Week of August 9

(“Jeremiah Lamenting the Destruction of Jerusalem”—Rembrandt, 1630)

Sisyphus, the Ancient Greek mythological character, was required continually to push a heavy boulder up the side of a mountain, only to have it roll back down. I suppose that he is remembered most for his misery! Jeremiah, the weeping prophet, as he is often nicknamed, served the Lord in the latter days of the Kingdom of Judah, and he also is remembered for the misery he endured. However, I believe that we should also remember him for his prophecy about a new covenant! Let’s see what God’s word has to say to our weeping hearts in our own contentious age.

Jeremiah faithfully served in a nation that never could quite rid their hearts of a rebellious spirit. Have you ever attended a church that possessed such a nature? Two steps forward and three steps back is one way to describe Israel’s history. Josiah’s reign (640-609 B.C.) had left a glimmer of hope for Judah, but the rise of Babylon into power signaled that calamity was inevitable. The prophet Jeremiah spoke into this context, denouncing Judah’s leadership, and he received considerable royal backlash! He was “threatened, imprisoned, and humiliated” (HCBC). There was, however, a silver lining in his prophecy. God promised that He would at last fulfill His dream for Israel, but only after a period of “purifying judgment and exile.” This passage of scripture holds critical implications for us. It reminds us how to capture the attention and heart of our own nation and point it back to God. We have a noble purpose in calling our country to return to the Lord.

Purge our lives of immoral practices (cf. Exodus 19:6). Many of us, unfortunately, lead confused lives as we seek to follow the Lord. Christians too often blaze their own trails and follow popular leaders with either hate-filled rhetoric or feel-good messages. Genuine moral issues are not addressed in a redemptive manner. I believe this disjointed approach derives partly from the era in which we live, but this need not be the case with believers. Jeremiah preached one unified message of judgment and hope—after all, it was God’s word. This has caused some scholars to scratch their heads and wonder how this may be so, but his prophecy makes sense if we take it in order. Judah’s idols and immoral practices were to be purged first before God would bless the nation.

Take off moral blinders. Jeremiah’s prophecy applies to our “Christian” nation. We must not see our economic prosperity as a necessary sign that God has blessed us and approves of our behavior. Besides, the richest 1 percent of our population now controls more wealth than the bottom 90 percent. We are likely not as wealthy as we believe ourselves to be. Truly, the fruit of God’s richest blessings will not grow from a twisted root! Erroneous beliefs and practices must be rooted out before God will plant new life and growth (cf. Ecclesiastes 3:3).

There is a pathway to renewal that our focal passage provides us today. The first step requires us to preach and teach a balanced message. I hasten to write that our churches sometimes dwell either on judgment to the neglect of hope, or on hope to the neglect of judgment. Seek balance. 

Secondly, the effectiveness of the message will entirely depend upon God’s word, not the prophet’s “ability or cleverness” (cf. NAC). We do well today to eliminate the cult worship of a pastor. Jeremiah lacked the very things that our generation so often cleaves to as signs of success—self-assurance and speaking ability. It was his inability that enabled him to be most effective (1:6). He offered his humble frailty to a powerful God. 

Thirdly, follow God’s will exactly as He prescribes. The tender, young prophet possessed the essential willingness to be used by God as the Lord willed. This meant that he had to get the message right. God would then empower it and enable His objectives to be accomplished (Isaiah 55:10-11). 

The formula for church renewal begins something like this: God’s word in my heart and mouth will be spoken in the exact way He desires to the precise people He determines need to hear it.

One of my childhood Saturday morning TV action heroes was Superman. He was the mild-mannered, newspaperman Clark Kent, by most accounts, until trouble surfaced. He then became the superhero the weak and defenseless needed. After all, he was there to promote “truth, justice, and the American way!” Superman, if you think about it, would fight an uphill battle today, not because we no longer have phone booths in which to change clothes, but because we have lost the collective zeal for truth, justice, and the American way. 

Here is the spiritual point. Similarly, the church quite often loses its collective passion for truth and justice, which is God’s way. Jeremiah challenges us all today to live heroically, and with hope, by honoring God’s way every day.

1. God calls us to holiness, not by our definition of the concept, but by His. Purge that which is false from your life, then pursue God’s holiness.

2. For Families: There are many truths for our hearts to apply in the devotional above. Perhaps the choicest for our children is the connection between a humble heart and God’s ability to use us. Parents, do you play a “word-face” game with your children? You speak a word (usually one that portrays emotion, like sadness, joy, surprise, discouragement, etc.) and your children make a face that matches the word. This is very fun!

We can use that same game and turn it up a notch to help them with this passage. Say a word that describes an element of character, and see if your kids can match that posture or provide actions that demonstrate the word (like haughty, greedy, arrogant, cruel, gentle, good, meek, and humble).

After your family has had some fun with these games at suppertime, share with them the truth that God is seeking devout disciples, who have willing, humble hearts, to use in His Kingdom. He will entrust His work to those who will follow Him and do not try to grasp His power for themselves. Jeremiah’s prophetic message is still life-changing.

May your paths be straight,
Larry C. Ashlock