Stubborn Human Hearts

“They have blown the trumpet and made everything ready, but none goes to battle, for my wrath is upon all their multitude. The sword is without; pestilence and famine are within. He who is in the field dies by the sword, and him who is in the city famine and pestilence devour. And if any survivors escape, they will be on the mountains, like doves of the valleys, all of them moaning, each one over his iniquity. All hands are feeble, and all knees turn to water. They put on sackcloth, and horror covers them. Shame is on all faces, and baldness on all their heads. They cast their silver into the streets, and their gold is like an unclean thing. Their silver and gold are not able to deliver them in the day of the wrath of the Lord. They cannot satisfy their hunger or fill their stomachs with it. For it was the stumbling block of their iniquity. His beautiful ornament they used for pride, and they made their abominable images and their detestable things of it. Therefore I make it an unclean thing to them. And I will give it into the hands of foreigners for prey, and to the wicked of the earth for spoil, and they shall profane it. I will turn my face from them, and they shall profane my treasured place. Robbers shall enter and profane it.” (Ezekiel 7:14–22)

God planned severe treatment for His people who had turned from Him to worship idols made of metal. Besides physical hunger and famine, and other horrors, their precious jewels of silver and gold became mere plunder in the minds of their invaders.

I’ve no idols in my home; certainly not enough precious metal that anyone would consider stealing, but how would I feel if the things I value (like photos, gifts from my children, etc.) were considered mere junk by others? Would this make me rethink my priorities? Would it mean a deeper dependance on the One who governs my life and whatever I possess? 

In the past couple of weeks, two small paring knives have disappeared from our home. However, this week my hubby found a valued item that he thought may be lost forever. And just now we got a call that something I made is being returned to me. Another unexpected surprise from God. 

These insignificant events make me wonder at the hardness of heart of God's OT people to the point that He had to send them into exile, famine, danger, and loss to wake them up to their idolatry. Their wealth would not feed them, or save them, or bring them home. They cast their silver and gold into the streets as unclean and not able to deliver them from God's wrath. 

Jesus, I am aware that wealth and art could minister to a person’s pride and ego. However, they can become a pollution, or even taken by others who do not really appreciate them. Guard my heart against the worship of possessions. Do not allow anything rob me of my love and worship for You.

 

Why reject His gift?

“Thus says the Lord God: This is Jerusalem. I have set her in the center of the nations, with countries all around her. And she has rebelled against my rules by doing wickedness more than the nations, and against my statutes more than the countries all around her; for they have rejected my rules and have not walked in my statutes. Therefore thus says the Lord God: Because you are more turbulent than the nations that are all around you, and have not walked in my statutes or obeyed my rules, and have not even acted according to the rules of the nations that are all around you, therefore thus says the Lord God: Behold, I, even I, am against you. And I will execute judgments in your midst in the sight of the nations. And because of all your abominations I will do with you what I have never yet done, and the like of which I will never do again. Therefore fathers shall eat their sons in your midst, and sons shall eat their fathers. And I will execute judgments on you, and any of you who survive I will scatter to all the winds. Therefore, as I live, declares the Lord God, surely, because you have defiled my sanctuary with all your detestable things and with all your abominations, therefore I will withdraw. My eye will not spare, and I will have no pity. A third part of you shall die of pestilence and be consumed with famine in your midst; a third part shall fall by the sword all around you; and a third part I will scatter to all the winds and will unsheathe the sword after them. (Ezekiel 5:5–12)

In those days the wrath of God on idolatry was expressed in pestilence and famine, war and death, and being displaced — also with death. The news these days tells of famine, wars, and God's people fleeing to safer places as immigrants. Is the reason for these events rooted in God's anger with human idolatry?

It could be. However, His wrath on sin was borne by Jesus Christ. No one has to experience these horrors, or at least not as judgement for sin because the Lamb of God suffered and died for all of it. “No condemnation” is fully available to those who put their faith in Him.
Therein is the issue — lack of faith in the One who said:

“I am the way, and the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me. (John 14:6)

To reject freely offered pardon makes no sense. Why say NO to the grace of God? Why face judgement without mercy? Why risk the horror of famine so severe that people eat people? Or go to war that slays those who say NO? Why be scattered from home and safety just for the desire to worship self and money and whatever else but the Lord who loved us enough to become one of us and take our place on the judgement seat?

