Jeremiah tells us about the “Time of the End”

Scripture	Observations/Paraphrase	Application
Jeremiah 5	August 25,  2009
The Sins of Judah 1 “Run up and down every street in Jerusalem,” says the Lord . “Look high and low; search throughout the city! If you can find even one just and honest person, I will not destroy the city. 2 But even when they are under oath, saying, `As surely as the Lord lives,’ they are still telling lies!” 3 Lord , you are searching for honesty. You struck your people, but they paid no attention. You crushed them, but they refused to be corrected. They are determined, with faces set like stone; they have refused to repent. 4 Then I said, “But what can we expect from the poor? They are ignorant. They don’t know the ways of the Lord . They don’t understand God’s laws. 5 So I will go and speak to their leaders. Surely they know the ways of the Lord and understand God’s laws.” But the leaders, too, as one man, had thrown off God’s yoke and broken his chains. 6 So now a lion from the forest will attack them; a wolf from the desert will pounce on them. A leopard will lurk near their towns, tearing apart any who dare to venture out. For their rebellion is great, and their sins are many. 7 “How can I pardon you? For even your children have turned from me. They have sworn by gods that are not gods at all! I fed my people until they were full. But they thanked me by committing adultery and lining up at the brothels. 8 They are well-fed, lusty stallions, each neighing for his neighbor’s wife. 9 Should I not punish them for this?” says the Lord . “Should I not avenge myself against such a nation? 10 “Go down the rows of the vineyards and destroy the grapevines, leaving a scattered few alive. Strip the branches from the vines, for these people do not belong to the Lord . 11 The people of Israel and Judah are full of treachery against me,” says the Lord . 12 “They have lied about the Lord and said, `He won’t bother us! No disasters will come upon us. There will be no war or famine. 13 God’s prophets are all windbags who don’t really speak for him. Let their predictions of disaster fall on themselves!’” 14 Therefore, this is what the Lord God of Heaven’s Armies says: “Because the people are talking like this, my messages will flame out of your mouth and burn the people like kindling wood. 15 O Israel, I will bring a distant nation against you,” says the Lord . “It is a mighty nation, an ancient nation, a people whose language you do not know, whose speech you cannot understand. 16 Their weapons are deadly; their warriors are mighty. 17 They will devour the food of your harvest; they will devour your sons and daughters. They will devour your flocks and herds; they will devour your grapes and figs. And they will destroy your fortified towns, which you think are so safe. 18 “Yet even in those days I will not blot you out completely,” says the Lord .19 “And when your people ask, `Why did the Lord our God do all this to us?’ you must reply, `You rejected him and gave yourselves to foreign gods in your own land. Now you will serve foreigners in a land that is not your own.’ A Warning for God’s People 20 “Make this announcement to Israel,s and say this to Judah: 21 Listen, you foolish and senseless people, with eyes that do not see and ears that do not hear. 22 Have you no respect for me? Why don’t you tremble in my presence? I, the Lord , define the ocean’s sandy shoreline as an everlasting boundary that the waters cannot cross. The waves may toss and roar, but they can never pass the boundaries I set. 23 But my people have stubborn and rebellious hearts. They have turned away and abandoned me. 24 They do not say from the heart, `Let us live in awe of the Lord our God, for he gives us rain each spring and fall, assuring us of a harvest when the time is right.’ 25 Your wickedness has deprived you of these wonderful blessings. Your sin has robbed you of all these good things. 26 “Among my people are wicked men who lie in wait for victims like a hunter hiding in a blind. They continually set traps to catch people. 27 Like a cage filled with birds, their homes are filled with evil plots. And now they are great and rich. 28 They are fat and sleek, and there is no limit to their wicked deeds. They refuse to provide justice to orphans and deny the rights of the poor. 29 Should I not punish them for this?” says the Lord . “Should I not avenge myself against such a nation? 30 A horrible and shocking thing has happened in this land— 31 the prophets give false prophecies, and the priests rule with an iron hand. Worse yet, my people like it that way! But what will you do when the end comes?	God tells Jeremiah to run up and down every street.  Look high and low and see if you can find even one honest person.  If you can, I will not destroy the city. But even under oath, they lie. God is searching for honesty.  He struck them, but they ignored them.  He crushed them, but they refused to be corrected.  With faces like stone, they are determined and refuse to repent. Jeremiah asks, “what about the poor?” They are ignorant and don’t know God’s laws.  So, he went to the leaders of the poor, but they too had thrown off the yoke of God. So now, a lion from the forest, a wolf from the desert, and a leopard will attack. Their rebellion is great and their sins are many. “How can I pardon you?” God asks. “Even your children have turned from me.  They have sworn by gods that are not gods at all.  I fed my people till they were full, but they thanked me by being adulterous.  They were well-fed, lusty stallions. “Shouldn’t I punish them for this?  Shouldn’t I avenge myself?” Go down and destroy the vineyards and grapevines – leaving a few scattered ones alive.  These people do not belong to the Lord.  