Friday July 24, 2015

Read Jeremiah 44

 Can you imagine the sheer stupidity of a kindergarten student arguing about the truth of a matter with his/her teacher? Imagine if that young boy or girl believed the world to be stationary and that the sun was moving around the earth. Imagine if that student were to say, ‘But I can see the sun moving and I can’t see the earth moving.’ Even though his/her logic is based on experience, it’s still wrong! It’s laughable.

Unfortunately God’s people in Jeremiah 44 are like that little child, arguing defiantly with God and choosing to stubbornly stand in their disobedience because of their past experience.

God reminded the people through Jeremiah (44:1-6) of what had just recently happened in Judah. The people then refused to listen to God’s Word and faced the wrath and anger of God. They refused to stay in Jerusalem and travelled to Egypt in direct disobedience. But immediately upon entering Egypt the people began to engage in idolatry – making sacrificial cakes to the Queen of Heaven. They began to practice the very sin that saw their own city exiled in the first place!

To make it worse, in vs 15-19 the people continue arguing against God using a pathetic rejoinder. The people basically say to God that their idolatry worked in the past so it should work now.

How often do Christians and churches think more along pragmatic lines than biblical lines? We often reason to ourselves and to each other that if it works then it must be blessed and approved by God. But just because something works does not make it right or godly or biblical. In the Scriptures we are told, for example, to take up our cross daily, to deny ourselves and to follow Jesus (Luke 9:23). We are told to put others’ needs above our own and to consider others better than ourselves (Phil 2:3-4). Neither of these is necessarily pragmatic.

Jeremiah again pleads with the people to remember their recent history when God punished them but to no avail. The people remain hard hearted and unfortunately the chapter ends with yet another note of destruction.

27 For I am watching over them for harm, not for good; the Jews in Egypt will perish by sword and famine until they are all destroyed. 28 Those who escape the sword and return to the land of Judah from Egypt will be very few. Then the whole remnant of Judah who came to live in Egypt will know whose word will stand—mine or theirs.

Prayer:

Using today’s Bible passage and notes write down points for

Adoration:

Confession

Thanks

Supplication:

· Ask the Lord to be growing the youth of your congregation in depth of love, in knowledge of God and His Word and in obedience to that Word. Pray that the youth leaders would be equipped with all they need to encourage the youth to walk in radical obedience.

· Pray that the Sonday’s service to God would be honouring to Him and challenging to all who come along. Pray that all believers would make time with God a priority in their lives.

 Discussion Questions

1. To properly read and understand Jeremiah we need to read it through the cross of Christ. Given this truism, how would you sum up the main message of Jeremiah 44?

2. What would you see as the main application for Christian believers?

3. Your church is considering running the same program again this year. Someone says that we have to run it because it works. How do you respond in the light of Jeremiah 44?