Je 6
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Jeremiah is warning the people of the impending destruction that is coming to Jerusalem because they have forsaken God and turned after the pagan idols of the heathen. And in his message to them, chapter 6 is a continuation, actually, of a message that was started way back in about chapter 3, verse 6. And so this message is a continuation, and here he is warning the children of Benjamin. Now Benjamin was a very small tribe and some of those from the tribe of Benjamin were there in Jerusalem. And he is warning them to flee out of the midst of Jerusalem. blow the trumpet in Tekoa (Jer 6:1),
Tekoa is an area out in the wilderness, actually, beyond Bethlehem towards the Dead Sea. It's about the last outpost, really, before you get to that rugged canyon cliff area where nobody lives except wild mountain goats. Tekoa happens to be the place where the prophet Amos was from.
and set up a sign of fire in Bethhaccerem: for evil appeareth out of the north, and great destruction (Jer 6:1).
So he is warning of this destruction that will be coming from Babylon who will be invading from the north as they come down through Syria.
I have likened the daughter of Zion to a beautiful and delicate woman. But the shepherds with their flocks shall come unto her; they shall pitch their tents against her round about; they shall feed every one in his place. Prepare ye war against her; arise, and let us go up at noon. Woe unto us! for the day goeth away, for the shadows of the evening are stretched out. Arise, and let us go by night, and let us destroy her palaces (Jer 6:2-5).
And so the daughter of Zion, Jerusalem, is likened unto a beautiful, delicate woman who is attacked from daylight on through in the evening.
For thus hath the LORD of hosts said, Hew down trees, and cast a mount against Jerusalem: this is the city that is to be visited; she is wholly oppression in the midst of her (Jer 6:6).
The cutting down of trees, of course, was to make the rams, battering rams to break down the walls unto the gates and so forth.
As a fountain (Jer 6:7)
And here is God's description as He looks at Jerusalem, and it's really quite descriptive.
As a fountain casteth out her waters, so she casteth out her wickedness (Jer 6:7):
As a fountain is just bubbling out with waters, so Jerusalem is just overflowing with wickedness. It just is proceeding out of Jerusalem.
violence and spoil is heard in her; before me continually are grief and wounds (Jer 6:7).
So because of the turning away from God, a lot of violence, a lot of robbery, a lot of assaulting of people. Now as we have shared with you, Jeremiah was called to oversee the death of the nation. He was to watch it in its final agony before it died. He was to see it go under the heel of Babylon. He was helpless to stop it. All he could do is just stand and warn them and then watch the whole thing happen. It is sad to see a nation die. And as we read the prophecy of Jeremiah, we see the symptoms that were bringing on or telling at least the death of the nation.
The prophecy of Jeremiah becomes very relevant to us today because many of the things that were transpiring there in Jerusalem, there in Judah, are transpiring in the United States today. So as Jeremiah describes the condition of the violence that fills her streets, the oppression, the spoiling. We look at our land and we look how violent crime is increasing. We look at how robbery and all is increasing. And we see that these same indicators are here that brought the downfall of Judah.
Be thou instructed, O Jerusalem, lest my soul depart from thee; lest I make thee desolate, a land that is not inhabited. Thus saith the LORD of hosts, They shall thoroughly glean the remnant of Israel as a vine: turn back your hand as a grapegatherer into the baskets (Jer 6:8-9).
She's going to be plucked from all of her fruit as the gleaners would go through afterwards. And they pick everything that was left. So Israel or Jerusalem is to be left picked clean without anything left.
To whom shall I speak, and give warning, that they may hear? Behold, their ear is uncircumcised, and they cannot hearken: behold, the word of the LORD is to them a reproach; they have no delight in it (Jer 6:10).
So the difficulty of speaking to the people. They weren't listening anymore. They weren't listening to the voice of God any longer. They closed their hearts to God and the word of the Lord to them was just a reproach. They had no delight in hearing God's word.
Therefore [God declares, Jeremiah declared] I am full of the fury of the LORD; I am weary with holding it in: I will pour it out upon the children abroad, and upon the assembly of young men together: for even the husband with the wife shall be taken, the aged with him that is full of days (Jer 6:11).
They're all to be destroyed, the old men, the children.
And their houses shall be turned unto others, with their fields and wives together: for I will stretch out my hand upon the inhabitants of the land, saith the LORD. For from the least of them even unto the greatest of them every one is given to covetousness; and from the prophet even unto the priest every one is dealing falsely (Jer 6:12-13). So the conditions of the land. The people were filled with covetousness and the priests and the prophets were corrupted.
They have healed [God said,] also the hurt of the daughter of my people slightly, saying, Peace, peace; when there is no peace (Jer 6:14).
And so the prophets and all were declaring, "Aw, things are going to be all right. Don't have to worry. Peace, peace," when judgment was hanging over their heads.
