Repent or Remain Rejected

Well, good morning, good morning. Welcome to Dessert and Devotions. In honor of Matt Filbert. Yeah, I'll have to send this to Matt. Normally we do coffee devotions, but Drew is one of the elders out in Maryland, the real rural area. Anyway, so they're here just over the weekend, 4th of July type stuff and so we decided to have dessert and devotions instead of coffee and devotions because they're going to leave tomorrow morning. So have a little bit of dessert and we'll pray and get you guys working. Now, the question is Drew, would you drink coffee if it was available?
If it was all that was available and I was stranded and had no other means of drinking, I could probably force myself. We can't talk anymore. We better pray for it. Father, thank you so much for tonight and for your time and your word. Thank you for the blessing that you have given us your word in a language we can understand. Thank you for the faithful translators that have worked to make it understandable and readable. Lord, we pray now that your Spirit would not just let us understand the words on the page, but that your Spirit would teach us, Lord, that we would live this out. Thank you, Lord. We need your help. We need the Spirit's work. In Jesus' name, Amen.
Alright, so we're at Jeremiah chapter 7. Normally what I like to do with my kids and other people, is we can just kind of read, talk about each paragraph as we go, and then we do A, B, C. So A, what's this about? So we'll go paragraph by paragraph what was each paragraph about and then we'll do overall What was it about be what was the best verse to summarize that whole section? So not your favorite first, but the one that best summarizes it and then see calling what are we called to do? How does it show us the covenant of grace or has a show us Jesus Christ?
A little bit liberal with the sea and what that means. Okay, so The word Lord came to Jeremiah from the Lord saying stand in the gate of the Lord's house, and proclaim there this word, and say, Hear the word of the Lord, all you of Judah, who enter in at these gates, and worship the Lord. Thus says the Lord of hosts, the God of Israel, amend your ways and your doings, and I will cause you to dwell in this place. Do not trust in these lying words, saying, The temple of the Lord, the temple of the Lord, the temple of the Lord are these. So what do you think he's getting at right there?
First, introduction to what's going on. This sounds like a lot of the false prophets who are, one, false prophets, and two, those who are saying, well, we have the Lord's temple, so he's going to bless us no matter what we do.
Easy. That's what it sounds like. Easy thing for Jeremiah to do, right? Lock the gates where all the elders are? Well, that's, no. It's a target rich environment, so it's easy for him to, there's a lot of people to be called out, but no, that makes it especially difficult to actually do.
You want to read the next paragraph? Sure. If you thoroughly amend your ways and your doings, if you thoroughly execute judgment between a man and his neighbor, you do not oppress the stranger, the fatherless, and the widow, and do not shed innocent blood in this place or walk after other gods to your hurt, then I will cause you to dwell in this place in the land that I gave to your fathers forever and ever. God is nothing but judgment, right? Let's see.
Yes, well if you're cruel and a mean guy, right? If you're cruel and oppressive, then you'll reap what you sow. And if you're not, then you'll also reap what you sow. So there's an opportunity here for repentance. Exactly. And then the temple of the Lord, temple of the Lord, temple of the Lord, that will be exactly what it is if you repent.
You trust in lying words that cannot prove them. Will you steal, murder, commit adultery, swear falsely, burn incense to Baal, and walk after other gods whom you do not know? Then come and stand before me in this house, which is called by my name, and say, we are delivered to do all these abominations. Has this house, which is called by my name, become a den of thieves in your eyes?
Oh, even I have seen it, says the Lord. This is what Jesus quotes when he's cleansing the temple. That's exactly what he quotes. Matthew chapter 21, 3. Yeah, right? So you're doing these things and you think I'm blind. You're putting all this faith in a building, but not the God of the building. You want to do the next paragraph? Yeah.
Go now to my place which was in Shiloh, where I set my name at first. See what I did to it because of the wickedness of my people Israel. And now, because you have done all these works, says the Lord, and I spoke to you, rising up early and speaking, but you did not hear, and I called you, but you did not answer. Therefore, I will do to the house which is called by my name, in which you trust, and to this place which I gave you and your fathers, as I have done to Shiloh. I will cast you out of my sight, as I have cast out all your brethren, the whole posterity of Ephraim." So this was after Israel had gone into exile, and he'd already shown that he was going to cast judgment on On his people because of their wickedness Because they were not not following after him.
This is calling bluff. Yeah and See what see what happened. Mm-hmm. I'm playing around. I'm sorry. I'm sorry 16 therefore do not pray for this people. Mm-hmm cry or prayer then nor make intercession to me for I will not hear you and Do you not see what they do in the cities of Judah and in the streets of Jerusalem?
The children gather wood, the fathers kindle the fire, and the women knead dough to make cakes for the queen of heaven. And they pour out drink offerings to other gods, that they may provoke me to anger. Do they provoke me to anger? Says the Lord. Do they not provoke themselves to the shame of their own faces? That is about the harshest word that you can hear. Do not pray for this people. Do not cry or lift up a cry of prayer for them because they are so set in their ways and so unrepentant that they're making even their children. I mean we just had family worship together about raising our children to follow the Lord and people of Judah are raising their children for the Queen of Heaven? Yeah. Making a cake for the Queen of Heaven.
Right. So, but hold on. Doesn't that sound like Old Testament? Right? Like we're New Testament people. You're going to make me break out 1 John 5, aren't you? You don't know this, but what we're doing this year in copying devotions is a whole bunch of J's. Oh, I see. And we're going Old Testament, New Testament, Old Testament, New Testament. We were just in 1 John. Okay.