They are full of treachery against me.  They have lied about God: “He won’t bother us,” they said.  “No disasters will come to us.  There won’t be war or famine.  God’s prophets are all windbags who don’t really speak for him.  Let their predictions of disaster fall on themselves.” Then God says: “Because the people are talking like this, my messages will flame out of your mouth and burn the people like kindling wood.  I will bring a distant nation against you,” says God.  “It is a mighty nation, an ancient nation – a people who language you do not know – whose speech you cannot understand.  Their weapons are deadly and their warriors are mighty. “They will devour the harvest, they will devour our sons and daughters, they will devour our livestock, they will devour the fruit – and they will destroy our fortified cities – which make us think we are safe. But even then, I won’t blot you out completely says God. And the people ask, “But why did the Lord do all this to us?” Tell the people this: “Because you rejected Him and gave yourselves to foreign gods in your own land.  Now you will serve foreigners in a land that is not your own.” Make this announcement, God says: “Listen to me you foolish and senseless people.  You don’t see, you don’t hear.  Do you not have respect for me?  Why don’t you tremble in my presence?I made it all happen – I created it all. “But my people have stubborn and rebellious hearts.  They have turned away and abandoned me.  They do not say from the heart, ‘ Let us live i awe of the Lord our God, for He gives us rain in the Spring and Fall, he brings the harvest when the time is right. “Your wickedness has deprived you of these wonderful blessings.  Your sin had robbed you of all these good things. “There are wicked people who lie and wait for victims.  Like a cage filled with birds, their homes are filled with evil plots.  And now they are great, and rich, fat, and sleek.  There is no limit to their wicked deeds. “They refuse to provide justice to orphans and deny the rights of the poor.  Should I not punish them for this?”  Says God.  “Should I not avenge myself against such a nation? “A horrible and shocking thing has happened in this land – the prophets give false prophesies, and the priests rule with an iron hand.  Worse yet, the people like it that way!” “But what will you do when the end comes?”	Like Abraham asking God to not destroy Sodom.  This chapter is filled with references to other stories in the Bible. God is looking for one honest man.  Someone who is transparent, authentic, real.  Someone who can admit they are a sinner – someone who can testify to the mighty acts of God – especially in their own life. In his desperation to find honesty – truth – he struck them, but that didn’t get their attention.  He crushed them – but still no repentance. But what about the poor?  Maybe they will listen?  But due to their ignorance, Jeremiah goes to the leaders of the poor – but they too have abandoned God. Destruction is on the way. As I read this passage, thoughts of the end times in Earth’s history flowed through my head.  Adventists have always had a vivid description of the end times.  Persecution, imprisonment, hiding in the hills, trying to escape the authorities. But we seem to have been lulled into a false sense of security.  Our religious liberty department constantly defends the Sabbath – in the courts, in the legislature, and in the workplace.  We have come to believe that nothing can happen to us because we live in a country founded on freedom. Sometimes, as we hear the news, we think that time is short.  The economic situation could bring pressure on people to make changes – but we really don’t believe this will happen in our lifetime. As I read this passage, I thought, what if there were a violent transition of power and authority in the US.  What if our government fell? We have come to think of ourselves as the most powerful nation – ever.  So the thought that our government could be overthrown, or our country overrun, seems ludicrous to us.  Just as it probably seemed to Jerusalem and Judah when Jeremiah was preaching to them. But what if it happened?  What if suddenly, there was a revolution, a civil war, a major transition?  What if we were overrun by another country?  What if Russia rose up – or the Middle East?  What if China decided to foreclose? When I first became a Christian 20-25 years ago, I had visions in my head – a reoccurring dream, of soldiers and troops running through the hills on the Oregon Coast.  The problem was, they were not American soldiers on training, they were an invading army. I haven’t thought of those images in years.  In fact, I’d pretty much discounted them as a result of too many mind-altering substances, too many violent movies, and an over-active imagination. But as I read this chapter in Jeremiah, I was reminded of those scenes.  What if we were invaded by a foreign power?  What if? If God is in charge of sending – or allowing the invaders, who can stop them?  If we were a God-fearing country, and now we’re not, don’t these passages speak directly into who we are?  Is there anything, short of absolute repentance that could stop this from happening? I see a scenario in my head.  Not an absolute scenario, but a “what if” scenario.  Just as an abstract example, we were invaded by another country?  What if there was a sudden shift in power and authority?  What if, as citizens of a new leadership, we found ourselves lost, broken, destroyed?  What if we cried out for help – to the new government – not to God?  And instead of deliverance, instead we got all the prophecies that we used to preach?  Sunday laws, persecution, imprisonment, ostracizing, the end times?
Prayer

