Friday, September 16, 2016
“Jeremiah,
say to the people, ‘This is what the Lord says: “‘When people fall down, don’t they get up
again? When they discover they’re on the
wrong road, don’t they turn back? Then
why do these people stay on their self-destructive path? Why do the people of Jerusalem refuse to turn
back? They cling tightly to their lies and
will not turn around. I
listen to their conversations and don’t hear a word of truth. Is anyone sorry for doing wrong? Does anyone say, “What a terrible thing I
have done”? No! All are running down the path of sin as
swiftly as a horse galloping into battle!
Even the stork that flies across the sky knows the time of her
migration, as do the turtledove, the swallow, and the crane. They all return at the proper time each year. But not my people! They do not know the Lord’s laws.
“‘How can
you say, “We are wise because we have the word of the Lord,” when your teachers
have twisted it by writing lies? These
wise teachers will fall into the trap of their own foolishness, for they have
rejected the word of the Lord. Are
they so wise after all? I
will give their wives to others and their farms to strangers. From the least to the greatest, their lives
are ruled by greed. Yes, even my
prophets and priests are like that. They
are all frauds. They offer
superficial treatments for my people’s mortal wound. They give assurances of peace when there is
no peace. Are they ashamed of
these disgusting actions? Not at
all—they don’t even know how to blush! Therefore,
they will lie among the slaughtered. They
will be brought down when I punish them, says the Lord.
I will surely consume them. There will be no more harvests of figs and grapes.
Their fruit trees will all die. Whatever I gave them will soon be gone. I, the Lord, have spoken!’ Jeremiah 8:4-13(NLT)
I will surely consume them. There will be no more harvests of figs and grapes.
Their fruit trees will all die. Whatever I gave them will soon be gone. I, the Lord, have spoken!’ Jeremiah 8:4-13(NLT)
“Bitter” is about the only word that
can I can use to describe the current political contest for president. (The only word my mother would have approved,
anyway). Accusation upon pointing
finger, the candidates attempt to take the other down; all in the name of an
agenda to lead.
But…to where and what are we being
led?
Jeremiah sensed the same kind of void
in the leadership of Israel. He warned
the people of the blatant dishonesty that even distorts God’s Word, just to
perpetuate their own power; of hubris that refuses to admit mistakes or
personal sinful practices…and wouldn’t, even if caught in the act!
In the case of Israel, that kind of
leadership, unchecked, led the herd to slaughter. Jerusalem was destroyed and the people were
carried away into captivity.
There are all kinds of judgments that
lead to captivity, and I shudder at what’s in store for America if we somehow
cannot learn to blush again.
For You Today
Revisit Jeremiah’s warnings again…read
it several times if you will. And allow the
pictures to form in your mind’s eye of the kinds of leaders we have chosen.
Go to VIDEO
NOTES
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