We thank God for His Word from Jeremiah 4:1-4, reminding us of the true repentance, which is God's gift of grace. Today, we shall continue with Jeremiah 4:5-31, telling us about God's righteous judgement.
The loving, merciful and righteous God always gives His warnings against the ungodly and wicked with His call to repentance before He carries out His righteous judgment. If they ignore God's warnings, take God's mercy for granted, refuse to repent, and provoke God to anger, then the righteous God has to judge them, even His own people. God directly warned Adam and Eve of their sure death if they ate of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil (Gen 2:17), but they did not take God's Word seriously and fell into Satan's temptation, so they were judged and punished. God gave His warning of judgement against the wicked people in the days of Noah through his preaching for 120 years, but they did not believe nor repent, so God's judgement came and they were all destroyed by the Global Flood, except Noah and his family. God used His prophets to give His warnings of judgement against the northern kingdom Israel due to their transgressions and idolatry with His call to repentance (around 160 years from the prophets Elijah to Micah), but they did not take God's warning seriously nor repent, so they were taken in captivity to Assyria in 722 B.C. God did the same to the southern kingdom of Judah (around 250 years from the prophets Joel to Jeremiah), but they did not take God's warning seriously nor repent, so in the end they were taken in captivity to Babylon in 586 B.C. "Surely the Lord GOD will do nothing, but he revealeth his secret unto his servants the prophets" (Amos 3:7). In Jeremiah chapter 4 we can see God's grace, love and mercy as well as His righteous judgement.
God's Warnings of His Righteous Judgement against Judah
Jeremiah 4:5 Declare ye in Judah, and publish in Jerusalem; and say, Blow ye the trumpet in the land: cry, gather together, and say, Assemble yourselves, and let us go into the defenced cities. 6 Set up the standard toward Zion: retire, stay not: for I will bring evil from the north, and a great destruction. 7 The lion is come up from his thicket, and the destroyer of the Gentiles is on his way; he is gone forth from his place to make thy land desolate; and thy cities shall be laid waste, without an inhabitant.
God commanded not only Jeremiah but also the leaders of Judah (king, princes, high priests, rulers, etc. Jer 4:9) to announce His judgement publicly that He would bring evil from the north (Babylon) to destroy them, "Declare ye... Blow ye the trumpet... Assemble yourselves, and let us go into the defenced cities. Set up the standard (banner, flag) toward Zion (Jerusalem): retire (seek refuge), stay not..." But sadly, they did not believe nor do God's Word through His true prophet Jeremiah, but trusted in lying words from false prophets, who prophesied in the LORD's name that He would protect them from famine, evil and sword (Jer 14:13; 23:17)! Many nowadays also do the same (2 Tim 4:3-4)!
The Lord Jesus gave His warnings of the signs and God's judgement in the end times (Matthew 24-25) and the Holy Spirit also inspired His servants to record God's warnings of judgement (2 Thess 1:8; 2 Peter 3; Rev 6-20) around 2,000 years ago. However, many still do not believe, nor take the Lord's warnings seriously! What about us?
Matthew 7:21 Not every one that saith unto me, Lord, Lord, shall enter into the kingdom of heaven; but he that doeth the will of my Father which is in heaven...23 And then will I profess unto them, I never knew you: depart from me, ye that work iniquity.
God's Call to Repentance
Jeremiah 4:1 If thou wilt return, O Israel, saith the LORD, return unto me: and if thou wilt put away thine abominations out of my sight, then shalt thou not remove.... 8 For this gird you with sackcloth, lament and howl: for the fierce anger of the LORD is not turned back from us... 14 O Jerusalem, wash thine heart from wickedness, that thou mayest be saved. How long shall thy vain thoughts lodge within thee?
Sadly, the people of Judah took "the fierce anger of the LORD" lightly, did not repent, and in the end they were severely chastised! Nowadays, many do not want to hear about God's fierce anger, wrath, judgement, and so on!
God's Determined Judgement Due to Their Unrepentance
Jeremiah 4:18 Thy way and thy doings have procured these things unto thee; this is thy wickedness, because it is bitter, because it reacheth unto thine heart. 22 For my people is foolish, they have not known me; they are sottish children, and they have none understanding: they are wise to do evil, but to do good they have no knowledge... 28 For this shall the earth mourn, and the heavens above be black: because I have spoken it, I have purposed it, and will not repent, neither will I turn back from it.
God is true and serious in His Word and warnings. When His people did not repent, God did not change His mind (repent), but He chastised them severely to fulfil His Word of warnings, "I have spoken it, I have purposed it, and will not repent, neither will I turn back from it." May God help us wisely repent and come back to the Lord when the Holy Spirit convicts us of our sins and shortcoming.
God's Grace and Mercy upon His People
Jeremiah 4:27 For thus hath the LORD said, The whole land shall be desolate; yet will I not make a full end.
The holy God hates sins, and the righteous God has to judge and condemn sins. God chastised His people severely, and they were taken in captivity to Babylon. However, God did not make a full end. God did not completely destroy His people. After 70 years of captivity, God brought the remnant back to their land in preparation for the first Advent of their Messiah Jesus Christ to fulfil His promise and covenant with their fathers Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, and David! How good, gracious, merciful and faithful the Lord is! May God help us to be thankful to the Lord always.
