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Jeremiah Offers Us Hope for the FutureOne of the purposes of preaching and publishing the true gospel is to spread the certain message that the Bible promises us real hope for the future, in spite of having to cope with the vagaries of today's increasingly chaotic and unstable world.by John Ross SchroederThe 20th century was often the age of anxiety. Yet after two world wars in which millions perished followed by two draining conflicts in Asia, the fall of the Berlin Wall in 1989 seemed to herald a new era—a fresh opportunity for world peace. Leaders such as President George H.W. Bush talked of a New World Order, and Mr. Bush even hoped for "a kinder, gentler America." Many today believe that we are poised at another opportune time—"A moment that will define a generation," as new American President Barack Obama expressed it in his inaugural address (emphasis added throughout). Yet the stark reality is that just 20 years after the fall of the Berlin Wall—having experienced the horrors of 9/11, near genocide in parts of Africa and horrendous conflicts in Afghanistan, Iraq and Gaza—we seem farther than ever from achieving world peace and domestic tranquillity. The specter of a deep recessionHow deep and prolonged will this recession get? The future seems very uncertain as the present world economic crisis escalates. We appear to be on the edge of severe global anxiety, especially now with almost all national economies in serious decline with bank failures, businesses going bankrupt, billions being spent in bailouts, rising unemployment and the staggering increase in foreclosures and decrease in home values. Those who regularly read such newspapers as The Wall Street Journal and The Financial Times find one article after another reflecting the downturn. Perhaps noted British author and journalist Paul Johnson best sums up the mood of some insightful observers of the economic scene: "The financial crisis through which we are passing...is essentially a tragedy, and one which will broaden and deepen and intensify with every month that passes, as financial breakdown affects the real economy. Businesses built up over lifetimes are destroyed in weeks, men and women who have never known the fear of unemployment, as their grandparents did, now experience it in horrible reality and perhaps for years, [possibly] for the rest of their working life. Pensioners who had saved and prepared carefully for retirement now face a penurious old age, even destitution. "Worst of all, as the world becomes a rougher, more desperate and frightened place, there is a real risk that the slump, as in the 1930s, will end in war, on a huge scale, that will engulf us all in thermonuclear ruin" ("What Shakespeare Has to Say About the Crisis," The Spectator, Jan. 24, 2009, p. 30). Still in such uncertain and stressful times with today's multiple crises, the Bible remains an anchor of encouragement to those who have learned to trust in God's inspired Word. "For whatever things were written before were written for our learning, that we through the patience and comfort of the [Old Testament] Scriptures might have hope" (Romans 15:4). Even the ancient biblical prophets offer us much consolation and hope when we truly grasp the real intent of their message. One such major prophet is Jeremiah, whose book is the longest in the Bible. Jeremiah to the rescueAlthough the circumstances were different, this Hebrew prophet lived during a period of national confusion—a time resembling our present climate of uncertainty and anxiety. His nation of Judah was under constant threat from two ancient powers, Babylon and Egypt. (Today it is terrorism and rogue nations such as Iran and North Korea.) By his time the Assyrian Empire—which had previously conquered and taken the northern, 10-tribe nation of Israel into captivity—had begun to fray around the edges as a feared imperial power. Our faith in Jeremiah's words is supported and undergirded by God's personal commission to Him—unique among the prophets, with the exception of Moses and John the Baptist. "Then the word of the Lord came to me, saying: 'Before I formed you in the womb I knew you, before you were born I sanctified you; I ordained you a prophet to the nations" (Jeremiah 1:4-5). His credentials and divine appointment to high prophetic office were and are unimpeachable. "Then the Lord put forth His hand and touched my mouth, and the Lord said to me: 'Behold, I have put My words in your mouth. See, I have this day set you over the nations and over the kingdoms, to root out and to pull down...to build and to plant'" (verses 9-10). We see from the contents of the book itself that Jeremiah prophesied during the time of the sharp decline and eventual captivity of his native country Judah . He was the leading voice in expressing God's will for his people. In the course of some 40 years, Jeremiah prophesied during the reigns of five different kings of Judah—beginning with righteous Josiah. With experience and with our Creator's unfailing guidance, Jeremiah learned and recorded certain hard-won lessons about the nature of God and the human condition itself that 21st-century men and women desperately need to grasp and comprehend. Life apart from our CreatorProminent among these lessons was Jeremiah's crucial understanding of a basic human limitation—that we cannot live proper, successful and fulfilling lives apart from the continual guidance of Almighty God. This prophet said to God: "O Lord, I know the way of man is not in himself; it is not in man who walks to direct his own steps" (Jeremiah 10:23). Throughout the ages, in its foolish pride and arrogance, humanity as a whole has failed to grasp this important lesson. King Solomon underscores the lesson: "Trust in the Lord with all your heart, and lean not on your own understanding. In all your ways acknowledge Him, and He shall direct your paths" (Proverbs 3:5-6). Both Solomon and Jeremiah tell us how to get on the same page with God. "Do not be wise in your own eyes; fear the Lord and depart from evil" (verse 7). Jeremiah takes the process of repentance a step further by asking for God's personal help. "O Lord, correct me, but with justice; not in your anger, lest