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Words from the past
pastor corner

Israel’s departure from God is described in five steps in Jeremiah 6:10-16.

The prophet’s words fell on deaf ears of the people who refused to listen to God.

The scriptures show how stubborn and how insolent the people really were. They determined not to listen to the prophets’ words. Their lives were full of sin, and they enjoyed wallowing in its mire. Notice God speaks to their not blushing they should have been ashamed, but they felt no remorse. The punishment of God was going to come upon them, and they had no fear. They should have listened to God.

Paul told how important studying the Old Testament is when he wrote, “For whatsoever things were written aforetime were written for our learning, that we through patience and comfort of the scriptures might have hope” (Rom. 15:4). The people to whom Jeremiah preached refused to listen to God’s word, spoken by the prophet.

God’s word is given so that man can know the direction God desire’s him to follow.

Jeremiah wrote, “O Lord, I know that the way of man is not in himself: it is not in man that walketh to direct his steps” (Jeremiah 10:23). Thankfully we do not have to “direct our steps” God’s word is for us to use as our guide. This word is a “lamp unto my feet and a light unto my pathway” (Psalm 119:105). It is said they did not “delight” in the word. Man’s reaction to God’s word should be joy. We do not have to find the way by ourselves, God has provided the map.

Those to whom Jeremiah wrote were willing to listen to false teachers (v.14). While Jeremiah was telling them what God thought about them, and what would happen if they did not repent, the false teachers were “tickling” their ears with words of peace and good times. They should have listened to God’s prophet, but they failed to do so.

When this people committed abomination, they were not the least bit ashamed of their sins (v.15). They had lived a sinful life for so long they could not even blush.

Their sins are talked about throughout the book of Jeremiah. They were guilty of adultery, idolatry, murder, drunkenness, etc. They lived in open rebellion against God and felt no remorse. Many of these things are practiced openly in our society, and the world is not ashamed. These things were and still are an abomination before God.

The prophet gave them the cure for all their sins, but they rejected the cure (v.16). The cure for them was to turn back to God and His word. The cure today for all is to turn back to God and His word. We must go back to it and follow it. Paul wrote to the Galatians, “I marvel that ye are so soon removed from him that called you into the grace of Christ unto another gospel: Which is not another; but there be some that trouble you and would pervert the gospel of Christ” (Gal. 1:6, 7). While many today would try and pervert the gospel, we must seek out the truth of God’s word and walk in the “old paths”. Will we learn from the past?

One can learn how to be saved if they will simply study God’s word and then obey. The lesson from Jeremiah shows that God is willing to forgive, but man must obey.

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