When We Refuse to Listen

Introduction

Here we go into chapter 44, the people of Judah are in Egypt and they continue with idol worship. Despite previous divine warnings they are engaged in practices that are in direct opposition to God’s direct commands. They are turning to false god’s in fear of Babylonian retaliation vs the real God.

As we look at this chapter tonight we may be able to see what can keep us from fully committing to God. Are our current routines of worship and devotion enough, or are we being challenged to deepen our relationship with God and identify distractions that can lead us away from God (like presumed safety in Egypt)?

Big Idea: True worship requires active engagement and obedience; complacency in our faith can lead to spiritual unfaithfulness and missed experiences of God’s grace.

Let me ask a question, you know how much I like to do that. Have you ever learned a lesson the hard way? but then later found yourself making the same mistake again?

Sometimes, consequences teach us something. But consequences do not automatically change us. We can all experience consequences of a bad decision and still make the same poor decision again. Here we will see what happens when we experience the consequences of sin but refuse to change our hearts. The real tragedy here is that they have taken their old sins, their old sins, old idols with them to their new home; they changed locations, but did not change their hearts.

God Reminds Them

God has Jeremiah remind them, warn them about their idolatry and their complacency in worship.

Jeremiah 44:1–4 “The word that came to Jeremiah for all the Jews living in the land of Egypt, those who were living in Migdol, Tahpanhes, Memphis, and the land of Pathros, saying, “Thus says the Lord of hosts, the God of Israel, ‘You yourselves have seen all the calamity that I have brought on Jerusalem and all the cities of Judah; and behold, this day they are in ruins and no one lives in them, because of their wickedness which they committed so as to provoke Me to anger by continuing to burn sacrifices and to serve other gods whom they had not known, neither they, you, nor your fathers. ‘Yet I sent you all My servants the prophets, again and again, saying, “Oh, do not do this abominable thing which I hate.””

Jeremiah 44:5–6 “‘But they did not listen or incline their ears to turn from their wickedness, so as not to burn sacrifices to other gods. ‘Therefore My wrath and My anger were poured out and burned in the cities of Judah and in the streets of Jerusalem, so they have become a ruin and a desolation as it is this day.”

God begins by reminding them of what happened in Jerusalem

God had warned them, time and time again, but they would not listen

Key point: God warns us because He loves us, but persistent refusal to listen brings consequences.

God was not looking for reasons to punish Judah; He repeatedly sent prophets to warn them. His warnings were opportunities for repentance

Application: We should never interpret God’s commands as arbitrary restrictions.

They Repeatedly Chose Sin Despite God’s Warnings

You would think they would have learned, but yet they continue to commit this great evil against themselves. They provoke the Lord to anger by forgetting the wickedness of their fathers, their kings and even their own wickedness.

Jeremiah 44:7–10 “‘Now then thus says the Lord God of hosts, the God of Israel, “Why are you doing great harm to yourselves, so as to cut off from you man and woman, child and infant, from among Judah, leaving yourselves without remnant, provoking Me to anger with the works of your hands, burning sacrifices to other gods in the land of Egypt, where you are entering to reside, so that you might be cut off and become a curse and a reproach among all the nations of the earth? “Have you forgotten the wickedness of your fathers, the wickedness of the kings of Judah, and the wickedness of their wives, your own wickedness, and the wickedness of your wives, which they committed in the land of Judah and in the streets of Jerusalem? “But they have not become contrite even to this day, nor have they feared nor walked in My law or My statutes, which I have set before you and before your fathers.” ’”

Through Jeremiah God asks why they continue to bring disaster upon themselves (v.7)?

Why are you doing great harm to yourselves? That is an important question. Sin doesn’t merely hurt other people. Sin ultimately harms the person who chooses it.

Their idolatry/sin is what destroyed Judah and brings destruction upon them there. (v.8)

God asks them why they would provoke Him to anger and bring destruction upon themselves.

Still yet, they were not humbled after judgment (v.10)

Yet they have not become contrite to this day, nor have they feared nor walked in My law or My statutes . . .

God says they have not become contrite, they have not humbled themselves before Him. Their hearts were not softened, they were not turning back.

Think about this progression, Sin can move us from temptation to choice, choice to repetition, repetition to habit, habit to acceptance, and acceptance to hardness. Then what once bothered our conscience can eventually become normal.

Key point: Experiencing consequence does not automatically produce repentance; only a humble heart does.

A question to consider: Is there anything that once bothered my conscience that I have gradually learned to tolerate?

I know that that is an uncomfortable question, a dangerous question, but it is an important one.

They Refused to Learn From Past

The Lord set’s His face against them in judgment, again. The remnant set its face to go and dwell in Egypt after the warning it would be consumed there by sword and famine. Now the time of judgment is upon them again.

Jeremiah 44:11–14 ““Therefore thus says the Lord of hosts, the God of Israel, ‘Behold, I am going to set My face against you for woe, even to cut off all Judah. ‘And I will take away the remnant of Judah who have set their mind on entering the land of Egypt to reside there, and they will all meet their end in the land of Egypt; they will fall by the sword and meet their end by famine. Both small and great will die by the sword and famine; and they will become a curse, an object of horror, an imprecation and a reproach. ‘And I will punish those who live in the land of Egypt, as I have punished Jerusalem, with the sword, with famine and with pestilence. ‘So there will be no refugees or survivors for the remnant of Judah who have entered the land of Egypt to reside there and then to return to the land of Judah, to which they are longing to return and live; for none will return except a few refugees.’ ””

God sets His face against them for calamity (v.16)

Though they insist on worship of the Queen of Heaven (v.17)

They blame the hardship on abandoning idol worship (v.18)

Key Point: A change of location does not produce a change of heart.

