Jeremiah 14
The Book of Jeremiah is indeed a very heavy book to read, and there is no wonder why Prophet Jeremiah is called the “Weeping Prophet”.
As a reader, I may not cry when I read what the prophet had recorded about God’s dealing with the stubborn Israelites, but it certainly did instill fear into me towards God’s sovereignty, holiness and His commandments.
Thus says the Lord to this people:
“Thus they have loved to wander;
They have not restrained their feet.
Therefore the Lord does not accept them;
He will remember their iniquity now,
And punish their sins.”V. 10
In the previous chapters, we have read that time and again God rebuked the people for their stubbornness, but in this chapter, the Israelites’ sin had really filled up to the brim that God was unwilling to relent.
When God rebuked the people for their sins, they should have realized their sins and turn back to God, but they did not. They loved to wander away from Him; they never restrained their feet from treading the path of sin!
This time God told the prophet not even to pray for the welfare of this people (v.11), and that He would not accept their sacrifices, but He would allow them to be destroyed by the sword, famine and pestilence (v.12)
Now this is really scary, for our God is not only a God of love, but He is also a God of righteousness.
His commandments are His love, for abiding by His word then we can have peace, hope and eternal life in Him. But if we were so willing to leave His love and wander away to seek our own pleasures, He would not hesitate to exercise His righteousness, but would chastise us in order to bring us back to the right path.
But if we still choose to wander away, the Bible warns us:
For if we sin willfully after we have received the knowledge of the truth, there no longer remains a sacrifice for sins, but a certain fearful expectation of judgment, and fiery indignation which will devour the adversaries.
Hebrews 10: 26 – 27
Among the many sins that the people of God had committed, there was one that threw the people into an illusion of hope amidst the turmoil they had to face, and that was falsehood.
The terrible thing was that these false illusions of hope came from the prophets!
And the Lord said to me, “The prophets prophesy lies in My name. I have not sent them, commanded them, nor spoken to them; they prophesy to you a false vision, divination, a worthless thing, and the deceit of their heart.
Therefore thus says the Lord concerning the prophets who prophesy in My name, whom I did not send, and who say, ‘Sword and famine shall not be in this land’—‘By sword and famine those prophets shall be consumed!
V.14 – 15
I think this reminder and warning is not only for the preachers and ministers of the church, but to all believers and especially to those who have the role as RE teachers, Bible study leaders and parents.
If we love our Lord Jesus, we must also know that our Lord loves us and desires us to spend eternal bliss with Him in the future, therefore we must guard our faith and watch over our own salvation through obeying the complete truth of God.
We must also not to forget to tend and feed God’s flock with the Word of God. To do that, we must first handle the Word of God with obedience and not to downplay the warnings found in the Bible or to treat the Bible as only a reference book.
We must also beware not to add anything into the Word of God and to teach those additions as part of the truth of the Bible.
“Whatever I command you, be careful to observe it; you shall not add to it nor take away from it.
Deuteronomy 12:32
I testify to everyone who hears the words of the prophecy of this book: if anyone adds to them, God will add to him the plagues which are written in this book; and if anyone takes away from the words of the book of this prophecy, God will take away his part from the tree of life and from the holy city, which are written in this book.
Revelation 22: 18 – 19
So let us be diligent to feast on the Word of God daily, keeping it in our hearts and to work it out in our lives; for His command is eternal life.
May God bless us with wisdom to understand His will, and may He give us strength to lead an obedient and God-glorifying life.
Shalom