Floundering by False Hope

“At the noise of the taking of Babylon the earth is moved, and the cry is heard among the nations.” (Jer 50:46 AV)

When the hope of all people is gone, the mankind will be moved like never before.  I have never seen this, but I have heard of such a thing.  It is similar to the sudden loss of young father, a pastor, or a national leader.  The hope that is attached to that person is overwhelming to the point that all future rests in his person.  If he goes, then so does the hope of the future.  In our passage, it is not a person, but a place.  I imagine it would be much like the loss of a national capital.  As when Paris fell to the Axis powers.  It is not just their future, but the very definition of who and what they are.  When the world places its identity, hope, and survival in the person and government of the Antichrist, it will shake the world to its core when both he and it falls.

I am not old enough to remember when President Kennedy was assassinated.  To this day, that even still effects the lives of those who went through it.  Party affiliation does not matter.  There was such hope in his leadership.  Economic prosperity and the willingness to face down the Communists made this President more than popular.  Not until an actor from California had the country had such pride and hope in her leader.  And not since then either.  I was born the year after Kennedy was shot in Dallas, Texas.  So, I have to rely on the stories of those who were so impressed with such a tragedy.  Remembering where they were when the news came seems to be common.  Weeping for the loss deeply felt by all seems to be a common refrain.  It is said that Junior and Senior High classes, as a whole, stopped their course of study and wept at the loss of their great leader.  When Babylon falls, it will be far worse.  Kennedy was president during a relative time of peace.  At least when one considers the world.  He served in times of trouble, but not nearly as deeply as when the AntiChrist will.  When he falls along with his government, there is no more future for a God rejecting world.  It is all over.

Which brings us to the major point here.  The only hope that is reliable and certain is the hope that a relationship with Christ through His sacrifice on Calvary can bring.  The only future worth looking forward to is an eternal one.  This life will end.  This planet will cease to exist.  Eternity will go on.  If our hope rests in Christ and Christ alone, then no matter the circumstances, we will not be moved to despair.  Governments may fall.  Rules will eventually perish.  Just the other day I read scientist were concerned with the volcano at Yellowstone.  If the earthquakes in California are any indication, we may be in for an event that may take the majority of life in our fragile nation.  If Christ is our Savior, there is nothing to worry about.  If not, then there is everything to worry about.  It all depends upon who or what our hope lies.

Honest Work

“Cursed be he that doeth the work of the LORD deceitfully, and cursed be he that keepeth back his sword from blood.” (Jer 48:10 AV)

This statement is directed toward the Chaldeans.  They were directed to chasten the Moabites.  The Moabites were protectorates of Israel.  Israel controlled the territory even though the Moabites governed themselves.  Yet, the Moabites refused to allow the God of Israel to influence their nation.  Instead, they became a stumbling block to Israel, leading them into apostasy.  When Babylon invaded Judah, Moab rebelled.  God commanded Nebby and the Chaldeans to invade Moab, yet they chaffed at it.  So, the LORD makes this statement to those who are the human tool of His hand upon the disobedient.  The chapter does not reveal the motive behind Babylon’s reluctance to exercise judgment upon Moab.  It really doesn’t matter.  When the LORD directs His servants to serve, they really need to serve.  Doing so only half-way is not good enough.  God expects us to serve to our fullest ability.

We know this passage has to do with violence.  But it can be applied no matter the calling.  Babylon was called to be the chastening hand of God in the middle east, starting with Israel.  We are not called to be that chastening hand of God.  At least not to that degree.  We may be called to chasten our children, correct employees, or if we are in full-time Christian service, to correct those sheep under our care.  But invading the house of a disobedient saint is not in our purview.  This principle can apply no matter what we are called to do.  Keeping back is the problem here.  In context, it is the sword.  This is certainly easy to do.  No one likes confrontation.  Well, most do not like it.  We may hold back preaching the truth because we know the reaction will not be a good one.  We may hold back rebuking a saint for unsaintly behavior.  We may not go visit someone because we know it will end in an argument.  There are other ways we can hold back.  We can hold back compassion because we are burned out.  We can hold back instruction because we are frustrated over having to argue the same truths over and again.  We can hold back laboring with our hands because we feel like we are the only ones doing it. 