The Bible calls the fruit of such a choice “hell” because there is no God, no grace, no peace or joy in such a destiny. While the modern church does not usually preach a ‘turn or burn’ message, maybe we should. Telling people that God loves them seems to have made far too many decide that such love gives license to do whatever they desire rather than worship the only One who can free them from the bondage of such an attitude.

Jesus, in the past two weeks You have put me among hundreds of people. I can say most of them are ‘nice’ and friendly, but only a handful declare and demonstrate faith in You. The future looks scary for a world so full of people who ignore or reject Your offer of forgiveness and freedom by faith. May Your Spirit keep working to convince them otherwise.

Does hope come and go?

“For these things I weep; my eyes flow with tears; for a comforter is far from me, one to revive my spirit; my children are desolate, for the enemy has prevailed.” (Lamentations 1:16) 

The prophet hears the words of God. He also feels the heart of God: 

The Lord determined to lay in ruins the wall of the daughter of Zion; he stretched out the measuring line; he did not restrain his hand from destroying; he caused rampart and wall to lament; they languished together. Her gates have sunk into the ground; he has ruined and broken her bars; her king and princes are among the nations; the law is no more, and her prophets find no vision from the Lord. The elders of the daughter of Zion sit on the ground in silence; they have thrown dust on their heads and put on sackcloth; the young women of Jerusalem have bowed their heads to the ground. My eyes are spent with weeping; my stomach churns; my bile is poured out to the ground because of the destruction of the daughter of my people, because infants and babies faint in the streets of the city. (Lamentations 2:8–11) 

Despite the hope passage I read yesterday, the scenes before Jeremiah are too much for him. He wants a visible solution:

He has walled me about so that I cannot escape; he has made my chains heavy; though I call and cry for help, he shuts out my prayer; he has blocked my ways with blocks of stones; he has made my paths crooked. (Lamentations 3:7–9)

I can relate to this. The Lord encourages me that He will answer my prayer, but He does not say when, and like most people, NOW is the time I have in mind. The NT describes it: “For in this hope we were saved. Now hope that is seen is not hope. For who hopes for what he sees? But if we hope for what we do not see, we wait for it with patience.” (Romans 8:24–25)

Jeremiah must have had similar thoughts too, for he says the same thing:

But this I call to mind, and therefore I have hope: The steadfast love of the Lord never ceases; his mercies never come to an end; they are new every morning; great is your faithfulness. “The Lord is my portion,” says my soul, “therefore I will hope in him.” The Lord is good to those who wait for him, to the soul who seeks him. It is good that one should wait quietly for the salvation of the Lord. (Lamentations 3:21–26)

The prophet is strong in knowing the will of God but just like most of us, hope wavers now and then into “I want to see it now” and our trust begins to waver. I need to remember my hope is based on God's promises, not on what I can see.

For the Lord will not cast off forever, for, though he cause grief, he will have compassion according to the abundance of his steadfast love; for he does not afflict from his heart or grieve the children of men. (Lamentations 3:31–33)

Jeremiah wrote Lamentations, maybe to express his grief and impatience as his hope ebbs and dwindles. He asks big questions about the way God’s people have been left in captivity, yet he clings to the only One who can do anything about it. I feel like this at times too, wondering if my hope is only my hope and not from Him. Yet I can pray as he does:

But you, O Lord, reign forever; your throne endures to all generations. Why do you forget us forever, why do you forsake us for so many days? Restore us to yourself, O Lord, that we may be restored! Renew our days as of old— unless you have utterly rejected us, and you remain exceedingly angry with us. (Lamentations 5:19–22)

I need to always remember what God has done about my sin and lack of faith. He poured out His punishment on You, Jesus. For that, my hope is secure until I am face to face with You.

Nothing is too hard for God

You brought your people Israel out of the land of Egypt with signs and wonders, with a strong hand and outstretched arm, and with great terror. And you gave them this land, which you swore to their fathers to give them, a land flowing with milk and honey. And they entered and took possession of it. But they did not obey your voice or walk in your law. They did nothing of all you commanded them to do. Therefore you have made all this disaster come upon them. 

Jeremiah said this to God about His OT people. I could say it to at least one person I know who declared faith as a young teen, then did not go very far with obedience. The actions are supposed to come from the heart, but a heart can be soured by selfish and disobedient actions. 
This is God's reply to the prophet and it speaks to me too. Those who profess faith are in trouble when their walk and talk begin to deny what God has done.

