she says, “Eb, remember how we used to ride down the road so close—nestled right beside each other?” To which he replied, “I ain’t moved.”

If you are not as close to God as you once were—He hasn’t moved!

But, you have. That’s backsliding. We can return to blessedness. Scoot back over where you used to ride. You’ll find the trip to be much better.

SCANDALOUS SIN

“I will pull your skirts up over your face so that your shame might be seen.” (Jeremiah 13:26 HCSB)

Naked and exposed—that is what the sinner is before God. “No creature is hidden from Him, but all things are naked and exposed to the eyes of Him to whom we must give an account.” (Hebrews 4:13 HCSB)

Adam and Eve tried to cover up with fig leaves and conceal themselves in the bushes—but God knew where to find them. David’s scandalous sin with Bathsheba was done under cover of darkness and followed by an elaborate cover-up attempt, but God saw it all and sent his prophet Nathan to expose him.

There are several graphic illustrations of the scandalous nature of sin that are given in the thirteenth chapter of Jeremiah.

SOILED SHORTS

“This is what the Lord said to me: ‘Go and buy yourself a linen undergarment and put it on, but do not put it in water.’

So I bought underwear as the Lord instructed me and put it on. Then the word of the Lord came to me a second time: ‘Take the underwear that you bought and are wearing, and go at once to the Euphrates and hide it in a rocky crevice.’

So I went and hid it by the Euphrates, as the Lord commanded me. A long time later the Lord said to me, ‘Go at once to the Euphrates and get the underwear that I commanded you to hide there.’

So I went to the Euphrates and dug up the underwear and got it from the place where I had hidden it, but it was ruined—of no use at all. Then the word of the Lord came to me: ‘This is what the Lord says: Just like this I will ruin the great pride of both Judah and Jerusalem. These evil people, who refuse to listen to Me, who follow the stubbornness of their own hearts, and who have followed other gods to serve and worship—they will be like this underwear, of no use at all.’” (Jeremiah 13:1-10 HCSB)

Remember as a kid, when your mother would ask you before you left the house, “Did you put on clean underwear?” She would add, “You might be in a wreck and have to go to the hospital.” Of course, in such a case, clean underwear would be a top priority! Well, it made sense to Mama, anyway.

Jeremiah left the house with his clean, linen underwear on, as God commanded. But, after an extensive hike through the desert and to the Euphrates River, you may imagine, it was no longer clean. What’s more, he was forbidden to wash it! Then he was told by the Lord to just bury it—which seems appropriate enough. After a long while, he was sent to dig it up, and it was just nasty tattered shreds. So, what is the story behind the soiled shorts?

God had wrapped the Jews around his loins as a man would wear a loincloth. They were close to Him and loved by Him, but they became dirty and defiled by disobedience. They would be discarded by the Euphrates River—exiles in Babylon all because of their scandalous sin.

Sin makes us dirty. It is a stench in the nostrils of God. As the loincloth was pronounced useless, so were the inhabitants of Jerusalem. Our usefulness to God will be lost if we live in unrepentant sin.

STUMBLING SOTS

"’Say this to them: This is what the Lord, the God of Israel, says: Every jar should be filled with wine. Then they will respond to you, “Don't we know that every jar should be filled with wine?” And you will say to them: This is what the Lord says: I am about to fill all who live in this land-the kings who reign for David on his throne, the priests, the prophets and all the residents of Jerusalem-with drunkenness.

I will smash them against each other, fathers and sons alike’--[this is] the Lord's declaration. ‘I will allow no mercy, pity, or compassion [to keep Me] from destroying them.’” (Jeremiah 13:12-14 HCSB)

There would be wine in abundance. The jars would be full and so would those who consumed it. They would be drunk, stumbling and staggering long. Their behavior would be scandalous! God would smash those who were “smashed.”

So, the people would be in a spiritual stupor—irrational in thought and incoherent in talk. As alcohol has the power to enslave, so the Jews would be in bondage to the Babylonians. They would stumble along the road leading to captivity while those watching would mock.

This is sin’s addictive power. It brings us under its control when we yield to it. Just one sip is all we meant, but then we find ourselves intoxicated with iniquity.