The deceit here is not improper motive.  The deceit here is feigning faithfulness and stewardship when one has not completed the call of God on one’s life.  Working those things which we enjoy while avoid those parts of God’s call which we would rather not is working the work of God in deceit.  We may not like to perform certain tasks.  But those tasks are still required.  It takes a mature and disciplined person to work the work of God with complete faithfulness.  It takes a saint who is willing to chasten himself into what he does not like to do so that the work of the LORD will continue.  This is where Babylon failed.  This is where you and I cannot.

No Paradise Here

“But if ye say, We will not dwell in this land, neither obey the voice of the LORD your God, Saying, No; but we will go into the land of Egypt, where we shall see no war, nor hear the sound of the trumpet, nor have hunger of bread; and there will we dwell:” (Jer 42:13-14 AV)

In one sense, we cannot blame these Jews for wanting to escape to a place that seems a far cry from the trouble they just left. Babylon had come, took away most of the nation, and burned their capital city to the ground.  They left behind a small remnant to care for the land.  The poorest of the nation were left behind to husband the land.  Babylon left Gedeliah as governor, but a man by the name of Ishmael killed him, all the Jews that were with him, and all the Chaldeans that stood watch over the whole land.  Furthermore, when a group of worshippers came to Jerusalem for to worship, Ishmael met the in Mizpah and killed all but a few there.  He threw their bodies in a pit and left them there to rot.  If I were one of the remaining Jews, I think I would also flee to Egypt.  As long as the LORD was chastening Israel, who in their right mind would want to stick around for that?  The problem is, the made an assumption that would not be true.  They thought they could flee troublesome circumstances and on this side of glory there may be a place that had no trouble.  This is not the case.  Eventually, Babylon would invade Egypt and God’s hand would find them there.

There isn’t a soul that enjoys living with stress day in and day out.  We want to live in peace and contentment.  It is summer time.  Many are seeking an escape from the demands of life.  Just yesterday found me sitting on a porch swing of a large lodge overlooking a lake.  It was warm, but the breeze was coming off the lake and it felt heavenly.  There was human activity, but compared to the large city in which I dwell and minister, it was very quiet.  It was a place where one can forget the problems of life and enjoy the simplicity which is God’s creation.  However, the day came to an end and we had to return to our hectic life in the big city.  Part of me enjoyed that day.  Part of me didn’t.  I have come to realize that trouble means growth.  I have come to realize the LORD allows or sends hardships as opportunities to change who and what we are.  They are opportunities to overcome and feel the joy which accompanies a victory.

So much of our “Christian” community is designed to avoid troublesome times.  Weak doctrinal stands mean no arguments or striving for the truth.  No separation standards mean no battle with the inner man to overcome our own desires.  Hiring a staff to meet our needs rather than volunteering to help minister to the needs of others means we are spoiled, catered to, and fed.  Many of our churches have gone down into Egypt thinking they can exist trouble free.  Not so.  Perhaps in the short run.  However, like the changing of the seasons, it will not remain that way.  Just look at all these types of churches that are now learning of the immorality that has been going on behind closed doors among their leadership.  Trouble free Egypt is an illusion, It doesn’t exist. The battle is coming whether we want it to or not.  There is no distance far enough that will separate us from the trouble this world brings.  It is better to stay in the battle than to flee from it.  That is what Jeremiah was trying to share with those who went to Egypt.  Better to submit to the correction of the LORD than to think one can flee from it.  It will find you whether you want it to or not.

Fight or Flight: Or, Maybe a Third Choice

“And it came to pass, that when Zedekiah the king of Judah saw them, and all the men of war, then they fled, and went forth out of the city by night, by the way of the king’s garden, by the gate betwixt the two walls: and he went out the way of the plain.” (Jer 39:4 AV)

Zedekiah, king of Judah, with his princes and the people were warned not to flee when Babylon reappeared after Egypt’s departure.  They were told by the prophet Jeremiah to succumb to the demands of Babylon and submit to the pending captivity.  If, when Babylon returned, they fled, then they would be taken by force, some would lose their lives, the king’s eyes would be put out, and the Jerusalem would be burned.  In hind sight, we can see the futility of rejecting the prophet’s words.  But, if we are fair, we can certainly understand why thy did what they did.  If we are honest, most of us would have done the same thing.  We are wired with a fight or flight response to threats.  We will either face them head on and, win or lose, fight to the end.  Or, like Zedekiah, we will turn tail and run.  Most of us would do the later.  It is wired into us so that we will survive.  Which brings us to the principle for our edification.  It takes faith and obedience to allow the hand of God to work in and through difficult circumstances of life.

