Reading for today:  Jeremiah 41-45
Original post:  August 28, 2014


Witness today the complete and final collapse of what is left of Israel.  The few people left in the land rebel against the leader appointed by Nebuchadnezzar.     Ishmael was loyal to the king of Judah, who was killed by Nebuchadnezzar, so he makes himself the enemy of the new regime.    The army officers and the rest of the people who are left in the land to a very noble thing, they rescue those who have been captured by this renegade, but then instead of returning home and settling down, they begin packing up to leave the country.

Leaving the country sounds wise when you look at it on the surface.   There isn't anything left for us here, and in Egypt they haven't been attacked.  Let's move to a land of peace and rebuild our lives.    And, the people do a very wise thing: they ask Jeremiah to inquire of the Lord for them.   They go so far as to say "whatever the Lord says we will do".   Right up to this point I am with them.   But that's where the story turns, and the wicked intent of the remnant is revealed.    When they hear from Jeremiah that they are not to go to Egypt, they rebel.

They didn't mean what they said when they stood in the presence of God and promised to do whatever He told them.   The whole time they were burning incense to other gods, and making offerings to them.  In fact, they truly believed that their worship of these false gods had brought them favor.   They did not value or fear the Lord at all.   They were willing to include God in our their plans as long as He went along with what they already planned to do.    Of course, they had to discredit the messenger first, so when Jeremiah brought them the message, they told everyone that he had some political motivation.

Off to Egypt they went in blatant and direct disregard for what the Lord had said.

I see a similarity to the body of Christ in these verses.   Sometimes people will associate with the church and say all the right things, behave in the right way (while they are here).  It's only later that you find out that their home or business life doesn't line up with what they say they believe.   The vows they take before God are forgotten almost before they leave the building.   Their hearts are intent on themselves, not service to the Lord of Heaven.

They must be warned, and they must be allowed to go.   God created all of us with free will, and we have the right to reject God.  If we do, we heap upon ourselves the peril that overtakes all who are foolish, but that is our right nonetheless.    It seems that God is using their own desires against them, in order to purge the land.   The idol worshipers have left, they will soon be exterminated by the very one they were fleeing.  Had they done what God told them to do, we would be able to locate their descendants today.  As it is, they were erased from the earth.    Now, only those who are in captivity in Babylon (Baghdad, Iraq) are left.

Why do we inquire of God and then reject what He says?   Better perhaps to have never asked.   What could we possibly hope to gain by going against the one who created all things, and who holds all kingdoms in His hands?  Rebellion is pointless, and serves only to bring us and our children trouble.

Judah has reached their lowest point.  That, however is the good news.  The gradual resurgence of godliness begins while they are held captive.  Those who rely on false gods are dying off.   Soon we will see the godly men who were taken captive rise up through the ranks.   Stories will be told and repeated for generations about the godly men and women who refused to serve false gods.    God will once again be revered and honored and esteemed.  

It is my constant prayer that we don't have to endure such hardship in order to bring us to our senses.   Probably the greatest idol that is served in our culture is self.  Everything serves self.  Self is placed in highest regard.  Some people even have over-sized pictures of themselves made and hung in their homes.    God is someone we go to see on Sunday, and we pray and ask Him for things and sing praises to His name.....as long as He doesn't get in the way of self.

Honestly, that's very dangerous ground on which to walk.   I consider myself a risk-taker, and I won't even think of doing that.    Just something to think about....


PR