you bring me to nothing" (Jeremiah 10:24). If we are going to get through very tough times that may require the "blood, toil, tears and sweat" that Winston Churchill spoke of at the onset of World War II, we need to repent of our wrong ways and get closer and closer to God—and increasingly rely on His help and guidance. Sorely needed: national and personal reformationJeremiah's day is reminiscent of our own modern age. Nations today are in chaos! We live in exceptionally stressful times of unusual tension and international anxiety. Historically, this was a period of severe national crisis for Judah. During the siege and eventual captivity of that nation, few escaped with their lives. This constitutes a sobering warning for our own peoples today. Only a few thousand captives survived to start a new life in the land of Babylon (Jeremiah 52:29-30). Many who perished failed to follow Jeremiah's specific instructions from God, whether they sought to remain in Jerusalem or flee to Egypt. Following either option ended in disaster. Jeremiah had told his people to willingly go to Babylon. Obedience to God is the master key to human survival. National calamity had overtaken the nation of Judah because of her many sins. For the most part the people had virtually ignored the Ten Commandments. Idolatry, adultery, stealing, lying and Sabbath breaking typified their unlawful conduct. Sufficient examples of their multiple transgressions are given: "For the land is full of adulterers" (Jeremiah 23:10). Also: "Because they have done disgraceful things in Israel, have committed adultery with their neighbors' wives, and have spoken lying words in My name... Indeed I know, and am a witness, says the Lord" (Jeremiah 29:23). False ministers misrepresented God. Is anyone willing to venture the thought that these passages of Hebrew Scripture do not aptly apply to our Western world today? In truth, most of us know, as God does, that sexual immorality threatens to engulf and shatter the very fabric of our Western society. Regrettably, much of the media continually encourages this type of illicit behavior. It is a constant theme of many films, television programs and books. Judah's worst sinIdolatry, the breaking of what Jesus called the first and great commandment, can be the worst sin because it leaves us to our own devices. It exempts us from the blessings of the Creator God. Without His help and regular intervention in our lives, we become vulnerable to and are often the unwitting victims of our own follies. Things go wrong and we can't seem to grasp the real source of our problems. "Your own wickedness will correct you, and your backslidings will rebuke you" (Jeremiah 2:19). Jeremiah highlighted Judah's idolatrous ways. "For My people have committed two evils: They have forsaken Me, the fountain of living waters, and hewn themselves cisterns—broken cisterns that can hold no water" (Jeremiah 2:13). This passage equally applies to our secular age. Can humanistic beliefs in the theory of evolution really come to our national rescue today? One little-recognized aspect of idolatry is dishonoring God's Sabbath day. "Thus says the Lord: 'Take heed to yourselves, and bear no burden on the Sabbath day..., nor do any work, but hallow the Sabbath day, as I commanded your fathers. But they did not obey nor incline their ear" (Jeremiah 17:21-23). Ezekiel 22:23-26 clearly shows that the nation of Judah also followed in the footsteps of the fathers by profaning the Sabbath day. But at least ancient Judah knew which day of the week the Sabbath fell on. Most mainstream Christians today seem to think that Sunday is the Sabbath. But the seventh day of the week is the one and only true Sabbath day (Exodus 16:26-30). Getting to know GodOne way of becoming very well acquainted with God is to begin celebrating the seventh-day Sabbath. It is a sign between the Creator and His people (Exodus 31:13,17). Jeremiah had a long-enduring, very close relationship with God. Over time he learned to rely on and trust Him with the positive outcome of the many sore trials that beset his ministry. Godly prophets, who tell the truth about national conditions, are not popular people. Jeremiah had few real friends. Yet God was first in this prophet's life. He knew and obeyed God as Creator. "Ah, LORD GOD! Behold, You have made the heavens and the earth by Your great power and outstretched arm. There is nothing too hard for you" (Jeremiah 32:17). Jeremiah was chosen to record one of the most profound passages of Scripture about knowing God. "Thus says the Lord: 'Let not the wise man glory in his wisdom, let not the mighty man glory in his might, nor let the rich man glory in his riches; but let him who glories glory in this, that he understands and knows Me, that I am the Lord, exercising lovingkindness, judgment, and righteousness in the earth. For in these I delight,' says the Lord" (Jeremiah 9:23-24). Hope for the futureKnowing and understanding the true God in itself gives us great hope for the future. Implicit with that knowledge is a comprehension of His plan and purpose for mankind. We then begin to grasp the fact that the certain outcome for true Christians, who endure to the end, is entrance into the everlasting Kingdom of God. Jesus Christ told us to pray: "Your kingdom come" (Matthew 6:10). In the days of Jeremiah God said, "I am ready to perform My word" (Jeremiah 1:12). Our Creator wants to complete His step-by-step plan by enlarging His family and bringing His government of true peace and prosperity to this earth. In the meantime we Christians are to continually "grow in grace and knowledge of our LORD and Savior Jesus Christ" (2 Peter 3:18). Once we really begin to cry out for guidance from our Creator, He will begin to reveal much more of His divine knowledge to us. God's approach to life pays dividends, both physically and spiritually. The starting point is reading and studying the Bible itself. Why not enroll in our free Bible Study Course? Its 12 lessons will help you to understand God's Word and lead you to a wondrous comprehension of His great plan and purpose for mankind. WNP |
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Keywords: Jeremiah recession idolatry reformation hope
Idolatry:
