That’s One. That’s TWO!

Scripture	Observations/Paraphrase	Application
Jeremiah 6	August 27, 2009
Jerusalem’s Last Warning 1 “Run for your lives, you people of Benjamin! Get out of Jerusalem! Sound the alarm in Tekoa! Send up a signal at Beth-hakkerem! A powerful army is coming from the north, coming with disaster and destruction. 2 O Jerusalem,s you are my beautiful and delicate daughter— but I will destroy you! 3 Enemies will surround you, like shepherds camped around the city. Each chooses a place for his troops to devour. 4 They shout, `Prepare for battle! Attack at noon!’ `No, it’s too late; the day is fading, and the evening shadows are falling.’ 5 `Well then, let’s attack at night and destroy her palaces!’” 6 This is what the Lord of Heaven’s Armies says: “Cut down the trees for battering rams. Build siege ramps against the walls of Jerusalem. This is the city to be punished, for she is wicked through and through. 7 She spouts evil like a fountain. Her streets echo with the sounds of violence and destruction. I always see her sickness and sores. 8 Listen to this warning, Jerusalem, or I will turn from you in disgust. Listen, or I will turn you into a heap of ruins, a land where no one lives.” 9 This is what the Lord of Heaven’s Armies says: “Even the few who remain in Israel will be picked over again, as when a harvester checks each vine a second time to pick the grapes that were missed.” Israel’s Constant Rebellion 10 To whom can I give warning? Who will listen when I speak? Their ears are closed, and they cannot hear. They scorn the word of the Lord . They don’t want to listen at all. 11 So now I am filled with the Lord ‘s fury. Yes, I am tired of holding it in! “I will pour out my fury on children playing in the streets and on gatherings of young men, on husbands and wives and on those who are old and gray. 12 Their homes will be turned over to their enemies, as will their fields and their wives. For I will raise my powerful fist against the people of this land,” says the Lord . 13 “From the least to the greatest, their lives are ruled by greed. From prophets to priests, they are all frauds. 14 They offer superficial treatments for my people’s mortal wound. They give assurances of peace when there is no peace. 15 Are they ashamed of their disgusting actions? Not at all—they don’t even know how to blush! Therefore, they will lie among the slaughtered. They will be brought down when I punish them,” says the Lord . Israel Rejects the LORD’s Way 16 This is what the Lord says: “Stop at the crossroads and look around. Ask for the old, godly way, and walk in it. Travel its path, and you will find rest for your souls. But you reply, `No, that’s not the road we want!’ 17 I posted watchmen over you who said, `Listen for the sound of the alarm.’ But you replied, `No! We won’t pay attention!’ 18 “Therefore, listen to this, all you nations. Take note of my people’s situation. 19 Listen, all the earth! I will bring disaster on my people. It is the fruit of their own schemes, because they refuse to listen to me. They have rejected my word. 20 There’s no use offering me sweet frankincense from Sheba. Keep your fragrant calamus imported from distant lands! I will not accept your burnt offerings. Your sacrifices have no pleasing aroma for me.” 21 Therefore, this is what the Lord says: “I will put obstacles in my people’s path. Fathers and sons will both fall over them. Neighbors and friends will die together.” An Invasion from the North 22 This is what the Lord says: “Look! A great army coming from the north! A great nation is rising against you from far-off lands. 23 They are armed with bows and spears. They are cruel and show no mercy. They sound like a roaring sea as they ride forward on horses. They are coming in battle formation, planning to destroy you, beautiful Jerusalem.s“ 24 We have heard reports about the enemy, and we wring our hands in fright. Pangs of anguish have gripped us, like those of a woman in labor. 25 Don’t go out to the fields! Don’t travel on the roads! The enemy’s sword is everywhere and terrorizes us at every turn! 26 Oh, my people, dress yourselves in burlap and sit among the ashes. Mourn and weep bitterly, as for the loss of an only son. For suddenly the destroying armies will be upon you! 27 “Jeremiah, I have made you a tester of metals,s that you may determine the quality of my people. 28 They are the worst kind of rebel, full of slander. They are as hard as bronze and iron, and they lead others into corruption. 29 The bellows fiercely fan the flames to burn out the corruption. But it does not purify them, for the wickedness remains. 30 I will label them `Rejected Silver,’ for I, the Lord , am discarding them.”	Run for your lives, get out of Jerusalem.  Sound the alarm, a powerful army is coming – with disaster and destruction! Oh Jerusalem, you are my beautiful and delicate daughter – but I will destroy you. Enemies will surround you, like shepherds.  Each chooses a place for their troops to devour.  They shout, “Prepare for battle!  We attack at noon!” No, it’s too late, well then, let’s attack at night and destroy her palaces. God, Himself gives instruction for battle. This is the city to be punished, for she is wicked, through and through.  She spouts evil like a fountain.  Her streets echo with the sounds of violence and destruction.  I always see her sickness and sores. Listen Jerusalem, or I will turn from you in disgust.  Listen, or I will turn you into a heap of ruins, a land where no one lives. Even the few who remain will be picked over again. Who will listen to this warning?  Their ears are closed.  They scorn the word of the Lord and they don’t want to listen.  So, now there is fury – God is tired of holding it in. Children, young men, husbands and wives – all will receive the pouring out of my fury.  Even those who are old and gray.  Their homes will be turned over to their enemies, as will their fields and their wives.  I will raise up a powerful fist against the people of this land, says the Lord. From the least to the greatest, their lives are ruled by greed.  From prophets to priests, they are all frauds.  They offer superficial treatments for the mortal wounds.  They give assurances of peace, when there is not peace. Are they not ashamed of their disgusting actions.  Not at all, they don’t even know how to blush.  Therefore they will lie amond the slaughtered.  They will be brought down when I punish them, says the Lord. Stop at the street corner and look around.  