Jeremiah 27:8-15
It is important that we recall Jeremiah is walking around town with yoke bars strapped to his neck. It is also worth reflecting on this thought; Jeremiah is not arguing or complaining to God about how foolish he looks and feels. What is he doing? Jeremiah is obeying the commands of his Master.
The sermon God gave Jeremiah did not play well in his time or now. “But if any nation or kingdom will not serve this Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon, and put its neck under the yoke of the king of Babylon, I will punish that nation with the sword, with famine, and with pestilence, declares the Lord, until I have consumed it by his hand. So do not listen to your prophets, your diviners, your dreamers, your fortune-tellers, or your sorcerers, who are saying to you, ‘You shall not serve the king of Babylon.’ For it is a lie that they are prophesying to you, with the result that you will be removed far from your land, and I will drive you out, and you will perish. But any nation that will bring its neck under the yoke of the king of Babylon and serve him, I will leave on its own land, to work it and dwell there, declares the Lord.”’
The Lord may be speaking these same words to many of you whose denomination has traded the Word of God for a secular gospel of this world. I’m sure examples are not needed, but just in case let me share one, marriage. God’s design is one man and one woman for life, and it matters not what the U.S. Supreme Court rules, for they have no standing before our Lord. “So do not listen to your prophets, your diviners, your dreamers, your fortune-tellers, or your sorcerers, who are saying to you,” and let us add judges, preachers, and teachers in the year 2017 if they are not abiding by the teaching of Scripture.
For the ones that rebelled against the message God had given Jeremiah was not going to work, not then and not now. But to those who obeyed God life was going to be better: no foreign land, no strange customs and food, and no new language to learn.
God’s Prophet had a special message from Judah’s king to Zedekiah: “Bring your necks under the yoke of the king of Babylon, and serve him and his people and live. Why will you and your people die by the sword, by famine, and by pestilence, as the Lord has spoken concerning any nation that will Not serve the king of Babylon? Do not listen to the words of the prophets who are saying to you, ‘You shall not serve the king of Babylon,’ for it is a Lie that they are prophesying to you. I have not sent them, declares the Lord, but they are prophesying falsely in my name, with the result that I will drive you out and you will perish, you and the prophets who are prophesying to you.”
If your pastor and the elders in your place of worship are more into winning an election for some political group than preaching and teaching the gospel of Jesus Christ, who is our only hope, why are you still attending? It could be you need a class taught by the Spirit of the Living God and a great place to attend such a class is in a quiet place with your Bible and prayer. I like to begin in this way; Father, You are acutely aware of my needs, my hopes, and my many failures, guide me back into the Light.
From the Back Porch,
Bob Rice
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