The word of the Lord came to Jeremiah: “Behold, I am the Lord, the God of all flesh. Is anything too hard for me? Therefore, thus says the Lord: Behold, I am giving this city into the hands of the Chaldeans and into the hand of Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon, and he shall capture it. The Chaldeans who are fighting against this city shall come and set this city on fire and burn it, with the houses on whose roofs offerings have been made to Baal and drink offerings have been poured out to other gods, to provoke me to anger. For the children of Israel and the children of Judah have done nothing but evil in my sight from their youth. The children of Israel have done nothing but provoke me to anger by the work of their hands, declares the Lord. This city has aroused my anger and wrath, from the day it was built to this day, so that I will remove it from my sight because of all the evil of the children of Israel and the children of Judah that they did to provoke me to anger. . . . They have turned to me their back and not their face. And though I have taught them persistently, they have not listened to receive instruction. 

One would expect God to walk away but that is not the way He works. If anyone’s initial declaration of faith is the work of God, then He is not finished yet. This is what He answered to Jeremiah’s cries and to my prayers for such severe back-sliding:

“Now therefore thus says the Lord, the God of Israel, concerning this city of which you say, ‘It is given into the hand of the king of Babylon by sword, by famine, and by pestilence’: Behold, I will gather them from all the countries to which I drove them in my anger and my wrath and in great indignation. I will bring them back to this place, and I will make them dwell in safety. And they shall be my people, and I will be their God. I will give them one heart and one way, that they may fear me forever, for their own good and the good of their children after them. I will make with them an everlasting covenant, that I will not turn away from doing good to them. And I will put the fear of me in their hearts, that they may not turn from me. I will rejoice in doing them good, and I will plant them in this land in faithfulness, with all my heart and all my soul. “For thus says the Lord: Just as I have brought all this great disaster upon this people, so I will bring upon them all the good that I promise them. (Jeremiah 32:21–42)

He will bring them back. He will make them safe. He will rejoice in doing them good. Nothing is too hard for Him.

Jesus, You died for sinners, even those who started out okay and are in deep denial of who they really belong to. I’ve learned how easily we sinners slide away from You, You never give up on us. That reality is incredible. How can I say thanks for Your amazing grace!

 

Hope for the lost

I have heard Ephraim grieving, ‘You have disciplined me, and I was disciplined, like an untrained calf; bring me back that I may be restored, for you are the Lord my God. For after I had turned away, I relented, and after I was instructed, I struck my thigh; I was ashamed, and I was confounded, because I bore the disgrace of my youth.’ 
Is Ephraim my dear son? Is he my darling child? For as often as I speak against him, I do remember him still. Therefore my heart yearns for him; I will surely have mercy on him, declares the Lord. (Jeremiah 31:18–20)

God hears His OT people pleading for mercy and restoration. They are ashamed and aware of their sin. He then says how He thinks of them with a loving heart and a promise of mercy.

I have a relative whose birth parent remarried a Jewish woman. This person has had a great influence on my relative to the point she now thinks she is Jewish. Research says you do not need to practice the religion to be Jewish, nor do you need to be born Jewish to practice the religion. 

Huh? This makes no sense to someone reading the OT, yet it does when considering verses like these:

That is why it depends on faith, in order that the promise may rest on grace and be guaranteed to all his offspring—not only to the adherent of the law but also to the one who shares the faith of Abraham, who is the father of us all, (Romans 4:16)
Know then that it is those of faith who are the sons of Abraham. And the Scripture, foreseeing that God would justify the Gentiles by faith, preached the gospel beforehand to Abraham, saying, “In you shall all the nations be blessed.” So then, those who are of faith are blessed along with Abraham, the man of faith. (Galatians 3:7-9)

In the mind of God, those who believe in Him like Abraham believed and lived are His children. It is not those who culturally decide to join Judaism, but those who humble themselves, are ashamed of their sin, and put their faith in the mercy of God. 

This is completely foreign to my relative. Going along with religious festivities like Passover without understanding their meaning is like celebrating Santa Claus at Christmas instead of the birth of Christ.