And so 1 John, there is a prayer that leads to It's the sin unto death, and I'm not able to find the exact quote because I can't find first John in my Bible Yeah, second Peter first John there we go Yeah, it says If anyone sees his brother sinning a sin which does not lead to death, he will ask, and he will give him life for those who commit sin not unto death. There is a sin unto death, and I do not say he should pray about that. All unrighteousness is sin, and there is sin not leading to death. We know that whoever is born of God does not sin, but he who has been born of God keeps himself, and the wicked one does not touch him.
These people are open, obstinate, apostasy, they're unwilling to repent of. And I think both his New Testament and Old Testament, the Holy Spirit is saying, you don't pray that God's going to just bless them. Right. When they're saying they're God's people, but they're actively working against God's kingdom. That's right. I mean, yeah, they have a prophet speaking directly to them. And just as they had Jesus, when Jesus came and they rejected Him, and it did not end well for them.
I'll read verse 20 therefore thus says the Lord God behold my anger and my fury will be poured out on this place On man and on beast on the tree the field and on the fruit of the ground And it will burn And not be quenched I think that's speaking about the Lord's anger that he's going to show out and sadly the near reference of this is the coming of the Babylonian army and the fire that would literally destroy Jesus. I'll let you read the big paragraph. It's so depressing. Well, I shouldn't say that. Thus says the Lord of hosts, the God of Israel, Add your burnt offerings to your sacrifices and eat meat.
For I did not speak to your fathers or command them in the day that I brought them out of the land of Egypt concerning burnt offerings or sacrifices. But this is what I commanded them, saying, Obey my voice, and I will be your God, and you shall be my people. And walk in all the ways that I have commanded you, that it may be well with you.
Yet they did not obey or incline their ear, but followed the counsels and dictates of their evil hearts, and went backward and not forward. Since the day that your fathers came out of the land of Egypt until this day, I have even sent to you all my servants, the prophets, daily, rising up early and sending. Yet they did not obey me or incline their ear, but stiffened their neck. They did worse than their fathers. Well this, I say this is, well I got, do you want me to read verse 27? Yeah go for it. Therefore you shall speak all these words to them, but they will not obey you. You shall also call to them, but they will not answer you." Well, I think, I mean, for us the application is listen and follow, repent, believe that God is slow to anger, but that he's not lacking anger. And that he is full of grace and he is full of mercy. I think what I want to realize is that, right, follow the counsel and the dictates of their evil heart. That's me left to myself. Exactly right. And me.
We can look at this and go, oh, you stupid, dumb, cute ites. Why didn't you understand this? Every time I gossip or tear down someone's reputation, every time I make a cute little thing in this life seeming to want to satisfy my soul, I make it an idol.
Yeah, we're not I mean that's I mean we're only better because Jesus has rescued us But maybe not that's fine Yeah, this is a hard one. Yeah, right. This is a This is a challenging one. What would you underline as the best verse to summarize this? You can only pick one verse, or maybe two. I cheat a bunch. If you notice, I have a whole bunch underlined in Bible. That's not counting your margin notes. We don't talk about that. I think I would probably pick verses 23 and 24. I've got that underlined. Do you want me to read it out? Yeah.
This is what I commanded them, saying, Obey my voice, and I will be your God, and you shall be my people, and walk in all the ways that I have commanded you, that it may be well with you. Yet they did not obey or incline their ear, but followed the counsels and dictates of their evil hearts, and went backward and not forward. It reminds me of when Paul is telling the Corinthians that when you're tempted, God always provides a way of escape. Yeah, no temptation has ever overcome you, but that which is common to man.
And he's offering them a way of escape here. Yeah, they are. And yet he's saying, no, they chose not to. Isn't that interesting? He gives them a real... He's telling them this. He's telling Jeremiah, this is what you're going to preach. And you're going to give them this real opportunity to repent. But yet, he knows the end from the beginning. Verse 27, Therefore you shall speak all these words to them, but they will not obey you. you shall also call to them, but they will not answer you."
The Lord is gracious. He's offering and offering and offering them, even though He knows the hardness of their heart. This is one of the things that actually greatly comforts me as a Calvinist and as an elder and doing evangelism. The Lord already knows the beginning from the end. But that offer and call to repent is still real. And it's well meant. Yeah, but they're judged for not listening. Exactly. Our job isn't the fruit that comes from anybody's response. That's the Holy Spirit's work. Our job is just to save these things and then live them out ourselves.
I do have verse 11 double underlined in my Bible. This is what Jesus says about those who are oppressing and twisting God's temple into a marketplace. Absorbent fees for what's supposed to be this hope of salvation becomes this capitalistic enterprise in the temple. This wasn't ever about you getting rich.
This is about to be about my people praying and my and my father's glory But instead you've turned it into a den of robbers Yeah, so Jesus Jesus is the one who overturns cleanses the temple Amen he can overturn my heart to exactly Well, let's go ahead and pray yep Father we thank you so much for the work of your salvation. We thank you for your Holy Spirit.
And God, we pray that we would not be filled with pride, that we would not have stubborn, obstinate, stiff-necked hearts, that we would go forward and not backwards. Lord, we pray that when there is oppression and when there is evil, when there is treating your things like totems, we may not have a temple before us, but We know that we're often, even in the church, tempted with things like church buildings, or elements in the sacraments, or whatever other stuff that we can see, trusting in the visible rather than in You. God, turn our hearts to You. Father, we pray that both we and our children would turn towards You, would repent and believe.
Lord, please care for us. Thank You for Jesus Christ who did obey. We could not obey, but you sent your son. And in him, Lord, we have life and hope. Father, please bless us and care for us in Jesus' name. Amen. Amen. May the Lord bless you. I hope that you get some dessert today. And we'll see you next time. Bye. Bye-bye.