Sabbath: The Crisis Continues
Read for This Week’s Study: Jeremiah 9:1-26, Jer. 10:1-15, Rom. 1:25, Jeremiah 26:1-24, Acts 17:30, Acts 5:34-41.
Memory Text: ‘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 9:24, NKJV).
Image © Lars Justinen Goosalt.com
The travails and trials of God’s servant continue. In fact, pretty much all of the book of Jeremiah deals with the challenges and struggles the prophet had in trying to get the people to listen to the words that the Lord was seeking to convey to them out of love and concern.
Imagine what would have happened if the people had listened to Jeremiah and had accepted the prophet’s warning. If they had listened-if the people, the kings, and the leaders had humbled themselves before God-the terrible crisis would not have come. The chance for repentance was before them. Even after they had done so much wrong, so much evil, the door to redemption and salvation had not closed. The door stood open; they simply refused to walk through it.
Again, it’s so easy for us today to shake our heads at the hardness of their hearts. Now all these things happened to them as examples, and they were written for our admonition, upon whom the ends of the ages have come
(1 Cor. 10:11, NKJV). We have these examples before us; what will we learn from them?
Study this week’s lesson to prepare for Sabbath, November 14.
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Judah’s experience and actions of sustained apostasy may serve as an example for this end time generation because the circumstances are somewhat familiar (1 Corinthians 10:11). The people had developed a view of God as soft or weak even, because transgression was not hastily punished by the Judge of all the earth (Ecclesiastes 8:11).
The same was the case with those in the days of Noah, a condition prophesied to be repeated in the last days of Earth’s history (Luke 17:26). Jehovah sees ahead of time cases where pleading will make no difference, but for the sake of mortals who need to understand He bears with the rebellious.
Today the Lord’s great mercy is sometimes misconstrued as His condoning evil or being indifferent towards it, as if He does not care what humans do (Exodus 34:6). The Creator finds sin so repulsive He would eradicate it in a moment, except love pleads the case of the sinner and the Author of mercy gives the undeserving a chance at repentance and restoration (Romans 2:4).
The people of this age have no excuse for the Lord has done more than enough to both warn and help all those who would be saved. What more can He do?
"Thus saith the LORD, Let not the wise man glory in his wisdom, neither let the mighty man glory in his might, let not the rich man glory in his riches". (Jer 9:23.)
The three "great" things that mankind prides itself most on, are shown here to be vain (empty), and God warns His people off that [dangerous] ground.
To be wise/clever, to be physically strong, and/or to be rich, gives us, in reality, no good reason to "glory". Many today are proud of what they should be ashamed of. In reality there is only one good reason to "glory", and that is to understand and to know God.
Some people have said it is impossible to understand Him, and unfortunately for them the statement is self-fulfilling. Yes, there is an infinite depth to the things of God, and we will never be able to say that we understand Him fully; but God wants us to at least begin to understand Him and His ways.
For those that wish to glory in something, let them glory [quietly] in the fact that they understand and know God. But let's be assured that those things do not come intuitively, or naturally. This kind of understanding and knowledge is not inherent in the human nature. The only way we will understand God is by being like Him.
"Buy the truth, and sell it not; also [buy] wisdom, and instruction, and understanding." (Prov 23:23.) These things do not come 'cheap'. Getting them will cost us a great deal -- not least of all, our pride.
The world is obviously going the way of Sodom and Gomora despite increasing preaching and warnings. The time of shaking will soon come, probation will soon close, let Christians be Christians in deed.
If we do not take heed to the warning that has been given to us which is grace. What shall we do except have judgment brought upon us by god.
Prophet Jeremiah's persistence in proclaiming God's word to a disobedient nation not only shows God's love for his people but also his patience towards them. Prophet Jeremiah warned the people of Judah, today the lord uses his servants who proclaim his call of grace in pulpits, door to door evangelism and outreach evangelism. let us heed this call of love