Reading: Jeremiah 4-6
And it shall come to pass at that day, saith the Lord, that the heart of the king shall perish, and the heart of the princes; and the priests shall be astonished, and the prophets shall wonder. Then said I, Ah, Lord God! surely Thou hast greatly deceived this people and Jerusalem, saying, Ye shall have peace; whereas the sword reacheth unto the soul (Jer. 4:9-10).
Having spoken of the evils that would eventually lead Judah into captivity, the Lord now had Isaiah begin to ministeThe prophets prophesy falsely, and the priests bear rule by their means; and My people love to have it so: and what will ye do in the end thereof (Jer. 5:31)? A quick comparison between the nation of Judah in the time of Jeremiah and most of the ‘progressive’ countries in the world today uncovers many startling similarities, but one of the most obvious involves perceptions of reality and the standards used to determine the will of God.
Judah was considered a prosperous, forward-thinking nation by worldly standards. The priests, landowners, merchants, and tradesmen all lived lives of relative ease; their needs were met, and their wants were easily satisfied. Those who struggled in Judean society were considered either lazy and underachieving (the poor but able-bodied) or cursed by God (disabled). With the noted exception of Jeremiah, all of her wisemen, prophets, and priests believed that God’s chosen people were under His permanent protection and, therefore, safe. They say still unto them that despise Me, The Lord hath said, Ye shall have peace; and they say unto every one that walketh after the imagination of his own heart, No evil shall come upon you (23:17). It’s little wonder that the citizens of Judah preferred the dreams of the majority to the dire warnings of Jeremiah.
From our readings of the Books of First and Second Kings, First and Second Chronicles, Isaiah, and Jeremiah, we can discern that the people had a hard time distinguishing God’s will from their own, believing that any time they were happy with their lives, God was happy with them. They interpreted His Word as they saw fit, adhering to the parts they liked and either explaining away or outright ignoring the rest. And though they say, The Lord liveth; surely they swear falsely (5:2). The only time they attempted to rely on the Lord in any credible way was when trouble befell them, and each time it was the same, the heart of the princes; and the priests were astonished, and the prophets wondered. The first reaction was always to question God. Why? Why is this happening? Why did You let us believe everything was okay if it wasn’t? Then said I, Ah, Lord God! surely Thou hast greatly deceived this people and Jerusalem, saying, Ye shall have peace; whereas the sword reacheth unto the soul . But God had never deceived them; they had deceived themselves.
That selfsame deception runs rampant in today’s world. God’s Word is more widely known than ever before, but it is also more readily picked apart. False prophets are everywhere, teaching the best ways to go about adding God into one’s life while ‘safely’ interpreting the Word through the filter of our advanced, enlightened society. By ignoring or dismissing any of the ‘unpleasant’ parts of the Word, the new self-proclaimed Christian can bask in God’s perceived favor without any substantial changes in their lives. Sadly, they will be among the first to say, “But God, you never told me....”
For the time will come when they will not endure sound doctrine; but after their own lusts shall they heap to themselves teachers, having itching ears; And they shall turn away their ears from the truth, and shall be turned unto fables (II Tim. 4:3-4).
Thought For Today: For many, a life without tribulation is the greatest test of all, as it leads us to misjudge our desperate need for God.
Christ Portrayed:By Jeremiah, whom God commissioned to reveal His Truth (Jer. 4:2).
Word Studies:4:6 retire, stay not = go in haste to take refuge, don't delay; 4:22 sottish = devoid of spiritual understanding; 5:10 battlements = branches; 5:13 wind = full of words, but speaking nothing from God; 5:30 wonderful = monstrous, shocking; 6:30 reprobate silver = rejected, despised, trash.
Pray For Government Officials: Rep. Maxine Waters (CA), Sen. John Fetterman (PA) • Country: Afghanistan (31,822,848) Central Asia • Major Languages: Dari, Pashto, Uzbek, Turkmen • Hostile to Christian evangelization. For a Muslim to convert to Christianity is automatic execution • 99% Muslim; 1% Other (Sikh, Hindu, Baha'i, Christian,) • Prayer Suggestion: Magnify the Lord; exalt His Name (Ps. 34:3).
Optional Readings:I Peter 5