Going through therapy after shoulder surgery, there were exercises I absolutely hated.  The one that really caused a great deal of pain was the alphabet exercise. It required holding a volleyball sized ball against the wall with the palm of the shoulder that we repaired, then tracing the alphabet one letter at a time with the ball.  It sounds rather innocuous, but try it some time.  Specially after surgery.  What got me through those painful exercises was two things.  The first was the reminder that if one does not do their exercises, they may very will lose mobility of that arm and the pain of surgery would have been completely wasted.  In other words, if I rejected to correction, no matter how painful it was at the time, my shoulder would have frozen in place and I would have been a one-armed man.  The other was the desire to overcome.  I wasn’t going to let a silly thing like pain to keep me from conquering the alphabet.  After all the exercises were over, the patient gets to enjoy a session with a clinical strength TENS machine.  Oh, baby, did that feel good!  I had the therapist turn that machine higher and higher.  The got a laugh out of it.  Again, more short-term discomfort for the benefit of prolonged relief.

The point is this.  I can certainly understand why Zedekiah ran.  I probably would have to.  It takes a certain level of faith to submit to uncomfortable circumstances in order that one might be changed.  Here is another point.  Zedekiah was going to Babylon one way or another.  With or without faith.  If he goes with faith, it will go easier for him.  If without it, the experience would be far more difficult.  Better to trust the LORD and surrender to correction than to fight it.  It is coming whether we like it or not.  Better to lay down our arms and allow the free work of the Holy Spirit than to put on our running shoes and try to outrun an omnipresent God.

Optimism is a Must

“It may be they will present their supplication before the LORD, and will return every one from his evil way: for great is the anger and the fury that the LORD hath pronounced against this people.” (Jer 36:7 AV)

Jeremiah went through an astounding transformation of attitude from earlier in the book.  He had wanted to quit because no one was heeding the warning he was called to preach.  He knew the LORD was determined to send the kingdom of Babylon against disobedient Judah.  He knew, more than likely, Judah was not going to repent and turn back to God.  Furthermore, he makes this statement from a prison cell.  The Jewish king has locked him up because he doesn’t appreciate the prophets preaching.  Yet, his instruction to Baruch, his trusted aid, was to read the word of God in the company of the king and princes in the hope they will still repent and return.  This is optimism in light of reality.  This is the balance we preachers and soul-winners should have when we share the gospel with a lost and dying world.  This is the optimism we should carry when dealing with those who profess Christ yet live apart from Him and His people.  More than likely, people will not change.  But perhaps the will!

This principle holds true in many areas of life.  My youngest son played baseball most of his youth and into his young adult life.  He was an above average pitcher but his batting average was well above average.  He played for an inner-city High School.  Most of the players had little talent and even less interest in succeeding on or off the field.  I was really impressed with the head coach.  He loves those kids more than he loved the game of baseball.  He was more interested in them succeeding in life as he was winning games.  It showed in practice and standards for playing.  He required a certain GPA.  He required faithfulness to practice and games.  Of all those kids he coached, most would wash out.  In baseball and in life.  But there were a few who would not.  My son was one.  But there was another young man who was a pure athlete.  He was the team’s shortstop.  His name escapes me, but I can still remember what he looked like.  The coach rode him because he could see the potential.  He would not let up pushing him to attain higher and higher standards.  Eventually this young man went on to play college ball.  Coach did not let the fact the majority of his team would wash out in life as discouragement from investing in one that would not.  He would not allow the reality that most of these young people would never reach their potential as an excuse not to reach their potential while under his coaching.  Because of his commitment, this team won a regional playoff game by pitching a no-hitter and scoring a few runs.  It would be the first playoff game they had won in over fifteen years.

The point is this.  We can share the gospel or minister God’s word with one of two attitudes. We can carry the negative attitude that it will do no good, or, we can change our attitude like Bro Jeremiah here and hold out hope until the end.  Yes, we know the majority of the world will reject Christ.  Eventually.  But maybe not just yet.  Who knows what God can do with a servant who is willing to believe in the impossible?  That is what Jeremiah did.  And he was in far worse circumstance of ministry.

