Read the passage HERE
I recently read where coin collectors and stamp enthusiasts can receive a shipment of coins and stamps via the mail, look them over, and prior to shipping them back to the company they can simply purchase "upon approval" those items they are most interested in. Imagine that! The company trusts you enough to disclose your all the valuable options they have, and then you, as the buyer, gets to look them over, keep the ones you want most, and send the rest back to the company.
This concept reminds me of our passage today and how people tend to pick and choose what part of God's will they want to do. For many Christians today, living a holy life is just too difficult and a life of mediocrity with God is just fine. Many have lost their way confused by all the voices of the world offering better a life to this, that, or the other. Today's story is not much different.
In our story today, the few remaining Judeans are left to wander the landscape around Jerusalem which has been left bare by the king of Babylon who by force has taken all of the Judeans into captivity. As these few remaining Judeans live a poor and meager life in a barren land, their lives are interrupted by the assassination of their king. Since the king was appointed by the king of Babylon to rule the region, the few remaining Judeans thought the king of Babylon would return to destroy them.
Being worried, the Judeans begged Jeremiah to intercede in prayer for them, asking for God's will as to what they were to do. Despite Jeremiah's reluctance, the Judeans promised Jeremiah that they would follow whatever command God gave them - no matter what. For the next 10 days, Jeremiah seeks God in prayer. But, as God answers Jeremiah, he is alerted by God of the true intentions of the hearts of these Judeans. What they wanted was the chance to look at ALL the options before choosing their "approved" plan of action - much like how the coin collector gets to view all of the valuable options of the company's coin and stamp collection before they choose what they want and send the rest back.
As Jeremiah proclaims the message of God to stay in Judea, the crowd of Judeans had other plans. They were sure the king of Babylon would come and kill them. However, God's message was one that reminded them that He was the one in control, not the king of Babylon. God saw the fickleness and sinfulness of their hearts. He saw how they were more afraid of the king of Babylon than of Him - the very one who controlled the heart of the king of Babylon.
In fact, God promised them that if they'd stay in and around the Judean area, He would cause the heart of the king to be kind to them, but warned that if they showed fear and ran to Egypt for help they would all die.
The moment of truth has arrived. The had to make a decision on who they feared the most. Sadly, it wasn't God!
Just like the people who were recently sent into captivity for not obeying God, these few Judeans did the very same thing! They rejected the will of the Lord. They ran for Egypt.
While in Egypt, Jeremiah prophesies again. He warns them that they will all die, but that only a handful would live to tell the truth about what happened.
Sadly, God destroyed those who fear a man more than they did God.
Do you fear God?
Are you afraid of the consequences of sin? Are you obeying what you know to be God's will? Is a little lying or maybe a little cheating ok with you?
Remember, God told King Solomon that "the fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom." Wise people fear God, listen to Him, and obey Him. Only a fool would do otherwise!
Who do you fear most - man or God?
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