Jeremiah 21:1 – 23:40 (Continued)

October 27, 2011

"You have acted like this since you were young; you have not obeyed me."

I have finally come to terms with the truth of that statement. For some people, disobedience is (and has been) a life-style choice, and is not a temporary "off-in-a-ditch" situation. Understanding that is one thing and accepting it is another. Accepting it and facing what the truth is—is hard—especially when it involves a family member. It means giving up false hope and wishful thinking. Oh, there will always be a ray of hope. Hoping they will "get it" and change their hearts and lives with a new way of thinking. (Ezekiel 18:30–32) But, "the storm" we are facing is not a temporary-off-in-a-ditch situation. That kind of situation lends itself to greater hope for realization and restoration, to God first and foremost, and then as a matter of course, to others around you.

Repenting and returning from a slide off into a ditch is one thing. Repenting and returning from a choice to disregard God's authority in your life, ("I will not listen.") is something else entirely. Someone who has slid in a ditch is more likely to: 1) recognize they are in a ditch; and 2) want to get out of the ditch and back on firm ground. Therefore, abundant hope.

But the person, who for a lifetime has created a pattern of rejecting God's commands; of hiding behind appearances; of using people for their own gain; who "feel free to hurt people and steal from them"; who have purposely chosen to say, "I will not listen"; for that person there is a ray of hope (because God is always pursuing us) but there is not the abundant hope. Their lifestyle is the "norm" for them. Why would they want to change? They don't see the need for change.

Ezekiel 18:30–32 - "So I will judge you, people of Israel; I will judge each of you by what you do, says the LORD God. Change you hearts and stop all your sinning so sin will not bring you ruin. Get rid of all the sins you have done, and get for yourselves a new heart and a new way of thinking. Why do you want to die, people of Israel? I do not want anyone to die, says the LORD God, so change your hearts and lives so you may live."

Ray of hope. I will always hold on to a ray of hope, but the truth is the truth. Some people choose to disobey and ignore God's warnings. It's hard to let go of wishful thinking. I so wanted to believe what I wanted to believe; to have abundant hope for changed lives; and to believe people would want to change. But unfortunately, many people don't even see a need for change. Jeremiah 14:10 - "They love to wander from me." Why would they want to change from what they love to do? Why would they want to change from a life-time pattern of "I will not listen?" Why would they want to change from the "norm"? The truth sometimes hurts. But the truth is—the truth.

Jeremiah 22:22–23 - Like a storm, you will be sent away and taken into captivity. You will be shamed and disgraced because of all the wicked things you did. You feel safe now. You live in your cozy rooms that you have built for yourself. But your punishment will come. And when it comes—how you will groan.

The LORD goes on to say, "Even if you were a signet ring on my right hand, I would still pull you off." We cannot use and abuse God's grace by claiming Him as Savior but then continue to live however we please and still think we live under His protection. Judah thought they could do what they wanted because they were His people. It doesn't work that way.

Jeremiah 23 starts out with five words that are used over and over throughout Isaiah and Jeremiah as the beginning of a statement:

How terrible it will be....

But, there will come a time when He will raise up a good branch who "will do what is fair and right in the land" and He will be called, "The LORD Does What is Right."

The false prophets will be punished. They live as if there were no God. They do what they want, even in the temple of the LORD. They think they are above the rules, and they think they have gotten away with it. But, the LORD All-Powerful says they will be held accountable. They will be defeated. Disaster will come upon them. This is what the LORD All-Powerful says:  

• Don't pay attention to them
• They are trying to fool you
• They have fooled themselves

They make up things in their minds and then try to say it comes from God. They try to assure themselves and others by saying, "you will have peace" and "nothing bad will happen to you." But those are false messages. They do not come from God. God's messages bring conviction and demands accountability. It is not a "feel good do whatever you want" message. The false prophets claimed to have messages from God, but they had never stood in the meeting of angels. They were only saying what the people wanted to hear. If they had spoken the truth they would have turned the people from their evil ways and from doing evil. But because they didn't, "punishment from the LORD will come like a storm. His anger will be like a hurricane. It will come swirling down on the heads of those wicked people. The LORD's anger will not stop until he finishes what he plans to do. (Psalm 75:8) When that day is over, you will understand this clearly. I did not send those prophets, but they ran to tell their message. I did not speak to them, but they prophesied anyway."

Jeremiah 23:23–24 - "I am a God who is near... I am also a God who is far away. No one can hide where I cannot see him. I fill all of heaven and earth."

How long? How long will these prophets continue to believe their delusional thinking? Straw is not the same as wheat. I (God) am against false prophets. They use their own words. They steal words from each other and claim they are from me. "They mislead my people with their lies and false teachings!" "I did not send them..." In Jeremiah 23:30–31 - God says three times, "I am against false prophets."

Jeremiah 23:28b - "Let the person who hears my message speak it truthfully."


Next Entry: Jeremiah 24:1 – 26:24