SCATTERED SHEEP

“Listen and pay attention. Do not be proud, for the Lord has spoken. Give glory to the Lord your God before He brings darkness, before your feet stumble on the mountains at dusk. You wait for light, but He brings darkest gloom and makes thick darkness.

But if you will not listen, my innermost being will weep in secret because of your pride. My eyes will overflow with tears, for the Lord's flock has been taken captive.

Say to the king and the queen mother: Take a humble seat, for your glorious crowns have fallen from your heads. The cities of the Negev are under siege;
no one can help [them]. All of Judah has been taken into exile, taken completely into exile.

Look up and see those coming from the north. Where is the flock entrusted to you, the sheep [that were] your pride?” (Jeremiah 13:15-20 HCSB)

God’s ideal for a king was a man who would be a shepherd over His people. He would lead them in the right way, feed them with the true Word and care for them and their welfare. Jeremiah pictures the king on his throne, head bowed and the crown fallen off. The sovereign had failed and the sheep had wandered away.

That is the nature of sheep. It is descriptive of what happens to us spiritually. “We all went astray like sheep; we all have turned to our own way…” (Isaiah 53:6a HCSB) Our only hope is for the Good Shepherd, Jesus Christ to come and find us, and bring us back home to God.

SHORT SKIRTS

“What will you say when He appoints close friends as leaders over you, ones you yourself trained? Won't labor pains seize you, as [they do] a woman in labor? And when you ask yourself, ‘Why have these things happened to me?’ It is because of your great guilt that your skirts have been stripped off, your body exposed. Can the Cushite change his skin, or a leopard his spots? If so, you might be able to do what is good, you who are instructed in evil. I will scatter you like drifting chaff before the desert wind. This is your lot, what I have decreed for you--[this is] the Lord's declaration—because you have forgotten Me and trusted in Falsehood. I will pull your skirts up over your face so that your shame might be seen.

Your adulteries and your [lustful] neighing, your heinous prostitution on the hills, in the fields—I have seen your detestable acts. Woe to you, Jerusalem! You are unclean—for how long yet?” (Jeremiah 13:21-27 HCSB)

There is more cotton used in a box of Q-Tips than is found in some skirts! The virtual nakedness of some that leaves little to the imagination is scandalous. Jeremiah says that the hemline of the women of Jerusalem would be even shorter than that—it would be over their heads! For humiliation, their captors would take the Jewish women and pull their skirts up over their heads—hiding what should be seen and showing what should be hidden. In fact, they would be stripped bare, as leering soldiers would grope them and worse.
They had prostituted themselves with idols, while being unfaithful to the God, their Husband. Reaping what they had sown, they would be treated like a whore.

Scandalous!

But, that is sin. It is what it does. One day, we will stand naked and exposed before the all-seeing eye of God—nowhere to run, no way to hide. Without Christ, we will be the subject of ever-lasting contempt.

Daniel speaks of that day,

“Many of those who sleep in the dust of the earth will awake, some to eternal life, and some to shame and eternal contempt.” (Daniel 12:2 HCSB)

Unless, we are clothed in the righteousness of Christ, by faith, we have no access to heaven. What we are cannot be hidden by a garment we have fashioned of our own works, anymore than sewing fig leaves together could clothe Adam and Eve.

We simply cannot change ourselves—no matter what rags of self-righteousness we stitch together. When all is stripped away, the sinner is still a sinner. We are as helpless to change our nature as a Cushite to change his skin or a leopard to change its spots.

I must become a new man. You must become a new creation—another man or woman. Not physically, but spiritually, of course. Then, what we are on the inside, becomes more and more apparent on the outside. We will be able to stand naked and exposed before God, unashamed, because when He looks at us, all He will see is Christ!

DESPAIRING GREATLY IN DOING GOOD

“If you have raced with runners and they have worn you out, how can you compete with horses? If you stumble in a peaceful land, what will you do in the thickets of the Jordan?” (Jeremiah 12:5 HCSB)

Like the waves of the ocean, pressures and problems just keep coming at you. Life is relentless. The world will grind you down. Little by little, it erodes your determination and one day you collapse in despair.