Ask for the old, godly way – and walk in it!  Travel its path, and you will find rest for your souls. But you reply, No, that’s not the road we want. I posted watchmen over you who said, Listen for the sound of the alarm. But you replied, No, we won’t pay attention. Therefore, listen to this.  Take note of the situation.  Listen:  I will bring disaster on the people.  It is the fruit of their own schemes, because they refuse to listen to me.  They have rejected my word. There is no use offering sweet perfume.  Keep it.  I will not accept your burnt offerings.  You sacrifices are not pleasing. God will put obstacles in our path.  Everyone will fall over them, everyone will die together. Look!  A great army is coming from the north!  They are planning to destroy us. We are afraid.  Don’t go out.  Mourn and weep, as for the loss of an only son.  They are upon you soon. Jeremiah, I have made you a tester of metals, so you may determine the quality of my people.  They are the worst kind, full of slander.  They are as hard as bronze or iron, and they lead others into corruption.  The bellows fan the flames to burn out the corruption, but it does not purify them – for their wickedness remains. I will label them, rejected silver – for I, the Lord, am discarding them.	The title says, Jerusalem’s last warning.  How many warnings does God give them?  How many times do they get a last warning. The other night, my son was being fussy at the dinner table.  He wouldn’t eat, wanted to crawl around in his chair, and generally was being quite disruptive.  His mother had asked, told, and demanded him to obey numerous times – but to know avail. It was at this point that I looked him in the eye and asked, “Do you want to go in timeout?”  Firm, authoritative, and non-anxious. He looked back, much more subdued.  “no.” he weakly replied.  But immediately began to fuss. That’s one, I said.  He subdued – but in a few minutes, began to get restless again.  “Two.” I said. He wasn’t deliberately disobeying, as much as he was restless, tired, and testy.  I was really, really trying to be patient.  On top of that, it is sometimes difficult to know if this is the point where one should draw a line in the sand, or not.  What is willful disobedience, and what is the fussy, tiredness of a two year old boy who doesn’t know which way is up. This is where a parent steps in.  First, it is our job to establish boundaries.  Second, it is our job to be grace-filled and forgiving.  And finally, it is our job to determine the best course of action for the given situation. I didn’t want to punish my son.  I didn’t really want to discipline him.  He really wasn’t bothering me – but he was being disruptive.  Whether I wanted to, or not, it is my responsibility – always – to help him grow up in a way that will honor God. Again, he began to wiggle, fuss, and demand.  I just looked at him – and gave him “the look.“  He settled down.  I was really, really, really trying hard to not say, “three.”  I was giving him a lot of rope – but I didn’t want him to hang himself. As I’ve been reading Jeremiah for the past couple of weeks, I see the same attitude.  He loves His people.  He wants them to succeed.  But they’re not listening to His warnings.  They aren’t stopping their negative behaviors. But what in the world are they doing that is so bad?  From other biblical accounts, we don’t necessarily get the idea that they are like Sodom and Gomorrah – we don’t see the evil of the early Roman centuries.  No. Instead, what I see, is self-sufficiency, pride, arrogance, selfishness, and a lack of mercy and caring for others.  “Sleek and fat,” is the way it was said in chapter 5.  But the worst thing that I can see, is the total abdicating of their role on earth. Israel was raised up to be a blessing to all people (see Genesis 12:1-3).  And someone they had lost sight of this.  All of God’s people are God’s children – He wants a relationship with all of them – not just a few. Instead of taking care of the poor, they bought bigger houses and nicer cars.  Instead of assuring that everyone had proper health care, they spent their money on cosmetic surgery for themselves, and antidepressants.  Instead of taking the good news of Jesus’ death to the world, they chastised their pastors for not spending enough time with the “chosen.” I believe this is where God’s greatest anger came from.  Just like when I see one of my kids mistreat the other, that’s when I tend to get angry – especially when the oldest sibling is picking on the youngest.  “Darling Daughter,” I say in an angry tone.  “What are you doing?  You’re supposed to be helping your little brother, setting an example for him, treating him with a lot of love and patience!” I hear God saying that to Jerusalem.  “What are you people doing!?  You’re supposed to be out their loving your neighbors like yourselves – not to mention, loving me with all your heart and soul!  Stop it!!!” But not only do they not listen, they don’t want to hear him.  They are too caught up in their own drama.  So, God begins to count. “That’s one.”  He says. “That’s two!”  Oh, how he hopes they will repent – which just means to turn around and go the other direction.  He doesn’t want to step in.  He doesn’t want to hurt them.  He doesn’t want to make a scene.  He loves His kids – and He doesn’t want to hurt them. But the damage they are doing to others (“The leading cause of atheism today is when Christians honor God with their mouths but do not honor Him with their lives.” DC Talk) In other words, by doing nothing, God is actually doing more harm, than by stepping in and stopping this arrogant approach of selfish, unrepentant behavior. The church (and nation) are very similar today – to what Jeremiah was seeing. God doesn’t want to say three.  He’s giving us the look.  He sending warnings.  He is shouting at us to stop.  But very soon, he will say, “It is finished.”
Prayer

Dear God.  Yesterday I awoke concerned about how I’d make my next house payment.  It is very frightening, but as I read Jeremiah 5′s message, I got even more frightened.  Why worry about a silly house when we all may lose all of this very soon.

Original.

Teach me how to raise my children so that they will love you with all their heart, and soul, and mind.  Teach me how to teach them to love their neighbors, as much as they love themselves.  Teach us to teach them – how to turn to you, and not themselves, when trouble surrounds them.

Thank you God!

I love you too!