Proper Understanding of God's Righteous Judgement
Sometimes we cannot understand God's righteous judgement because we are not as holy nor righteous nor all-knowing as God. Many nowadays deny God or blame God for His unfairness to elect only some to be saved or His failure to change human heart, to cause them to repent or to save all sinners. We see this even in Isaiah and Jeremiah as they did not have the full revelation of God (the complete Holy Bible) as we have today.
Jeremiah 4:10 Then said I, Ah, Lord GOD! surely thou hast greatly deceived this people and Jerusalem, saying, Ye shall have peace; whereas the sword reacheth unto the soul.
Did God surely and greatly deceive His people? Absolutely not! Why?
1. God did not command Jeremiah to preach peace to unrepentant people
Jeremiah 16:5 For thus saith the LORD, Enter not into the house of mourning, neither go to lament nor bemoan them: for I have taken away my peace from this people, saith the LORD, even lovingkindness and mercies.
God's promise of peace comes only after God's chastisement:
Jeremiah 33:6 Behold, I will bring it health and cure, and I will cure them, and will reveal unto them the abundance of peace and truth. 7 And I will cause the captivity of Judah and the captivity of Israel to return, and will build them, as at the first (cf. Jer 29:7-11).
2. Only false prophets preached peace to unrepentant people in the LORD's Name
Jeremiah 14:13 Then said I, Ah, Lord GOD! behold, the prophets say unto them, Ye shall not see the sword, neither shall ye have famine; but I will give you assured peace in this place.
Jeremiah 23:17 They say still unto them that despise me, The LORD hath said, Ye shall have peace; and they say unto every one that walketh after the imagination of his own heart, No evil shall come upon you.
Nowadays many also like to hear messages of peace, love, good health, prosperity, and material blessings while they still like living in sins, ungodliness, and worldliness without repentance!
3. Due to human sinful, deceitful and wicked nature, when they reject God, His love, His truth, His warnings without repentance, God gives them up to their own deceit and sinful nature
That is human responsibility and accountability as God did not create human beings like robots. They are accountable for what they have chosen and decided to do. Although the Lord Jesus performed many miracles, His people did not believe in Him, so the Holy Spirit reminded John to quote God's Word from Isaiah 6:6-9.
John 12:39 Therefore they could not believe, because that Esaias said again, 40 He hath blinded their eyes, and hardened their heart; that they should not see with their eyes, nor understand with their heart, and be converted, and I should heal them.
Has God blinded their eyes and hardened their heart? Absolute not!
Isaiah obeyed God to preach His message of repentance to His people, but they did not believe nor repent, so Isaiah asked God, " O LORD, why hast thou made us to err from thy ways, and hardened our heart from thy fear? Return for thy servants' sake, the tribes of thine inheritance" (Isaiah 63:17). Has God made His people to err from His ways, and hardened their heart from His fear? Absolutely not!
Come back to the words from Jeremiah 4:10, did God surely and greatly deceive His people? Absolutely not. Why? God is always good, gracious, merciful, holy and righteous, and He so loved mankind that He gave His only begotten Son to come and die for their sins and rose again to save those who repent and believe in His Son (John 3:16).
(1) God's Word confirms that He is never tempted with evil:
James 1:13 Let no man say when he is tempted, I am tempted of God: for God cannot be tempted with evil, neither tempteth he any man:
(2) God's Word confirms that He has no pleasure to destroy human beings, but He wants them to repent and to escape His righteous judgement
Ezekiel 33:11 Say unto them, As I live, saith the Lord GOD, I have no pleasure in the death of the wicked; but that the wicked turn from his way and live: turn ye, turn ye from your evil ways; for why will ye die, O house of Israel?
2 Peter 3:9 The Lord is not slack concerning his promise, as some men count slackness; but is longsuffering to us-ward, not willing that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance.
(3) The Holy Spirit shows human responsibility for their deceitful, depraved, rebellious nature
Acts 28:25 And when they agreed not among themselves, they departed, after that Paul had spoken one word, Well spake the Holy Ghost by Esaias the prophet unto our fathers...27 For the heart of this people is waxed gross, and their ears are dull of hearing, and their eyes have they closed; lest they should see with their eyes, and hear with their ears, and understand with their heart, and should be converted, and I should heal them.
Here the Holy Spirit explains that their heart is waxed gross (dull), their ears are dull of hearing, and they have closed their eyes; therefore, God gives them up to their sinful and rebellious nature.
In Romans 1:18-25, Paul was inspired to write the consequences of rejecting God, not worshipping Him nor giving Him thanks: God gave them up to their sinful nature, leading to homosexuality and all kinds of sins!
Romans 1:24 Wherefore God also gave them up to uncleanness through the lusts of their own hearts, to dishonour their own bodies between themselves:
Paul was also inspired to write the consequence of rejecting God's truth: God gives them up to strong delusion.
2 Thessalonians 2:10 And with all deceivableness of unrighteousness in them that perish; because they received not the love of the truth, that they might be saved. 11 And for this cause God shall send them strong delusion, that they should believe a lie:
Thus, the people of Judah rejected God's warnings and call to repentance, so God gave them up to strong delusion (deceit), believing lies from false prophets, and that is their responsibility. May the Lord help us to understand His righteous judgment and thank Him always for His election of grace, whereas we do not deserve. May God help us to fear Him and not to take His grace for granted, but repent right away when the Holy Spirit convicts us of our sins Amen. HN.
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