Oh dear God.  Until this morning, I’ve been afraid of losing my house and all the associated “stuff.”  I’ve been concerned about how to nuance the Gospel in a way that would not be offensive.  I’ve been seeking ways to reach the unreached.

Today, I am convicted to get my own house in order.  To be solid, 100% followers of Your Way.

I love you too God.

Original Post here.

It Could Happen, Even if You don’t Believe it!

Scripture:

2 Kings 6:21-23 When the king of Israel saw them, he shouted to Elisha, “My father, should I kill them? Should I kill them?” “Of course not!” Elisha replied. “Do we kill prisoners of war? Give them food and drink and send them home again to their master.” So the king made a great feast for them and then sent them home to their master. After that, the Aramean raiders stayed away from the land of Israel.

2 Kings 7:2 The officer assisting the king said to the man of God, “That couldn’t happen even if the Lord opened the windows of heaven!”

2 Kings 7:32 Jehoshaphat was a good king, following the ways of his father, Asa. He did what was pleasing in the Lord’s sight. ³³ During his reign, however, he failed to remove all the pagan shrines, and the people never fully committed themselves to follow the God of their ancestors.

Observations:

There is a lot of history in 2 Kings 6 & 7, not to mention the other passages in today’s reading.  However, the above three selections capture some of the essence of what was going on in these times.

The story of the Arameans surrounding Israel, the servant being scared, and Elisha asking God to reveal the unseen armies is amazing al by itself.  However, then for God to make the Aramean army blind and for Elisha to lead them into Samaria – once again stunning.  But the capstone of this story is when Elisha tells the king to feed them and send them home.  From that point forward, they never had problems with the Arameans again.

While the juxtoposition of Jehoshaphat’s officer telling Elisha that God was incable of accomplishing something, doesn’t apply directly to this story, I couldn’t help but include it.  How often do we hear this from others?

The final text I included above gives us a summary of Jehoshaphat’s reign.  It was a good one, however, because of his willingness to tolerate a certain amount of idolatry, “the people never fully committed themselves to follow the God of their ancestors.”

Applications:

First, I never have to fear the forces that are marshalled around me.  God has armies that I may not be able to see.  In the case of Elisha and the Arameans, He may choose not to use those armies.  He may simply cause them to go blind.  Or in the case of Moses and the Egyptians, God may actually harden the heart of the leader (Pharaoh) and cause them to attack with even more vengence – but either way, He rescued His people.

Second, by treating His enemies with kindness, Elisha and the Israelites never had trouble with the Arameans again.

Third, don’t believe the naysayers.  It doesn’t matter how outnumbered, outwitted, or outflanked we are, God can still do amzaing things.

Finally, and this one really applies to me as a Dad – don’t hesitate to get rid of all the idolatry in one’s life.  Jehoshaphat didn’t, and the people never reached the pinacle of believing and devotion.

Prayer:

Father God, today, I put my trust in you.  Draw me close to you…

Faith, Fear, and Frustrations

Scripture:

Joshua 22:11 The rest of Israel heard that the people of Reuben, Gad, and the half-tribe of Manasseh had built an altar at Geliloth at the edge of the land of Canaan, on the west side of the Jordan River.

Isaiah 28:29 The Lord of Heaven’s Armies is a wonderful teacher, and he gives the farmer great wisdom.

