Who will you believe?
“Behold, I have put my words in your mouth.
The Lord commissions the prophet Jeremiah, who must warn nations of their sins against God. Like any true prophet, Jeremiah has nothing to gain by the Lord’s choice to make him a messenger. Who will believe the Lord’s message and messenger?
Jeremiah 1:
And the Lord said to me,
“Behold, I have put my words in your mouth. 10 See, I have set you this day over nations and over kingdoms, to pluck up and to break down, to destroy and to overthrow, to build and to plant.”
Generations Earlier
The Lord saved Noah and his family from a great flood.
Do you suppose Noah’s neighbors had questions of why this crazy old man was building a huge ark? Yet did any return to the Lord rather than embrace their sins?
Even today man refuses to believe God would condemn the whole earth, saving only a righteous man. We deny judgment, refuse the warnings of the Lord’s true messengers and dismiss scripture.
In Times Long Ago
Egyptians worshiped Pharaoh as a god. The Lord worked mighty miracles by the hand of Moses allowing an enslaved Hebrew people to migrate to Canaan. Powerful middle east princes practiced ritual evil worshiping idols which are no god.
Why would such self-serving men as Pharaoh or a middle east prince believe that Moses spoke for the Lord? For that matter, why would this self-serving generation believe that the Lord has spoken to any?
9th c. B.C.
21 And Elijah came near to all the people and said, “How long will you go limping between two different opinions? If the LORD is God, follow him; but if Baal, then follow him.” And the people did not answer him a word.
We prefer to worship gods of our making rather than Almighty God. Mortal man revolts against any authority other than our own.
7th-6th c. B.C.
Jeremiah 2:
5 Thus says the Lord:
“What wrong did your fathers find in me
that they went far from me,
and went after worthlessness, and became worthless?
6 They did not say,
‘Where is the Lord who brought us up from the land of Egypt, who led us in the wilderness, in a land of deserts and pits, in a land of drought and deep darkness, in a land that none passes through, where no man dwells?’
7 And I brought you into a plentiful land to enjoy its fruits and its good things.
But when you came in, you defiled my land and made my heritage an abomination.
8 The priests did not say, ‘Where is the Lord?’
Those who handle the law did not know me; the shepherds transgressed against me; the prophets prophesied by Baal and went after things that do not profit.
The rule of righteousness set by the Lord means nothing to men who define their own sin. False prophets and war-like men lead multitudes to lives of destruction and evil. Is anything new under the sun?
People will believe or disbelieve whatever they want.
Jesus Messiah
1st c. A.D.
Into an era dominated by Rome, a nominal jewish leadership asks their Messiah Jesus to perform more miracles.
Did first century jews want to bow down to a king any more than we do? Even if Almighty God appears to us in the flesh, will we believe and obey?
Instead, the Son of Man warns believers to be on guard.
Jesus is not a King who would conquer land. Neither is He a conquering mortal prince whose claim of the sword comes from God’s angels.
Jesus IS! He is a King above all kings, Creator of men from dust. And to dust we will return!
The Lord commands the sea, sun and stars. He IS Creator of men and women who will return to dust, Creator of these souls which live in the bounds of flesh and will be judged in the court of the Almighty King of all creation.
God is a righteous judge,
and a God who feels indignation every day. – Psalm 7:11
Grace for Sinful Man
The Lord came to man in the flesh and became a willing sacrifice for our sins. In light of the love of God our heavenly Father, in light of the sacrifice of Christ Jesus and in light of the eternal life breathed into the dust of your soul by the Holy Spirit; what is your response to these times of difficulty?
Who do you believe?
And what must you do in these last days, hastening times which began on a Cross?
To be continued…
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