Physical sickness, financial struggle, marital strife—the stressors are many and our strength seemingly inadequate. There can be a spiral into depression. They crack up; they break down; they cave in; they crumble under. Some even despair of life altogether and consider the unspeakable.

Those who would serve the Lord, not only find they are not immune from these issues, but have taken on themselves the heaviest burden of all—they shoulder a cross! Voluntarily, they lean down and lift up a cross and begin to walk in the bloody footprints Christ has left. Scripture tells us that the rain falls on the just and the unjust. Saints and sinners alike have ferocious storms assail them, according to Christ in His closing comments in His Sermon on the Mount.

But, disciples of Christ have at the core of who they are, a cross, and at the heart of what they do, denial of self. This is the Calvary Road. It is a path of pain. We are beckoned to come and die.

Paul, the Apostle, certainly traveled this trail of travail. Listen to his lament:

“Are they servants of Christ? I'm talking like a madman--I'm a better one: with far more labors, many more imprisonments, far worse beatings, near death many times. Five times I received 39 lashes from Jews. Three times I was beaten with rods [by the Romans]. Once I was stoned [by my enemies]. Three times I was shipwrecked. I have spent a night and a day in the open sea.

On frequent journeys, [I faced] dangers from rivers, dangers from robbers, dangers from my own people, dangers from the Gentiles, dangers in the city, dangers in the open country, dangers on the sea, and dangers among false brothers;

labor and hardship, many sleepless nights, hunger and thirst, often without food, cold, and lacking clothing. Not to mention other things, there is the daily pressure on me: my care for all the churches.” (2 Corinthians 11:23-28 HCSB)

Paul testifies of relentless pressure. An Old Testament counterpart, Jeremiah, could certainly identify with the New Testament missionary.

The prophet was crushed. Jeremiah’s burden had brought him to his knees. He had come to the point of despair. He looks at the sin of the people and knows how it grieves God—so the godly man is heartsick also. Jeremiah understands what the rebellion of his people will cost them, and he is broken for them. He has warned them and they have scorned him. Jeremiah has spoken to them in love and they have reciprocated with hate. Still, God expects his man to be faithful to preach a sermon that he knows no one wants to hear. He must shepherd a flock of sheep that are behaving as a pack of wolves—seeking to devour him.

We note his EMOTIONAL RESPONSE.

“If my head were [a spring of] water, my eyes a fountain of tears, I would weep day and night over the slain of my dear people.” (Jeremiah 9:1 HCSB)

He had cried so much that his tear glands had the dry heaves! He needs to cry, he wants to cry, but is “cried out” and wants God to fill up the well in his eyes again. His soul is grieved, but not so much from his own suffering, as sorrow over the slain of his people—their suffering because of their sin.

It was so needless. They could have chosen deliverance through repentance rather than death through rebellion, but they were so heedless. They would not listen to the prophet’s warning; they would not respond to God’s offer of compassion. Things were bad, but destined to get worse.

Jeremiah sees it unfolding before his eyes. Those eyes were red and swollen—the result of this burden he carried.

Then there followed his ESCAPE REFLEX.

“If only I had a traveler's lodging place in the wilderness, I would abandon my people and depart from them, for they are all adulterers, a solemn assembly of treacherous people.” (Jeremiah 9:2 HCSB)

A stove burner may be turned off, no longer red, yet still very hot. Have you ever had that painful reminder? You placed your hand on it. Did you think, “My, that’s hot! I wonder why it’s so hot? What is that I smell—burning flesh? What should I do now? Maybe I can discuss my options with a family member or friend.”

Is that what you did? No! You instinctively jerked your hand away without needing to think—it was a reflex.

If you are jogging down a path in the woods and a snake darts across your path, do you: a) seek to identify the kind of snake; b) bend over and take a picture of the snake; or c) come to a screeching halt and jump backwards as quickly as you can with a scream?

You chose “c” of course. It is a reflex built in to escape.

Jeremiah wants to run away. He’s had enough. He can’t take it any more. If you have never wanted to run from the fire then you’ve never tried to fight against hell. If you have never sought to escape that old Serpent, then you have never done enough to cross his path and upset him.

