Good morning,
Jeremiah was a prophet of God. Israel, the ten northern tribes, were conquered by Assyria. Jeremiah was sent to Judah and Benjamin to warn them. Judah and Benjamin were in rebellion to God’s plan. They worshipped idols and committed all sorts of wickedness.
Jeremiah continues to warn and Judah and Benjamin continue to reject God.
This week we will look at Jeremiah’s call, Judah and Benjamin’s sin, God’s mercy, and God’s judgement.
Judah and Benjamin’s Sin
“How shall I pardon thee for this? thy children have forsaken me, and sworn by them that are no gods: when I had fed them to the full, they then committed adultery, and assembled themselves by troops in the harlots’ houses.8 They were as fed horses in the morning: every one neighed after his neighbor’s wife.9 Shall I not visit for these things? saith the Lord: and shall not my soul be avenged on such a nation as this? (Jeremiah 5:7-9)
“But this people hath a revolting and a rebellious heart; they are revolted and gone.24 Neither say they in their heart, Let us now fear the Lord our God, that giveth rain, both the former and the latter, in his season: he reserveth unto us the appointed weeks of the harvest.25 Your iniquities have turned away these things, and your sins have withholden good things from you.” (Jeremiah 5:23-25)
“Were they ashamed when they had committed abomination? nay, they were not at all ashamed, neither could they blush: therefore they shall fall among them that fall: at the time that I visit them they shall be cast down, saith the Lord.” (Jeremiah 6:15)
“But this thing commanded I them, saying, Obey my voice, and I will be your God, and ye shall be my people: and walk ye in all the ways that I have commanded you, that it may be well unto you.24 But they hearkened not, nor inclined their ear, but walked in the counsels and in the imagination of their evil heart, and went backward, and not forward.” (Jeremiah 7:23-24)
Judah and Benjamin committed idolatry, adultery, rebellion, and were not ashamed of what they were doing. They failed to obey God and walked in the counsel and imaginations of their own evil hearts.
Who do we follow today? The God of the Bible or our own evil hearts?
Tom Stearns, WASI Chaplain, 907 715-4001
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