Hebrews 11:27, 39, 40 It was by faith that Moses left the land of Egypt, not fearing the king’s anger. He kept right on going because he kept his eyes on the one who is invisible.…All these people earned a good reputation because of their faith, yet none of them received all that God had promised. For God had something better in mind for us, so that they would not reach perfection without us.

Observations:

When the tribes of Reuben, Gad, and the half-trib of Manasseh built an altar, the other tribes immediately assumed that it was to worship a false god.  Without cell phones, email, or other modern forms of communication, they had no way of knowing what their intentions for the alter were about.  Of course, being human, they immediately thought the worse and prepared to go to war against these three tribes.  Common sense reigned however, and they first sent a delegation to seek demand answers.  Once everything was cleared up, the delegation returned to their people, satisfied that this altar was erected in good faith.

Interestingly, jumping forward to Isaiah 28, we see that it is really the Lord’s armies that we should fear.  For they are truly great teachers.  God is able, and willing, to send armies to discipline His people.  I wonder if the armies assembled in Joshua 22 were assembled by God – or of people’s need to control?

And the third passage quoted above, reminds us of the great faith of God’s followers in the past.  Though great danger and fear surrounded Moses, he kept his eyes on God and was able to leave Egypt, unscathed.

Applications:

Reading Joshua 22 just made me seethe with frustration.  Why are people so quick to jump to conclusions?  Why do they assume the worst?  Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, Moses, Noah, Lot, and many others were always building altars.  Anytime there was a significant event, they were piling rocks one on another to honor God’s mighty acts.  But then once the tribes have some order and government, suddenly they lose that spontaneity.  What’s up with that?

It’s as if the tribes that built the altar didn’t run this past the church board first.  They didn’t file the right paperwork.  They hadn’t gotten the proper permits.  But why did the other tribes automatically assume the worst?  Why were they so quick to go to war?  Sure, they didn’t have instant communication tools like email and the phone, but couldn’t they have just walked over and asked?  Wouldn’t that have been much easier than assembling an army and a delegation to interrogate the tribes?

Then reading Isaiah 28, I have to ask the above questions with even more certainty.  Isn’t God in control?  Won’t he take care of disciplining others, as He sees fit?  Nowhere in the above story do I see that God asked the other tribes to take care of the perceived disobedience.  Nowhere do I see that they sought out God’s advice.  Why did they think it was there responsibility to weed out the things they saw as disobedience?  Why do they think they are smarter than God?

Obviously Moses faced this same sort of opposition, not just from the Pharaoh, but also from the captive and enslaved Israelites.  But, he kept his eye on God and came out unscathed.  I wonder if Moses was ever as discouraged as I am?  I wonder if he ever felt like he should just abandon these disrespectful people?  I wonder how many times Moses just wanted to go back and be a shepherd again?

The cool thing about Hebrews 11 is that it talks about these feelings.  It says that the people could have gone back, but by faith they knew that God had something better up ahead.  So, they kept moving forward.

Prayer:

Father God, you alone are my Rock.  Please rescue me from those who speak harshly about me.

Wandering

Scripture:

Deuteronomy 9:1-3 “Listen, O Israel! Today you are about to cross the Jordan River to take over the land belonging to nations much greater and more powerful than you. They live in cities with walls that reach to the sky! ² The people are strong and tall—descendants of the famous Anakite giants. You’ve heard the saying, ‘Who can stand up to the Anakites?’ ³ But recognize today that the Lord your God is the one who will cross over ahead of you like a devouring fire to destroy them. He will subdue them so that you will quickly conquer them and drive them out, just as the Lord has promised.

Observations:

These three chapters in Deuteronomy are very powerful – and inspiring.  I particularly remember chapter 6 from before we planted a new church, from scratch, in Colorado Springs.  But these chapters are great reminders of how the Lord will go before us and how we don’t have to fear our enemies or obstacles.

What I see in these verses is a strong reminder to stay faithful, don’t fear, and to not look to other means (Golden Calves) to save us.  I see how the unity and character of the tribes is necessary for them to enter the promised land.

Applications:

The church wants to move forward, they want to do something!  They want to make things happen.  But the message I hear from God is that it isn’t our job to make something happen.  It’s not our job to push into the Promised Land.  It is our job to be faithful, obedient, humble, and strong – strong in the Lord.

Prayer:

Father God, I wonder how many and how often the Israelites complained during their 40 years of wandering in the desert?  Please give me the patience, compassion, and love for the people – like Moses had.