A Word to the King and the City
Book of Jeremiah • Sermon • Submitted
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· 4 viewsJeremiah presents a word of impending judgement to befall Jerusalem and the house of Judah.
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Introduction
My children have difficulty in my repeating of myself when it comes to stories of my life or childhood while growing up. They get so irritated when this happens. They don’t understand that part of my repeating those stories is so that they don’t forget the story for there is a lesson in that story. I tell them stories of my mother, there grandmother, and at times repeat those stories, because I want them to know their grandmother whom they did not ever get to know.
What we find throughout the Scripture are messages that are repeated. We find that throughout the gospels when Jesus wanted to truly drive home a point, he would repeat that message in different and yet similar ways. It was to drive home a point. When we come to our text within our current message, it is God repeating a message already delivered to Jerusalem and her kings. Jeremiah is commissioned to repeat a message that was needed to be heard. For in that message was life and a refusal to respond positively would end in judgment and death. What lessons has God been trying to repeat in your life to get you to understand and learn before it is too late? What lesson(s) is he teaching Macedonia Baptist Church that we must grasp before it is too late? What lesson(s) is he trying to teach his church in America that we need to grasp before it is eternally too late?
Focus Passage
1 Thus saith the Lord; [Go down] to the house of the king of Judah, and speak there this word, 2 And say, Hear the word of the Lord, O king of Judah, that sittest upon the throne of David, thou, and thy servants, and thy people that enter in by these gates: 3 Thus saith the Lord; Execute ye judgment and righteousness, and deliver the spoiled [out of the hand] of the oppressor: and do no wrong, do no violence to the stranger, the fatherless, nor the widow, neither shed innocent blood in this place. 4 For if ye do this thing indeed, then shall there [enter in] by the gates of this house kings sitting upon the throne of David, riding in chariots and on horses, he, and his servants, and his people. 5 But if ye will not hear these words, I swear [by myself,] saith the Lord, that this house shall become a desolation. 6 For thus saith the Lord unto the king’s house of Judah; Thou art Gilead [unto me,] and the head of Lebanon: yet surely I will make thee a wilderness, and cities which are not inhabited. 7 And I will prepare destroyers against thee, [every one] with his weapons: and they shall [cut down] thy choice cedars, and cast them into the fire. 8 And many nations shall pass by this city, and they shall say [every man] to his neighbor, Wherefore hath the Lord done thus unto this great city? 9 Then they shall answer, Because they have forsaken the covenant of the Lord their God, and worshiped other gods, and served them. 10 Weep ye not for the dead, neither bemoan him: but [weep sore] for him that [goeth away:] for he shall return no more, nor see his native country. 11 For thus saith the Lord touching Shallum the son of Josiah king of Judah, which reigned instead of Josiah his father, which [went forth] [out of] this place; He shall not return thither [any more:] 12 But he shall die in the place whither they have [led him captive,] and shall see this land no more.
Outline
A Message to the king from the KING (vv.1-2)
Once again, Jeremiah is called upon God to continue in faithfulness in declaring the truth of God’s Word to a rebellious people, Thus saith the LORD; Go down to the house of the king of Judah, and speak there this word. Jeremiah, after spending time with God, comes out of the presence of God and goes back to the king of Judah with a Word for the KING.
The word from the KING to the king was to be discerned - ‘And say, Hear the word of the Lord’
The Hebrew rendering of ‘hear’ gives the idea of diligently giving attention to, obeying, discerning, consenting to, and considering. God wanted the king to not hear but to take note of what was being said. After taking note to what he was saying, he wanted to him to respond by applying this truth presented in his life.
There is a difference in hearing and listening. When I read and study, I often will have the TV on, radio on, or have podcast on. I have some kind of background noise. While I can hear that sound, it does not mean that I am listening to what is being said. My focus is not on what is playing in the background but what I’m working on. God wants us to truly do something with what we have been told. He wants us to take that truth and be active with that truth. For us to hear the word and not do the word is deception at its core. The deception is not again God, for he knows the heart and nothing is hidden from Him. Our deception is against self. As James writes...
22 But be ye doers of the word, and not hearers only, deceiving [your own selves.] 23 For [if any] be a hearer of the word, and not a doer, he [is like unto] a man beholding his natural face in a glass: 24 For he beholdeth himself, and [goeth his way,] and straightway forgetteth [what manner of man] he was. 25 But [whoso looketh] into the perfect law of liberty, and continueth therein, he being not a forgetful hearer, but a doer of the work, [this man] shall be blessed in his deed.
The word from the KING to the king was to the king and his servants, and the people - ‘O king of Judah…thy servants…thy people who enter by those gates’
A reminder from the KING to the king (vv.3-5)
3 Thus saith the Lord; Execute ye judgment and righteousness, and deliver the spoiled [out of the hand] of the oppressor: and do no wrong, do no violence to the stranger, the fatherless, nor the widow, neither shed innocent blood in this place. 4 For if ye do this thing indeed, then shall there [enter in] by the gates of this house kings sitting upon the throne of David, riding in chariots and on horses, he, and his servants, and his people. 5 But if ye will not hear these words, I swear [by myself,] saith the Lord, that this house shall become a desolation.
