What can we learn from Jeremiah 5?
I’ve read this chapter this morning and it really touched my heart.
v.1 God is always searching for His just people. Even in the midst of their iniquity He was still looking for one single man that would do what is right. But apparently there was none! I remember about Sodom and Gomorrah, when Abraham was pleading with God for Sodom and Gomorrah, and God had promised him that He wouldn’t destroy those cities if He found there at least 10 righteous people. But apparently there was only Lot and his family who were just in that place. So God had taken them out of it and only then burned it. And i like that God never leaves anyone behind, He will never forsake His people, nor forget them!
“Run to and fro through the streets of Jerusalem; See now and know; And seek in her open places if you can find a man, if there is anyone who executes judgment, who seeks the truth, and I will pardon her.”
Jeremiah 5:1
For the sake of 10 just people He was ready to forgive Sodom and Gomorah, but He couldn’t find 10 holy people there!
He goes further and says in v.2 that even when they speak about God and use His name for a vow, even then they would do that falsely and not respect their word.
v.3 And even tho God tried in many different ways, happy and unhappy, to reach out to them, they would not turn to God, they willingly refused to do it.
v.4 Here we see that those who lack God’s knowledge and judgment become crazy, they act and speak like fools. And I’m being reminded about the verse which says that fear of the Lord is the beginning of all wisdom. But apparently there there was no fear of the Lord, so of course wisdom was lacking among the people! Somewhere else it says that people are perishing because of the lack of knowledge – again, there was no knowledge among them, so that’s what they were subjects to all kinds of afflictions.
v.5 And normally there would be people who represent God, who intercede for the nation, who stand between God and the people, such as priests, pastors, and other leaders. And it’s so much like nowadays – even those people lost all common sense and respect for God. Even they broke any relationship they could possibly have with God.
Then it goes further and just exposes, really, how wicked God’s people were, what abominable things they were doing, and how deep their lawlessness went.
And I like it in v.17, God says that He will destroy their cities, in which they were putting their trust. And as the majority of us today, people back then were setting their confidence and safety in things, like houses, possessions, people, and so whichsoever. Everything, but not God. And God is going to show them how empty and weak those things are, how perishable and unstable. And later on, when I was praying I had told God, “Lord, I only want to trust You, I don’t wanna trust money, or possessions, or people, or knowledge; I want to trust nothing, but You!” And then suddenly to my mind came the verse that says that the Lord will never put to shame those who trust in Him. And it comforted me so much! Cause the world will always accuse us, people around us, being driven by the enemy, will always try and strive to bring reproach on us. But we know that the devil is a liar. He’s been a liar from the beginning, and nothing of what he says is true. So therefore there is no shame for me, and no condemnation, because I’m in Christ Jesus, I’m seating in Christ Jesus in heavenly places at the right hand of the Father. He won’t put me to shame.
v.19 reminds me that even we as people of God will reap what we sow. These people were sowing rebellion and idolatry, se they were going to harvest the fruit of what they had sown – slavery and oppression. And that’s always valid, even today. If we sow disobedience and unbelief, we will reap the consequences. There’s no way we’ll reap anything good out of our lack of faith and trust in God. Of course God is still merciful and recovers and heals us in our rebellion and lacks, but how would it be if we walked steadfastly, unshakeably?
v.21 reminds us again what are the results of lacking God’s wisdom and knowledge. It’s like having eyes and ears, but not being able to see or hear anything. And that’s useless. Imagine that happening in real life actually, or imagine having hands and feet and not being able to actually use them. You’d lay paralysed on a bed. That’s how effective we are when we have eyes and ears, but we’re yet spiritually deaf and blind. We can do nothing. And true is the verse which says that apart from Christ we can do nothing, because ‘apart from Christ’ means to live in disobedience, in lack of trust, in rebellion. Just like those people did back in time.
v.22 compares the chosen nation of God to the sea waves: being they so aggressive and furious, they wouldn’t pass the border God set for them as the sand, while His people would go against His ways limitlessly and endlessly. And that just exposes rebellion again and, really, this proud attitude of crossing God’s limits when it comes to what is just and what is evil. Man always wanted to define good and evil by himself, according to His crazy wisdom: it’s been happening since the falling from the Garden; man not trusting God’s word and definition about everything around him.
v.23 encouraged me to pray about my heart and ask God to help me to search my heart. The bible says that man’s heart is deceitful; one moment it can seem good and nice, and the other it’s the most evil; it can seem like your intention is good, but in the depths of your heart there can be only pride and greed. So search your heart, without Jesus and even with Jesus, but being unwatchful, – heart is defiant and rebellious.
v.27 your life will prove what you believe and have in your heart. Your daily living, behaviour, and speech will show who you actually are. You can pretend you’re the Good Samaritan now, but tomorrow the light of God will expose everything. And so many times there isn’t even the need of the supernatural intervention of God, cause your actions and words will expose it by itself. Sometimes it requires just a careful look at someone’s life. And no, I don’t encourage judgment and critical views about our neighbours, but I do support the idea of being careful and vigilant and, as the bible says, recognise a man by his fruits.