They left Judah, but Judah’s problem wasn’t a problem with the land, the problem was their hearts.

Application: Sometimes we think if we change the things, everything will be OK. But really we need to be asking God “Is the problem around me, me —or is there something God wants to change within me?

Jeremiah Reveals The Real Cause of Their Suffering

The Lord remembers and reminds them what has brought them to this point. Why they are suffering, why their land had become a desolation, and a curse. For they had continually, free fully chosen to sin against the Lord and not walked in His ways and kept his law, His statutes and His testimonies.

Jeremiah 44:21–23 ““As for the smoking sacrifices that you burned in the cities of Judah and in the streets of Jerusalem, you and your forefathers, your kings and your princes, and the people of the land, did not the Lord remember them and did not all this come into His mind? “So the Lord was no longer able to endure it, because of the evil of your deeds, because of the abominations which you have committed; thus your land has become a ruin, an object of horror and a curse, without an inhabitant, as it is this day. “Because you have burned sacrifices and have sinned against the Lord and not obeyed the voice of the Lord or walked in His law, His statutes or His testimonies, therefore this calamity has befallen you, as it has this day.””

Jeremiah explains that God remembers (v.21)

He remembers their idolatry.

Their sins brought this on (v.22)

It brought judgment upon the Land leaving it in desolation.

Their suffering resulted from disobedience (v.23)

They were disobeying God by not abandoning idols in Judea and now in Egypt.

Key Point: The real problem is never God’s faithfulness but humanities disobedience.

God confirms His Final Judgment

Listen up, you have heard the word, you have been warned! Judgment is coming just as you were warned. A small number, a remnant will return from Egypt shall know whose word will stand, Mine or theirs!

Jeremiah 44:24–27 “Then Jeremiah said to all the people, including all the women, “Hear the word of the Lord, all Judah who are in the land of Egypt, thus says the Lord of hosts, the God of Israel, as follows: ‘As for you and your wives, you have spoken with your mouths and fulfilled it with your hands, saying, “We will certainly perform our vows that we have vowed, to burn sacrifices to the queen of heaven and pour out drink offerings to her.” Go ahead and confirm your vows, and certainly perform your vows!’ “Nevertheless hear the word of the Lord, all Judah who are living in the land of Egypt, ‘Behold, I have sworn by My great name,’ says the Lord, ‘never shall My name be invoked again by the mouth of any man of Judah in all the land of Egypt, saying, “As the Lord God lives.” ‘Behold, I am watching over them for harm and not for good, and all the men of Judah who are in the land of Egypt will meet their end by the sword and by famine until they are completely gone.”

Jeremiah 44:28–30 “‘Those who escape the sword will return out of the land of Egypt to the land of Judah few in number. Then all the remnant of Judah who have gone to the land of Egypt to reside there will know whose word will stand, Mine or theirs. ‘This will be the sign to you,’ declares the Lord, ‘that I am going to punish you in this place, so that you may know that My words will surely stand against you for harm.’ “Thus says the Lord, ‘Behold, I am going to give over Pharaoh Hophra king of Egypt to the hand of his enemies, to the hand of those who seek his life, just as I gave over Zedekiah king of Judah to the hand of Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon, who was his enemy and was seeking his life.’ ””

God allows them to live the life they have chosen (v.25)

Yet He declares inevitable judgment (vv.26-27)

He will protect a remnant, and they will know whose word stands true (v.28)

Pharaoh will be handed over to his enemies and this serves as proof that God’s prophesy will be fulfilled (vv.29-30)

Key Point: God’s word will always stand, whether people believe it or reject it.

Applications for Today

Past judgments should become present lessons

See, the remnant witnessed Jerusalem’s destruction, yet they failed to learn from it. As believers we should allow God’s discipline, chastening and correction to product growth and wisdom in us.

Partial obedience is still disobedience

The people had escaped from going to Babylon, but continued to practice the very sins that took Judah into captivity in the first place, and the destruction of Jerusalem, the very sins, idol worship.

Beware of rewriting history

The people had even convinced themselves that idolatry brought blessings. We too can misinterpret circumstances to justify sinful choices.

God desires humility more than excuses

The remnant defended their behavior instead of repenting. Spiritual growth begins when we “own” our own failures before God.

God’s truth does not depend on popular, or even on your, opinion

An entire community opposed Jeremiah, yet Jeremiah stood with the truth because God’s word never changes.

(Conclusion): This is a very sad chapter that did not have to be. The people who survived the destruction of Jerusalem, the remnant still refused to listen to God. They turned their back to Him, turned a deaf ear to God’s prophet and chose idolatry over obedience and excuses over repentance. Through Jeremiah, God demonstrated that His patience is great, but His word will ultimately be fulfilled. —-This chapter challenges us as believers to ask whether we are truly listening to God or simply defending decisions we have already made.

Major Take Away

Major Take away: A heart that refuses to repent will eventually face the consequences of its rebellion, but a heart that humbly submits to God will always find His mercy and grace.