“Who Are We Trying to Kid?”

Scripture: Jeremiah 7:1-11

For the past 2 weeks, we’ve been following some of the advice that Jeremiah offered to the people of Judah. Even while the Babylonian army was pounding on the gates of Jerusalem, the people were still trying to do things all by themselves. Today, we look at the cavalier approach that the people showed toward their worship of the great Jehovah, as well as the opportunity for a second chance in faithfulness that they would be given.

All too often, we see the Old Testament as God’s heavy handed attitude toward His creation. We see destruction in the form of the Flood, when only 8 people and the animals under their care would survive. We see laws that were so demanding that even a judge might shake his head in dismay. We see a brutal march that took the people through 40 years in the desert before they were allowed to enter the Land they had been promised. We see God stepping away from the people, allowing conquering armies to defeat the quarreling kingdoms, and carrying the best of the survivors off into 70 years of exile.
But in this passage, we also see the Lord as One who offers His people a second chance to act like His people for a change.

Read Jeremiah 7:1-7

The problem is that the people don’t seem to think that they need another chance – they don’t have the slightest clue that they have done wrong in God’s sight! “Why are you so angry at us? We still come to worship, we still sacrifice - can’t you see that we’re doing the best we can!”
And Jeremiah wasn’t the only voice crying out in the wilderness of the two kingdoms. Isaiah, Hosea, Joel, Amos, and many others carried the message that God was distressed over the wayward actions of His people, and that they had to return to His side before their idolatry claimed their lives!

How many preachers today, do you suppose, are carrying that message? Some are. The fact is that most people don’t want to hear that they are on the wrong path, and most preachers have enough problems without this one upsetting their congregations! In many services today, people are only hearing about issues related to Social Justice, about the “warm fuzzies” associated with universal salvation, that “God loves you and so do I.”, but only as a half truth.
It would be interesting to know how many people are hearing "either repent and receive an unlimited number of second chances, or continue doing it your own way without a single chance”!

Are the people of today any different than the people of Jeremiah’s time? Hardly!

Vs. 5 – “change your ways and your actions and deal with each other justly” – The Triple Cities has been known as the “Home of the Square Deal” for a long time, and it even says so on the Endicott and Johnson City arches. A “square deal” is a very interesting concept. It implies that both the seller and the buyer believe that they both have received a fair exchange.
But God’s justice goes far beyond this concept. We have absolutely no part in this transaction – other than accepting it. And fairness is only by God’s definition, not ours – in His mercy, we receive nothing of the condemnations than we so richly deserve, and in grace, we receive far more of His blessings than we could ever earn. It’s about giving us everything that we need, and nothing of what we truly merit.
And this is how the Lord wants us to treat others – with His brand of justice.
- Love the sinner, even while hating their sin.
- Forgive, not 7 times, but 7 times 70!
- Love your enemies, and pray for God’s blessings to rain down upon them.
That’s the Lord’s version of the Square Deal, and He wants it to be ours, too.

Vs. 6a – “do not oppress the alien, the fatherless or the widow” – this parallels Matthew 25:40 “I tell you the truth, whatever you did for one of the least of these … you did for me.” The list of foreigners, orphans, and widows may be a little different today – today’s list may include such notables as AIDS patients and homosexuals, Muslims, those on the opposite side of the political spectrum, those who perform abortions and those who seek abortions, the 19 men who high jacked 3 planes on September 11, 2001, foreigners who are here illegally - all of this, as well as the orphans and widows.
To put it in slightly different words – “Don’t take advantage of those who you can’t identify with.”

Vs. 6b – “do not shed innocent blood in this place” – This can be taken in a couple of different ways. It could be calling us to abstain from violence against others, and in the context of worship, it could also be referring to the ineffective sacrifice offered to false gods. Either way, the shedding of innocent blood will bring nothing but anguish to us.

Vs. 6c “do not follow other gods to your own harm” – the Baals and Asherah’s of 2010 are still calling God’s people away from Him. These new gods include money, personal power, sports, drugs, sex and all kinds of immoral living, and the list goes on!
The “me first” generation has more gods at their disposal than you can shake a stick at, and the list is getting longer every day. But we can’t start condemning the lives of others until we put the gods of our own making far behind us. It’s about the comparison of the speck of dust in another person’s eye, versus the plank that is in our own.

Do we really think that we can pull the wool over the Lord’s eyes? Do we still think that we are getting away with something? He sees us, He knows us, He fears for us, and still He loves us.

Read Jeremiah 7:8-11

In 1930 William Temple preached at the opening of the seventh Lambeth Conference, a 20 day Anglican gathering that occurs every 10 years. This is part of what he said:

“While we deliberate, God reigns; when we decide wisely, God reigns; when we decide foolishly, God reigns; when we serve God in humble loyalty, God reigns; when we serve God self-assertively, God reigns; when we rebel and seek to withhold our service, God reigns - the Alpha and the Omega, which is, and which was, and which is to come, the Almighty.”

Almighty God reigns. We do indeed have an awesome God.
- Homiletics Online

Even while we listen and learn from the lies and deceit of the world, God still loves and remains supreme. The deceit on our lives can never deceive Him – we are the only ones who are fooled! Do we worship false gods all week, and then come to give honor to the true God on Sunday? Do we really think that this is OK with the Lord? Many do! There is no sorrow, no regret, no remorse, no plans to make a change for the better.

The is the day that the Lord has made, specifically for each of us – not so much to enjoy and revel in, but one that brings second chances into our sin racked lives. No more trying to hoodwink God, no more deception, no more playing both sides. Love the one and true Master, and let all of those other gods go their own, misguided, and destructive way. The Lord is watching, you know!