A lady went into her bedroom one Sunday morning and told her husband, “It’s time to get up and go to church.” He mumbled, “I don’t want to.” She said, “You have to.” He groaned, “Why do I have to go?” His wife replied, “Because you are the pastor!” Please, don’t tell anyone, but there have been a few times I was tempted to roll back over and go to sleep on a Sunday morning—it’s just our secret, okay?

There comes an ESSENTIAL REMINDER.

“This is what the Lord says:

The wise man must not boast in his wisdom; the strong man must not boast in his strength; the wealthy man must not boast in his wealth.

But the one who boasts should boast in this, that he understands and knows Me-
that I am the Lord, showing faithful love, justice, and righteousness on the earth,
for I delight in these things. [This is] the Lord's declaration.” (Jeremiah 9:23-24 HCSB)

When our wisdom is exhausted—and even the brightest among us is not omniscient, there is an understanding and knowledge that surpasses any other—knowing God. Our problems may defy a solution, but if we have a personal experience with the Omniscient God, that is more than enough to know.

When our strength is expired—and even the mightiest among us is not omnipotent, there is power available that is stronger than any stress we are under. In our weakness, we become strong—in our connection with the Omnipotent Lord.

When our wealth is expended—and even the richest among us is not limitless in resources, there is a God we know who has the surpassing riches of His grace available. In our bankruptcy, we have abundance—in our reliance on the Omnipresent Lord, who will never leave us, nor forsake us.

He is faithful. Limitless love, perfect justice and utter righteousness will be administered by the Lord. If we are hated by family, unjustly treated by friends and done wrong by our fellowman, we can be assured our Father delights to bless us nevertheless. He has promised!

In the temptation to give up, Jeremiah is reminded of his ENDURING RESPONSIBILITY.

“If you have raced with runners and they have worn you out, how can you compete with horses? If you stumble in a peaceful land, what will you do in the thickets of the Jordan?” (Jeremiah 12:5 HCSB)

The prophet was worn down in the race. He had been on the run and was ready to drop out. What does God say? I paraphrase: “If you can’t keep up with life now, how will you keep going when it really gets tough?” You are going to have to run with horses! Jeremiah was facing hardship before Jerusalem fell, what would he do when the city was destroyed and the pagans took over? He would find himself in the thicket of thorns! This is out of the frying pan and into the fire.

God issues a call to endurance. He never promised it would be easy. It wasn’t for Jesus; it won’t be for His followers. Christians are beginning to face some pressures today in America. We call it persecution, and to some degree it is. But, we have brothers and sisters behind the Veil of Islam and behind the Bamboo Curtain who are imprisoned, tortured, and slain for their faith in Jesus Christ. They kept running, even with the horses. If we can’t handle this, how can we face that? As the world grows darker, the attempt to extinguish our light will become more intense. Brace yourself.

We will be tempted to give up, give out and give in. Doing the right thing will not enable us to evade trouble; it will exacerbate it! Jeremiah would stagger, but God would steady his servant.

“So we must not get tired of doing good, for we will reap at the proper time if we don't give up.” (Galatians 6:9 HCSB)

Finish well; be faithful. It will be worth it all when we see Jesus.

RELIGIOUS REJECTS

“Listen, earth! I am about to bring disaster on these people, the fruit of their own plotting, for they have paid no attention to My word. They have rejected My instruction.” (Jeremiah 6:19 HCSB

We don’t need more religion—not of the sort we have. Our world is full of religion.

Of course, there are so-called atheists, but their denial of a deity does in fact establish one of their own making. They bow at the altar of science. Their intellect has become the supreme intelligence. Man is judge over all—arbitrary standards they set. Naturalism and secularism are their creed. All the elements of religion are present as they practice the very thing they brand as folly.

Professing atheists have become more strident and militant—a bit more numerous. Yet, despite their aggressive hate of that which they say doesn’t exist, most of mankind rejects their claims.

Man is still inherently religious.

Everywhere you go in this world, you will find church buildings, mosques, shrines and synagogues. Billions of religious people engage in religious ritual on a regular basis. They attend mass, bow toward Mecca, burn incense and keep sacred festivals. The world is full of religion.

