Where It Begins
The Book of Jeremiah • Sermon • Submitted
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· 18 viewsIf God begins judgment with this people, who will escape?
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Introduction
If you remember from our last message from Jeremiah, Jeremiah announced to the people of God that they had missed his calling to repent. He had called them to repent of their sin. He had called them to have a change of heart (25:5-6). Yet, they continued to do as they had in the past, rebel and ignore God’s call to repentance (25:7). Because of Judah’s rebellion, God was going to use the enemy of His people to bring judgement upon them (25:8-9). God went as far as stating through the prophet Jeremiah, Nebuchadrezzar king of Babylon, my servant, and will bring them against this land (25:9). As stated in our last message, it may not make since to us what God is doing or whom he chooses to use, but it is not up to us. It is up to God. As we know, our thoughts are not His thoughts.
8 For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways, saith the LORD.
With this truth in mind, it is not up to us to agree or even understand with what God does and why. We must just accept His ways. He is our creator. He is our boss, our master. We are not His. As we look at our text, we see where it (judgment begins), but we also see where it (judgment) will end.
Opening Passage : Jeremiah 25:12-14
12 And it shall come to pass, when seventy years are accomplished, that I will punish the king of Babylon, and that nation, saith the LORD, for their iniquity, and the land of the Chaldeans, and will make it perpetual desolations. 13 And I will bring upon that land all my words which I have pronounced against it, even all that is written in this book, which Jeremiah hath prophesied against all the nations. 14 For many nations and great kings shall serve themselves of them also: and I will recompense them according to their deeds, and according to the works of their own hands.
Focus Passage : Jeremiah 25:12-29
Outline
God Executes Judgment According to His Will (vv.12-14)
God uses whom He will and God punishes whom He will (v.12)
We have already found that God uses whomever He chooses by using the enemy of His people, Babylon, and going as far as calling Babylon His servant (v.9). What we see within our text though, is that God will not only use Babylon to accomplish His judgment, He will also in turn still bring just judgment on Babylon (v.12). Seventy years is not a long time. No other major empire that had the power and influence of Babylon has ever had a reign that last a shorter time. They hold the record for shortest world power to reign. Her actual reign was less than seventy years. She was a ruling empire from 605 BC to 539 BC, when Medes and Persians formed a union under Cyrus and overtook Belshazzar.
It is God who chooses whom He uses and whom He judges.
7 But God is the judge: he putteth down one, and setteth up another.
God will remain true to His word of judgment (v.13)
What is meant when God inspires Jeremiah to write (v.13)? What does He mean by, all that is written in this book, which Jeremiah hath prophesied? It is certain that not all of Jeremiah’s ministry was accomplished before he wrote these judgments down. Most scholars believe this is in reference to the totality of the judgments pronounced throughout the first twenty-five chapters of the book of Jeremiah. God’s pronounced judgments have not only been about His people but also against Babylon and surrounding areas.
God will judge justly, for one’s actions will condemn them (v.14)
Jeremiah, under the inspiration of the Holy Spirit, writes, I will recompense (complete transaction) according to their deeds (works), and according to the works (activity) of their own hands. God, through the prophet Jeremiah, tells Babylon that their own sins have a price to pay and that debt will be paid. It is amazing how many people today do not realize this same truth that is before us today. Just as rebellious Judah, just as Babylon, we all have a sin debt to pay.
23 For all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God;
23 For the wages of sin is death; but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord.
Each of us will give an account for our own sins, not the sins of thers.
12 So then every one of us shall give account of himself to God.
So, when God judges us, as he judged Judah and judged Babylon, He is just in His judgment.
3 Because I will publish the name of the LORD: ascribe ye greatness unto our God. 4 He is the Rock, his work is perfect: for all his ways are judgment: a God of truth and without iniquity, just and right is he.
Where God’s Judgment Begins (vv.15-29)
Judgment comes from God’s hand (v.15)
God uses the imagery of the customs of hospitality, within this period of time. It was custom that a host would serve the best wine to his guests. He would give them the very best he had and celebrate with him. However, within our text, God changes the custom. He states, Take the wine cup of this fury at my hand, and cause all the nations, to whom I send thee to drink it. God shares His wine, but not best wine. He serves His wine of judgment.
Judgment will comes to all the world (vv.16-25)
All too often, one thinks that can escape God’s wrath. The people during the ministry of Jeremiah thought the same. As Jeremiah went from representative to representative telling them to drink of the cup of wine, and revealing the symbolic nature of God’s judgment to be upon them all (vv.16-17, 27), they one-by-one would try to refuse or ignore God’s warning through the prophet Jeremiah but to no avail. God would force them to drink His wrath (v.28). They needed to know that if judgment begins with God’s people, then there is no way for them to escape this coming judgment (v.29).
Judgment begins with the People of God (vv.18, 29)
There is warning that must be give great emphasis within our text. That warning is where God’s judgment begins. We want to hope and think that God’s judgment begins with some foreign nation. That it begins with those that persecute God’s people. If God’s judgment stayed with those that oppress His people, all would be fine. It’s like I told you when I got in trouble with my friend at a young age. It’s story about when he and I took an hour and half to walk a half-mile, because we stopped by my great aunts. I remember thinking to myself, when his mom was whipping him, that’s right, do that all you want. However, when it was my time, it was different story. That’s how it is for most Christians. We do not have a problem with God judging others for their sin, but God best leave me alone. However, when we look at the Scriptures, we find that God’s judgment does not begin with a foreign invader, it begins within His own house, His own people.
We find within our text, God inspires Jeremiah to write, To wit Jerusalem, and the cities of Judah, and the kings thereof and the princes thereof, to make them a desolation, an astonishment, an hissing, and a curse; as it is in this day (v.18). God’s judgment of His own city, His own people, should be a warning for others not to follow down that path of rebellion. He makes this emphasis even more so when He inspires Jeremiah to write, For, lo, I begin to bring evil on the city which is called by my name (v.29). Peter confirms this same truth the church today.
17 For the time is come that judgment must begin at the house of God: and if it first begin at us, what shall the end be of them that obey not the gospel of God?
Conclusion
Implications for the Church Today
God is Creator of all, therefore He is the God of all (Genesis 1:27-28; John 1:1-3; Colossians 1:16)
Because God is the Creator of all, all are accountable to Him (Romans 14:12; 2 Corinthians 5:10)
Because our Creator is Holy and will judge sin justly, we are to pursue holiness (Psalm 66:18; Isaiah 59:1-2; Hebrews 12:14; Romans 5:14; Ephesians 4:22, 24)
Are we living with these theological truths before us daily? If not, we must begin to do so, if we are to stand before God blameless.