Were they ashamed when they had committed abomination? no, they were not at all ashamed, neither could they blush: therefore they shall fall among them that fall: at the time that I visit them they shall be cast down, saith the LORD. Thus saith the LORD, Stand ye in the ways, and see, and ask for the old paths, where is the good way, and walk therein, and ye shall find rest for your souls. But they said, We will not walk therein (Jer 6:15-16).
Now God is challenging. He's saying, "Look, just stand still for a minute. Put on the brakes. Take a look at your life. Take a look at what's happening, the things that are going on around you. Make an evaluation of yourself and of the life you're living. Just stand in the ways and see." Look what's happening to our world. Look what's happening to this generation in which we live. He said, "And ask for the old paths." That is, the path of righteousness. Walking with the Lord, wherein is the good way, and you will find rest for your soul. Jesus said, "Come unto Me, all ye that labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest" (Matthew 11:28). This rest is always associated with committing your life to God. There's a glorious rest in this. The old path of just full commitment of myself to the Lord.
You know, when you commit your life to Jesus Christ, the very first consciousness that you have is that of a real deep peace and rest. In fact, when you go home, you feel so peaceful that as you lie there on your bed, you hate to go to sleep. It just feels so good. The war is over. I'm not running from God anymore. I'm not fighting God anymore. God, I belong to You and I want to just walk with You and I want to just serve You, Lord. And just that beautiful rest that you have in your soul as you've committed now your life to Jesus Christ. And the very first consciousness of your new life is that of just a deep-seated, beautiful rest. Rest for your soul. God promises it. But people caught up in their covetousness, as they are lusting after so many things, they say, "Oh no, not for us, man. We're out to get all we can." Off they go in the furor and the frenzy and the panic of life.
The Lord said,
Also I set watchmen over you, saying, Hearken to the sound of the trumpet. But they said, We will not hearken (Jer 6:17).
God said, "I'm blowing the trumpet. It's a trumpet of warning. Judgment is coming." They say, "Ah, forget it."
Therefore hear, ye nations, and know, O congregation, that is among them. Hear, O earth (Jer 6:18-19):
Now it's tragic. Here God's... the people are not listening to Him anymore, so He starts talking to the earth. It's a sad day when people no longer listen to God and He's got to talk to the earth.
Hear, O earth: behold, I will bring evil upon this people, even the fruit of their thoughts, because they have not hearkened unto my words, nor to my law, but they have rejected it. To what purpose cometh there to me incense from Sheba (Jer 6:19-20),
What value are your religious activities?
and the sweet cane from a far country? your burnt offerings are not acceptable, nor your sacrifices sweet unto me (Jer 6:20).
They're just... God says, "I won't accept them." In the Psalms it said, "Sacrifice and offerings Thou wouldst not." You don't care for them. "A broken and a contrite spirit You won't turn away" (Psalm 51:16-17). There are too many people that are trying to substitute religion for relationship. God wants a relationship with you. A living relationship with you. And He doesn't care for your religious activities unless there is a relationship behind it. But just the religious activities for religious activities' sake is of no value at all. There's got to be that vital relationship behind it in order that it be meaningful. So God said, "Forget the sacrifices. I don't care for them. I won't even accept them."
Therefore thus saith the LORD, Behold, I will lay stumblingblocks before the people, and the fathers and the sons together shall fall upon them; and their neighbors and their friends shall perish. Thus saith the LORD, Behold, a people cometh from the north country, and a great nation shall be raised from the sides of the earth. They shall lay hold on bow and spear; they are cruel, and have no mercy; their voice roareth like the sea; and they ride upon horses, set in array as men for war against thee, O daughter of Zion. We have heard of the fame thereof: our hands wax feeble: anguish hath taken hold of us, and pain, as of a woman in travail. Go not forth into the field, nor walk by the way; for the sword of the enemy and fear is on every side. O daughter of my people, gird thee now with sackcloth (Jer 6:21-26),
Which is a garment of mourning.
and wallow thyself in ashes: make thee mourning, as for an only son, most bitter lamentation: for the spoiler shall suddenly come upon us. I have set thee for a tower and a fortress among my people, that thou mayest know and try their way (Jer 6:26-27).
Now God is saying this to Jeremiah. The end of the message is there and now He's talking to Jeremiah. He said, "I have set thee for a tower and a fortress among My people, that you may know and try their way."
They are all grievous revolters, walking with slanders: they are as brass and iron; they are all corrupters. The bellows are burned, the lead is consumed in the fire; the founder melteth in vain: for the wicked are not plucked away. Reprobate silver [or refuse silver] shall men call them, because the LORD hath rejected them (Jer 6:28-30).
So God tells Jeremiah that your ministry isn't going to really be successful or prosper. The people have gone, but yet I've set you there in the midst as a tower.