Jeremiah 5
COMMENTARY:
: 1 Run ye to and fro through the streets of Jerusalem, and see now, and know, and seek in the broad places thereof, if ye can find a man, if there be any that executeth judgment, that seeketh the truth; and I will pardon it. (5545 “pardon” [calach] means forgive, release, or spare.)
DEVOTION: In the time of Abraham, Abraham asked the LORD, if he found ten people who were righteous to not destroy Sodom and the four other cities of the plain. The LORD agreed. However, there were not even ten men in all of the five cities that were righteous. They were guilty of gross sin. They laughed at Lot when he told them that God was going to judge their cities. Lot’s wife loved Sodom so much that she looked back at the cities as they were burning and turned into a pillar of salt.
Now the LORD was challenging Jeremiah to find just one person who executed righteous judgment and sought after the truth of God and HE would not send the northern army against Jerusalem.
Jeremiah took the challenge. He looked among the poor of the city but didn’t find anyone. He thought maybe he could find someone among the great men of the city. They also were not willing to serve the LORD. Therefore the LORD had to send the army against Jerusalem.
One obedient man could have saved the nation but no one would stand up for the LORD. They all enjoyed the lifestyle of sin that was prevalent in their day. They didn’t want to go against the status quo.
God is not willing that any should perish but HE is not willing to forgive sinners who don’t want to be forgiven. Here we find God ordering the prophet to run through the streets of Jerusalem to see if he could find anyone who was willing to follow the LORD. God was willing to spare the city for that one. Sorry to say there was none. They liked the blessings of the LORD. HE gave them full bellies. HE gave them the former and latter rains. The problem was that when they were full, they went after other gods.
What would happen if the prophet went through the streets of our city, how many would he find? We like the blessings the LORD has given to our nation but when we are full we deny HIM in our schools, government and churches. We were truly blessed of the LORD but HE is sending warning to our nation to repent. Will we listen?
CHALLENGE: We need to stand up against the status quo and cry out for righteous living. This again only comes through prayer and fasting. “If MY people will humble themselves and pray….”
: 7 How shall I pardon you for this? Your children have forsaken me, and sworn by them that are no gods: when I have fed them to the full, they then committed adultery, and assembled themselves by troops in the harlots’ houses. (5545 “pardon” [calach] means forgive, spare, to stop blaming or taking an offense into account, be indulgent towards, release, or remove guilt associated with a moral sin or wrongdoing associated with ritual or vows.)
DEVOTION: The children of Israel were always challenging the LORD regarding obedience. They were forsaking the LORD and HIS commands They were guilty of many sins in the eyes of the LORD and didn’t seem to care.
This is happening even today among people who call themselves believers. They are going to church and then going out and doing as they please whether it pleases the LORD or not.
The standards have been lowered by those who are preaching and teaching in many places called “churches” but where the Word of God is not preached or is only used on rare occasions.
Those who call themselves believers are living like those who are not believers and think nothing of it.
God is warning those who claim to be followers that they need to reexamine their lives to see who they are worshiping. We need to be worshiping the LORD in spirit and in truth and that can only happen if there is the preaching of the gospel with conviction and requirements.
CHALLENGE: What is your standard for following the LORD? Is it the Biblical standard or just the standard of those who are not honoring the LORD wholly with their lives.
: 22 Fear you not me? Says the LORD: will you not tremble at my presence, which have placed the sand for the bound of the sea by a perpetual decree, that it cannot pass it: and though the waves thereof toss themselves, yet can they not prevail; though they roar, yet can they not pass over it? (5769 “perpetual” [‘owlam] means everlasting, old, evermore, ancient, indefinite or unending future, or eternal.)
DEVOTION: God established HIS plan for the world before HE created the world. Everything that was created was under HIS control. Here we find that the LORD established guidelines for the waters of the world. They are never going to work outside HIS guideline without HIS permission. All of creation is under HIS control. The seas of the world listen to HIS standing orders. Once in history we find that HE caused a flood that covered the world.
The flood was sent to judge the world for the sin of those living in the world. Everything and everyone was destroyed except those who were in the ark. God promised to never do that again and gave a sign of HIS commitment to never do it again – the rainbow. We find that people have misused this sign but it is a promise that HE has kept since HE made this promise.
HE established limits for not only nature but all those who HE has created. The waters of the world listen to HIM and obey. The animals of the world listen to HIM and obey. Humans seem to have more freedoms but they are only allowed to work within certain limits and once those limits are broken HE sends judgment.
The children of Israel continually challenges HIS longsuffering attitude toward them. HE had to eventually send judgment because of their disobedience. HE will do the same in our time period. There is a time coming when the LORD is going to just us as a nation for our actions against HIS Word.
The fear of the LORD is not present in our nation and in many other nations of our world. We are just as rebellious as the nation of Israel. Our time of judgment is coming. Are we ready to face the LORD on an individual basis? What is HE going to say to us when we meet HIM face to face? There is only one of two choices according to the Word of God. HE can say “Depart from me! Or Well done, you good and faithful servant! Which is HE going to say to you?
CHALLENGE: Are we listening to the commands of the LORD in our daily life? Are we learning lessons from the past? Are we learning lessons from HIS dealings with the children of Israel? If not, we will face the words “Depart from ME!
: 31 The 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? (157 “love” [ahab] means desire, breath after, longing, delight, like, affection or strong emotional attachment.)
DEVOTION: Jeremiah was living in a time period when the tribes of Israel were both going away from the LORD. There was not one man in Jerusalem that loved the LORD. The LORD had to send the Babylonian armies against Israel because not one man was found.
There was a reason that there wasn’t one man found that sought the LORD and wanted to live a righteous life. What was the reason? It was that the ones who were to represent the LORD were not teaching the truth. They were only teaching what the people wanted to hear.
The New Testament informs us that the people in Paul’s day were in the same condition. This was only a few years from the time when Christ died on the cross. It was within one generation of the death of Christ. It is easy to fall away from the LORD if those who are leaders are not following the LORD.
Preachers who preached to people who wanted their ears itched. They didn’t want to be challenged to serve the LORD daily. They didn’t want to witness for the LORD. They didn’t want to cause their neighbors any grief by informing them that they might be headed to Hell for eternity.
Their pastors were preaching a health and wealth gospel that states that if they would just give their money to the church the LORD would bless them ten times the amount or more. People liked to hear this. They didn’t want to hear about suffering for Jesus. They just wanted to hear about all the blessings they can receive for very little or no service to HIM but maybe once a week or once a month coming to church and giving a little for the ministry.
Jeremiah was not willing to give this message. Neither should any Bible believing pastor or professor. We have plenty of books and speakers for those with itching ears. We need preachers who will challenge those who are genuine followers of the LORD to faithful service on a regular daily basis to the LORD.
First we have to be willing to hear the hard facts of the Christian life and then live it a consistently as we possibly can and encourage others to do the same. Second, we need to ask the LORD for more wisdom from above, so that we can live even better lives for HIM. Finally, we have to have a thankful heart when we have individuals in leaders challenge us to better service to the LORD.
CHALLENGE: Don’t love itching ears that don’t want to be challenged. Don’t desire the status quo. Don’t compare yourselves with other believers, stand out in the crowd.
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