Change In Never Impossible

“Behold, I am the LORD, the God of all flesh: is there any thing too hard for me?” (Jer 32:27 AV)

The context of this rhetorical question is the real beauty of it.  The context is the correction and restoration of Israel.  Several concerns enter the mind of the Judean captive as he goes into Babylon.  Will Babylon destroy Jerusalem beyond repair?  Will the land be farmable when they return, or will it be poisoned beyond fruitfulness?  Will the nation survive seventy years of captivity and enslavement so there might be a remnant who can return to rebuild?  All these worries are temporal ones.  The real concern is found a bit further in the passage.  The real concern is whether God can transform that surviving remnant into a people who will love the LORD and never backslide again!  That is the real concern.  Spiritual growth and change is the real goal here.  Not houses, lands, and name, health, or wealth.  That has always been the goal.  For saints who live the struggle of Romans chapter seven, we understand this!

The God of the impossible can change the hearts of men.  It is the most difficult of all miracles.  Feed five or seven thousand with a few loaves a fish manipulates inanimate objects.  Preparing a whale to swallow a bitter prophet is working with a creation that has no sense of self-determination.  Sending rain or cleaving a sea is working with forces of nature that cannot argue in return.  But, working with a being that has a will, a heart, and can act upon his desires is the greatest miracle of all.  It is the miracle which many of us fall far short of believing in the omnipotence of God.  It all starts with a desire.  If the child of God desires to walk with God, then God can work with that.  If the sinner desire to know God, God can work with that.  The world, the devil, and even the flesh is no match for an omnipotent God.  Even a nation that is stiff-necked and set in their rebellion still has hope if there is even the slightest flicker of hope they might respond to the grace of God.

We give up way too early on a God who can do all things.  Whether we are the one struggling, or there is someone else in mind, God has got this.  If we are honest, there are those we do not pray for as we should because we think there is nothing even God can do.  If we are not careful, we can succumb to the presumptuous sin because we have failed to conquer it after years of trying to get victory.  But God is greater than all this.  He is greater than our wicked desire and greater than our wills.  God has got this!  Honest.  He can change you and He can change another.  There is still hope as long as there is breath in the longs.  God can do this.  All we need to do is have faith and keep praying!

Praise The LORD For Those Who Respect

“Then said the princes and all the people unto the priests and to the prophets; This man is not worthy to die: for he hath spoken to us in the name of the LORD our God.” (Jer 26:16 AV)

Praise the LORD for people who still have a fear of the LORD even when they hear things they do not like to hear.  The context here is Jeremiah being confronted in the house of the LORD because the people did not like the message he was preaching.  He was encouraging the people to repent lest the kingdom of Babylon comes and takes them away.  The majority wanted the king to take Jeremiah and kill him.  Yet, a few stood up and protected the prophet.  There is a principle that the people of God do no harm to the man of God just because they do not like the message he is preaching.

The old testament did not protect the prophet no matter the circumstances.  He was held to a standard.  If his message did not come to pass, they he was to be stoned to death.  If he did not live a lifestyle required of the man of God, then he was not to be heeded.  But what the people could not do is to disrespect the man of God just because they do not like the truth he is bringing.  There is a certain fear that is required for certain status of life and society.  People are not perfect.  We know this.  But there are certain callings which people fulfill that requires a certain level of respect, despite their faults.  We taught our children there is no back-talking to adults.  Teachers are to be obeyed and respected.  If they are at fault, then Mom and Dad will handle it privately.  I law enforcement officer is to be respected.  They are to be heeded even if we think they are being unfair.  Complaints can be filed and lawsuits pursued at a later date.  Judges are to respected.  Umpires and officials at athletic contests are to be respected.  Even if they make a bad call.  When it comes to the man of God, this goes doubly so.  He is God’s mouthpiece.  These things are necessary for a relatively efficient and peaceful society.

Someone might argue this opens the door for abuse.  Yes, it does.  There are laws of society that assist in justice.  One thing to remember, God’s timing of justice is eternal.  He is not bound to right every wrong on this side of glory.  In fact, He often does not.  Persecution and injustice continue.  However, eternity is an awfully long time.  When God does deal with it, He will do so in a way that is permanent.  In the meantime, respect and honor should be given to those in positions of authority even if they are not perfect or we do not appreciate the truth.  Specially for the man of God who is only trying to serve both God and man for the benefit of both.