Many of us know someone, or perhaps several people, who feel that their position, status, wealth, or family connections give them special privileges to do whatever they feel like. “I’m the mayor!” “I’m the police chief!” Or “My father owns the factory!” We also see this inside the Church, as well. Some people feel that their position in the Church, or their parents position gives them special privileges, even with God. “I’m the pastor!” “I teach Sunday School!” “My grandparents helped found this church!” “Without my offering this church couldn’t survive!” These people think that their position or name gives them a free pass to act and behave any way they wish. The prophet Jeremiah ran into similar people in his day. His words in our Scripture passage today shows what God feels about this. Let’s take a look at this Scripture as we begin the season of Lent later this week.
As our Scripture opens, God called Jeremiah to stand at the entrance of the Temple in Jerusalem, where the people entered and left the building. There God gave Jeremiah a message to give these people (vs. 1-2). Many of the people of Judah felt just like I described above. They felt that just by having God’s Temple in their city, that just by being a blood descendent of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, that they had special privileges. They didn’t believe that their actions each day, their sins and disobedience to God’s Word, would matter. Even some of their religious leaders were preaching this. God, though, said that this message from their religious leaders was “lying words” (vs. 4, 8).
Many of the people were committing sins, and breaking God’s Word (vs. 5-7). There was no justice in their courts. The stronger and wealthier were oppressing the weaker and poorer. Innocent blood was shed. And very importantly, many of the people were worshiping false gods, sometimes in combination with worship of Yahweh. The Bible warns that breaking God’s Word will bring judgment. The people that Jeremiah preached to felt, though, that they had special privileges. They felt that just because the Temple was in Jerusalem, that was enough to keep them from any judgment (vs. 4). However, Jeremiah told them otherwise. The physical presence of the Temple was no guarantee that judgment would not come upon Jerusalem. Today, just because someone claims church membership or position does not mean God will not judge their sin. There must be genuine repentance reflected in one’s total life.
The religious leaders of Jeremiah’s day were bringing lying words to the people. They preached that as long as they had the Temple in Jerusalem, as long as they called themselves “God’s children”, they would be spared His judgment, regardless of what they did, their actions and behavior. They felt that just because they were God’s “chosen people” they could act any way they wanted, and it was okay (vs. 10). The Lord, though, said these were lying words. Merely formal religious attendance in God’s house is condemned (vs. 11). Jesus also echoed these words (Mark 11:15-17). Jeremiah called upon the people to amend their ways, change their way of acting, and return to God (vs. 3).
God then called the people to remember Shiloh, the place where the Tabernacle once resided (vs. 12-14). Shiloh was about 30 miles north of Jerusalem. It was where the Israelites first set up the Tabernacle when they entered the Promised Land. Shiloh was the main center of worship from the time of Joshua until Samuel. Because of the sins of the people, God allowed the Philistines to capture the Ark of the Covenant. When Israel finally did recapture the Ark, it was not returned to Shiloh ever again. It resided at Kiriath-Jearim for a few decades until David brought it to Jerusalem. What God did to Shiloh because of their sins, and did to the northern 10 tribes about 100 years prior to these verses because of their sins, He would also do to Jerusalem. If the people wouldn’t amend their ways, they would also face destruction. The Temple would not protect them any more than the Tabernacle did for Shiloh.
Just like Jeremiah did millennia ago to the people of Judah, we need to be challenged to wake up and turn away from our sins. We cannot hide behind the name of “Christian” and continue to live in secret sin. We often boast that we are Christians and that God loves us, but we do all kinds of evil. God is loving, but He is also a consuming fire (Hebrews 12:29). He will never condone sin.
No comments:
Post a Comment