Jeremiah 16 (click link for chapter)

QUICK CHAPTER SYNOPSIS:

No Wife for Jeremiah.
No mourning for Jeremiah.
No feasting for Jeremiah.

The people will all die gruesome deaths, and all celebration will cease.
...and Jeremiah has to tell them so.

"Why?" they will ask.

Because their fathers forsook YHVH, the law, and followed and worshipped idols. And because they themselves have surpassed that wickedness, each one following their own heart and not LISTENING TO YHVH.

Therefore:
Cast out as exiles.
Forced to serve other gods.
...YHVH will not show them favor.

But he will bring them back from that land of the North. "Many fishermen" will bring them back to their land. Many hunters will follow many fishermen.

First:
God will repay double punishment on their sin. Because they have defiled his land and filed his inheritance with the carcasses of their detestable and abominable idols.

v.19
Jeremiah says the darndest thing:
"O LORD...My refuge...the gentiles shall come to You from the ends of the earth..." They will renounce their fathers and their fathers' ways, and become subjects of YHVH.

v. 21
He will "...cause them to know [His] hand and [His] might...and...that [His] name is YHVH. a

In this chapter one thing I meditated on was how ultimately, the result of their sin and idolatry was that "...no one listens to Me (YHVH)." This is the result of our unfaithfulness and doing what's in our heart instead of LISTENING to YHVH.

I'm a guy who's going to tell you to listen to God. I've seen even good works/social justice mentality folks go off the straight way of the Lord by doing what was right in their own eyes. I've seen people who listen to God receive gentleness, wisdom, guidance, and a deeper love. I've seen people who are oriented around their own mind's eye, their own heart's wisdom--not people who live in LISTENING to God--get frustrated with the "listening/waiting" people...

But having a heart for God means paying attention to HIM, not just doing good stuff. This chapter is as much written to those who would work for God as for those who work overtly against Him.
In fact, the Judah that Jeremiah is writing to is an inherently religious institution. I am reminded of the rampant prostitution to idols that we find in our mega-churches of today. Mammon, greed, impurity, false doctrine, lukewarmness, pragmatism, humanism: these are the idols of today. Pride and unbelief are at the heart of them all...

Let's admit it. the people of Jeremiah's Judah were devout and spiritual, and engaged in some serious departures from YHVH. So is this generation. So let's also admit that we have some serious corporate repenting to do. let's pray for the church in america, as we speak truth about the real state of affairs...

But look at the verse ab out th egentiles: the punishment of Judah brings the gospel to the gentiles, who believe and are incorporated into the People of God. Salvation is coming. Rescue is on the way for the Gentiles, whether throught the blessing or punishment of God's people. He is faithful and always saving!

comments?