Jeremiah 34.1-22 “Integrity and the Sovereignty of God”

“Integrity and the Sovereignty of God”

Faith that God is sovereign enables us to have integrity. Integrity is being the same person outwardly that you are inwardly and in secret. Integrity comes from the Latin word integer meaning unity, consistency of character. In our culture it has become common for people to be one way with a certain group of people and act very differently with another group. Particularly teenagers will act one way at home and with Christians and very differently with friends. Integrity is based on truth and convictions. The person with integrity believes there is a moral, ethical reality beyond themselves. God rules all people and will call all to account for their thoughts, words, and actions. The corruption in government/ business and private life that has led to our cynical age flows from people thinking they can manipulate circumstances and the sovereign God doesn’t care. Thinking that the sovereign God will do neither good nor evil is the root of complacency and manipulation.

I. Threat and Praise –

A. Babylon threatens Jerusalem

1. God is giving Jerusalem into the hand of Babylon –

2. This story is out of historical sequence to the previous chapters which indicated Babylon had already attacked Jerusalem –

3. You will see the king of Babylon face to face –

B. A Promise of God

1. You shall not die by the sword –

2. But die a natural death

3. And be honored

4. Jeremiah in his integrity delivered this message to Zedekiah the king of Jerusalem

II. Reality and Manipulation –

A. Decision based on circumstance

1. If the city was to be destroyed anyway, Zedekiah might as well emancipate the slaves of Jerusalem –

2. God has commanded the freeing of slaves –

3. Slaves always belonged to God and never the human owners –

4. Zedekiah should have freed the slaves out of conviction and principle –

B. Because the decision was forced by circumstances, Zedekiah was double-minded

1. Zedekiah made a covenantal law by executive order –

2. But he changed his mind as did the ruling elites in Jerusalem –

3. Zedekiah questioned God’s Word and hoped Egypt might rescue him –

4. Our God requires His people to keep their word –

5. God guides our lives through our vows. Vows are an act of worship to God – ;

6. The double-minded man is unstable – ;

III. Consequences of Breaking a Vow –

A. Failure to act out of conviction

1. Results in the Lord giving liberty to destruction on Zedekiah and his people –

2. A feast for the vultures and carrion –

B. Zedekiah will die a shameful death –

1. The king’s cabinet and ministers too will suffer –

2. The nation will suffer desolation

Our God teaches us principles we obey to honor Him. One of these principles is honoring our vows and our word out of conviction not convenience. Manipulation to avoid God’s sovereign purposes is a great sin that God will address. By faith we honor our vows confident that God is our sovereign even in sorrow as well as blessing. In so doing we will have integrity.