Sermon Tone Analysis

Review of Jeremiah

We are still within the 3 year gap between the defeat of Pharoah Necho and Babylon taking the first exiles from Jerusalem.

Last time we spoke about Jeremiah’s trips to the Euphrates and their prophetic meaning.

Today Adonai explains to Jeremiah why there is so much drought in the land.

Read Jeremiah 14

The Physical and Spiritual Drought

In verses 1 to 6, we see that the drought has become so sever that the cisterns are dry.

Everyone from the wealthiest noble to the poorest farmer suffers from the lack of water.

Even the wild animals are suffering due to the lack of rain.

This is in direct fulfillment of what Adonai had said to Beni Yisrael in Lev.

26:16

and Deut.

28:32

Oh, that the people would have recognized their sin!

Jeremiah realizes in verse 7 that the weight of their sin is so heavy, that all they can do is cry out to Adonai for mercy.

Jer.

14:8-9

Adonai’s Explanation

Adonai explains to Jeremiah in two different ways; first in general terms and then specifically to Jeremiah.

The Lord point to how His people “loved to wander.”

Dr. Michael Brown points out that:

It is significant that the verb “to love” occurs three times in Jeremiah prior to this verse, in each case speaking of Israel’s propensity to sin.

In 2:25 as the straying wife she says, “I have loved strangers”; in 5:31 the people love the corrupt ways of the prophets and priests; in 8:2 they love and worship the sun, moon and stars and sacrifice their children to them.

Thus the Lord can rightly say, “they have loved to wander”, and their present sorrow cannot remove the guilt of their persistent, habitual, past sin.

There is a point where the consequences of our sins catch up with us.

Adonai then tells Jeremiah that there is no point in praying for the good of the people, because judgement is determined.

Jeremiah’s Question

Jeremiah’s question to Adonai is phrased as a complaint against the other prophets.

“But God, there are so many other prophets who are saying that there will be peace in our time.”

Is it fair that the people are getting a mixed message?

Was a lying spirit sent from the Lord, like in the days of King Ahab of Israel?

Adonai’s Retort

Adonai is adamant.

“I did not send them.

I did not speak to them.

I did not command them.”

In a time of judgement, people go to the voice that they like to hear the most.

We don’t like being told that the disasters that have come upon the nation are the result of our sins.

We desperately want to blame someone else, or something else.

And so, just as with supply and demand, the people were not interested in listening to Jeremiah, and desired a nicer outcome, therefore the prophets spoke their own lying vision, their own futility and divination, and their own delusion of their heart.

It was exactly what the people wanted to hear.

But Adonai warns, that exactly what the false prophets and priests were saying would NOT happen, was about to happen directly to them, their wives, their sons and their daughters.

Adonai’s Response

Just as with many passages we have talked about before, it is difficult to separate the voice of Adonai from the cry of Jeremiah.

I think that Jer.

14:17 is Adonai revealing to Jeremiah the broken heart of Adonai.

It breaks our heart when we watch someone walk away from God and suffer the consequences of rejecting the ways of Adonai.

How much more does it break the heart of our Lord, when we suffer the consequences of our own rebellious sin?

Jeremiah’s Intersession

Jeremiah can not help himself.

He must intercede.

He sees the current sickness and famine, he know of the coming war.

He cries out, Jer.

14:19 “Have You utterly rejected Judah?

Has Your soul loathed Zion?

Why have You smitten us, and there is no healing for us?”

Jeremiah then confesses and acknowledges the sins of Judah in three different ways, Jer.

14:20 “We acknowledge our wickedness, Adonai, the iniquity of our fathers, for we have sinned against You.”

Now Jeremiah, instead of appealing to the mercy of Adonai, now appeals to the glory of the Name and reputation of the Lord.

Jer.

14:21 “Do not despise us, for Your Name’s sake.

Do not dishonor Your glorious throne.

Remember Your covenant with us— do not break it!”

This is exactly what Moses did in the wilderness when Israel sinned with the golden calf.

Ex. 32:11-14

And next week we will see how Adonai responds to this cry.

Application

So how do we apply this passage to our lives today?

I have come up with a few questions from this passage: Why does Adonai ask Jeremiah to stop praying for the good of the people?

How do we recognize between true and false prophets in our day?

What should our response be toward our sin-filled nation?

Why did Adonai ask Jeremiah to stop Interceding?

God knew, what Jeremiah did not, that the only way to ultimately save Israel was to bring a cleansing of the sin.

God knew that there would be a New Covenant established, something that Jeremiah does not find out about for another 15 chapters.

God knew that the people had not hit rock bottom.

What does that mean specifically?

Well, sometimes the only way that we will learn the lesson is by suffering the consequences for our actions.

It is called by some, the School of Hard Knocks.

Paul, when writing to the Congregation in Corinth, puts it this way, 1 Cor.

5:1-5

Now many people today, may think that is too harsh, unkind, or not merciful enough, however that is because we have forgotten the destructive nature of sin.

And just in case you are wondering what Yeshua would do, let’s also look at Mark. 9:43-48

I do want to point out, that in the case of Judah, and in the case of the man mentioned in 1 Cor.

5, there was repentance and reconciliation.

The restoration of Judah comes 70 years after Jeremiah lived as recorded by Ezra and Nehemiah, and the restoration of the man in Corinth is written about in 2 Cor.

2:1-11.

True and False Prophets

In Jeremiah’s day most, if not all the other prophets were false, and Jeremiah’s voice stood out against the crowd.

How can we tell which prophet is from God? Well, firstly according to Deut.

18:20-22

Another way is by looking at the person’s lifestyle, just as Yeshua said in Matt.

7:15-23

And finally Peter points out the immoral ways and the greed for gain in 2 Pet.

2:1-3

So simply put, we must judge to see if a persons words and actions line up with Yeshua.

Our Response

Our response needs to be the same as Jeremiah’s.

We need to intercede for our nation, our city and our neighbours.

This is a call for me as much as anyone else.

I need to be praying for those around me, for those I work with, for those I live next to.

Sin is serious, and God is the same yesterday, today and forever.

Our hearts should be broken for our people, just as Jeremiah wept for his people.

We often ask to have the heart of the Lord, well this is one way.

Let us pray for our nation: Jer.

14:17 “[Lord,] let my eyes overflow with tears.

Night and day, may they never stop.

For the virgin daughter of my people is crushed with a great blow, with a sorely infected wound.””