Fear No Fear

(All scripture from Lexham English Bible, Copyright 2012 Logos Bible Software)

God searches the Earth for what He wants (2 Chronicles 16:9). But sadly, He could not find what He was looking for this time. He was looking for someone – anyone – who was truly seeking Him. God did not want to PUNISH Jerusalem. God wanted to PARDON Jerusalem – but He was being limited by the people. They were choosing to harden their hearts and were refusing to seek Him. Now they had the opportunity. Jeremiah, Zephaniah, and Ezekiel were prophesying at this time. They didn’t know the judgments of God. They didn’t know the ways of God. But they COULD have. There were godly men with the information that they were looking for. But they had rejected these men and had walked away from God – SAYING one thing, but in their HEARTS another. Because of that, judgment was on the way.

The error had to be removed. The corruption of thought had to be broken down. Only THEN could it be rebuilt properly. The people had been adulterous with idols. They had totally and completely rejected the Lord. Both were grounds for judgment. False prophets had arisen to feed the people’s lies and deception. In doing that, they were misrepresenting God. They were speaking nonsense backed up by nothing. God was going to burn up all those false prophesies. God was going to bring judgment from Babylon and it would be certain death. They would be completely dominated and conquered.

Even then, God would preserve a remnant. Even in judgment, He would show mercy and not give them what they deserved. Instead of Babylon coming to utterly destroy them, Babylon would come and dominate them and take some captive to serve them in other lands. This was the message Jeremiah was commanded to speak out and proclaim. That the Lord was worthy of praise. Worthy to be revered. But His children were defiant and rebellious in their hearts. They were refusing to see His goodness. They were refusing to acknowledge the rain He sent. They were being intentional in their sin. They were oppressing others. The prophets were prophesying falsely. Shouldn’t the Lord judge that? Shouldn’t He punish the rebellion? Yet the people were loving their lies and self-deception. So God is asking, what will you do in the end when judgment arrives?

“O sons of Benjamin, gather yourselves to flee from the midst of Jerusalem, and blow the trumpet in Tekoa, and set up a sign of fire in Beth Hakkerem; for disaster appears out of the north, and great destruction.” (Jeremiah 6:1)

Judgment was coming and God was its author. But He was proclaiming a warning (again) to ANYONE willing to listen to what was coming and willing to escape it. God saw Jerusalem as a beautiful and delicate woman. But Babylon was coming to plunder her and devour anything she had worth anything at all. God was telling them that the siege coming against them was not going to be small or short – and it wasn’t (2 Kings 25:1-2). It took place over three years in Zedekiah’s reign of Judah (Jeremiah 39:1-2). Judah had released its wickedness like a fountain. Nothing had been hidden. Judgment was coming.

God warned them (again) to repent. To avoid this judgment. They didn’t NEED to experience it. They COULD avoid it. He told them it was coming and would strip them of EVERYTHING like a vine totally stripped of grapes. He was desperate to speak to His people, but their ears were plugged. Their eyes were blind. They had deadened themselves to His voice. They despised Him and were refusing to hear it. He had pleaded with them. He didn’t WANT to punish them. They had rejected ever offer of mercy. He was warning them that the war on sin included no mercy. It was coming. They would be TOTALLY dominated by Babylon.

They had been totally covetous (Colossians 3:5) and idolatrous. Priests and prophets were screaming the opposite, but it was NOT true. They had led the people, who were eager to be led that way. Together they had not only done wrong, but hardened their hearts to the point that they felt no shame in what they were doing. They didn’t even blush. The Lord would throw them down. He called for them to voluntarily give it up. To repent and turn back to His morality which in their deep heart they knew was right and true. He had set godly ministers to proclaim the truth and He was begging them to listen. Not just them, but the whole world.

Witness this, He was crying. See that they have not listened to Me or My warnings. See they have rejected Me. Doing the thing with their lips and hands, but not believing or trusting from their hearts. They had TOTALLY rejected Him, so they were being judged. Babylon would come against them. With arrow and bow without mercy. Jerusalem knew what the Babylonians were like, what they had done to other nations. The Lord told them, prepare for sorrow and grief. Babylon WOULD take Jerusalem. Although the Lord was a purifier, there was too much dross in the nation for God to save it. It was so polluted, it was reprobate. They were truly rejected because they had rejected Him.

Summary

Key Players: God, Jesus, Jeremiah

Key Verse(s): Jeremiah 5:1-6, 18-25; 6:1-9, 22-26