We will now continue where we left off two weeks ago. Who is responsible for leading both Israel and Judah into gross idolatry? What has Jehovah provided us to warn us not to repeat the sins of our fathers?
Jeremiah 2:26 "As the thief is shamed when he is discovered, So the house of Israel is shamed; They, their kings, their princes And their priests and their prophets,
Jeremiah 4:9 "It shall come about in that day," declares the LORD, "that the heart of the king and the heart of the princes will fail; and the priests will be appalled and the prophets will be astounded."
Jeremiah 8:1 "At that time," declares the LORD, "they will bring out the bones of the kings of Judah and the bones of its princes, and the bones of the priests and the bones of the prophets, and the bones of the inhabitants of Jerusalem from their graves. 8:2 "They will spread them out to the sun, the moon and to all the host of heaven, which they have loved and which they have served, and which they have gone after and which they have sought, and which they have worshiped. They will not be gathered or buried; they will be as dung on the face of the ground. 8:3 "And death will be chosen rather than life by all the remnant that remains of this evil family, that remains in all the places to which I have driven them," declares the LORD of hosts.
Jeremiah 23:1 "Woe to the shepherds who are destroying and scattering the sheep of My pasture!" declares the LORD. 23:2 Therefore thus says the LORD God of Israel concerning the shepherds who are tending My people: "You have scattered My flock and driven them away, and have not attended to them; behold, I am about to attend to you for the evil of your deeds," declares the LORD.
Clearly, Jehovah is first laying total blame on the leaders of these two nations. Both of them have had access to the Temple, the Scriptures, and the history of Jehovah’s blessings upon them. But does this imply that the generations of people who followed them into this idolatry are just innocent victims? Jehovah says no! He tells them not to listen to these false leaders/shepherds.
Jeremiah 27:12 I spoke words like all these to Zedekiah king of Judah, saying, "Bring your necks under the yoke of the king of Babylon and serve him and his people, and live! 27:13 "Why will you die, you and your people, by the sword, famine and pestilence, as the LORD has spoken to that nation which will not serve the king of Babylon?
27:14 "So do not listen to the words of the prophets who speak to you, saying, 'You will not serve the king of Babylon,' for they prophesy a lie to you; 27:15 for I have not sent them," declares the LORD, "but they prophesy falsely in My name, in order that I may drive you out and that you may perish, you and the prophets who prophesy to you."
People do not want to consider the wrath of Jehovah being poured out to them. They can’t even imagine that He would be displeased with them or would actually hold them accountable for their sins.
27:16 Then I spoke to the priests and to all this people, saying, "Thus says the LORD: Do not listen to the words of your prophets who prophesy to you, saying, 'Behold, the vessels of the LORD'S house will now shortly be brought again from Babylon'; for they are prophesying a lie to you. 27:17 "Do not listen to them; serve the king of Babylon, and live! Why should this city become a ruin? 27:18 "But if they are prophets, and if the word of the LORD is with them, let them now entreat the LORD of hosts that the vessels which are left in the house of the LORD, in the house of the king of Judah and in Jerusalem may not go to Babylon.
The false preachers, teachers, prophets, and priests of today use the same lies as in the days of Jeremiah. No one believes that Jehovah would send His holy wrath upon the United States.
But, we see death, destruction, persecution, and disasters all around the world today. History is full of the same disasters. Plagues and diseases, famines and droughts, swords and conquerors, wars and rumors of wars continue to appear throughout history.
Yet, these false teachers today still proclaim peace, blessings, and prosperity. Nothing has changed. People will follow the leaders that promise the most and ignore Jehovah’s warnings and condemnations. Peter reminds us again in the New Testament.
2 Peter 3:1 This is now, beloved, the second letter I am writing to you in which I am stirring up your sincere mind by way of reminder, 3:2 that you should remember the words spoken beforehand by the holy prophets and the commandment of the Lord and Savior spoken by your apostles. 3:3 Know this first of all, that in the last days mockers will come with their mocking, following after their own lusts, 3:4 and saying, "Where is the promise of His coming? For ever since the fathers fell asleep, all continues just as it was from the beginning of creation."
The mockers have been deceiving masses since before the time of Jeremiah. How much worse is it today?
3:5 For when they maintain this, it escapes their notice that by the word of God the heavens existed long ago and the earth was formed out of water and by water, 3:6 through which the world at that time was destroyed, being flooded with water. 3:7 But by His word the present heavens and earth are being reserved for fire, kept for the day of judgment and destruction of ungodly men.
False teachers are ungodly, even if they proclaim they are not.
3:8 But do not let this one fact escape your notice, beloved, that with the Lord one day is like a thousand years, and a thousand years like one day. 3:9 The Lord is not slow about His promise, as some count slowness, but is patient toward you, not wishing for any to perish but for all to come to repentance. 3:10 But the day of the Lord will come like a thief, in which the heavens will pass away with a roar and the elements will be destroyed with intense heat, and the earth and its works will be burned up.
The end is nearer than you may think. Satan has already deceived the entire world, which is the first mile marker in the timetable of the end times.
3:11 Since all these things are to be destroyed in this way, what sort of people ought you to be in holy conduct and godliness, 3:12 looking for and hastening the coming of the day of God, because of which the heavens will be destroyed by burning, and the elements will melt with intense heat! 3:13 But according to His promise we are looking for new heavens and a new earth, in which righteousness dwells.
Exactly, how should we act, believe, proclaim in these last days? Ignoring Jehovah’s repeated warnings is an act of eternal foolishness.
More next Saturday.