May 24 2009 notes Jeremiah Chapters 4-6

We had a wonderful fellowship of 6 people, God is awesome.

Chapter 4
If we want God we have to really want Him. We have to put Him first, not us. That is difficult enough, and not something easily done. However, if we make that choice, verbalize it, and ask His help, and pay attention to Him. He will help us. Signs that we mean business- we get rid of our sin paraphernalia, and not wander away from Him. We must keep our focus on God.

When we live like this the godless nations and other people will get caught up in the blessing, and God may use it.

Another message- plow your heart- get it ready, ready for new ideas. Receive God. Our wicked ways are fuel for the fire of God's anger.

Now were back to Jeremiah's message specifically to Judah. God has set off an invasion from the north. He allowed it, He decided and was not going to change His mind. He however is warning them. Verse 10 it is said God assured them all would be well, and yet the invasion was starting. Jeremiah warned them, their other prophets told them otherwise (which wasn't from God). God is warning them.

Now the description of the invasion. Jerusalem scrub the evil from your lives. The invasion will sweep down from the north, the people have time. Why did the invasion come about- Judah rebelled against Him. Its not God, but rather the consequences of how they lived. Disaster and more disaster, death and destruction constant. Homes destroyed. Again because of the way we live.

God's comments- we don't realize who He is, we are selfish and do our own thing, its awkward for us to do the things of God. God saw the earth in a pre-Genesis mode. No stars, no men or women, all the towns were ghost towns. This will be the end result of the invasion. God has set this in motion and it will happen.

Even though the whole country will be desolate, God isn't done, its not the end. When bad things happen in our lives, destruction, etc. Its not the end. God is still there and wants relationship with us.

God says the invasion will result in death, its still not over, because God transcends death. Turn to him, and mean it.

Chapter 5
Patrol the streets of Jerusalem, look for a righteous person. See if you can find one. God did this (or rather Abraham asked the number of righteous that would spare the city) before He destroyed Sodom. He did it before He destroyed Jerusalem. He does not act unfairly. He has an eye for the truth, and He tried to instruct them. To no avail. He disciplined, but they refused correction. This was true for the poor as well as the well to do. Neither group accepted correction, the entire society was that way. The people betrayed God over and over, the streets weren't safe, and the invaders are ready to pounce.

God's question- why should He continue bothering with us. Our children don't give God the time of day. He met their needs and they still left for sex gods. Adultery and lust is rampant, God will act, He will take serious measures. His instruction to the invaders- prune the vines back. Their actions were not God ordained. Israel and Judah had betrayed God over and over again, just like us.

They like we spread lies about God. We deny His power, or more likely that He will act. When we consider our position before God, the fact that He doesn't act at everyone of our transgressions is understandable. Our pride fools us into thinking more highly of ourselves than we should. We like the prophets of that day believe He will keep us safe, nothing bad will come. Again a pride elevated assessment of ourselves.

God told them in Jeremiah's time that they would eat their false words about Him. This condition was also widespread to the point where finding "one righteous" would have been difficult. He sent a nation to slay them, their kids and crops. To show the reliability of the idols they had chosen, which was none. Anything other than God will not hold up.

In the middle a nugget- as bad as it will get, God will not make it the end of the world. He still longs for relationship with us from a repentant heart. Just as they left Him for others, He is allowing them to serve others- its what they thought they wanted anyway, and the very nature we all have.

Eyes see, but not really. Ears hear, but not really. Why don't we honor God, why are we not in awe of Him? We take His creation and His protection for granted. He contains the oceans. These people never "say" how can we honor God with our lives. The God who sends rain, the seasons, and keeps everything running smoothly. Its our sins that keep His blessings at a distance.

His people are infiltrated with the wicked- non-God serving. They are out for their own wants and desires. Its true today, the spirit of selfishness can abide in church, elevated assessments due to pride. These wicked have no conscious, don't consider right and wrong. What does it lead to? Prophets teaching lies, and priests assisting them. They say what we want to hear, and we eat it up. Its what we desire, its confirmation (we think of our desires). God asks - what happens when it all falls apart and we have to pick up the pieces?

Chapter 6
Here comes the invasion- He is faithful to warn. He says leave Jerusalem. Do
they? Is it what they want? Is it easy? No. Soon they are surrounded, they didn't listen. Siege ramps built against Jerusalem, a city of brutality and violence, wickedness non-stop (24/7). Violence, rape and bleeding victims. Our biggest industries are medical and prisons- sounds like we are close, and He told Jerusalem at that time, they were on the brink of being wiped out.

Times up, harvest the grapes for judgment, salvage what is left of Israel. God will act (He does act), and He is thorough. Every detail- glory to God. Is anybody listening, a warning is posted- nobody notices. God has been tuned out, they don't want to hear from Him. They are too sophisticated- they have determined their own answers. God's wrath is soon coming.

Everyone seeks dishonest dollars, truth is twisted and doctored. His people are broken - shattered. Are His people embarrassed by the outrage of the way the nation has gone? No they don't know how to blush. That is the finished condition according to the Almighty.

Ask directions to the old road, the tried and true (God's ways)- and take it. Discover the right route for your soul. His people rejected it. We don't want God's way, we want our own, but God's way is the way that brings about fulfillment and doesn't hurt others. God sends people to warn us, but alas we ignore it, a false alarm we claim. So He will let His nation endure hardship and catastrophe. They had contempt for the teachings of God, and rather gave Him things He doesn't want. We ritualize our worship and go through the motions. Roadblocks are on the way, barriers to what we want, and then invasion is on the way. God Himself allowed it, and the people will react in fear, disbelief, they will think God is angry, but He has had enough of their sin.

God gave Jeremiah the task of examining the people. What were they then, what are they today? Thickheaded, hard-nosed, rotten to the core. All of them the entire lot. So the heat will be turned up to refine, and the slag- those that won't allow the evil to be refined out of them will end up on the slag heap. God will put them there.