Drought, Famine, Sword
The Lord sends a drought to Judah and doesn't answer prayers for rain....major judgement for the people...they cry for help, but God knows they are not truly repentent. Again, God tells Jeremiah not to pray for the people. God is so ticked that there will be no intercession allowed, even if some of the great prophets like Moses and Samuel were to interceed, God would not relent. The people of Judah were too far gone.
Interesting in 15: 17-21...Jeremiah is frustrated and accuses God of not helping him when he needs it. God didn't get mad at Jeremiah; He just changed his priorites.......God expects us to trust Him, no matter what. To me, it is reassuring that this prophet was so human....Poor Jeremiah can't go to parties, or marry, or have kids...how lonely for him to make this sacrifice and the people will not listen to him.
God tells them exactly what they did.....I underlined the "because" words.....look at 16: 11 It is because your fathers forsook me and followed other gods and served and worshiped them. They forsook me and did not keep my law. The people have no excuse.....it has been explained over and over again. Jeremiah, as you recall, was not the first prophet to bring this to their attention. God's people continued to sin. 17:9 says
The heart is deceitful above all things
and beyond cure
Who can understand it?
God makes it clear why we sin...it is a matter of the heart..we are inclined to sin.....but He allows us to make a choice....it is a matter of life and death.....
Look what comes up from the depths of the sea.
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Here is Mitzi again....17:9 telling us only God knows the human heart.....whether good or bad....
ReplyDelete17:5-8 tells us basically that the man who trusts in man will never know the good and the man who trusts in God will be protected and fulfilled even in rough times.....