Blog

Jeremiah...Today's Prophet

A STUDY IN THE BOOK OF JEREMIAH

Good Afternoon!

Have you ever lived in a time when there was low inflation, high employment, less dependence on other countries, energy independence, more freedom to be who God made you to be so you could express your freedom to share Jesus without fear of persecution and worship without government interference? Israel has not had too many years of this type of life. They always had a neighboring country that wanted to control them or wanted to destroy them by wiping them off the face of the earth. Today that same story is being repeated. Before, during, and right after Jeremiah's ministry, they found themselves in this same position. It was Egypt. Then it was Assyria. Then along came Babylon under Nebuchadrezzar. Then the Medes and Persians took control. Then it was the Greeks and finally, it was the Romans. They all either oppressed or seized control of Israel. 

But, it's no different today. Iran, Iraq, Syria, Egypt, etc. would like to take over Israel and wipe them off the map.  

During the ministry of Jeremiah, he was able to see the worst of the oppression of Israel. Just before his ministry, the nation was under the control of Josiah. Under the leadership of Josiah, the books of law were discovered and the nation no longer listened to the skeptics that babbled lies concerning what the laws of God contained. They knew what God's law contained. They found them. Josiah had them read aloud so all the nation could hear them and abide by them. The result was there was a revival of the people coming back to God. There was low inflation. There was high employment. People had more freedom than ever to worship God and share their Faith openly. The people were obeying God so there was no government interference. It was a GREAT TIME to live in Israel!!!  

When Josiah died...things changed. People returned to their sin and selfish living only to experience the judgment of God. Jobs were more difficult to find. The king kept telling the people that the government would take care of them.  

 

Finally, Israel had two dangers facing them:

  1. The Sword--a threat from outside...

The outside threat at this time was coming from the powerful nation of Babylon. They were shrinking the borders of Israel. The borders were open so that anyone...including their enemy...could walk in. Now they are being overrun by foreigners...who had no citizenship in their country.  

Jobs were being lost as the government wanted to take control of everything and rule the people. While doing so they took away the freedoms they once enjoyed under King Josiah.    

 

  2. The Heart--a threat from inside...

The law of God was being ignored. In fact, the leaders of the government began placing restrictions on the religious leaders so they could have some control over the believers. The heart of the people had turned from God's law. What was written by God was now being disputed and some people claimed that there was no God. They were allowed by the new government leaders to spew their garbage and deceive the hearts of the people of Israel.  

During the discovery of God's law, there were sweeping reforms. Cult practices were banned and the worship of God was centralized in all the land. They had discovered that God brought them to this land and gave them their freedom to worship Him and no other gods.  

 

One of Jeremiah's problems was when the people of his own nation turned on him because he was preaching the messages that God had given him for the people who had turned from God. They became angry with Jeremiah. It was a time that if you stood for God as a believer...the people would not listen. They sought to justify their actions against God's people by leaning on the godless practices of the government leaders. Oh, yes, the government leaders were going to give their blessing to their godless actions. This gave them a false hope for security.  

 

You and I know what the results were. It took a few years but God is truthful in His promises and you can believe that He will prevail!

Israel failed God. God brought the enemy to them...made their borders weak so anyone could come into the nation...and they FELL!  

 

I really want our nation to take warning as to the possibilities of God when a nation turns their heart away from His laws. All...not some...of the things I have listed above is a reality in our nation. Remember, the covenant that God is making with us...not as a nation, but individually. God told Jeremiah about it in Jeremiah 31:33:

"...this is the covenant I will make...'I will place My law within them and write it upon their hearts. I will be their God, and they will be My people.'"

 

Jesus made that New Covenant possible. He is the One who came to change our hearts so that we could know God's plan for our lives. The Old Covenant was broken by those who broke the laws of God. The New Covenant means we do not depend on our nation to make us right with God. It is our personal choice. But we live in a nation that needs God and has a great need for believers in Jesus to help turn this nation to God.  

 

Our nation has the same two dangers as Israel. 

We have the danger from outside. In my international traveling, I have discovered that people either love America and would like to live here or they hate America and wishes for her demise. China is fast becoming a challenge for America. I see their intentions. I see their heart. We need to be aware of their tactics. There is a vast number of people from China who are infiltrating our country.  For example, they are being friendly with our politicians.  I have worked in Russia for nearly 30 years. I have ideas concerning their intentions. Just like Israel...we have enemies from beyond our borders.

We are in danger from the inside. Just as Israel lost its borders to their enemy...we are in danger of losing our borders. Because the heart of Israel had turned away from God, He allowed the enemy to squeeze and conquer them. Our nation is not concerned about the heart of its people. We have citizens who are more sensitive about petting the sin of the heart rather than trusting the One who can change the heart. 

 

Jeremiah spent his life telling people to turn their hearts toward God. We have the same call as believers in America. Jeremiah's message is as contemporary as the year 2021...today! Let's be faithful to God and be in the business of telling people about Jesus. On the job and in the class and in your neighborhood and in your church...share Jesus.   

 

May God Bless You!

Don Betts

DBEA/campus320

 

DBEAWINNING.COM

TO GOD BE ALL GLORY!

SIGN UP FOR UPDATES & NEWS.

© 2017 - 2024 Don Betts Evangelistic Association - All Rights Reserved.