Despite this, we teeter on the brink of judgment. It isn’t a lack of religion which is the problem—it is what is lacking in the religion men and women practice. It isn’t that we need more of the religion we have, but that we need the right kind of religion—which isn’t about religious activity, theological discussion and ritual. It is about a real relationship with God where we have experienced His grace by faith, evidenced by our repentance from sin. This brings a transformation—the New Testament calls it regeneration.

Jesus said that without this, we will never see the Kingdom of Heaven. We cannot enter it, for we do not have eternal life. Only condemnation awaits—and it will be mostly the religious who are rejected, because most people are religious. They have rejected God’s Word and established their own way.

This isn’t without precedent. The Jews that Jeremiah confronted were such religious rejects.

They practiced WASTED WORSHIP.

“[This is] the word that came to Jeremiah from the Lord: ‘Stand in the gate of the house of the Lord and there call out this word: Hear the word of the Lord, all [you people] of Judah who enter through these gates to worship the Lord.

This is what the Lord of Hosts, the God of Israel, says: Correct your ways and your deeds, and I will allow you to live in this place. Do not trust deceitful words, chanting: This is the temple of the Lord, the temple of the Lord, the temple of the Lord. Instead, if you really change your ways and your actions, if you act justly toward one another, if you no longer oppress the foreigner, the fatherless, and the widow and no longer shed innocent blood in this place or follow other gods, bringing harm on yourselves, I will allow you to live in this place, the land I gave to your ancestors long ago and forever.

[But] look, you keep trusting in deceitful words that cannot help. "Do you steal, murder, commit adultery, swear falsely, burn incense to Baal, and follow other gods that you have not known? Then do you come and stand before Me in this house called by My name and say, 'We are delivered, so we can continue doing all these detestable acts'?

Has this house, which is called by My name, become a den of robbers in your view? Yes, I too have seen [it].’”’ [This is] the Lord's declaration.” (Jeremiah 7:1-11 HCSB)

They engaged in religious ritual, thinking that attending religious places would put them in right standing with God. But, they entered as unrepentant sinners and departed the same way. You can live in a garage and that doesn’t turn you into an automobile. They professed the right things publicly, but lived the wrong way privately. They were hypocrites. God rejected them because they rejected Him.

We may utter POINTLESS PRAYERS.

“’As for you, do not pray for these people. Do not offer a cry or a prayer on their behalf, and do not beg Me, for I will not listen to you. Don't you see how they behave in the cities of Judah and in the streets of Jerusalem? The sons gather wood, the fathers light the fire, and the women knead dough to make cakes for the queen of heaven, and they pour out drink offerings to other gods so that they provoke Me to anger.

But are they really provoking Me?’ [This is] the Lord's declaration. ‘Isn't it they themselves [being provoked] to disgrace?’

Therefore, this is what the Lord God says: ‘Look, My anger-My burning wrath-is about to be poured out on this place, on man and beast, on the tree of the field, and on the produce of the land. My wrath will burn and not be quenched.’" (Jeremiah 7:16-20 HCSB)

God speaks shocking words to His prophet. Don’t bother to pray for them—it’s pointless. Only one prayer would have been heard—the sincere prayer of repentance from the lips of people broken over their sin. Yet, they were not praying like that.

They were praying, but it was pointless. It was meaningless religious clichés which rose no higher than the ceiling. They wondered why God didn’t answer their prayers. They asked for blessings and heaven was silent.

“But these people have stubborn and rebellious hearts. They have turned aside and have gone away. They have not said to themselves, 'Let's fear the Lord our God, who gives the rain, both early and late, in its season, who guarantees to us the fixed weeks of the harvest.' Your guilty acts have diverted these things [from you]. Your sins have withheld [My] bounty from you…” (Jeremiah 5:23-25 HCSB)

We can offer SENSELESS SACRIFICE.