Yet there is hope. Should this person be convicted by the Holy Spirit and grieve their sin and plead for mercy, God is willing to call her His child and reveal to her His grace through faith. While people share their faith and speak of sin and its power, unless the Spirit does it, reasoning and excuses keep her from becoming a true Jew who embraces the wonder of God being born in a manger and becoming our Messiah.

Jesus, You encourage me by Your ability to hear the cries of a human heart, even to discipline anyone enslaved by sin. An even greater blessing is to know that You love us and are willing to have mercy on all who ask You for it. May Your Spirit be at work in the lives of all — those who are near and those who are far away.

The Sword that gives life…

Thus says the Lord: “The people who survived the sword found grace in the wilderness; when Israel sought for rest, the Lord appeared to him from far away. I have loved you with an everlasting love; therefore I have continued my faithfulness to you. Again I will build you, and you shall be built, O virgin Israel! Again you shall adorn yourself with tambourines and shall go forth in the dance of the merrymakers. Again you shall plant vineyards on the mountains of Samaria; the planters shall plant and shall enjoy the fruit. For there shall be a day when watchmen will call in the hill country of Ephraim: ‘Arise, and let us go up to Zion, to the Lord our God.’ ” (Jeremiah 31:2–6)

The OT uses symbols and foreshadowing to tell the plan of God. While it could be my vivid imagination, this passage defines how God can drastically change the lives of those who have “survived the sword.” 

The NT uses this term sword to describe the Word of God and tells of its power to change lives. Some who read it do not survive it. They say NO to it and miss out on the rest they seek. Those who survive are those who read it and respond to the life-giving power of God. 

So faith comes from hearing, and hearing through the word of Christ. (Romans 10:17)

The result is discovery of God's everlasting love and faithfulness, deep joy, well fed spiritually and even physically, and entering into a worship that brings us closer to God.

How delightful to read this and realize the truth of it. Thank You Jesus for giving me the sharp thrust of Your life-giving sword and the bountiful gifts of knowing and walking with You. 

Attitude of Gratitude

I know, O Lord, that the way of man is not in himself, that it is not in man who walks to direct his steps. Correct me, O Lord, but in justice; not in your anger, lest you bring me to nothing. Pour out your wrath on the nations that know you not, and on the peoples that call not on your name, for they have devoured Jacob; they have devoured him and consumed him, and have laid waste his habitation. (Jeremiah 10:23–25)

It takes time and many experiences to realize that I cannot direct my steps. It takes faith to realize that God corrects a sinful heart by grace and justice — grace to me and Jesus to bear my punishment. As I plow through Jeremiah, the seriousness of sin in the human heart is overwhelming — unless my focus goes to Jesus Christ and that He bore my guilt.

Why do you cry out over your hurt? Your pain is incurable. Because your guilt is great, because your sins are flagrant, I have done these things to you. Therefore all who devour you shall be devoured, and all your foes, every one of them, shall go into captivity; those who plunder you shall be plundered, and all who prey on you I will make a prey. For I will restore health to you, and your wounds I will heal, declares the Lord, because they have called you an outcast: ‘It is Zion, for whom no one cares!’ “Thus says the Lord: Behold, I will restore the fortunes of the tents of Jacob and have compassion on his dwellings; the city shall be rebuilt on its mound, and the palace shall stand where it used to be. Out of them shall come songs of thanksgiving, and the voices of those who celebrate. I will multiply them, and they shall not be few; I will make them honored, and they shall not be small. Their children shall be as they were of old, and their congregation shall be established before me, and I will punish all who oppress them. Their prince shall be one of themselves; their ruler shall come out from their midst; I will make him draw near, and he shall approach me, for who would dare of himself to approach me? declares the Lord. And you shall be my people, and I will be your God.” (Jeremiah 30:15–22)

Because the prophet keeps doing as God desires and keeps warning His people, I can lose my focus — except for passages like this one. I am beginning to skip some of the “therefore” warnings and looking for the promises rather than studying the threats and letting them depress me. Jeremiah is part of the history of redemption, yet the disobedience of God's people is not the end of the story.

Lord, I am thankful to be born this side of the cross. Even though knowing the faith needed to believe You will do what You say is a challenge now, I can imagine how it was a difficulty back then — before You came and lived here, died here, and rose from the dead. I am grateful for my place on Your timeline, and even more so that You kept Your promises to Israel and sent a Savior for not only them, but for me and for all humanity.