Prophecy – Jeremiah 7-11

When I read through today’s passage, I cannot but feel that these words of Jeremiah ring so true even for us in today’s times and soceity.

Although the passages from Jeremiah are just as long as when we did Isaiah, somehow, it is easier reading.  But the impact of the message is just the same.

Read it and tell me what you feel…

Bible Passage:  Jeremiah 7-11

Many people in the world have a stereo-typed imaged of the prophets as anger crazed people who devote their lives to scolding people.  But Jeremiah clearly does not fit into that image.

Instead of wildly tearing into the people for their disobedienc and pending judgement, his heart was full of tears and tender sympathy (Jeremiah 9:1-2).  His heart was broken over the slaughter that he knew was coming. And he did not abandon his fellow citizens as they faced their oncoming perils, but chose to stand by them.

This is the picture of Jeremiah – the weeping prophet.

When I read this passge, it is just like reading the newspapers or watching a movie.  The things that Jeremiah warned the people of Judah about are also happening right before my very eyes.  Moral fibre as deteriorated to such a state that sin was openly tolerated and apparent to all (Jer 7:17).   The lifestyle of the people was one of fraud, corruption, sexual immorality, injustice, murder and idolatory.  For this, God declared His judgement of firestorm on the city (Jer 7:20).

And in the midst of all this sin, the Lord called Jeremiah to cry out to his fellow people.  Obviously his message was not well received and he was severly persecuted.  But Jeremiah, with his love for his fellow men, continued on.

Why was Jerusalem facing God’s wrath?  Do we see any parallels with the world today?

Jerusalem Lost Its Vision

Jerusalem was supposed to be the centre of God’s people – the place of true worship, peace and justice and a light to the other nations.  But the people forgot its special place in God’s plan.

Instead of leading the people in true worship, the leaders, prophets and priests left their calling to pursue false gods and unholy alliances.  The people were so stiff necked that they were deemed to be worse than their disobedient fathers!

The Leaders Did Not Do Their Jobs

What was obvious in the fall of Jerusalem was how badly the leaders did their jobs.  They were like the people that pursued worthless idols, vain wealth, and imaginary power.  They did not act justly and allowed mayhem on the streets where the blood of the innocent was clearly visible (read last week passages to recall this).

So while people looked for mercy and justice – they found none.  The leaders only offered false assurances … “Peace, peace!”  but there was no peace (6:14; 8:11).

The People Did Nothing

Well, if the leaders did nothing, the people could still chose to do something – but they chose to do NOTHING!

They were all in the state of denial – they chose to ignore the warnings and cared not where they were headed.  Years ago, God had showed them an example in that the Northern Kingdom of Israel was taken captive by the Assyrians because of the idolatory and other sins.

Yet, this clear warning and example did not move the hearts of the people of Judah.  An attitude of “business as usual” was rocketing them towards destruction.

Therefore God told Jeremiah to give the people a choice.

Avoid certain destruction by thoroughly amending its ways (7:5-7) or face definite doomsday by remaining hard-hearted.  The nation’s existence depended on the way it chose.

Tragically, Jerusalem chose to do nothing.  As a result, their homeland was left desolate for many years and its people taken away.

No more peace.

Do you have a feeling we are called to be Jeremiahs today?

Or do you feel that you are one of the people in Judah – hearing the warnings clearly but choosing to do nothing?

The thought of it all sounds so absurb.  Yet it is scary because it is just so real because it is happening around us.