The KING reminded the rulers of their obligations (duties)
There are times when God reminds His people, in particular, his leaders of their responsibilities. How many of us need a reminder of our responsibilities as children of God, as professing Christians. Too many, just like the kings of Judah, were coasting along and doing their way rather than God’s way. Eventually God gets tired of his children rebelling and do it their way and how they want to do it. He reminds them and us about our responsibilities and then expects to step up and fulfill those responsibilities. God, the KING, addresses the kings/authorities/leadership of Judah and says step up and be faithful to your obligations.
As king, as leadership, they were called to be an example in obedience to God’s commands - ‘…execute ye judgement and righteousness...’
18 And it shall be, when he sitteth upon the throne of his kingdom, that he shall write him a copy of this law in a book [out of that which is before] the priests the Levites: 19 And it shall be with him, and he shall read therein all the days of his life: that he may learn to fear the Lord his God, to keep all the words of this law and these statutes, to do them: 20 That his heart be not [lifted up] [above his brethren,] and that he [turn not aside] from the commandment, to the [right hand,] or to the left: [to the end that] he may prolong his days in his kingdom, he, and his children, in the midst of Israel.
As king, as leadership, they were called to protect the weak and defenseless - ‘…deliver the spoiled out of the hand of the oppressor...’
18 He doth execute the judgment of the fatherless and widow, and loveth the stranger, in giving him food and raiment. 19 Love ye therefore the stranger: for ye were strangers in the land of Egypt.
As king, as leadership, they were called to not shed innocent blood - ‘...neither shed innocent blood in this place...’
6 If ye oppress not the stranger, the fatherless, and the widow, and shed not innocent blood in this place, neither walk after other gods to your hurt:
The KING reminded the rulers of the results of their decision
As stated prior to this message, we will reap what we sow.
7 Be not deceived; God is not mocked: for whatsoever a man soweth, that shall he also reap. 8 For [he that soweth] to his flesh shall of the flesh reap corruption; but [he that soweth] to the Spirit shall of the Spirit reap life everlasting.
There are two options to God’s message to the kings/leaders. Just as they have two options, we have two options and those two options are the selfsame options. We have can either choose to obey or disobey but there’s no straddling the fence.
There is blessing in choosing to follow God in faithfulness - ‘…if ye do this thing indeed, then shall there enter in by the gates of this house kings sitting upon the throne of David , riding in chariots and on horses, he, and his servants, and his people...’
There is cursing in choosing to disobey God in unfaithfulness - ‘…if ye will not hear these words, I swear by myself , saith the Lord, this house will become a desolation.’
When God warns of the result or consequence of unfaithfulness, he swears by himself. There was nothing greater to make an oath on or with. He is the Great I AM. There is nothing and no one greater than He. His promise upon Himself, was a promise upon His character, His integrity, HIs being. For him to make an oath upon himself, guaranteed the warned result.
God declares war (vv.6-7)
6 For thus saith the Lord unto the king’s house of Judah; Thou art Gilead [unto me,] and the head of Lebanon: yet surely I will make thee a wilderness, and cities which are not inhabited. 7 And I will prepare destroyers against thee, [every one] with his weapons: and they shall [cut down] thy choice cedars, and cast them into the fire.
Judah’s beauty could not save her - ‘Thou art Gilead unto me, and the head of Lebanon’
Often we attempt to let looks, intelligence, gifting, etc., be that which we put our confidence in. Judah was the same.
The city of Jerusalem was beautiful. The temple and most of the city was built from the cedars of Lebanon. This would not save them.
How many of us relying on something other than a repentant heart to save us tonight?
God would destroy Judah’s beauty and she would look like her sin, ravaged - ‘...yet surely I will make thee a wilderness, and cities which are not inhabited...’
God declared war on his people - ‘…And I will prepare destroyers against thee...’
The war that we found before us is a holy war. It is the same type war that God had declared on the pagan nations when Israelites entered into the promise land and were told to conquer and destroy every city, every home, every man, woman, and child. Nothing was to be spared.
The same God that had declared war on the enemies of Judah was not declaring war on Judah.
God, this time would not be against the enemies of God, but he would use the enemies of God to attack and bring judgment to His own people this time.
Heed the warning (vv.8-12)
8 And many nations shall pass by this city, and they shall say [every man] to his neighbor, Wherefore hath the Lord done thus unto this great city? 9 Then they shall answer, Because they have forsaken the covenant of the Lord their God, and worshiped other gods, and served them. 10 Weep ye not for the dead, neither bemoan him: but [weep sore] for him that [goeth away:] for he shall return no more, nor see his native country. 11 For thus saith the Lord touching Shallum the son of Josiah king of Judah, which reigned instead of Josiah his father, which [went forth] [out of] this place; He shall not return thither [any more:] 12 But he shall die in the place whither they have [led him captive,] and shall see this land no more.
The destruction of Judah would serve as a warning to others - ‘…many nations shall pass by this city, and they shall say every man to his neighbor, Wherefore hath the Lord done unto this great city’
The destruction of Judah would reveal God’s judgment to others - ‘...Wherefore hath the Lord done unto this great city...’
The destruction of Judah would acknowledge the people’s rebellion of God to others - ‘...Because they have forsaken the covenant of the Lord their God, and worshiped other gods and served them...’
The destruction of Judah should cause us to show sadness, not for the rebellious, but for those that have left to never return (vv.11-12)
Conclusion
God has given enough warning to understand the urgency in a change of heart and repentance. How many of are heeding that warranty? God has told us that he will judge sin and yet we find ourselves continuing in rebellion and sin. Let us hear and take to heart that which God has called us too. Let us return to a life and ministry of obedience.
