Devotional Commentary on Jeremiah 16

 

Jeremiah is asked to do three things not in the chapter: do not take a wife among the unbelievers (verse 2-30). They are going to suffer punishments of sicknesses (verse 4); unburied; sword, famine; Secondly, do not go to funeral homes for they suffer punishment from the Lord for their evil so do not go for compassion with the sinners. Those who suffered a terrible disaster because of LGBTQH, do not open your church as funeral setting for those punished by the Lord for their iniquity. Especially when the iniquity is public and openly clear as it was in Jeremiah’s day. Many in our own day think their inventions of sin are unequaled in generations past. Wrong. LGBTQH is evidenced in cuneiform texts dating all the way to the days of Abraham and it has to be if Sodom and Gemorrah is making sense still. The Asherah discos that went on at Kuntillet `Ajrud, a tradingpost or overnight entertainment spot with wine, woman and songs, fashion shows [nearly 150 textile found in archaeology the same time as Jeremiah at this site] and then a blessing on a potshard from Jerusalem sent by someone writing on it: “Blessing to Yahweh and to his [the receiver of the content] Asherah”. The same people who complain about anti-Asherah statements in the Bible in modern times are the same people who complain about gender statements in the Word of God and are the same people who complain about rejection of Woman Ordination. There is a silent tie that knot these anti-Scriptural practices and habits together under one umbrella of passion.

They shall die and not be buried (verse 6). Funeral practices in Jeremiah’s day were to lament, cut the flesh, pull the hair out, provide bread and drinks to families attending (verses 6-7). Thirdly, Jeremiah should not go to a wedding, or house of feasting. Do not associate with these people. Do not sit and eat and drink with them (verse 8). Psalm 1 asks us not to sit in the circle of the ungodly. The Lord is going to punish them in Jeremiah’s days and take away gladness from the bridegroom and the bride (verse 9).

 

So people will ask, but why? (verse 10). They are so blind that they do not realize their own sin “what is our sin that we have sinned to the Lord our God?” There are people doing wrong and do not know they do it although they knew before very clearly. Their conscious is so changed by relativistic dominoes effect that they do not have a standard any longer. If this is not wrong why can I not do that which is a bit further removed and if I can do that why can I not do some more that is some more removed and domino by domino they fall over away from the standard of the Word of God and the eyes cannot see further than the last domino. Hooked in sin. Blind yet with eyes. When their believing parents counsel them when they visit at home, they ask them not to always preach for them. Blind and nested in sin.

 

In verse 11 the Lord answers that it is their forefathers. They forsook the Lord; they followed other gods; they worshipped these gods; they prostrated themselves before them; they did not keep His Torah. What a list! The Torah says Saturday is Sabbath from Friday night but the TV is on, the newspaper is read, the games are played on smartphone and twitter about daily chats goes on unstopped. Sabbath blessing? For what? It is a relational aspect of the Sabbath. Keeping the Torah does matter for God. It is that innocent “fruit” that Eve was not to touch. Simple detail, simple request. Yet with profound implications. People got rich by keeping the Sabbath. That is how important the Sabbath is. No cooking on Sabbath. Simple request with debt reducing results if obeyed. It is a reality of which I can witness event after event. Because the forefathers did it so the children also. “And you have done worse than your fathers….” (verse 12). “Each one after the view of his evil heart” and not to listen to the Lord.

 

Consequences: Reaping what one sows. Exile. They will be taken off their land and go where they will serve other gods. The country is taken over by another system, another ethnic race, a political paradigm change. Rulers are taken out and replaced by God, according to the Bible. He sits with the kings hearts in His hands, says Proverbs. Better believe it even though it is Trump or Moon or Zuma or Putin or Brexit or Mugabe or anyone.

 

A paradigm shift will happen later when there will be a return from exile so that people will no longer say “as the Lord lives Who saved us in Egypt” but “as the Lord lives Who brought us from the lands where He has driven us (verse 14-15).

 

Fishers and hunters will be sent to find them hidden in clefts of the rocks to take them into exile (verse 16). No escape from punishment. Ever heard wayward children of believing parents lament about the sudden death of someone in their family or debt or losing a job? Ask first, if there is reason to go back to church and find Him as solution again. Because it always is a solution.

 

They thought they can hide from God. They can’t. His eyes are on their ways. They are not hidden from Him. He sees their iniquity (verse 17). Payment for sins is double (2x) (verse 18). Why are they punished doubly? They have detestable things and participated in abominations (verse 18). Are the wayward living in tranquility? For how long? Do they become old, do they get sick? Hardneck syndrome against God is a gross error. It is better to run back as soon as possible before the evil day comes. God can forgive but the consequences of our actions, God does not take away.

 

Jeremiah is on his knees in verse 19. We should be too. “O God Who are my power and my strength and my refuge in the day of Trouble, to You nations will come from the ends of the earth and say….” Jeremiah knows of a future coming of nations to God converting. They saw what happened to Israel and knew they history of His dealings in the past with them. Now they wonder if they have a change to get closer to Him?

 

These nations blame their gods and early traditions: “Only lies have our fathers handed down to us, emptiness in which there is nothing of any avail” (verse 19). These nations cannot stand the emptiness in their nihilistic lives any longer. Agnosticism has made them sick people. “Can a man make gods for himself and they are no gods?” Socrates not long afterwards was telling the youth that the gods that tradition is dishing up to them is not gods and that they need to change their views about gods. So the court-case against Socrates started because they accused him of influencing the youth not to believe in gods. He had to drink poison as punishment.

 

Now God answered both Jeremiah and the nations: “Therefore behold I let them know, at this time I will let them know My power and My might and they shall know that My name is the Lord”. God did and mighty was His works before Nebuchadnezzar and other nations present in the burning oven and also in the Lion’s den of the Median king Darius or Gobryas in 538 BCE.

 

There are people who say: “Do not suffocate us with Last Generation Theology”. Sorry, it was not ‘just a misunderstanding of our pioneers or a pioneer parachuting mishap’. It is biblical. The Time of Trouble (verse 19) is what Jeremiah saw as a future event. It is future for us as well. Nations will come to the Lord at that time since the Latter Rain will be poured out “to You nations will come from the ends of the earth”. The Lord answered Jeremiah in verse 21: “At that time” [which time?] The Time of Trouble future event that Jeremiah saw in vision. At that time God will reveal His power, His might “and they [all believers in all nations] shall know My name is the Lord”.

 

Dear God

Jeremiah tells us to be part of this great event during the Time of Trouble when the Latter Rain will inform all nations of Your Name that is Creator because of the Seventh Day Sabbath of Your own making. Make us part of this event. In Jesus Name. Amen.