“This is what the Lord of Hosts, the God of Israel, says: ‘Add your burnt offerings to your other sacrifices, and eat the meat yourselves, for when I brought your ancestors out of the land of Egypt, I did not speak with them or command them concerning burnt offering and sacrifice. However, I did give them this command: Obey Me, and then I will be your God, and you will be My people. You must follow every way I command you so that it may go well with you. Yet they didn't listen or pay attention but followed their own advice and according to their own stubborn, evil heart. They went backward and not forward. Since the day your ancestors came out of the land of Egypt until this day, I have sent all My servants the prophets to you time and time again.

However, they wouldn't listen to Me or pay attention but became obstinate; they did more evil than their ancestors.’” (Jeremiah 7:21-26 HCSB)

They would have been better served eating the meat themselves, rather than sacrificing it to God—for He rejected it. Because their hearts were evil, their hands were dirty—and this defiled their offering. God didn’t need to be fed. What He wanted was their love. If what we offer to God is given as a grudging obligation, an attempt to bribe God and earn His favor, while our heart is far from Him, we might as well keep the money in our pocket. Spend it on yourself or your family—God doesn’t want it.

He wants your heart! “Each person should do as he has decided in his heart—not reluctantly or out of necessity, for God loves a cheerful giver.” (2 Cor.9:7)

We can listen to POWERLESS PREACHING.

“They have contradicted the Lord and insisted, ‘It won't happen. Harm won't come to us; we won't see sword or famine.’

The prophets become [only] wind, for the [Lord's] word is not in them. This will in fact happen to them.” (Jeremiah 5:12-13 HCSB)

The preachers were just wind-bags, the sermons just hot air. They were preaching a “prosperity” gospel. No one wanted to hear a message of judgment, so they told them what they wanted to hear.

“The prophets prophesy falsely, and the priests rule by their own authority. My people love it like this. But what will you do at the end of it?” (Jeremiah 5:31 HCSB)

The congregation came to have their ears tickled and not their conscience bothered. They loved to flock to church to hear this. People still do.

“For from the least to the greatest of them, everyone is making profit dishonestly.
From prophet to priest, everyone deals falsely. They have treated My people's brokenness superficially, claiming, ‘Peace, peace,’ when there is no peace.” (Jeremiah 6:13-14 HCSB) These were not shepherds, but hirelings.

Sadly, even Jeremiah’s preaching,though true to the Word, would be ineffectual. His words called them to repent, but because they stopped their ears to it, it had no power to change them. The problem in that case wasn’t the preacher but the people.

“’When you speak all these things to them, they will not listen to you. When you call to them, they will not answer you. You must therefore declare to them: This is the nation that would not listen to the voice of the Lord their God and would not accept discipline. Truth has perished—it has disappeared from their mouths.’” (Jeremiah 7:27-28 HCSB)

Jeremiah was faithful, but he did wonder, “What’s the use?”

“My joy has flown away; grief has settled on me. My heart is sick. Listen—the cry of my dear people from a far away land, ‘Is the Lord no longer in Zion, her King not within her?’ Why have they provoked me to anger with their carved images, with their worthless foreign idols? Harvest has passed, summer has ended, but we have not been saved. I am broken by the brokenness of my dear people. I mourn; horror has taken hold of me.

Is there no balm in Gilead? Is there no physician there? So why has the healing of my dear people not come about?” (Jeremiah 8:18-22 HCSB)

Many a man of God has wept in his study on Monday morning after pouring out his soul on Sunday morning—and it falling on deaf ears. No medicine has power to heal, unless it is taken. Listening to a doctor’s advice never cured any one. You have to apply what they say.

Do you know what congregations do after a while, when they don’t want to hear the truth? They reject the messenger and drive him away—something Jeremiah would experience. Others just drift away themselves and go down the road to have their ego stroked and to be given a sermonic placebo by some smiling psycho-babbler.

More religion of the same kind is useless. Give me that old, time religion!

“This is what the Lord says: Stand by the roadways and look. Ask about the ancient paths: Which is the way to what is good? Then take it and find rest for yourselves. But they protested, ‘We won't!’” (Jeremiah 6:16 HCSB)

This is the only way back to God, back from the brink of judgment.

“Roam through the streets of Jerusalem. Look and take note; search in her squares. If you find one person, any who acts justly, who seeks to be faithful, then I will forgive her.” (Jeremiah 5:1 HCSB)

Is anybody listening?